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25 November 2014
Mateo B. Sardoma, Jr. and Rudy P.H. Sablan Sentenced to 11 Years Imprisonment on Federal Firearms & Narcotic ChargesRead the Press Release
(Hagatna, Guam), ALICIA A.G. LIMTIACO, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that Mateo B. Sardoma, Jr. and Rudy P.H. Sablan, defendants in the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) case United States v. Sardoma, et al., Criminal Case No. 12-000010 (D. Guam), were sentenced today by the Honorable Frances
Tydingco-Gatewood, Chief Judge, District Court of Guam. The Defendants were sentenced to serve eleven years of incarceration followed by three years of supervised release.In considering the evidence presented at trial, both Sablan and Sardoma were sentenced to ten years of prison for being felons in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section
Both defendants were jointly and severally ordered to pay $18,000 to the victim of an assault in the case.
922(g)(1) and to an additional year to run consecutively for possession of methamphetamine in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 844(a).Sardoma was also ordered to forfeit $51,136, which will be applied toward a $200,000 money judgment issued against him. He was also ordered to forfeit a 2008 Toyota Pick Up and a 2003 Toyota Highlander.
U.S. Attorney Limtiaco stated, “Our community is not immune from the poison of methamphetamine. These cases illustrate the hard work our partners in law enforcement do every day to stop the distribution of methamphetamine into Guam.” This conviction resulted from the concerted efforts of law enforcement partners in the OCDETF investigation, a focused multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force investigating and prosecuting the most significant drug trafficking organizations throughout the United States by leveraging the combined expertise of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
The investigating agencies include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Department of Homeland Security/U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (USCGIS), U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Guam Police Department (GPD) and Guam Customs & Quarantine Agency (GC&QA). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Frederick Black and Stephen Leon Guerrero.
Man Sentenced to 64 Months in Prison for Tax Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. - Charles M. Oberly, III, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that Tendayi Mandere, a 36 year old citizen of Zimbabwe, was sentenced today by the Honorable Richard G. Andrews, United States District Judge for the District of Delaware, to 64 months imprisonment and full restitution. The defendant pleaded guilty to violations of 18 USC § 286 (False Claims Conspiracy) and 18 USC § 1028A(a)(1) (Aggravated Identity Theft), in April 2014.
The defendant participated in a tax fraud conspiracy involving the filing of more than 130 false individual federal income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service. The defendant obtained the names and social security numbers of real individuals from his co-conspirators, and he used them to electronically file false tax returns via the Internet. The defendant fabricated the wage and withholding information on the returns, which sought refunds of more than $600,000. Most of these fraudulent returns were rejected by the Internal Revenue Service. The defendant was ordered to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of $114,000, the amount obtained by the defendant and his co-conspirators during the course of the scheme.
U.S. Attorney Oberly gave the following comments: “This case should send a clear signal that individuals who conspire with others to file false claims against the United States Treasury will face significant penalties. My office is committed to working with the Internal Revenue Service to prosecute these cases, and I will seek incarceration wherever possible and appropriate.”
This sentence exemplifies IRS Special Agents' intense focus on the rigorous pursuit of identity theft and refund fraud," said Richard Goss, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. "Mr. Mandere perpetuated an elaborate scheme driven by insatiable greed and a blatant disregard for the tremendous damage inflicted on innocent victims. Be assured that IRS Criminal Investigation, together with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney's Office, will hold those who engage in similar behavior fully accountable."
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Paxton.
Man Pleads Guilty for Selling "StealthGenie" Spyware App and Ordered to Pay $500,000 FineRead the Press Release
A Danish citizen today pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of Virginia and was ordered to pay a fine of $500,000 for advertising and selling StealthGenie, a spyware application (app) that could remotely monitor calls, texts, videos and other communications on mobile phones without detection. This marks the first-ever criminal conviction concerning the advertisement and sale of a mobile device spyware app.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia and Assistant Director in Charge Andrew G. McCabe of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement after a hearing before U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema in the Eastern District of Virginia.
“Spyware is an electronic eavesdropping tool that secretly and illegally invades individual privacy,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell. “Make no mistake: selling spyware is a federal crime, and the Criminal Division will make a federal case out if it. Today’s guilty plea by a creator of the StealthGenie spyware is another demonstration of our commitment to prosecuting those who would invade personal privacy.”
“The defendant advertised and sold a spyware app that could be secretly installed on smart phones without the knowledge of the phones owner,” said U.S. Attorney Boente. “This spyware app allowed individuals to intercept phone calls, electronic mail, text messages, voicemails and photographs of others. The product allowed for the wholesale invasion of privacy by other individuals, and this office in coordination with our law enforcement partners will prosecute not just users of apps like this, but the makers and marketers of such tools as well.”
“Mr. Akbar is the first-ever person to admit criminal activity in advertising and selling spyware that invades an unwitting victim’s confidential communications,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge McCabe. “This illegal spyware provides individuals with an option to track a person’s every move without their knowledge. As technology evolves, the FBI will continue to evolve to protect consumers from those who sell illegal spyware.”
According to the statement of facts accompanying the plea agreement in the case, Hammad Akbar, 31, is the chief executive officer of InvoCode Pvt. Limited and Cubitium Limited, the companies that advertised and sold StealthGenie online. StealthGenie could be installed on a variety of different brands of mobile phones, including Apple’s iPhone, Google’s Android, and Blackberry Limited’s Blackberry. Once installed, it could intercept all conversations and text messages sent using the phone. The app was undetectable by most users and was advertised as being untraceable.
Akbar was arrested on Sept. 27, 2014, in Los Angeles and pleaded guilty today to sale of an interception device and advertisement of a known interception device. After accepting the guilty plea, the court immediately sentenced Akbar to time served and ordered him to pay a $500,000 fine. He was also ordered to forfeit the source code for StealthGenie to the government.
On Sept. 26, 2014, the court issued a temporary restraining order authorizing the FBI to temporarily disable the website hosting StealthGenie, which was hosted from a data center in Ashburn, Virginia. The court later converted the order into a temporary injunction, and the website remains offline.
According to Akbar’s admissions, StealthGenie had numerous functions that permitted it to intercept both outgoing and incoming telephone calls, electronic mail, text messages, voicemail, and photographs from the smartphone on which it was installed. The app could also turn on the phone’s microphone when it was not in use and record sounds and conversations that occurred near the phone. All of these functions could be enabled without the knowledge of the user of the phone.
In order to install the app, the purchaser needed at least temporary possession of the target phone. During the installation process on an Android smartphone, for example, the person installing the app was required to grant a series of permissions that allowed the app to access privileged information on the device. Once the app was activated, it was started as a “background” (i.e., hidden) service and set up to launch automatically when the phone was powered on. The only time that the app interacted with the screen was during activation, and the icon for the app was removed from the phone’s menu. Akbar admitted that because of these characteristics, a typical smartphone user would not know that StealthGenie had been installed on his or her smartphone.
Akbar also admitted to distributing an advertisement for StealthGenie through his website on Nov. 5, 2011, and to selling the app to an undercover agent of the FBI on Dec. 14, 2012.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and was prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney William A. Hall Jr. of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jay V. Prabhu and Alexander Nguyen of the Eastern District of Virginia.
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has published an advisory for consumers related to the app located at: http://www.ic3.gov/media/2014/140930.aspx.
Louisville Residents Charged in Conspiracy to Distribute More Than One Kilogram of Heroin in A Drug Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Louisville residents charged in a conspiracy to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin were arraigned in U.S. District Court today, before Magistrate James D. Moyer, announced United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky, David J. Hale.
According to the single count indictment and a criminal complaint, beginning in December of 2012 and continuing to October 21, 2014 the defendants conspired to traffic heroin from multiple residential homes located in Pleasure Ridge Park, Okolona, Parkland and Chickasaw neighborhoods, with a stash house located in Smoketown, where the heroin was packaged for sale as part of this drug trafficking operation.
The criminal complaint further alleges that at least one of the defendants utilized a rental car company in Clarksville, Indiana, to travel to destinations outside the Louisville area including Chicago, Illinois, to procure multiple ounce quantities of heroin for distribution in the Louisville area. On August 2, 2014, video surveillance recorded one defendant place a large black bag in the trunk of a rental vehicle. Later that day, the vehicle was stopped, by Indiana State Police, due to an alleged traffic violation on I-65 in Columbus, Indiana between Louisville and Chicago. Due to the presence and odor of marijuana, police searched the vehicle and located $40,000 in U.S. currency in a black bag located in the vehicle’s trunk. It’s alleged in the criminal complaint that the money was intended for a purchase of heroin from a source located in Chicago.
The eight defendants charged in the single count indictment are Charles Marlo Coleman, Ronald Coleman, Joseph Clinton Coleman, Latonya Gentry, Benjamin Montez Brame, Donnell Parker, Joshua P. Hill, Reginald Grider. All defendants are Louisville residents and all are currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
If convicted at trial, the defendants face no less than 10 years in prison a 1,000,000 fine and a 5 year period of supervised release. The sentence includes up to life in prison with notice of prior felony drug convictions and could include a fine of up to $20,000,000.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Scott Davis and is being investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
The indictment of a person by a Grand Jury is an accusation only and that person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Leader of Interstate Cocaine Smuggling Organization Sentenced to More Than Ten Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Jose Perez-Osorio (46, Michoacàn, Mexico) to 10 years and 1 month in federal prison for conspiring with others to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. He pleaded guilty on July 29, 2014.
According to court documents, Perez-Osorio worked through others to recruit and manage drug and money couriers. In 2010, he attempted to recruit an undercover Pasco County Sheriff’s Office detective (UC) to work for him as a drug courier. Perez-Osorio’s plan was for the UC to first register a vehicle in Alabama, and then drive to Houston and pick up multiple kilograms of cocaine. The operation never took place.
On June 29, 2011, deputies from the Jefferson County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle bearing an Alabama license plate. The car was occupied by two women. During the traffic stop, deputies received consent to search and located and seized 7.5 kilograms of cocaine, which was hidden in an after-market compartment. The two women had been recruited in Hillsborough County by a co-conspirator to work as drug and money couriers for Perez-Osorio. When stopped, the women were attempting to transport the cocaine from Texas to the Middle District of Florida.
On October 28, 2013, deputies from the Orange County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle Perez-Osorio was driving. Perez-Osorio did not have a valid driver’s license and was arrested. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a hidden compartment behind the passenger side airbag containing one kilogram of cocaine and approximately $221,250. Perez-Osorio admitted to owning the car.
This case was investigated by the DEA and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office as part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.
Largo Woman Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Stealing $470,000 from her EmployerRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus sentenced Mercy Coffie-Joseph, age 41, of Largo, Maryland, today to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for wire fraud, money laundering, passport fraud and aggravated identity theft. Judge Titus also entered an order that Coffie-Joseph pay restitution of $472,148.52.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; and Special Agent in Charge Niall Meehan of the Washington Field Office of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service.
According to evidence presented at her four day trial, from 2010 to February 2013, Coffie-Joseph used her position as an accounting manager at a Maryland company to fraudulently access the company’s bank accounts and transfer approximately $470,000 to bank accounts she controlled. She then used about $120,000 of those funds to buy a home in Ghana.
Coffie-Joseph also stole an individual’s identity and obtained a passport in the victim’s name, using her own picture, and then traveled to Ghana on the fraudulent passport, during which trip she visited the home she had purchased there with the fraudulently obtained money.
Today’s announcement is part of efforts underway by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Since the inception of FFETF in November 2009, the Justice Department has filed more than 12,841 financial fraud cases against nearly 18,737 defendants including nearly 3,500 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, visit www.stopfraud.gov.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the FBI and State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Thomas P. Windom, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Margaret Moeser, of the U.S. Justice Department’s Asset Forfeiture & Money Laundering Section, who prosecuted the case.- Laredoan Faces Federal Child Pornography Charges
Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Against California Bakery over Discrimination Against Foreign-Born WorkerRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it reached a settlement with La Farine Bakery, a bakery with two stores in the San Francisco Bay Area. The settlement resolves allegations that the bakery violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by engaging in discriminatory documentary practices. Specifically, the Justice Department’s Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC) found that La Farine improperly rejected a worker’s valid work authorization documents because of the worker’s citizenship status.
Under the settlement agreement, La Farine Bakery will pay $26,000 in back pay and other compensation to an individual who was allegedly harmed by the discriminatory. The bakery also agreed to change its hiring policies and be subject to monitoring of its hiring practices for two years.
“Employers should not make assumptions about the validity of their workers’ employment documents based on sterotypes or unfounded assumptions,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta for the Civil Rights Division. “The department encourages employers to use the Civil Rights Division’s resources, including OSC’s hotline, if they have questions about accepting Form I-9 documentation in a non-discriminatory manner.”
OSC is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The statute prohibits employers from placing additional documentary burdens on work-authorized applicants or employees during the employment eligibility verification process because of their citizenship status or national origin. The statute also prohibits citizenship status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee, as well as retaliation and intimidation.
For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call OSC’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call OSC’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a free webinar at www.justice.gov/crt/about/osc/webinars.php, email [email protected]; or visit OSC’s website at www.justice.gov/crt/about/osc.
Applicants or employees who believe they were subjected to different documentary requirements based on their citizenship status, immigration status, or national origin; or discrimination based on their citizenship status, immigration status, or national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee, should contact OSC’s worker hotline for assistance.
Information Charges Florida Woman with Stealing Dead Mother's BenefitsRead the Press Release
Elena DiMaggio, 71, of Key Largo, Florida, and formerly of Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, was charged by Information with one count of theft of government funds, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. According to the information, the defendant received retirement benefits intended for her mother, after her mother’s death in January 1998 until the defendant’s fraud was discovered in the summer of 2012. The defendant’s alleged actions resulted in a loss to the government of approximately $174,366.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 10 years in prison, a three year period of supervised release, restitution to the government of $174,366, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Amanda R. Reinitz.
An Information is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, EASTERN DISTRICTof PENNSYLVANIA
Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
PATTY HARTMAN, Media Contact, 215-861-8525Hernando County Woman Indicted for Stolen Identity Refund FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Bertha Hart with four counts of theft of government property. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for each count. The indictment also notifies Hart that the United States is seeking a money judgment in the amount of $34,859.00, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.
According to the indictment, from at least February 2012 through May 2012, Hart participated with others in a scheme to steal money from the U.S. government using stolen identities.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of one or more federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the United States Secret Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney.
Fort Yates Man Convicted of Aggravated Sexual Abuse by Use of ForceRead the Press Release
BISMARCK – First Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher C. Myers, announced that on November 21, 2014, Donald Clark Luger, Age 63, of Fort Yates ND, was convicted for Aggravated Sexual Abuse by Use of Force.
Luger was convicted of using force to sexually assault a 12 year old minor female on Fort Yates in 1997. A jury of twelve convicted Luger after a 4 day trial, which included testimony from individuals that had been previously sexually assaulted by Luger. Sentencing for luger has not yet been set.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Delorme prosecuted the case.
Former Suburban Chicago Home Builder Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Failing to Pay $1.27 Million in Federal Income TaxesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A former west suburban home builder was sentenced to 2½ years in federal prison for failing to pay more than $1.27 million in federal income taxes and concealing certain business interests in his personal bankruptcy case. The defendant, DENNIS WEISS, was sentenced after pleading guilty last year to one count each of filing a false federal income tax return and making false statements in a bankruptcy petition.
Weiss, 64, of South Elgin and formerly of St. Charles, owned Custom Homes by D. R. Weiss, Inc., and Reliable Home Solutions, Inc., both formerly located in St. Charles. He was sentenced to 30 months in prison and was ordered to begin serving his sentence in January. He was also ordered to pay $296,643 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service by U.S. District Judge John Z. Lee, who imposed the sentence yesterday in Federal Court.
According to court documents, Weiss filed false individual federal income tax returns for 2005 through 2009, and he failed to file corporate tax returns for both of his companies. Although he filed corporate tax returns on behalf of Custom for 1999 through 2004, he filed none starting in 2005. Reliable was formed in 2006 and dissolved in 2008, and Weiss never filed a corporate return on its behalf and concealed the company’s existence from his tax preparer.
Between 2005 and 2009, Weiss paid personal expenses from Custom’s business bank account, accepted cash payments from Custom and Reliable customers, and failed to record the receipt of these funds on the books and records of the corporations, resulting in a total federal tax loss of $1,271,280.
On March 10, 2009, Weiss filed a personal bankruptcy petition and intentionally concealed the existence of Melrose Currency Exchange, Inc., which he had owned for several years. In fact, Weiss had reported income from the currency exchange on his individual tax returns for 2005-2009. Court documents also state that Weiss also falsely declared that he had no interest in any partnerships or joint ventures when, in fact, he held interests in three family held entities: Royal Fox Country Club LP, Royal Fox Country Club LP II, and Weiss Private Equity LP. His false bankruptcy petition resulted in the discharge of his debts to approximately 43 trade creditors. (In re Dennis R. Weiss, 09 B 08028.)
The sentence was announced today by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and James C. Lee, Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick King.
In addition to criminal penalties, defendants convicted of tax offenses remain responsible for any taxes and interest due, as well as civil penalties of up to 75 percent of the tax owed.
Former Parkland Hospital Employee Admits Stealing Patient Information to Market His Home Health Agency in Garland, TexasRead the Press Release
DALLAS — A former employee at Parkland Hospital in Dallas appeared in federal court this morning and pleaded guilty, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renée Harris Toliver, to a federal felony offense stemming from his theft of patient information from the hospital, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña.
Viju Mathew, 49, of Garland, Texas, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud and related activity in connection with identification documents, authentication features and information (identity theft). He faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. He will remain on bond pending sentencing before U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle.
According to plea documents filed in the case, as a registration specialist at Parkland Hospital, Mathew entered patient information into Parkland’s computer system. Mathew used his position to obtain confidential patient information, including patients’ names, telephone numbers, dates of birth, participation in the Medicare program, and government-issued health insurance claim numbers.
Mathew admitted that he knowingly removed the confidential information intending to use it to gain an economic benefit by contacting prospective patients for his home health care business.
The FBI, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Portugal is in charge of the prosecution.
Former Manager Ordered to Pay $173,000+ for Embezzling from A Lawrence Credit UnionRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A former manager of a credit union in Lawrence was sentenced Tuesday to three years on supervised release for embezzling from the company, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said. She was ordered to pay more than $173,600 in restitution.
Karolyn J. Stattelman, 43, Topeka, pleaded guilty to one count of theft from a credit union. In her plea, she admitted the crime took place while she was manager of the Jayhawk Federal Credit Union at 2901 Lakeview Road in Lawrence, Kan. She manipulated credit union accounts for money orders, share drafts, ATM and returned checks in order to conceal the thefts.
She also allowed co-defendant Christi Marie Hout, who was a teller, to write checks on Hout’s personal and business accounts when Hout did not have sufficient funds to cover them. Hout pleaded guilty to one count of theft of credit union funds. She is set for sentencing Jan. 7.
Grissom commended the Lawrence Police Department, the U.S. Secret Service and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney for their work on the case.
Former Hospital Administrator Sentenced in Child Porn CaseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced that James F. Parks, 65, formerly of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, to 3 years in prison by Senior United States District Judge Richard G. Kopf for possession of child pornography. After his incarceration, Parks will be required to serve 5 years on supervised release and register as a sex offender.
On June 18, 2013, investigators with the Nebraska State Patrol met with the CEO of Box Butte County General Hospital. Investigators were informed that the hospital’s IT personnel had been conducting a search of the computer system at the hospital for a malware virus. The hospital had contained and repaired the virus, however, when they conducted an additional search to find where the virus originated, it was found to have originated on Parks’ computer. A that time, Parks was employed as the Chief Information Officer. Upon further investigation they retrieved Parks’ internet history, located where the virus was introduced, and found what they felt to be file names consistent with child pornography. Search warrants of Parks’ email account indicated that he received images of child pornography in June of 2013 using his email account.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc for more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.Former Correctional Officer, Michigan Woman Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Smuggle Phone into PrisonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a former correctional officer at the U.S. Penitentiary in Pollock, La., along with a relative of an inmate, pleaded guilty Monday for their roles in a conspiracy to introduce a cell phone into the prison.
Maggie Kay Comeaux, 28, of Ball, La., entered a conditional guilty plea to one count of conspiracy, and Paris Smith, 21, of Detroit, Mich., entered a conditional guilty plea to one count of providing contraband to a prisoner to U.S. Magistrate Judge James D. Kirk. The pleas will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter. According to the evidence presented at the guilty pleas, from January 2013 to April 2013, Comeaux accepted a $400 bribe from Smith and two other conspirators to smuggle a cell phone and charging cords into the prison. A review of the subscriber information showed that the phone was listed in Smith’s name. Also, a record of a money wire transfer showed that $400 was sent to Comeaux.Comeaux faces up to five years in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy, and Smith faces one year in prison and one year of supervised release for providing contraband to a prisoner. They also face up to a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date of February 5, 2015 was set for both defendants.
The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison D. Bushnell is prosecuting the case.
Former Carrollton, Texas, Man Who Worked as A Long-Haul Truck Driver, Faces up to 20 Years in Federal Prison on Child Pornography ConvictionRead the Press Release
DALLAS — A 35-year-old long haul truck driver who most recently resided in Carrollton, Texas, appeared in federal court this morning and pleaded guilty to one count of transportation of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.
James Marshall Thomas, who has been in federal custody since his arrest in September 2014, faces a statutory maximum sentence of not less than five years and up to 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine and a lifetime of supervised release. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 13, 2015, before Chief U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater.
According to documents filed in the case, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a Cybertip in June 2012 that an individual, later identified as Thomas, had emailed images of child pornography to another specific email address. While a federal search warrant was being drafted, FBI special agents discovered that he had moved out of his apartment in Carrollton and that he worked as a cross-country truck driver.
Approximately two years later, FBI special agents located Thomas at a freight delivery destination. He gave them permission to search his laptop computer where agents discovered that he had responded to an advertisement on Craigslist by stating, in part, “pedo perv here.” They also discovered child pornography on the laptop and seized it, as well as a thumb drive.
A forensic analysis revealed that Thomas had searched for child pornography using various search terms indicative of raping young boys. In addition, Skype artifacts were also located that included chat logs of other like-minded individuals discussing the rape of young boys. Thomas also used Skype to receive and transport files of child pornography on multiple occasions. The analysis further revealed that Thomas had accessed several child pornography videos of prepubescent children. In all, approximately 400 images and 28 videos of child pornography, including sadistic acts involving minors, were located on his computer and thumb drive.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “resources.”
The FBI is investigating. Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille Sparks is prosecuting.
Fifth Defendant in Eli Lilly Warehouse Theft Case Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
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The United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut announced that RAFAEL LOPEZ, 50, a citizen of Cuba residing in Miami, Fla., pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to a federal charge related to the theft of pharmaceuticals from an Eli Lilly Company warehouse and storage facility in Enfield, Conn.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in early 2010, Amaury Villa, Amed Villa, Yosmany Nunez and Alexander Marquez planned to steal pharmaceuticals from the Eli Lilly Company warehouse and storage facility in Enfield. The investigation revealed that, in March 2010, LOPEZ agreed to drive Amed Villa from Florida to Connecticut and back as Amed Villa did not possess a driver’s license. Prior to the theft, LOPEZ rented a hotel room for himself and Amed Villa in Flushing, N.Y. In Flushing, LOPEZ accompanied Amed Villa to a Home Depot where they purchased approximately $757 worth of tools with cash. They then traveled to Connecticut.
In the evening of March 13, 2010, individuals involved in the theft dropped off a ladder in the rear parking lot of the warehouse facility and left. That same night, Marquez drove a tractor trailer to the facility. Thereafter, Amed Villa and Amaury Villa carried the ladder to the building, checked for security in the front area, climbed onto the roof, used the tools purchased from Home Depot to cut a hole in the facility roof, dropped down into the facility and disabled the alarm system. Amaury Villa, Amed Villa and Nunez then loaded more than 40 pallets of pharmaceuticals into the tractor trailer, which had been backed up to the loading dock of the warehouse.
The pallets of pharmaceuticals included thousands of boxes Zyprexa, Cymbalta, Prozac, Gemzar and other medicines, valued between $50 and $100 million.
Lopez waited outside the warehouse during the burglary and, several times, contacted Amed Villa and Amaury Villa by phone to ask what was taking so long.
After the theft, the participants split up in Connecticut and Marquez drove the tractor trailer to Florida. As LOPEZ drove Amed Villa back to Florida, he was told that Amed Villa and Amaury Villa had stolen a tractor trailer truck.
Certain individuals involved in the theft reunited in Florida so the stolen pharmaceuticals could be transferred from the tractor trailer into self-storage units in the Miami area.
On October 14, 2011, law enforcement authorities searched a storage facility in Florida and recovered pharmaceuticals that had been stolen from the Enfield warehouse.
LOPEZ, who was arrested on April 21, 2014, pleaded guilty today to one count of misprision of a felony, admitting that he was aware of the theft from the Eli Lilly warehouse and that the stolen property was transported across state lines, and that he not only failed to report the offense to the authorities, but took steps to conceal it.
LOPEZ is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arteron on February 18, 2015, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of three years. He currently is released on bond.
Amaury Villa, Amed Villa, Nunez and Marquez have all pleaded guilty to various charges and await sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Enfield Police Department, with the assistance of several other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and federal, state and local law enforcement agencies that have been investigating large-scale thefts of pharmaceuticals and other products.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anastasia E. King and Douglas P. Morabito.
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(203) 821-3722 [email protected]Federal Grand Jury Indicts Madison County Man for Producing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury today indicted a Madison County man on multiple charges of producing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Raymond R. Parmer Jr. and Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin.
A six-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges JEREMY JOSEPH NELSON, 42, of Huntsville, with producing child pornography between 2012 and 2014, and with possessing child pornography depicting children under age 12.
The first four counts of the indictment charge that Nelson did "use, persuade, induce, entice and coerce a minor" to engage in sexually explicit conduct so he could produce a visual depiction of the conduct. Count 1 states the crime took place at a Huntsville dance studio. Counts 5 and 6 charge Nelson with possessing child pornography on computer, computer disk or videotape.
The Alabama State Bureau of Investigation arrested Nelson in October on state charges of producing child pornography by hiding cameras in the bathrooms of three Huntsville businesses.
The maximum penalty for producing child pornography is 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, per count. The maximum penalty for possessing child pornography is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Department of Homeland Security and the Alabama SBI investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacquelyn Hutzell and Daniel Fortune are prosecuting.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove a defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
###El Departamento de Justicia Resuelve un Reclamo contra una Panadería en California sobre Discriminación contra un Trabajador Nacido al ExtranjeroRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que llegó a un acuerdo con La Farine Bakery, una panadería con dos tiendas en el área de la Bahía de San Francisco. El acuerdo resuelve alegaciones que la panadería violó la Ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés) por incurrir en prácticas discriminatorias documentales. Específicamente, La Oficina del Consejero Especial para Prácticas Injustas en el Empleo Relacionadas a Inmigración (OSC por sus siglas en inglés), del Departamento de Justicia, encontró que La Farine indebidamente rechazó documentos de autorización de trabajo válidos de un trabajador por su estatus de ciudadanía.
Bajo el acuerdo, La Farine Bakery le pagará $26,000 en pago atrasado y otra compensación al individuo que presuntamente fue perjudicado por las prácticas discriminatorias. La panadería también acordó cambiar sus pólizas de contratación y ser sujeta a un período de monitoreo de sus prácticas de contratación por dos años.
“Los empleadores no deben hacer suposiciones acerca la validez de los documentos de sus trabajadores basadas en estereotipos o suposiciones sin base,” dijo Vanita Gupta Subprocuradora General Interina para la División de Derechos Civiles. “El Departamento sugiere que los empleadores utilicen los recursos de la División de Derechos Civiles, incluyendo la línea directa de OSC, si tienen preguntas sobre aceptando documentación para el Formulario I-9 en una manera sin discriminación.”
La Oficina del Consejero Especial para Prácticas Injustas en el Empleo Relacionadas a Inmigración es la oficina responsable por hacer cumplir con la provisión anti-discriminación de la INA. La ley prohíbe, entre otras cosas, discriminación basada en estatus de ciudadanía o en origen nacional en la contratación, el despido, o el reclutamiento o la referencia por comisión, las prácticas injustas de documentación, y represalia e intimidación.
Para obtener más información acerca de la protección contra la discriminación en el empleo según las leyes de inmigración, o para registrarse para un seminario sin costo ofrecido a través del Internet, llame a la línea directa de la OSC para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 1-800-237-2515, TTY (para personas con problemas de audición); llame a la línea directa de la OSC para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con problemas de audición); o visite el sitio web de la OSC en www.justice.gov/crt/about/osc.
Solicitantes o trabajadores que creen que fueron sometidos a: (1) requisitos diferentes de documentación o discriminación por causa de su estatus de ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o su origen nacional; o (2) discriminación por causa de su estatus de ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o el origen nacional en la contratación, el despido o el reclutamiento o referencia por comisión, deben comunicarse a la línea del trabajador de la OSC para obtener ayuda.
Dallas Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Child Obscenity OffensesRead the Press Release
DALLAS — A 40-year-old Dallas man appeared in federal court today and pleaded guilty, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renée Harris Toliver, to three federal felony offenses in an investigation that began in January 2014 after law enforcement learned he was claiming packages containing anabolic steroids from a postal center in Dallas, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.
Defendant Nicholas Todd Freed was arrested by a Task Force Officer with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on January 28, 2014, as he was attempting to claim a package containing anabolic steroids at the Deep Ellum Postal Center in Dallas. Pursuant to the arrest, law enforcement discovered Freed possessed a counterfeit U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) credential and badge. Freed was charged in a federal criminal complaint with attempting to possess anabolic steroids and falsely making, forging, counterfeiting and altering a USMS seal. Later, the investigation revealed that Freed also possessed numerous thumb drives containing images of minors engaging in obscene, sexually explicit conduct.
This morning, Freed pleaded guilty to a three-count superseding information charging one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, one count of possession of a document-making implement with intent that it be used in the production of false documents, and one count of possession of obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine for the controlled substance and obscenity conviction and a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine on the conviction for possessing the document-making implement. Sentencing is set for April 20, 2015, before U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay.
In early January 2014, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in San Francisco identified a U.S. Postal Service Express Mail parcel, arriving from Singapore, as suspicious. The parcel contained approximately 1087 grams of an oily liquid, later determined to contain an anabolic steroid, and it was addressed to JPEG Press, 3100 Main Street #1, Dallas, Texas 75226, which is the address of the Deep Ellum Postal Center. CBP notified HSI in Dallas of the parcel and its contents.
The ensuing investigation determined that the account for the rental box at the postal center was opened with fictitious information, and the box frequently received similar packages. On January 28, 2014, when the HSI task force officer approached Freed who was at the postal center to pick up the package, he discovered Freed was carrying a USMS badge and apparent counterfeit USMS credentials identifying him as a USMS Chief Inspector.
Later that day during a consensual search at Freed’s residence, law enforcement seized computers and computer equipment as well as other items Freed used to make false government identification documents, including laminating materials, blank plastic cards the size of a driver license, pages of magnetic strips for the backs of identification cards, ink consistent with the Texas seal on state licenses and identifications cards, a laminating press, hologram materials of official government seals, pages of names and identities used in the production of the false identifications, and head shots.
Upon further examination of the seized thumb drives, special agents discovered visual depictions of minors, including prepubescent minors, engaging in obscene, sexually explicit conduct.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s HSI , CBP, and the Balch Springs and Dallas Police Departments investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Robinson is prosecuting.
Council Bluffs, Iowa Resident Sentenced to 60 Months for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
COUNCILS BLUFFS, IA- On November 24, 2014, Anthony John Wesolowski, a 42 year-old resident of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sentenced to 60 months in prison by United States District Judge Stephanie Rose for possession of child pornography, and he was ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release following his imprisonment, announced United States Attorney Nicholas Klinefeldt.
An extensive investigation began when law enforcement determined that Wesolowski was using a file sharing program to obtain images containing child pornography over the internet for a period of several years. On July 8, 2014, Wesolowski pled guilty and admitted that on October 31, 2013, he had images on his home computer that depicted minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security and the Council Bluffs, Iowa, Police Department. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
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Colorado U.S. Attorney's Office Efforts Result in the Collection of over $5 Billion in Civil and Criminal Recoveries in Fiscal Year 2014Read the Press Release
DENVER – U.S. Attorney John Walsh announced that the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado resulted in the collection of over $5 billion in recoveries in Fiscal Year 2014 (October 1, 2013 to September 30, 2014). Specifically, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Colorado, working on its own and with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice, collected $5,308,286,656.99 ($5.3 billion).
The $5.3 billion in Fiscal Year 2014 collections is the result of the following efforts by the Colorado U.S. Attorney’s Office:
- $21,794,608.09 ($21.8 million) in criminal and civil action recoveries in Fiscal Year 2014. ($16,644,526.42in criminal actions and $5,150,081.67 civil actions
- $17,764,953.00 ($17.8 million) in asset forfeiture actions.(Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.)
- $4.45 billion in penalties ($4.0 billion to the United States, $208 million to the FDIC, and approximately $246 million to five states) as a result of the overall $7 billion settlement with Citigroup regarding its misconduct in the Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities (RMBS) market. This settlement came as a result of the joint investigation and close partnership between the Colorado U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. At the time of the settlement, the Citigroup penalty was the largest bank fraud civil penalty ever paid, and was only exceeded by the penalty in a subsequent settlement of a similar federal investigation against Bank of America. The resolution also requires Citigroup to provide billions in relief to underwater homeowners, payments to distressed borrowers and affected communities through a variety of means including financing affordable rental housing developments for low-income families in high-cost areas.
- Approximately $850 million in additional funds collected in 2014 from Bank of America pursuant to the 2012 National Mortgage Servicer Settlement in which the Colorado U.S. Attorney’s Office took a leading role.
Overall, as Attorney General Eric Holder announced on November 20, 2014, the United States Department of Justice collected $24.7 billionin civil and criminal actions in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2014. The more than $24 billion in collections in Fiscal Year 2014 represents nearly eight and a half times the appropriated $2.91 billion budget for the 94 U.S. Attorney’s offices and the main litigating divisions in that same period.
The total annual budget of the Colorado U.S. Attorney’s Office is approximately $18 million. Thus, even putting aside the collections in the large national RMBS and mortgage servicing cases in which the Colorado U.S. Attorney’s Office played a leading role, the Office’s efforts in civil, criminal and forfeiture matters resulted in collection of nearly $40 million, more than twice its budget (approximately 220%). Taking into account the recoveries obtained by the Colorado U.S. Attorney’s Office while working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York in the Citigroup case and with that office and other agencies in the National Mortgage Servicer case, the Office’s efforts have resulted in the collection of 294 times its annual budget (2944%) in Fiscal Year 2014. (Note that the Colorado U.S. Attorney’s Office’s recent recovery of nearly $400 million in penalties and forfeitures from DaVita, Inc. in a False Claims Act matter is not included in these figures, as those funds were collected after Oct. 1, 2014, i.e., in Fiscal Year 2015.)
“The United States Attorney’s Office works tirelessly to investigate both civil and criminal misconduct and to collect money due to the taxpayers and to victims of that misconduct,” said U.S. Attorney John Walsh. “The extraordinary efforts of our dedicated prosecutors and staff have resulted in the truly extraordinary recovery of over $5 billion in 2014.”
“Every day, the Justice Department’s prosecutors and trial attorneys work hard to protect our citizens, to safeguard precious taxpayer resources, and to provide a valuable return on investment to the American people,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “Their diligent efforts are enabling us to achieve justice and recoup losses in virtually every sector of the U.S. economy. And as a result, I can report today that – during Fiscal Year 2014 – the Justice Department collected a total of $24.7 billion in civil and criminal actions.”
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims’ Fund, which distributes the funds to state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Most civil collections were from affirmative civil enforcement cases, in which the United States recovered government money lost to fraud or other misconduct or collected fines imposed on individuals and/or corporations for violations of federal health, safety, civil rights or environmental laws. In addition, civil debts were collected on behalf of several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Internal Revenue Service, Small Business Administration and Department of Education.
Over $10 million in the forfeiture collections arise from investment fraud schemes. In 2014, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado recovered over $8.2 million in fraud proceeds derived from a penny stock “pump and dump” scheme, which is being prosecuted in the Central District of California and the District of Delaware. In addition, the District of Colorado recovered over $1.9 million in assets related to an alleged investment fraud scheme. These funds have already been repaid to the investors. At present, the defendant is awaiting trial.Colombian Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Importation Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Richard Mosquera Mosquera (44, Colombia, South America) today pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, knowing and intending that it would be unlawfully imported into the United States. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, up to a maximum term of life imprisonment.
Mosquera was indicted on June 12, 2013.
According to the plea agreement, on multiple occasions between 2009 and 2012, Mosquera worked with his co-defendant, Anderson Bryan Lever, and others to smuggle cocaine. Lever dispatched cocaine-laden vessels from San Andres Island, Colombia and Mosquera received them in Honduras. On each occasion, Mosquera received the cocaine and provided bales of United States currency (containing as much as $500,000 each) to the mariners who had just smuggled the cocaine. The mariners then smuggled the money back to San Andres Island, and Mosquera transferred the cocaine to others for eventual unlawful importation into the United States.
Mosquera was arrested in Colombia and subsequently extradited to the United States.
This case was investigated by the Panama Express Strike Force, a standing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, comprised of agents and analysts from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South. The principal mission of the OCDETF Program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.
Clarksville Man Sentenced to Life in Prison in Large Scale Drug Conspiracy ProsecutionRead the Press Release
Alto Parnell a/k/a AP a/k/a Al-Pistol, 32, of Clarksville, Tennessee, was sentenced yesterday to life in prison for his role in a large cocaine distribution conspiracy, announced David Rivera, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. There is no parole from federal sentences.
Parnell, along with Chris Young a/k/a Soulja C and Demetrius Duncan a/k/a Whirley, were indicted in January 2011 and convicted at a jury trial on August 23, 2013, of participating in a lengthy conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and 280 grams or more of crack cocaine. Parnell was also convicted of possessing cocaine and crack cocaine with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of the Summit Heights public housing area in Clarksville, Tennessee. His previous criminal history included two state felony drug trafficking convictions, as well as several other convictions. He was under state supervision for those drug felonies during the time that he was committing the federal offenses. Chris Young was previously sentenced to life in prison. Duncan is scheduled for sentencing on January 23, 2015.
U.S. Attorney David Rivera stated, “This defendant was involved in a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy tied to gangs and guns, which caused significant harm to the Clarksville community. Those who already have multiple convictions for drug trafficking and choose to continue down this path can expect lengthy sentences which account for the harm they caused in their communities.”
Parnell was one of 32 defendants charged in a lengthy investigation focusing on drug trafficking in the Clarksville area. The investigation uncovered substantial gang activity within the drug conspiracy and multiple firearms were seized during the take-down phase of the investigation in December 2010.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Clarksville Police Department, with assistance from other state, local, and federal agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sunny A.M. Koshy and Lynne T. Ingram represented the United States.
City of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, Agrees to Reforms and $437,500 Payment to Resolve Disability Discrimination LawsuitRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced a settlement resolving a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, for alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the proposed consent decree, the city will pay $437,500 in damages to an outpatient psychiatric treatment facility that was discriminated against by the city based on unsupported myths and stereotypes about prospective patients at the facility. The decree requires the city to reform its land use and zoning practices to eliminate discriminatory barriers for providers of mental health services to people with disabilities and combat the stigma of mental illness.
The documents filed in federal court today allege that the city discriminated against Psycamore LLC when it denied a certificate of occupancy and a use permit because Psycamore treats patients with mental illness. Psycamore sought to operate in an area allowing medical clinics and should have been allowed to operate by the city. But the city would not allow it to open. At public hearings called by the city a flier that depicted Psycamore as the psychiatric ward in the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was circulated to city officials.
The department found that the city based its decision on discriminatory beliefs, myths and stereotypes about Psycamore’s patients and their mental disabilities. As a result, the city perpetuated the stigma surrounding mental illness, interfered with Psycamore’s ability to treat individuals with mental disabilities in Ocean Springs and forced Psycamore to delay opening its clinic and to move it to Biloxi, Mississippi. Psycamore also suffered economic losses, including lost profits and out of pocket expenses.
“The Americans with Disabilities Act protects people with mental illness from discrimination and mental health facilities are protected from discrimination based on the disabilities of the people they serve. ” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta for the Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to combating the stigma of mental illness, promoting greater community awareness and protecting the rights of persons living with mental illness as well as the persons and entities who serve them.”
“The participation of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in this important litigation sends a strong message that we will not tolerate discrimination of any kind in this district,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis for the Southern District of Mississippi. “Discrimination based upon myths, fears and stereotypes is never appropriate. We are fully committed to ensuring that individuals with disabilities and those who provide services to them have a full and equal opportunity to participate in all facets of their communities.”
Under the consent decree, the city will adopt and implement policies to ensure nondiscriminatory zoning practices that will not limit access to needed services and treatment for people with mental disabilities. City officials involved in zoning decisions will be trained on the ADA. The city will also report to the Justice Department on future land use decisions involving individuals with disabilities and hire an ADA coordinator to oversee the city’s compliance with the ADA and the consent decree. In addition to paying damages to Psycamore, the consent decree requires the city to grant Psycamore a certificate of occupancy and use permit, if necessary, to return to Ocean Springs in the future in the same or similar zone where it previously sought to locate.
The ADA protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination in all activities of state and local government entities, including zoning and land use decisions. Those interested in finding out more about this case or the obligations of state and local government entities under the ADA may call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD), or access its ADA website at www.ada.gov. ADA complaints may be filed by email to [email protected].
Canadian Antiques Dealer Pleads Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court to Attempted Wildlife SmugglingRead the Press Release
Xiao Ju Guan, aka Tony Guan, a Canadian antiques dealer, pleaded guilty today in Manhattan federal court to attempting to smuggle rhinoceros horns from New York to Canada, announced Sam Hirsch, the Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice, and Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Guan was arrested in March 2014 as part of “Operation Crash,” a nation-wide crackdown in the illegal trafficking in rhinoceros horns, for his role in smuggling and attempting to smuggle rhinoceros horns as well as items carved from elephant ivory and coral, from auction houses throughout the United States to Canada. He pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain.
“The United States will aggressively prosecute anyone who illegally traffics in endangered wildlife species, in whatever form,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Hirsch. “Rhinos and elephants are not antiques, as the president of an antique company engaged in international trade should know. These are iconic animals of pre-historic origin, fighting for their very survival as a species. The illegal trade in rhino horn and elephant ivory and the escalation of black-market prices are directly related to horrific poaching on living animals. Guan has admitted to smuggling rhino horn and elephant ivory across international borders. The United States is grateful for the Canadian authorities’ coordination and assistance in bringing this wildlife trafficker to justice.”
“Because all species of rhinos are endangered, and elephant populations are either vulnerable or endangered, the trade in rhinoceros horns and elephant ivory is stringently limited,” said U.S. Attorney Bharara. “The survival of these magnificent animals depends in large part on enforcement of laws and international treaties governing such trade. Tony Guan’s admitted conduct increased the existential threat to these creatures, and now he awaits the penalty for that conduct.”
According to the information, plea agreement, and statements made during court proceedings:
Guan, the president and owner of an antiques business in Richmond, British Columbia, was arrested on March 29, 2014, after flying from Vancouver to New York and purchasing two endangered black rhinoceros horns from undercover special agents with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at a storage facility in the Bronx. After purchasing the horns, Guan had the undercover agents drive him and a female accomplice acting as his interpreter to a nearby express mail store where he mailed the horns to an address in Point Roberts, Washington, less than a mile from the Canadian border and 17 miles from his business. Guan falsely labeled the box of black rhino horns as containing “handicrafts.” Guan indicated that he had people who could drive the horns across the border and that he had done so many times before.
As part of his plea, Guan admitted that he, and others acting at his direction, smuggled more than $400,000 of rhino horns and sculptures made from elephant ivory and coral from various U.S. auction houses to Canada by the same method, or by having packages mailed directly to Canada with false paperwork and without the required declaration or permits.
Guan, 39, of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, pled guilty to one count of attempted smuggling, which carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Swain on March 13 2015. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. As part of his plea, Guan agreed to forfeit items recovered from a search of his antiques business in Canada, and also agreed that he will not participate in any further trade, purchase, or sale of wildlife in the United States.
Rhinoceros are an herbivore species of prehistoric origin and one of the largest remaining mega-fauna on earth. They have no known predators other than humans. All species of rhinoceros are protected under U.S. and international law. Since 1976, trade in rhinoceros horn has been regulated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a treaty signed by over 170 countries around the world to protect fish, wildlife, and plants that are or may become imperiled due to the demands of international markets.
Operation Crash is a continuing investigation by the Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service, in coordination with the Department of Justice. A “crash” is the term for a herd of rhinoceros. Operation Crash is an ongoing effort to detect, deter, and prosecute those engaged in the illegal killing of rhinoceros and the unlawful trafficking of rhinoceros horns.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Janis M. Echenberg and Senior Litigation Counsel Richard A. Udell with the Environmental Crimes Section of the Department of Justice are in charge of the prosecution.
Canadian Antiques Dealer Pleads Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court for Wildlife SmugglingRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Sam Hirsch, the Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice, announced that XIAO JU GUAN, a/k/a “Tony Guan,” a Canadian antiques dealer, pled guilty today in Manhattan federal court to attempting to smuggle rhinoceros horns from New York to Canada. GUAN was arrested in March 2014 as part of “Operation Crash,” a nationwide crackdown in the illegal trafficking in rhinoceros horns, for his role in smuggling and attempting to smuggle rhinoceros horns as well as items carved from elephant ivory and coral, from auction houses throughout the United States to Canada. He pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Because all species of rhinos are endangered, and elephant populations are either vulnerable or endangered, the trade in rhinoceros horns and elephant ivory is stringently limited. The survival of these magnificent animals depends in large part on enforcement of laws and international treaties governing such trade. Tony Guan’s admitted conduct increased the existential threat to these creatures, and now he awaits the penalty for that conduct.”
Acting Assistant Attorney General Sam Hirsch said: “The United States will aggressively prosecute anyone who illegally traffics in endangered wildlife species, in whatever form. Rhinos and elephants are not antiques, as the president of an antique company engaged in international trade should know. These are iconic animals of pre-historic origin, fighting for their very survival as a species. The illegal trade in rhino horn and elephant ivory and the escalation of black-market prices are directly related to horrific poaching on living animals. Guan has admitted to smuggling rhino horn and elephant ivory across international borders. The United States is grateful for the Canadian authorities’ coordination and assistance in bringing this wildlife trafficker to justice.”
According to the information, plea agreement, and statements made during court proceedings:
GUAN, the president and owner of an antiques business in Richmond, British Columbia, was arrested on March 29, 2014, after flying from Vancouver to New York and purchasing two endangered black rhinoceros horns from undercover special agents with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at a storage facility in the Bronx. After purchasing the horns, GUAN had the undercover agents drive him and a female accomplice acting as his interpreter to a nearby express mail store where he mailed the horns to an address in Point Roberts, Washington, less than a mile from the Canadian border and 17 miles from his business. GUAN falsely labeled the box of black rhino horns as containing “handicrafts.” GUAN indicated that he had people who could drive the horns across the border and that he had done so many times before.
As part of his plea, GUAN admitted that he, and others acting at his direction, smuggled more than $400,000 of rhino horns and sculptures made from elephant ivory and coral from various U.S. auction houses to Canada by the same method, or by having packages mailed directly to Canada with false paperwork and without the required declaration or permits.
GUAN, 39, of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, pled guilty to one count of attempted smuggling, which carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Swain on March 13, 2015, at 3:30 p.m. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. As part of his plea, GUAN agreed to forfeit items recovered from a search of his antiques business in Canada, and also agreed that he will not participate in any further trade, purchase, or sale of wildlife in the United States.
Rhinoceros are an herbivore species of prehistoric origin and one of the largest remaining mega-fauna on earth. They have no known predators other than humans. All species of rhinoceros are protected under U.S. and international law. Since 1976, trade in rhinoceros horn has been regulated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a treaty signed by over 170 countries around the world to protect fish, wildlife, and plants that are or may become imperiled due to the demands of international markets.
Operation Crash is a continuing investigation by the Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service, in coordination with the Department of Justice. A “crash” is the term for a herd of rhinoceros. Operation Crash is an ongoing effort to detect, deter, and prosecute those engaged in the illegal killing of rhinoceros and the unlawful trafficking of rhinoceros horns.
Mr. Bharara commended the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for its outstanding work in this investigation. He also thanked the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, and Canada’s Wildlife Enforcement Directorate.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Janis M. Echenberg and Senior Litigation Counsel Richard A. Udell with the Environmental Crimes Section of the Department of Justice are in charge of the prosecution.
Camp Springs Man Exiled to 57 Months in Prison for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Appeared In A Music Video Holding a Handgun with an Extended Magazine
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte sentenced Richaco Fernandis Holloway, age 24, of Camp Springs, Maryland, today to 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a gun.
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; Special Agent in Charge Karl C. Colder of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Field Division; and Chief Mark A. Magaw of the Prince George’s County Police Department.According to testimony presented at Holloway=s two-day trial, on July 3, 2013, American Music Group (AMG), a music label belonging to Ricky Lee Holloway, Richaco Holloway’s older brother, posted a video entitled “E-Banga/Why you Hatin’?” on its YouTube channel. In that AMG video, Richacho Holloway was filmed holding a .45 caliber handgun with an extended magazine. The video was shot at a building in a residential neighborhood in Camp Springs that had been converted into a music studio. The building doubled as a distribution hub for Ricky Lee Holloway’s PCP distribution operation.
Witnesses testified that during a search conducted at the music studio during a takedown of Ricky Holloway’s PCP trafficking activity, agents recovered the firearm Richaco Holloway was filmed holding in the rap video. The weapon was loaded with 17 rounds in the same extended magazine it was filmed with in the video. Richaco Holloway was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to a 2008 conviction in Prince George’s County Circuit Court for robbery with a deadly weapon and for which he was on parole.
Ricky Lee Holloway, age 31, of Bowie, Maryland, has pleaded guilty to distributing more than 30 kilograms of PCP between 2011 and 2013, and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 22, 2014, at 9:00 a.m.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, DEA and Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the ATF for its assistance. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Adam K. Ake, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
Californian Pleads Guilty to Failing to Update his Sex Offender RegistrationRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a California man pleaded guilty to failing to register as a sex offender after traveling to Alexandria.
Tyrone Bradshaw, 49, of Los Angeles, Calif., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to one count of failure to register as a sex offender. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Bradshaw traveled by bus to Alexandria on August 1, 2012. He obtained a state identification card on August 3, 2012 and listed his address as Lake Charles, La. He did not have his sex offender status included on the identification as required by Louisiana state law. Alexandria police later arrested Bradshaw. The defendant previously pleaded guilty in November of 1985 to state charges in California for kidnapping, forcible rape, and robbery of a 16-year-old. He was released in 1994.
Bradshaw faces up to 10 years in prison, five years to life supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date of February 26, 2015 was set.
The U.S. Marshals Service and the Alexandria Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael O’Mara is prosecuting the case.
Boise Man Admits Importing Ecstasy into the United StatesRead the Press Release
BOISE – Jason Crisp, 29, of Boise, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court to importation of a controlled substance, ecstasy, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
According to the plea agreement, on June 17, 2014, United States Customs and Border Protection officers at the San Francisco Air Mail Center intercepted a parcel containing 100 pills of MDMA (ecstasy) addressed to Crisp at his Boise residence. On June 20, 2014, federal investigators delivered the package to Crisp at his residence. The defendant later admitted that he knew the package contained 100 "ecstasy pills" that were ordered from Canada.
The crime of importation of a controlled substance is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to five years of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for February 13, 2015, before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge, at the federal courthouse in Boise.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), United States Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
Bergen County, New Jersey, Man Arrested for Embezzling More Than $6 Million from North Jersey BusinessRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The former chief financial officer of a Bergen County business was arrested at home this morning by special agents of the FBI for allegedly embezzling nearly $6.3 million from the company, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Gomidas Garabed Hartounian, 50, of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of wire fraud. He is expected to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III in Newark federal court.
According to the complaint:
From April 2007 through April 2014, Hartounian was the CFO for “Company A,” a for-profit company with its principal place of business in Englewood, New Jersey. Hartounian is also the sole owner of MGB LLC, a company registered to his residence.
During the time that Hartounian was with Company A, he fraudulently designated MGB as a vendor in Company A’s accounting system without disclosing that he controlled MGB. Hartounian then directed Company A employees to issue checks to MGB for freight services that MGB supposedly provided Company A. When asked for the MGB invoices, he claimed that he was maintaining them in his office.
Because Hartounian didn’t have sole signatory power, he forged the signatures of the chief executive officer or the chief operating officer before depositing the checks into bank accounts that he controlled. Hartounian also had checks issued directly from Company A bank accounts to pay for his personal expenses, including real estate taxes, motor vehicle expenses and credit card payments. Hartounian allegedly stole nearly $6.3 million from the victim company.
The wire fraud count carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss resulting from the crime.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s arrest.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shana W. Chen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was brought in coordination with President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. Attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed nearly 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,900 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, please visit www.stopfraud.gov.
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Baltimore Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
Used Handguns and Threatened to Kill Store Employees
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Arnold Dorsey, age 52, of Baltimore, today to 14 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiring to commit 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; Baltimore City State’s Attorney Gregg L. Bernstein; and Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts.
According to his plea agreement, on December 7, 2013, Dorsey and Richard Coleman entered a rental business on Frederick Road in Baltimore City. They conversed about gifts with each other and store staff. They asked an employee about an iPad (tablet computer.)
The store clerk walked back to an office to retrieve a charger to demonstrate the tablet. Both Dorsey and Coleman followed the clerk to the office. Once there, Coleman pulled out a semiautomatic handgun and pointed it at the clerk. Dorsey went to the next office, pulled out a semiautomatic handgun and pointed it at another clerk. They forced the clerks to open the register and took $1,144. They then took $73 from one clerk and $85 from another clerk. At this point they had the clerks lie on the floor and threatened to kill them.
The Baltimore Police Department received a call for a hold up and two officers responded. The first officer on the scene saw both defendants behind the counter in front of the office area. A clerk signaled to the officer alerting the officer that the defendants were robbing the business. The officer entered and made contact with Dorsey as he attempted to leave the store. The officer saw Dorsey’s handgun and had to subdue Dorsey. A second officer arrived and took custody of Coleman who surrendered his handgun. The officers recovered $1,144 from Dorsey and $158 from Coleman.
Co-defendant Richard Coleman, age 49, of Dundalk, Maryland previously pleaded guilty to his participation in the robbery and was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, Baltimore Police Department and Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Special Assistant United States Attorney Brandis Marsh, a cross-designated Baltimore Assistant State’s Attorney assigned to Exile cases, who prosecuted the case.
24 November 2014
Woman Pleads Guilty to Failing to Report 17-Year-Old Working as ProstituteRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. A Kansas woman pleaded guilty Monday to failing to report that a 17-year-old girl was working as a prostitute, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Brittany L. Morris, 25, Winfield, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of misprision of a felony. In her plea, she admitted that on April 11, 2013, she received a call from two officers working undercover who called in response to an advertisement on the Internet. Morris arranged for herself and a 17-year-old girl to meet the officers at a hotel off K-10 Highway near DeSoto, Kan., to exchange sex acts for money.
At the hotel, Morris told the officers the price would be $600 an hour. When Morris was arrested, officers learned that the girl with her was 17 years old. The girl admitted to working as a prostitute in New Orleans, Wichita and Kansas City with Morris. Both Morris and the girl posted advertisements on the Internet offering sexual services.
Sentencing is set for Feb. 18. Both parties agreed to recommend a sentence of between eight and 14 months in federal prison. Grissom commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Martin for their work on the case.
Williamson County Resident Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsOn November 19, 2014, Shannon L. Connett, 36, of Marion, Illinois, pled guilty to a one-count indictment charging conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.
Evidence at the plea hearing established that Connett was involved with co-defendant Jonathan Merydith and others in the manufacture of methamphetamine. The offense occurred between 2012 and March 2014, in Union, Williamson, and Jackson Counties. Connett is currently being held without bond pending a March 18, 2015, sentencing hearing, at which time he will face up to 20 years in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years’ supervised release, and a fine of $1,000,000. Co-defendants Merydith, Rusty Smith and Ruth Diane Wiseman have previously pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Union County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Illinois State Police, Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, Marion Police Department, Carbondale Police Department, Illinois State Police Methamphetamine Response Team and Drug Enforcement Administration. The 19th Judicial District Drug Task Force (Tennessee) assisted in the investigation.
The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Amanda A. Robertson for prosecution.
West Haven Man Admits Embezzling Funds from Bank in New Canaan Where He Was EmployedRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that STEPHEN DeCRESCENZO, 37, of West Haven, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to one count of wire fraud stemming from an embezzlement scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, DeCRESCENZO was employed as personal banker for JPMorgan Chase Bank in New Canaan. Between approximately September 2008 and November 2011, DeCRESCENZO embezzled $106,028 in funds from customer accounts by transferring the funds into a separate customer account to which he had access. As part of his scheme, DeCRESCENZO disguised numerous withdrawals from the accounts as authorized cash withdrawals by customers when, in fact, he had stolen the money. DeCRESCENZO also wired funds stolen from a customer account into another bank account for his personal benefit.
Judge Arterton scheduled sentencing for February 17, 2015, at which time DeCRESCENZO faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
DeCRESCENZO was released on a $50,000 bond.
DeCRESCENZO, who was a member of the West Haven City Council, resigned from the Council today.
This investigation is being conducted by the Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force, the Greenwich Police Department and the New Canaan Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722 [email protected]Wasilla Man Sentenced to 90 Months in Prison for Heroin TraffickingRead the Press Release
Ordered to Forfeit Two Firearms and $5,000 in Cash
Anchorage, Alaska-U.S. Attorney Karen Loeffler announced today that a Wasilla man was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Sharon L. Gleason to serve 90 months in federal prison for his role in a heroin trafficking conspiracy.
Baretta Faatafuga, 38, of Wasilla, Alaska, previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than 1.6 kilograms of heroin throughout the Anchorage area. As part of his plea, Faatafuga admitted that in October 2013 he received an Express Mail package from California containing heroin that had been concealed inside a Sentry Safe. Faatafuga intended to distribute this heroin to others.
Upon his release from prison, Faatafuga will remain under court supervision for five years. The sentence announced today also included an enhancement based upon Faatafuga’s possession of two firearms and a loaded magazine that he had stored in his bedroom. He and his co-defendant also possessed drug packaging materials, a scale, multiple cell phones and laptop computers, as well as $5,000 in cash. Faatafuga agreed to forfeit the guns and the cash as part of his guilty plea.
In sentencing Faatafuga, Judge Gleason called the offense one of serious magnitude. She also commented on the negative impacts caused by bringing drugs into our community and noted that many families are destroyed by heroin. She indicated that Faatafuga’s sentence was designed to address the seriousness of his offense while also protecting the community from future crimes.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Loeffler praised the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Alaska State Troopers, who investigated the case.United States Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy Western District of VirginiaRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, VIRGINIA – Timothy J. Heaphy announced today that he will step down as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia at the end of 2014, after serving more than five years in office. Mr. Heaphy has informed President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder of his decision. After leaving office, Mr. Heaphy will become Chair of the White Collar Defense and Government Investigations practice at an international law firm based in Richmond, VA. First Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Giorno will become Acting United States Attorney on January 1, 2015.
“Serving as United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia has been the greatest honor and privilege of my career,” United States Attorney Heaphy said today. “I am grateful for the trust placed in me by President Obama and appreciate the opportunity I have had to work with Attorney General Holder and the other dedicated professionals across the Department of Justice. I leave inspired by the ongoing commitment to justice displayed every day by the lawyers and staff in the Western District, who work hard to protect the safety of communities across the Commonwealth. I am proud of their success and confident that it will continue.”
“Over the past five years, Tim Heaphy has been an outstanding United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia and a key national leader on a host of pressing criminal justice issues,” United States Attorney General Eric Holder said today. “Throughout his distinguished career -- from our days together in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, to his current post -- I have known Tim as a dedicated public servant and a champion of the cause of justice. He has been a fierce advocate for groundbreaking community outreach initiatives within and far beyond his district. And he has worked tirelessly to promote data-driven prevention, intervention, and reentry programs to improve public safety at the national level. As a talented attorney, a dedicated prosecutor, and a leader of both patriotism and principle, Tim Heaphy has been an indispensable member of the U.S. Department of Justice. From the prosecutions he has led to the policies he has championed, Tim's work has touched countless lives across Virginia and throughout the nation. I have been proud to count him as a friend. On behalf of our colleagues and the American people, I thank him for his service and wish him all the best in every future endeavor.”
On October 13, 2009, Mr. Heaphy, a graduate of the University of Virginia and the University Of Virginia School Of Law, was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia. He was sworn in by then Chief United States District Judge James Jones in Abingdon, VA on October 16, 2009, and has served continuously since that date. Attorney General Holder attended his ceremonial Investiture as United States Attorney on December 4, 2009, in Charlottesville, VA.
During his tenure as United States Attorney, Mr. Heaphy served for 2 years on Attorney General Holder’s Advisory Committee (“AGAC”), a group that advises the Attorney General on emerging policy issues. Mr. Heaphy has also served as Chairman of the AGAC’s Subcommittee on Law Enforcement Coordination, Victims Issues, and Community Outreach, and he has been a member of the Subcommittees on Criminal Practice, Violent and Organized Crime, and Civil Rights. Through his work with the AGAC, Mr. Heaphy helped conceive and implement Attorney General Holder’s anti-violence strategy and, most recently, the Department’s “Smart on Crime” initiative. Mr. Heaphy testified three times before the Congressional committees on issues ranging from guns to synthetic drugs to sentencing reform.
“My time on AGAC gave me a unique opportunity to contribute to the discussion of important policy issues faced by Attorney General Holder and the Department of Justice,” United States Attorney Heaphy observed. “I was privileged to have a voice in the creation of the Smart on Crime initiative, and I have been pleased to subsequently work to implement the components of that strategy in our District. I believe these and other initiatives on which the AGAC has worked have made the Department more effective, and that these reforms will last well beyond my time as United States Attorney.”
Under Mr. Heaphy’s leadership, the Western District of Virginia has achieved notable success in numerous criminal cases and complex civil matters. The office has protected national security, defended the civil rights of all Virginians, held corrupt public officials accountable, and prosecuted financial fraud in various forms. AUSAs have aggressively pursued crimes of violence, taken gang members and other violent criminals off our streets, and protected children from exploitation. During his tenure, the office has vigorously pursued health care and other program fraud and obtained civil settlements which recovered millions of dollars for crime victims. The rich diversity of the Western District presents a range of public safety challenges, which has required flexibility and judgment in the deployment of enforcement resources.
While serving as United States Attorney, Mr. Heaphy personally investigated and tried numerous criminal cases. He reopened a cold case homicide in Orange, Virginia, and convicted the charged defendant at trial. He identified a long-running pattern of fraud committed by a financial advisor against a celebrity client, then negotiated a guilty plea which resulted in a jail sentence and restitution obligation of over $1 million. He supervised the investigation of a lucrative online business in which the defendants manufactured high-quality false identification documents, which also resulted in lengthy jail sentences and forfeiture of millions of dollars. Most recently, he has led the investigation of the murder of a Waynesboro, VA reserve police officer, which has led to the pending indictment of 9 members of a regional set of the Bloods gang responsible for that murder and numerous other violent crimes.
In addition to his supervision of the office’s varied and important litigation, Mr. Heaphy was also responsible for integrating community outreach and crime prevention initiatives into the daily work of this United States Attorney’s Office. He worked to augment the office’s core enforcement work with support for viable prevention programs. Under his leadership, the office helped establish and grow reentry and treatment courts and prevention programs for youth. He has also convened several statewide summits and helped increase awareness of emerging criminal justice challenges. His comprehensive vision of community safety has guided the work of AUSAs and staff and will endure long past his departure.
“To achieve true community safety, we must do much more than arrest and incarcerate,” United States Attorney Heaphy said today. “To be effective, we must supplement our core enforcement work with support for prevention and reentry programs. True community safety is a “three-legged stool,” which must be built upon targeted enforcement, effective prevention, and viable reentry, all working contemporaneously.”
USP Hazelton Inmate Convicted of Assaulting Fellow InmateRead the Press Release
1125 Chapline Street, Federal Building, Suite 3000 ● Wheeling, WV 26003
(304) 234-0100 ● Contact: Tara Tighe, Public Affairs SpecialistCLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Victor Herrera, 49, was convicted and sentenced today for assaulting a fellow inmate at the United States Penitentiary at Hazelton, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced today.
In July 2013, an altercation among multiple inmates in the recreation area at USP Hazelton escalated into a physical confrontation. During the exchange, Herrera struck, kicked, and stomped on a fellow inmate.
Herrera admitted his role in the fight when he pled guilty today to one count of "Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury." He was sentenced to an additional twelve months in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Morgan prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Special Investigative Service Unit at USP Hazelton investigated.
U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
U.S. Attorney Warns of Phone ScamRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama has become aware of a telephone scam in which the caller claims to be an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) representative. The caller will demand immediate payment and seeks to intimidate victims by stating the IRS has charges against them and threatens legal action or arrest. In many cases, the caller will have the victim’s name and may even have a portion of his/her Social Security number.
Taxpayers should be aware that the IRS usually makes initial contact with people by mail, not by phone, about unpaid taxes or other tax issues. This means that if you receive a call about unpaid taxes, it should come after receiving written correspondence from the IRS. Taxpayers should also remember that the IRS does not ask for payment using a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer, and they will not ask for a credit card number over the phone.
“The volume of complaints received by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration’s (TIGTA) Complaint Hotline Center about this scam is unprecedented in TIGTA’s 15-year history,” said Timothy P. Camus, TIGTA’s Deputy Inspector General for Investigations. “Since October of last year, we have received more than 225,000 contacts about this scam and reports of over $11 million in losses.”
Camus urged people to stay vigilant and avoid becoming a victim if they receive contact out of the blue from someone claiming to be from the IRS who demands money. “Federal, State and local law enforcement and consumer protection officials are doing an outstanding job educating taxpayers about the scam and encouraging victims to contact TIGTA,” Camus said. “The most effective way for individuals to report scam attempts and losses is by filling out the ‘IRS Impersonation scam’ form on TIGTA’s website, www.treasury.gov/tigta.” When you arrive at TIGTA’s homepage, click on the red button, “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting.”
If you receive a suspicious call and you owe Federal taxes, or think you might owe taxes, hang up and call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. IRS workers can help you with your payment questions. If you do not owe Federal taxes or have no reason to believe you owe any taxes (for example, you have not received a bill or the caller made threats as described above), call and report the incident to TIGTA at 1-800-366-4484.
PRESS CONTACT: Clark Morris
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: (334) 551-1755
Fax: (334) 223-7617U.S. Attorney and Leaders of the Multi-Agency Gang Unit Announce Fam Mob Leader Indicted for Hobbs Act RobberyRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Edward L. Stanton III, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, and leaders of the Multi-Agency Gang Unit announced today that James Earl McCracken, 27, of Memphis, Tennessee, was indicted by a federal grand jury for a violation of the Hobbs Act. The Hobbs Act makes it a federal crime to commit a robbery that interferes with interstate commerce.
According to the one-count indictment, in 2011, James Earl McCracken was the head governor of FAM Mob, a street gang with members in the Frayser, Northhaven, Raleigh and Millington areas of Shelby County, Tennessee. The indictment alleges that FAM Mob’s hierarchy consists of a head governor, governors, CEOs, big “homies” and little “homies.” Further, the indictment alleges that the head governor was responsible for calling membership meetings and enforcing violations of FAM Mob’s rules.
According to the indictment, McCracken and FAM Mob members took part in robbing narcotics traffickers. It is alleged that on or about July 9, 2011, McCracken and others conspired to obstruct, delay, and affect interstate commerce by robbery – specifically, that McCracken and others robbed an individual engaged in narcotics trafficking. The indictment charges that this was a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951. The penalty for a violation of Section 1951 is up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This investigation was conducted by the Multi-Agency Gang Unit which consists of the Memphis Police Department, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Attorney’s Office and the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office. This case is being prosecuted for the government by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Whitmore and Reagan Taylor.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Sentenced in Pittsburgh to Morgantown Heroin, Cocaine Distribution SchemeRead 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 Morgantown, West Virginia residents were sentenced today for their role in a heroin and cocaine distribution ring, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced today.
An investigation by the West Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations revealed a drug trafficking network in which heroin and cocaine were transported from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Morgantown, West Virginia for redistribution.
Anthony Michael Fata, 27, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison. He will also forfeit $1551.00. He pled guilty in July 2014 to one count of "Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin."
Mahmoud Fares Abulaban, 26, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison. He will also forfeit $1551.00. In late 2012, Abulaban was discovered selling powder cocaine near West Virginia Junior College. He pled guilty in July 2014 to one count of "Distribution of Cocaine Hydrochloride within 1000’ of Protected Location."
In another matter, Casey Searcy, 33, of Salem, West Virginia, was sentenced to 110 months in prison for selling prescription painkillers near the Clarksburg City Park - North View. He pled guilty in July 2014 to one count of "Distribution of Oxycodone within 1000' of a Protected Location" following an investigation by the Greater Harrison County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA- funded initiative.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government.
U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Two Sentenced for Selling Heroin Near Local ParkRead 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 Stonewood, West Virginia residents were sentenced today for distributing heroin near a Harrison County park, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced today.
Matthew Vanhorn, 28, and Megan Counts, 24, were discovered in February 2013 selling heroin near the Stonewood City Park. They each pled guilty in January 2014 to one count of "Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin within 1000’ of a Protected Location."
Vanhorn was sentenced today to 63 months in prison with credit for time served since October 2013. Counts was sentenced today to 46 months in prison with credit for time served since May 2014. She will also forfeit $5,221.00.
Additionally, Charles Counts, father of Megan Counts, was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for selling Ecstasy near the Oakmound Apartments in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Charles Counts, 43, of Reynoldsville, West Virginia, pled guilty in January 2014 to one count of “Distribution of MDMA within 1000’ of a Protected Location.” He will also forfeit $5,221.00.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Morgan prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government. The Greater Harrison County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Two Randolph County Residents Plead Guilty to Methamphetamine OffensesRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsNovember 19, 2014, Allen W. Clover, Jr., 41, of Tilden, pled guilty to a two-count indictment charging conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine and possession of pseudoephedrine knowing that it would be used to manufacture methamphetamine, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. On November 17, 2014, co-defendant Carmen J. Clover, 41, also of Tilden, entered a guilty plea to the methamphetamine conspiracy offense.
The offenses occurred between 2012 and March 2014, in Jackson, Randolph, and St. Clair Counties. Evidence at the plea hearings established that the Clovers were involved with each other and others in the manufacture of methamphetamine. The Clovers often traveled together to obtain pseudoephedrine, which they would later provide to methamphetamine manufacturers. On January 17, 2014, Allen Clover obtained pseudoephedrine from pharmacies located in both Randolph and St. Clair Counties.
The offenses carry a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years’ supervised release. The conspiracy offense carries a fine of up to $1,000,000, while the pseudoephedrine offense carries a fine of up to $250,000. Carmen and Allen Clover are set for sentencing on March 4, 2015, and March 25, 2015, respectively.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Tilden Police Department, and Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Amanda A. Robertson for prosecution.
Two Northern California Real Estate Investors Agree to Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging and Fraud at Public Foreclosure AuctionsRead the Press Release
Two Northern California real estate investors have agreed to plead guilty for their role in conspiracies to rig bids and commit mail fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Northern California, the Department of Justice announced.
Felony charges were filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in Oakland against Su Chu Chou “Terry” Cheng and Chung Li “George” Cheng of Walnut Creek, California.
To date, as a result of the department’s ongoing antitrust investigations into bid rigging and fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Northern California, 49 individuals have agreed to plead or have pleaded guilty.
Between May 2008 and January 2011, according to the court documents, George and Terry Cheng conspired with others not to bid against one another, and instead designated a winning bidder to obtain selected properties at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. George and Terry Cheng were also charged with conspiring to use the mail to carry out a scheme to fraudulently acquire title to selected Alameda and Contra Costa County properties sold at public auctions, to make and receive payoffs, and to divert money to co-conspirators that would have otherwise gone to mortgage holders and other beneficiaries by holding second, private auctions open only to members of the conspiracy. The department said that the selected properties were then awarded to the conspirators who submitted the highest bids in the second, private auctions. The private auctions often took place at or near the courthouse steps where the public auctions were held.
“The Antitrust Division continues to vigorously pursue and prosecute those who rig bids and commit fraud at real estate foreclosure auctions,” said Brent Snyder, Deputy Assistant Attorney for the Antitrust Division’s criminal enforcement program. “The division is committed to working closely with its law enforcement partners to ensure that these real estate auctions are fair and open so that consumers will benefit from competition.”
The department said that the primary purpose of the conspiracies was to suppress and eliminate competition and to conceal payoffs in order to obtain selected real estate offered at Alameda and Contra Costa County public foreclosure auctions at non-competitive prices. When real estate properties are sold at these auctions, the proceeds are used to pay off the mortgage and other debt attached to the property, with remaining proceeds, if any, paid to the homeowner. These conspirators paid and received money, according to the court documents, that otherwise would have gone to pay off the mortgage and other holders of debt secured by the properties, and, in some cases, the defaulting homeowner.
“These charges demonstrate our continued commitment to investigate and prosecute individuals and organizations responsible for the corruption of the public foreclosure auction process,” said David J. Johnson, FBI Special Agent in Charge of the San Francisco Field Office. “The FBI is committed to work these important cases and remains unwavering in our dedication to bring the members of these illegal conspiracies to justice.”
A violation of the Sherman Act carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine for individuals. The maximum fine for the Sherman Act charges may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims if either amount is greater than $1 million. A count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The government can also seek to forfeit the proceeds earned from participating in the conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
Today’s charges are the latest filed by the department in its ongoing investigation into bid rigging and fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in San Francisco, San Mateo, Contra Costa, and Alameda counties, California. These investigations are being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office and the FBI’s San Francisco Office. Anyone with information concerning bid rigging or fraud related to public real estate foreclosure auctions should contact the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office at 415-934-5300, or call the FBI tip line at 415-553-7400.
Today’s charges were brought in connection with the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed nearly 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,900 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, please visit www.StopFraud.gov.
**The fraud charge(s) referenced in this press release were subsequently dismissed on the government’s motion.**
George Cheng Information
Terry Cheng Information
Two Mission Men Charged with Third Degree Burglary and LarcenyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that two Mission, South Dakota, men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for two counts of Third Degree Burglary and two counts of Larceny.
Preston White Feather and Nicola Black Lance, both 18 years old, were indicted on November 13, 2014. They appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on November 20, 2014, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 10 years in custody and/or a $2,000,000 fine, at least 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
White Feather and Black Lance are alleged to have entered or remained in a Todd County government building on August 20, 2014, to steal property with a value of more than $1,000. They are also alleged to have committed a second burglary and larceny on August 24, 2014, by entering or remaining in the same Todd County government building and stealing more property with a value of more than $1,000.
The charges are merely accusations and White Feather and Black Lance are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Maher is prosecuting the case.
White Feather and Black Lance were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. A trial date has not been set.
Two Mission Men Charged with Third Degree Burglary and LarcenyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that two Mission, South Dakota, men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for two counts of Third Degree Burglary and two counts of Larceny.
Preston White Feather and Nicola Black Lance, both 18 years old, were indicted on November 13, 2014. They appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on November 20, 2014, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 10 years in custody and/or a $2,000,000 fine, at least 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
White Feather and Black Lance are alleged to have entered or remained in a Todd County government building on August 20, 2014, to steal property with a value of more than $1,000. They are also alleged to have committed a second burglary and larceny on August 24, 2014, by entering or remaining in the same Todd County government building and stealing more property with a value of more than $1,000.
The charges are merely accusations and White Feather and Black Lance are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Maher is prosecuting the case.
White Feather and Black Lance were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. A trial date has not been set.
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Troy Man Sentenced to 33 Months for Conspiring to Distribute Synthetic MarijuanaRead the Press Release
Received Packages of Synthetic Marijuana by Mail
ALBANY, NEW YORK – BAKHT KHAN, age 46, of Troy, New York, was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for conspiring to distribute synthetic marijuana, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian, Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Field Division, Inspector in Charge Shelly Binkowski, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, and Rensselaer County Sheriff Jack Mahar.
KHAN was arrested in January 2013 after he received two boxes containing synthetic marijuana that were sent to him through the mail. As part of his July 28, 2014 guilty plea, KHAN admitted that he intended to distribute the synthetic marijuana to customers in Troy.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey C. Coffman.
Time Share Fraudster Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
Charleston, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that David Andrew Glynn, 47 of Charleston, West Virginia, was sentenced in federal court in Charleston to two and a half years in prison for conspiring to defraud timeshare owners throughout the United States and Canada. Glynn previously plead guilty on August 25, 2014, and admitted that he set up a bogus company named Mountain State Resales, LLC (MSR) that was purportedly in the business of brokering timeshare sales. Glynn, and others, contacted timeshare owners and advised them that MSR had buyers for their timeshares, and asked owners to pay fees and expenses necessary to complete the sales. Timeshare owners were directed to send the requested payments to MSR in South Charleston, West Virginia.
Glynn also contacted timeshare owners who had been victims of prior fraud schemes and posed as an agent with “Internal Revenue Recovery Associates,” a fictional entity that he claimed was affiliated with a government agency. Glynn represented that he was investigating timeshare fraud schemes, and needed the victims of such schemes to send money to MSR to assist with its recovery efforts.
Glynn was ordered to pay $97,254.42 in restitution.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the West Virginia State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Meredith George Thomas is handling the prosecution.