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10 November 2014
Eagle Butte Man Sentenced for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of A ChildRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child was sentenced on November 3, 2014, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Frank Duane Baker, Jr., age 42, was sentenced to 132 months in custody, 5 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Baker was indicted for several counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse by a federal grand jury on May 13, 2014. He pled guilty on July 14, 2014, to one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child.
The conviction stems from incidents between June 1, 1995, and August 31, 1996, when Baker, who was providing babysitting services, sexually assaulted a female child who was under the age of 12 years old.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikal Hanson prosecuted the case.
Baker was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his sentence.
Eagle Butte Man Charged with Sexual Abuse of A MinorRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for two counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor.
Randall Little Shield, age 22, was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 15, 2014. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on October 28, 2014, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 15 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, at least 5 years up to life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charge stems from an allegation that on two separate occasions, one in June 2014, and one between August 31 and September 1, 2014, Little Shield engaged in a sexual act with a minor who was between the ages of 12 and 16. Both incidents occurred in Eagle Butte.
The charges are merely an accusation and Little Shield is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikal Hanson is prosecuting the case.
Little Shield was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. A trial date has not been set.
Eagle Butte Man Charged with Assault with A Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.
Randall Bear Eagle, age 30, was indicted on October 15, 2014. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on November 4, 2014, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and up to $200 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on July 5, 2014, Bear Eagle unlawfully assaulted a male victim with dangerous weapons, that is a tire iron, a knife, a frying pan, and a CD player, which resulted in serious bodily injury to the victim.
The charges are merely accusations and Bear Eagle is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikal Hanson is prosecuting the case.
Bear Eagle was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial which has been set for December 16, 2014.
Dunbar Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Dunbar man who illegally possessed a firearm on November 30, 2012, pleaded guilty today to a federal firearms charge, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin. Blaine Jerome Ivery, 32, pleaded guilty in federal court in Charleston to being a felon in possession of a firearm. At approximately 3 a.m. on November 30, 2012, members of the Charleston Police Department were parked outside of the Impulse night club on Capitol Street in downtown Charleston when they heard what they believed to be a gunshot. Officers then watched Ivery run a red traffic light in a car near the area where the gunfire sounded. When officers stopped the car, Ivery tossed a loaded Hi-Point 9mm semiautomatic from the passenger side of the car onto the sidewalk. Ivery was alone in the car. A spent 9 mm shell casing was also recovered from inside the vehicle.
Ivery had previously been convicted in the Circuit Court of Kanawha County, West Virginia, in 2010 of wanton endangerment with a firearm. He faces up to ten years in federal prison when he is sentence on February 18, 2015. The Charleston Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Haley Bunn and Jennifer Rada Herrald are in charge of the prosecution.
The case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a commitment of U.S. Attorney Goodwin’s office and other officials nationwide to reduce gun crime in the United States by networking existing local programs targeting gun crime.
Detroit Drug Dealer Convicted by Jury for Conspiracy to Distribute Oxycodone and over Kilogram of HeroinRead the Press Release
Jury also returns guilty verdicts on Federal Gun Charges and Witness Tampering
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Late Friday, a federal jury sitting in Charleston returned a guilty verdict on all five counts of an indictment against Willie Slocum, Jr., 35, of Detroit, Michigan. Slocum was convicted following a five day trial of conspiracy to distribute over one kilogram of heroin, conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of tampering with a witness. The jury heard testimony last week from fifteen witnesses who purchased heroin and pills from Slocum, and who sold pills and heroin for Slocum in the Charleston area. Slocum was prohibited from possessing firearms by virtue of felony convictions in Michigan in 1999 for Second Degree Murder, Assault with Intent to Murder and Felony Possession of Firearms. Slocum faces up to life imprisonment when he is sentenced on February 4, 2015, by United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., who also presided over the trial.
The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
This case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill and heroin trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers in communities across the Southern District.
Chinese Citizen Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Scheme to Smuggle Restricted Parts to ChinaRead the Press Release
A citizen of China was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to two years in prison for violating the Arms Control Export Act, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. SEE KEE CHIN, a/k/a, Alfred Chin, 56, of Hong Kong was arrested in Seattle on February 10, 2014, after he entered the United States as part of a scheme to obtain restricted parts and illegally smuggle them to China. CHIN attempted to obtain and export accelerometers that are designated on the United States Munitions List, International Traffic in Arms Regulations. The accelerometers are designed for low and zero gravity inertial navigation systems that can be used in satellites and launch vehicle applications. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour noted that it is important to send a message to others overseas that violations of the Arms Control Act will be punished.
“We will hold to account those who circumvent requirements designed to protect our national security,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “This defendant attempted to smuggle restricted equipment out of the United States knowing it was illegal to do so, and he admits he was working for others in China. Ensuring our technology does not fall into the wrong hands remains a top priority.”
According to the criminal complaint, a U.S. company that sells accelerometers reported suspicious contact with a Canadian who wanted to purchase restricted equipment. Between September 2013 and February 2014, the investigation revealed that the Canadian was inquiring on behalf of CHIN, who indicated he would personally pick up the order. CHIN was arrested in Seattle after he made payment of over $85,000, and attempted to pick up the items. CHIN had indicated he planned to smuggle the parts out of the country in his suitcase. He previously discussed hiding the items in children’s toys.
“Accelerometers are fairly common, in fact most people have one in their pocket installed in their cellphone,” said Brad Bench, special agent in charge of HSI Seattle. “What Chin was after wasn’t one of those. The accelerometers he attempted to purchase are specialized pieces of equipment designed to be used in satellites. This caught the attention of HSI special agents, whose job it is to keep restricted arms parts out of the hands of our nation’s enemies. HSI is committed to thwarting clandestine attempts by foreign nationals to illegally export sensitive technology from the U.S.”
The Department of State promulgates the United States Munitions List, which consists of categories of defense articles and services that cannot be exported without a license issued by the Department of State. The U.S. Munitions List includes the accelerometers ordered in this case. As a result, the export required an export license.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigation (HSI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Woods.
Canadian National Arrested on Charges of Traveling into the United States to have Sex with a MinorRead the Press Release
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Alysa D. Erichs, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), and Addy Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), announce the arrest of Rene Roberge, 47, of Quebec, Canada, on charges of enticement of a minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(b) and traveling into the United States with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. These charges carry a minimum mandatory sentence of ten years and a possible maximum sentence of life in prison.
According to the criminal complaint, Roberge traveled from Quebec, Canada to Fort Lauderdale on November 9, 2014 to meet with an underage boy and his father for a sexual encounter. Upon his arrival, Roberge was greeted by undercover officers and was interviewed.
On October 9, 2014, Roberge sent an email to an undercover FDLE agent through a social networking site, in which Roberge requested to meet with the agent and the agent’s 14 year-old son. Roberge chatted with the undercover agent, and stated that he would be willing to travel to Florida to meet the undercover FDLE agent and the agent’s son. The defendant made hotel reservations in Pompano Beach and arrived from Canada on Sunday, November 9, 2014. In his luggage, law enforcement officers found the lubricant, condoms, and gifts.
After admitting to traveling from Canada to Florida to engage in sexual activity with a boy he believed to be 14 years old, Roberge was arrested and transported to the Broward County Jail. ICE-HSI seized one iPad that contained images depicting child pornography.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of ICE-HSI and FDLE. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis Viamontes.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
California Resident Pleaded Guilty to Wiretapping Law Enforcement Communications and OthersRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Kristin Nyunt pleaded guilty in federal court in San Jose today, to wiretapping charges, announced United States Attorney Melinda Haag and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Johnson.
In pleading guilty, Nyunt admitted that from 2010 to 2012 she possessed spy software, including Mobistealth, StealthGenie, and mSpy, knowing that they were primarily useful for the purpose of the surreptitious interception of wire, oral, and electronic communications. She purchased and downloaded this software on-line, via the Internet, and eventually installed the software on cell phones and computers involved in communications that she intended to intercept.This spyware had functions that allowed her to record phone calls, texts, voicemail, e-mail, appointments, digital address and contact information, photographs and videos, and oral conversations involving the phones and computers that she corrupted. The communications she intercepted included private e-mail communication and texts between individuals who were unaware that she was monitoring them. In one instance, she was paid money by the husband of a victim to spy on her and intercept her private communications using this software.
Nyunt further admitted that she repeatedly used a feature of the spyware that allowed her to activate the microphone of a cell phone, without the consent or knowledge of its user, for the purpose of eavesdropping on and recording oral conversations that were taking place in the vicinity of the phone, all without the consent or knowledge of the participants in those conversations. Among the communications she thus intercepted included sensitive law enforcement communication, which she accomplished by surreptitiously installing spyware on the cellular telephone of a police officer without his consent or knowledge.
Previously, on Sept. 29, 2014, the Department of Justice announced the indictment of Hammad Akbar, 31, of Lahore, Pakistan, the chief executive officer of InvoCode Pvt Ltd, the company that advertises and sells StealthGenie online. Akbar and his co-conspirators allegedly created the spyware, which could intercept communications to and from mobile phones, including Apple’s iPhone, Google’s Android, and Blackberry Limited’s Blackberry.
The investigation of Nyunt by the FBI was conducted jointly with investigators from the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office. As a result of this joint investigation, Nyunt pleaded guilty in state court earlier this year to burglary, forgery, identity theft, and unlawful computer access charges.
Nyunt, age 40, most recently of Monterey Calif., was charged by information on Oct. 17, 2014, with one count of interception of communications, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2511(1)(a) and 4(a), and one count of possession of interception devices, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2512(1)(b). Under the plea agreement, Nyunt pleaded guilty to both counts.Nyunt’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 23, 2014, at 1:30 pm before the Honorable Edward J. Davila, United States District Court Judge, in San Jose. The maximum statutory penalty for each count of conviction is five years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Philip A. Guentert is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Elise Etter. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI jointly with investigators from the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.
(Nyunt information October 17, 2014 )
California Man Pleads Guilty in Cocaine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Downey, California, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Michael Dwayne Blackwell, a/k/a Kevin Campbell, 46, pleaded guilty to one count before Chief United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from in or around March 2009, and continuing thereafter to on or about Sept. 13, 2009, Blackwell conspired with others to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of more than 50, but less than 150 kilograms of cocaine and that he was also responsible for the distribution of more than one, but less than three kilograms of heroin. The Court was also made aware that in September 2009, FBI agents seized approximately 54 kilograms of cocaine and approximately one kilogram of heroin that were attributable to Blackwell. In addition, law enforcement officers seized over 90 kilograms of cocaine in June of 2009, at least some of which was intended for delivery to Blackwell. On Sept. 13, 2009, FBI agents seized a large amount of marijuana, two money counters, plastic packaging materials, a digital scale, $10,178 in cash, four firearms, two firearm silencers, a handgun conversion kit, and multiple boxes of ammunition from Blackwell’s residence in California.
Judge Conti scheduled sentencing for Feb. 26, 2015 at 3:30 pm. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of life in prison, a fine of $4,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Amy L. Johnston and Troy Rivetti are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, the McKeesport Police Department and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Blackwell.
Bullhead Man Sentenced for Abusive Sexual ContactRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Bullhead, South Dakota, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact was sentenced on November 3, 2014, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.
Cody Long Chase, age 37, was sentenced to 36 months in custody, 5 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Long Chase was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 13, 2014. He pled guilty on July 28, 2014.
The conviction stems from an incident on April 26, 2014, when Long Chase had sexual contact with a female victim when, at the time of the sexual contact, the victim was incapable of appraising the nature of the conduct and was physically incapable of declining participation in or communicating her unwillingness.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Standing Rock Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.
Long Chase was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Bullhead Man Sentenced for Abusive Sexual ContactRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Bullhead, South Dakota, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact was sentenced on November 3, 2014, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.
Cody Long Chase, age 37, was sentenced to 36 months in custody, 5 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Long Chase was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 13, 2014. He pled guilty on July 28, 2014.
The conviction stems from an incident on April 26, 2014, when Long Chase had sexual contact with a female victim who, at the time of the sexual contact, was incapable of appraising the nature of the conduct and was physically incapable of declining participation in or communicating her unwillingness.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Standing Rock Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.
Long Chase was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Brunswick Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Credit Union FraudRead the Press Release
A Brunswick man was sentenced to more than nine years in prison for illegally receiving more than $3 million from the St. Paul Croatian Federal Credit Union in exchange for cash payments to the credit union’s chief operating officer, law enforcement officials said.
Svetislav Vujovic, 42, was convicted by a jury earlier this year on all 14 counts – 10 counts of making false statements to a federal credit union, two counts of money laundering and one count each of financial institution fraud and giving gifts for procuring loans.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Boyko sentenced Vujovic to 109 months in prison and ordered him to pay restitution of $2.95 million.
St. Paul Croatian Federal Credit Union was closed and then liquidated in 2010 after sustaining losses of approximately $170 million, making it one of the largest credit union failures in American history. Nearly 20 people have been convicted of crimes related to fraudulent lending that resulted in the credit union’s failure.
“The failure of the credit union was a loss that cannot be measured in dollars alone,” said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. “This defendant went back and took from the credit union time after time.”
Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland Field Office, said: “The St. Paul Federal Credit Union collapse resulted in one of the largest credit union failures ever investigated in U.S. history. This complex, large-scale investigation transcended international borders and will continue until all those involved are brought to justice.”
“Honest and law-abiding citizens are fed up with the likes of those who use deceit and fraud to line their pockets with other people’s money,” said Special Agent in Charge Kathy Enstrom, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. “Let this sentence stand as a warning to those who victimize the public that whether you are the main perpetrator of a fraud, or assist in its facilitation, the law will hold all guilty parties accountable.”
Vujovic, aided and abetted by Anthony Raguz, the former Chief Operating Officer of Eastlake-based St. Paul Croatian Federal Credit Union, received numerous fraudulently obtained loans totaling approximately $3 million from the credit union between 2004 and 2008, according to court documents and trial testimony.
Vujovic obtained these loans by making false representations and promises, and he received many of those loans after having already defaulted on previous loans issued to him by the credit union. These loans were obtained in the names Cleveland Comfort Corp; SND, Inc.; Balkan Contracting; GBRS Properties, LLC; and Balkan Enterprise, Inc. The credit union lost approximately $3 million as a result of Vujovic’s fraudulent conduct.
Vujovic corruptly gave Raguz cash payments totaling approximately $20,000 to induce and reward Raguz for approving and facilitating the approval of the fraudulent loans to Vujovic, , according to court documents and trial testimony.
Raguz is currently serving a 14-year federal prison sentence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan and United States Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach following an investigation by the Cleveland Offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division.
Bridgeport Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Murder ChargeRead the Press Release
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Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TRUMAINE HEARST, also known as “Man,” 21, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to his involvement in the October 2012 murder of Dawayne Cobb in Bridgeport.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 10, 2012, at approximately 6:20 p.m., the body of Dawayne Cobb was discovered in the driver seat of an idling vehicle in the vicinity of 220 Sunshine Circle in Bridgeport. Cobb had gunshot wounds in his shoulder and abdomen.
In pleading guilty, HEARST admitted that on that date, he and Johnnie Jefferson, also known as “Jeezy,” planned to rob Cobb of marijuana. HEARST and Jefferson then drove to Sunshine Circle to meet Cobb, murdered him and stole from him a jar containing approximately two ounces of marijuana. HEARST and Jefferson transported the stolen marijuana to a Bridgeport residence and subsequently distributed it amongst themselves and others.
HEARST pleaded guilty to one count of causing the death of Dawayne Cobb through the use of a firearm, a charge that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of life. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea on February 4, 2015.
Jefferson, 24, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty to the same charge on November 3, 2014, and awaits sentencing.
HEARST and Jefferson have been detained since July 16, 2013.
This matter is being investigated by Bridgeport Police Department and the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracy Dayton and Rahul Kale.
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(203) 821-3722 [email protected]Belleville Woman Admits to Defrauding TaxpayersRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsStephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on November 10, 2014, Connie D. Evans, 50, of Belleville, Illinois, pled guilty to an indictment charging that she engaged in a scheme to commit health care fraud. Sentencing has been set for February 5, 2015, in United States District Court in East St. Louis, Illinois. Evans will face up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release.
During her plea hearing, Evans admitted that she had submitted false and fraudulent bills in relation to her alleged performance of personal assistant services in the Home Services Program, a Medicaid Waiver Program designed to allow individuals to stay in their homes instead of entering a nursing home. Evans admitted to falsely billing the program between November 15, 2012 and May 15, 2013. The indictment charges that Evans submitted claims for 140 hours of personal assistant services during times when the customer was in a medical treatment facility receiving dialysis treatments.
This prosecution is part of the third wave of the “Operation Home Alone” initiative announced on June 5, 2014, by United States Attorney Stephen R. Wigginton. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the Illinois State Police, Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ranley Killian, Assistant United States Attorney Scott Verseman, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hallock.
Bakersfield Marijuana Store Employee SentencedRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — United States District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill sentenced Gustavo Angel Salinas, 26, of Bakersfield, today to 21 months in prison for conspiring to violate federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced today.
Salinas was sentenced following his guilty plea last August. According to court documents and proceedings, Salinas worked as a “budtender” at ANP Collective in East Bakersfield. Co-defendant Raymond Arthur Gentile, 53, is the owner of the marijuana storefront. The store came to the attention of Bakersfield police officers after complaints and a report of false imprisonment and assault of a customer who had been accused of stealing a gram of marijuana. In responding to the report, the officers found, among other things, a Glock firearm and evidence of an indoor marijuana cultivation operation. DEA agents responded with a search warrant and during the search found an indoor marijuana cultivation operation and seized 170 marijuana plants, 25 pounds of processed marijuana, a 12 gauge shotgun, and $68,173 in cash. The cash has been forfeited as proceeds of drug trafficking.
The case against Gentile is still pending. He is next scheduled to appear in federal court on March 9, 2015. The charges are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Karen A. Escobar is prosecuting this case.
Attorney General Holder Statement on FBI's 2013 Crime StatisticsRead the Press Release
Attorney General Eric Holder released the following statement Monday on the FBI’s release of the 2013 Uniform Crime Report:
"This reduction in the violent crime rate continues a historic trend, and comes thanks to the tireless work of police and prosecutors throughout the nation," said Attorney General Eric Holder. "This is a remarkable achievement that builds upon the significant gains we've seen -- in reducing rates of both crime and incarceration -- since President Obama took office. At the same time, we recognize we have much more work to do in order to ensure that every community, in every city in America, can share in the safer and brighter future we are building.”
Armenian Power Leader Sentenced to 32 Years in Federal Prison for Racketeering, Extortion and Sophisticated Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A leader of the Armenian Power gang, who was convicted at trial of 57 counts for his role in a racketeering conspiracy that included extortion, bank fraud, and a sophisticated credit and debit card skimming scheme, was sentenced this afternoon to 32 years in prison.
Mher Darbinyan, 39, of Valencia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner, who described the defendant’s string of crimes as “heinous.”
Darbinyan – who was also known as “Hollywood Mike” and “Capone” – was a leader of Armenian Power, a gang responsible for extortion, firearms offenses, fraud and identity theft throughout the Los Angeles area. Among other offenses, Darbinyan operated a sophisticated bank fraud scheme that used middlemen and runners to deposit and cash hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent checks drawn on the accounts of elderly bank customers and businesses.
Darbinyan also organized and operated a sophisticated debit card skimming operation targeting customers of 99 Cents Only Stores across Southern California. This expansive scheme involved the installation and use of skimmers to steal thousands of customers’ debit card numbers and PIN codes.
Evidence presented during a trial earlier this year also showed that Darbinyan conspired to extort money from a member of the Armenian community by threatening violence against the victim and his family members. Additionally, on two separate occasions, Darbinyan possessed firearms and ammunition after having previously been convicted of felony grand theft for his role in a 2004 debit card fraud scheme.
“No community is safe from defendant -- not the members of his own Armenian-American community and not the members of the multiple communities throughout Southern California that he has victimized through his widespread fraud schemes,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed with the court that recommended the 32-year sentence.
Darbinyan was among 90 individuals charged in 2011 in two indictments targeting Armenian Power. To date, 87 individuals have been convicted (two defendants are fugitives, and prosecutors dismissed charges against one defendant). According to evidence presented during the Armenian Power trials, the street gang – which is believed to have more than 250 documented members and hundreds of associates – is responsible for violent criminal acts, including murders, attempted murders, kidnappings, robberies, extortions and witness intimidation.
The Armenian Power cases were investigated by the Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force, which is comprised of the FBI, the Glendale Police Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Burbank Police Department, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Secret Service. The Huntington Beach Police Department and Beverly Hills Police Department provided assistance.
The cases are being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office and the Organized Crime and Gang Section in the Criminal Division at the Department of Justice.
Release No. 14-148
10th Street Gang Member Sentenced for RacketeeringRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Efrain Barreto, 35, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) Conspiracy, was sentenced to 97 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Tripi, who handled the case, stated that between 2000 and 2010, Barreto was a member of the 10th Street Gang, a criminal enterprise engaged in racketeering activity. As a part of his involvement in the 10th Street Gang, the defendant, along with other members and associates of the gang, sold cocaine and other controlled substances on the West Side of Buffalo. Barreto supplied cocaine to younger members of the gang, and provided firearms to fellow 10th Street Gang members who used the firearms to commit shootings and to defend drug turf within the 10th Street Gang's territory. The defendant also conspired with other 10th Street Gang members to distribute over 15 kilograms of cocaine as a part of the affairs of the 10th Street Gang.
Barreto is among 44 10th Street Gang members and associates convicted in this case.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Investigators of the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Michael Cerretto, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commission Daniel Derenda, and Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
8 November 2014
Attorney General Holder Statement on President Obama's Nomination of U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch to Serve as Attorney GeneralRead the Press Release
Attorney General Eric Holder released the following statement Saturday on President Obama’s nomination of U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch to serve as Attorney General:
“Loretta Lynch is an extraordinarily talented attorney, a dedicated public servant, and a leader of considerable experience and consummate skill. I am certain that she will be an outstanding Attorney General, and I am delighted to join President Obama in congratulating her on this prestigious appointment.
“Throughout her career, and especially during her tenure as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York – during both the Clinton and Obama Administrations – Loretta has earned the trust and respect of Justice Department employees at every level, in Washington and throughout the country. She is held in high regard by criminal justice, law enforcement, and civil rights leaders of all stripes. And from her time as a career attorney, prosecuting high-profile public corruption cases, to her leadership of sensitive financial fraud and national security investigations, she has proven her unwavering fidelity to the law – and her steadfast dedication to protecting the American people.
“I have had the good fortune of working closely with Loretta on a range of important issues over the years, and particularly since the beginning of 2013, when I asked her to serve as chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee. She and her colleagues have been instrumental in implementing the Smart on Crime initiative. And I know that she is both well-qualified and uniquely positioned to continue the critical work that’s underway and build upon the progress we have made over the past six years, from advancing criminal justice reform to safeguarding civil rights.
“I am confident that Loretta will lead the Department of Justice with integrity, honor, and distinction. I congratulate her, once again, on her appointment. And I wish her the best of luck.”
7 November 2014
Woodbridge Man Convicted of Fraud to Serve Additional Prison Time for Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
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Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOHN VOLOSHIN, 58, of Woodbridge, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to nine months of imprisonment for violating the terms and conditions of his federal supervised release.
On May 17, 2012, Judge Chatigny sentenced VOLOSHIN to 33 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for operating multiple fraud schemes that caused losses of more than $1.5 million to individuals and lenders. As part of the schemes, VOLOSHIN forged signatures and used fabricated bank account statements, tax returns, mortgage releases and loan applications. VOLOSHIN was released from prison on May 16, 2014, and began serving this three-year term of supervised release.
Shortly after his release from prison, in an attempt to gain permission from the U.S. Probation Office to travel to London, VOLOSHIN repeatedly lied to and misled his supervising probation officer by concocting a bogus job for a real estate concern in London. In furtherance of his ruse, VOLOSHIN submitted to the U.S. Probation Office a fake employment letter for a $250,000 job, enlisted the help of another individual to provide verbal and written verification of this fictitious job by posing as VOLOSHIN’s would-be boss, convinced a childhood friend to let him use his credit card to pay for a web hosting service in order to disguise the financial trail tying the payment back to VOLOSHIN, and created three fake websites for his bogus London-based employer, including a website that was pirated from a legitimate real estate firm in London.
VOLOSHIN has been detained since his arrest on September 9, 2014, for supervised release violations.
The matter was brought by the U.S. Probation Office and additional investigation was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.
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(203) 821-3722 [email protected]Week in Review – South BendRead the Press Release
South Bend, Indiana — The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:
PLEA
- Deandre Lee Mosley Walker, 18, of South Bend, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of attempted arson. The magistrate judge is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea. Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Sentencing has been set for February 12, 2015. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald Schmid.
If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Week in Review – HammondRead the Press Release
Hammond, Indiana — The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:
PLEAS
- Michael Dwayne English, 35, of Gary, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of being in possession of an unregistered firearm. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Sentencing has been set for 2/13/2015. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Armando Salinas.
- Emmanuel Mendez, 26, of Hammond, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of firearms. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Sentencing has been set for 02/05/2015. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Armando Salinas.
If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Week in Review – Fort WayneRead the Press Release
Fort Wayne, Indiana — The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity in Federal Court:
PLEAS
- Kelvin B. Walker, 49, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of filing a false claim. The magistrate judge is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea. Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Fort Wayne Police Department. Sentencing will be set by separate order by the district court. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris King.
- Marvin Bennett, 38, of Fort Wayne, Indiana pled guilty to the felony offense of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The magistrate judge is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea. Parties have 14 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. This charge was filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department. Sentencing will be set by separate order by the district court. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lovita Morris King.
If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
DISPOSITIONS
- Alejandro V. Luna, 31, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced to 151 months imprisonment with 5 years supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of knowingly conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. According to documents filed in the case, this investigation began with controlled buys of powder and crack cocaine and progressed with wiretaps of several cocaine suppliers. Luna was identified as a distributor of one of the conspiracies. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force, Indiana State Police, Fort Wayne Police Department, Allen County Police Department, Allen County Drug Task Force and the New Haven Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.
- Efren Paniagua-Pizano, 36, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced to time served without any supervised release period after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. According to documents filed in this case, between July 2011 and February 2013 Paniagua-Pizano was involved in a large scale narcotics distribution conspiracy operating in Northwestern Indiana and Southern lower Michigan. Through the use of wiretaps, it was discovered that Paniagua-Pizano was involved in distributing and facilitating the distribution of quantities of cocaine to individuals. This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The Fort Wayne Safe Streets Task Force is comprised of FBI agents and officers from the Indiana State Police, Allen County Police Department, and Fort Wayne Police Department. The New Haven Police Department, Steuben County Sheriff's Department, Elkhart County Interdiction and Covert Enforcement Unit, South Bend Police Department, and IMAGE Drug Task Force assisted with this investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
TRIAL
- Antonio Burgos Sr., of Fort Wayne, was found guilty by a jury on each of three counts charging violations of 18 U.S.C. 514. Burgos was charged with passing and mailing interstate, fraudulent and fictitious checks purported to be written off an account at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Virginia. Burgos presented one of the fictitious checks for $10,000 at a local banking institution when he opened a checking account in March 2011. Also in March 2011, Burgos mailed from Fort Wayne Indiana to Chicago Illinois two more fictitious checks in the amounts of $20,000 and $40,000 respectively, one of which was deposited into an Illinois bank and was returned to the bank unpaid. At trial, a representative from the Federal Reserve Bank testified that the Federal Reserve does not maintain accounts for individuals. The case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay. Sentencing will be set by separate order by the district court.
Any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Washington, D.C. Man Convicted of Failure to Update Sex Offender RegistrationRead the Press Release
1125 Chapline Street, Federal Building, Suite 3000 ● Wheeling, WV 26003
(304) 234-0100 ● Contact: Tara Tighe, Public Affairs SpecialistCLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Celot Jay Carr, Jr., 38, of Washington, D.C., was convicted today of failure to update his sex offender registration after relocating to West Virginia, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced today.
In December 2006, Carr was convicted of “Second Degree Child Abuse” in the District of Columbia Superior Court for engaging in sexual activity with a minor. As a result, Carr is required to register as a sex offender. Upon his release, Carr registered with the District of Columbia Sex Offender Registry. Carr failed to update his sex offender registration when he subsequently relocated from Washington D.C. to Westover, West Virginia in January 2013.
Carr pled guilty today to one count of “Failure to Update Sex Offender Registration” after a U.S Marshals Service and West Virginia State Police investigation. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.00. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Morgan is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Magistrate Judge John S. Kaull presided.
Virginia Resident Indicted in Connection with Fraudulent Lottery Scheme Based in JamaicaRead the Press Release
A grand jury in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia returned an indictment yesterday charging a Jamaican citizen who was residing in Virginia in connection with the operation of a fraudulent lottery scheme, the Department of Justice and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) announced.
Carlos O’Brian Ricketts, 31, was arrested Nov. 4 on a criminal complaint based on his participation in the lottery scheme. The indictment announced today supersedes the charge in the criminal complaint against Ricketts. Ricketts is charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, four counts of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and 18 counts of money laundering. If convicted, Ricketts faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count.
As alleged in the indictment, a co-conspirator induced elderly victims in the United States to send thousands of dollars to Ricketts to cover fees for purported lottery winnings that in fact victims had not won. The indictment is part of the government’s crackdown on fraudulent lottery schemes based in Jamaica that target elderly victims in the United States.
“Co-conspirators in the United States are often key players in lottery schemes operating from foreign countries,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Joyce R. Branda for the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to prosecute those who facilitate these pernicious schemes.”
From May 2010, Ricketts’ co-conspirator is alleged to have contacted elderly victims in the United States, claimed to represent a known U.S. sweepstakes company and falsely informed the victims that they had won thousands or millions of dollars in a lottery. The co-conspirator allegedly told the victims to make payments of several thousand dollars in order to collect their purported prize winnings and instructed the victims to send and wire this money to Ricketts in Virginia.
The indictment charges that Ricketts received this money, kept a portion of the money for himself and sent the remainder to individuals in Jamaica. According to the indictment, Ricketts sometimes sent the victims’ money to Jamaica in smaller, separate payments to the same person in Jamaica during a short period of time. The indictment also alleges that Ricketts sometimes used the alias Kevin Brown when receiving money from victims and sending money to Jamaica. The indictment further alleges that Ricketts used different addresses to conceal his identity. The victims never received any lottery winnings.
“Participants in international lottery frauds cannot seek shelter in the Western District of Virginia,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy for the Western District of Virginia. “We will bring those responsible to justice.”
“HSI has disrupted multiple lottery scams across the globe,” said Special Agent in Charge Clark E. Settles of HSI Washington, D.C., which oversees the agency’s Harrisonburg office. “The indictment of this individual marks yet another step against alleged con-artists who prey on elderly U.S. citizens.”
Acting Assistant Attorney General Branda and U.S. Attorney Heaphy commended HSI’s investigative efforts. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Kathryn Drenning with the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Grayson Hoffman of the Western District of Virginia.
A criminal complaint and an indictment are merely allegations and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Undocumented Alien from Honduras, Selvin Irias-murillo, Charged with Illegal Reentry into the United States After Four Previous DeportationsRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that SELVIN IRIAS-MURILLO, age 44, from Honduras, was charged today in a one-count indictment with illegal reentry into the United States after having been previously deported, in violation of 8 U.S.C. '1326(a).
According to the indictment, IRIAS-MURILLO was found by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents in the Eastern District of Louisiana after records showed he had been deported on four prior occasions from the United States to Honduras.
If convicted, IRIAS-MURILLO faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, a maximum fine of $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of one year, and a mandatory $100 special assessment.
U. S. Attorney Polite reiterated that the Indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in investigating this matter. Assistant U. S. Attorney Rick Veters is in charge of the prosecution.
(Download Indictment )
U.S. Citizen Pleads Guilty to Traveling to Thailand to Engage in Sexually Explicit Conduct with MinorsRead the Press Release
A U.S. citizen residing in Thailand pleaded guilty today to one count of sexually exploiting a minor before U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard L. Puglisi of the District of Hawaii.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Florence T. Nakakuni of the District of Hawaii made the announcement.
Ronny Lee Waldrip, 63, traveled to Honolulu, Hawaii on Feb. 13, 2012. Upon his arrival in Honolulu, law enforcement discovered Waldrip brought a laptop computer that contained photos and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including videos of Waldrip engaging in sexually explicit conduct with minor females. According to admissions in his plea agreement, from May 2010 through October 2011, Waldrip used a hidden camera to record his sexually explicit conduct with minor females in Thailand. The minor victims named in the indictment were 14 and 15 years old at the time of the abuse. Waldrip will be sentenced on May 7, 2015, by Senior U.S. District Judge Helen Gillmor.
This case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Sarah Chang and Michael Grant of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald G. Johnson of the District of Hawaii, with help from the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs.
U.S. Citizen Pleads Guilty to Traveling to Thailand to Engage in Sexually Explicit Conduct with MinorsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A U.S. citizen residing in Thailand pleaded guilty today to one count of sexually exploiting a minor before U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard L. Puglisi of the District of Hawaii.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Florence T. Nakakuni of the District of Hawaii made the announcement.
Ronny Lee Waldrip, 63, traveled to Honolulu, Hawaii on Feb. 13, 2012. Upon his arrival in Honolulu, law enforcement discovered Waldrip brought a laptop computer that contained photos and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including videos of Waldrip engaging in sexually explicit conduct with minor females. According to admissions in his plea agreement, from May 2010 through October 2011, Waldrip used a hidden camera to record his sexually explicit conduct with minor females in Thailand. The minor victims named in the indictment were 14 and 15 years old at the time of the abuse. Waldrip will be sentenced on May 7, 2015, by Senior District Judge Helen Gillmor.
This case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Sarah Chang and Michael Grant of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald G. Johnson of the District of Hawaii, with help from the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs.
U.S. Attorney Staff Visit Overton Brooks Medical Center in Observance of Veterans DayRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La.–United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley and five staff members, Aaron Broussard, U.S. Army; Robert Gillespie, U.S. Army; Samuel Glass, U.S. Air Force; Vincent Mangum, U.S. Army; and Mike O’Mara, U.S. Air Force visited the Overton Brooks Veterans Affairs Medical Center today to honor veterans and remember their service. Finley also took a tour of the Overton Brooks VA facilities with Interim Director Toby Mathew and his staff.
Overton Brooks hosted a series of events from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. today which included a Veterans of Foreign Wars Poker Run, Combined Federal Campaign Armed Forces T-shirt sale, U.S. Marine cake cutting ceremony, Barksdale 8th U.S. Air Force Top 3 burger burn, visit from the Shreveport-Bossier Mavericks basketball team, and a dedication of three memorial benches from Hillcrest Funeral Home and the Overton Brooks student volunteers class of 2014.
“It’s an honor to participate and visit the Overton Brooks facility,” Finley stated. “I hope everyone takes a little time this weekend and next week to remember and thank veterans for their service. We owe a debt of gratitude to all of the men and women who serve and have served our nation and safeguarded our freedoms.”
Overton Brooks serves more than 37,000 Veterans per year. The hospital is accredited for 111 inpatient beds and provides more than 462,000 outpatient visits per year. The medical center has an active accredited research program and is one of the regional sites for Veterans Integrated Service Network 16 Hematology/Oncology Center. The medical center manages three Community-Based Outpatient Clinics in Monroe; Longview, Texas; and Texarkana, Ark. For more information, visit www.shreveport.va.gov.
Two Men Indicted by Grand Jury for Violations of the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that HERBERT COOPER, age 41, and RICHARD WILLIAMS, age 38, both residents of New Orleans, Louisiana, were charged today in a three-count indictment for violations of the Federal Controlled Substances Act. According to the indictment, on October 24, 2014, COOPER and WILLIAMS conspired to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute over 28 grams of crack cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846. WILLIAMS was also charged with distributing at least 28 grams of cocaine base, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(B). Additionally, COOPER was charged with possessing with the intent to distribute at least 28 grams of cocaine base, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B).
If convicted, COOPER and WILLIAMS each face a maximum term of 40 years imprisonment as to each count, a fine of up to $5,000,000, a period of four years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a special assessment of $100.00.
U.S. Attorney Polite reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the New Orleans Polite Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Brandon S. Long is in charge of the prosecution.
(Download Indictment )
Two Maryland Men Sentenced for Roles in 2013 String of Armed Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Alphonso Stoddard, 59, of Forest Heights, Maryland, and James McNeal, 63, of Hyattsville, Maryland, were sentenced today to life in prison and 15 years in prison, respectively, for conspiracy to commit bank robbery, armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Andrew G. McCabe, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and M. Douglas Scott, Arlington County Chief of Police, made the announcement after the sentencing by U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III.
“These men were seasoned thieves who had been robbing banks for many years,” said U.S. Attorney Boente. “In committing these crimes they endangered the lives of many Virginians and law enforcement officers. The sentences delivered today reflect the seriousness of these crimes, and the commitment of this office and our law enforcement partners to protecting our communities by prosecuting violent criminals.”
“Armed bank robberies have a high propensity for violence because the weapons violent criminals bring with them puts bank tellers at risk and the public in danger,” said Assistant Director McCabe. “Today’s sentence demonstrates that the collaborative work by law enforcement in Maryland, Virginia and D.C. allowed investigators to trace these bank robbers to crimes committed throughout our region. The FBI, through our Violent Crime Task Force, will continue to track down bank and armed robbery crews in order to keep our community free from violence.”Stoddard, who received mandatory life in prison without parole due to prior convictions for armed bank robberies, was convicted by a federal jury on Aug. 8, 2014, of charges involving three separate bank robberies. McNeal was also convicted by a federal jury on Aug. 8, 2014, for his involvement in one bank robbery, and was sentenced to 184 months in prison and five years of supervised release. Another co-defendant, James Link, 57, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty on March 20, 2014, and was sentenced to 35 years in prison and five years of supervised release on Sept. 19, 2014.
According to court records and evidence at trial, the FBI identified Link, McNeal and Stoddard as possible suspects in a string of bank robberies in late 2013 and kept the men under close surveillance. On Dec. 27, 2013, Link, McNeal and Stoddard were followed by law enforcement agents as they cased two banks in Arlington, Virginia. One of the banks the defendants were seen casing was a Wells Fargo branch on South George Mason Drive.
On Dec. 31, 2013, McNeal left his residence in Hyattsville and picked up Link and Stoddard before returning to the Wells Fargo branch in Arlington. At approximately 1:15 p.m., Stoddard and Link entered the bank. Inside the bank, Link brandished a firearm while Stoddard removed approximately $47,000 in cash from teller drawers. The two men exited the bank and returned to the vehicle where McNeal was waiting. The FBI and Arlington County police officers arrested the defendants approximately one block away from the Wells Fargo branch. A handgun and cash were found in the vehicle.
A search of McNeal’s house led to the discovery of an additional firearm believed to be used in earlier bank robberies, cash and gloves. Stoddard admitted to his involvement in armed robberies at a Wells Fargo in Rockville, Maryland, on Oct. 29, 2013, and the Bank of Georgetown in Vienna, Virginia, on Oct. 30, 2013. Link admitted he was involved in the Bank of Georgetown robbery and an armed robbery at a Wells Fargo in Arlington on Nov. 25, 2013.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with assistance from FBI’s Baltimore Division and the Arlington County and Fairfax County police departments. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Columbia and the District of Maryland also provided assistance in the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer A. Clarke is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:14-cr-76.Troy Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – On November 4, 2014, JAMES J. McGONIGLE, age 42, of Troy, New York, pled guilty in Albany before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino to distribution and possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Homeland Security Investigations Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas DiNicola. McGONIGLE, who was detained pending his sentencing, faces at least five years of imprisonment and up to 40 years of imprisonment.
As part of his guilty plea, McGONIGLE admitted that he distributed videos of child pornography by e-mail. On March 11, 2014, investigators executed a federal search warrant at McGONIGLE’S residence in Troy, New York, and recovered 364 still images and 50 videos depicting child pornography from his smartphone. Sentencing is scheduled for March 4, 2015 at 12:30 p.m. in Albany, New York.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Colonie Police Department and the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey C. Coffman.
Travelers Rest Man Receives 151 Months for Possession of Child PornRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Bill Watkins (864) 282-2100
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that Walter T. Alexander, age 31, of Travelers Rest, South Carolina, was sentenced yesterday to 151 months imprisonment and placed on life-time supervised release for possession of child pornography. United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain presided over the case.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that law enforcement began an investigation of Alexander after learning that an e-mail address associated with him had uploaded an image file containing child porn. The file was uploaded on October 10, 2012. A state law enforcement officer reviewed the upload and concluded that it did indeed contain child porn. Further investigation traced the IP address connected to the e-mail account to Alexander’s residence.
On April 22, 2013, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Alexander’s residence. They seized his computer and conducted a forensic examination of it. Approximately 90 child porn videos and 170 still images were found-- that is, images and videos of minors under the age of 18 engaged in sexually explicit conduct and the lascivious display of the genitals. Some of the minors had not attained the age of 12 and were prepubescent. Law enforcement also discovered requests Alexander had made via the internet for women with small children to contact him for sexual activity.
The case was investigated by agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Investigations, and the State Law Enforcement Division. Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins of the Greenville office handled the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.Topeka Massage Parlor Operators Sentenced for Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. - A man and a woman who operated massage parlors in Topeka were sentenced in federal court here Friday for running a prostitution business, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom.
Yong Jin Zhang, 56, Topeka, Kan., and Yu Lan Su, 50, Topeka, Kan., was sentenced to time served and a year on supervised release. They were arrested
Zhang and Su pleaded guilty to one count of transporting women in interstate commerce for the purpose of prostitution. In his plea, Zhang admitted the crime occurred while he and Su were operating Life Long Foot Massage at 5620 SW 29th Street in Topeka and JJ’s Massage at 1107 SW Gage in Topeka. Working undercover, a detective with the Topeka Police Department posed as a customer and arranged for an Asian female employee of Life Long Foot Massage to perform a sexual act. The employee was a citizen of China who was in the United States unlawfully. The defendants were aware employees were performing sex acts with customers.
Grissom commended the Topeka Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations and Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Hendershot for their work on the case.Three Sentenced for Role in Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, VIRGINIA – Three individuals who were previously convicted of robbing Carter Bank and Trust in Ararat, Virginia, were sentenced this afternoon in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke.
Devin Montae Robinson, 23, of Kernersville, North Carolina, Jamel Clifton Allen, 37, of Holly Hill, South Carolina and Whitney Nicole Ceasar, 20, of Mount Airy, North Carolina, were previously convicted of charges related to the August 2, 2013 armed robbery of the Carter Bank and Trust on Ararat Highway in Ararat, Va. Specifically, Robinson and Allen pleaded guilty to armed bank robbery and use of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence and Ceasar pleaded guilty to bank robbery. Today in District Court, Robinson was sentenced to 120 months of federal incarceration. Allen was sentenced to 240 months of federal incarceration, and Ceasar was sentenced to 30 months of federal incarceration.
“These three defendants were just punished today for their brazen and dangerous bank robbery,” United States Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy said today. “We will continue to prioritize violent crimes involving firearms, as these acts have the potential for extreme danger to victims.”
According to evidence presented at previous hearings by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Bubar, on August 2, 2013, Allen and Robinson drove to Carter Bank and Trust in Ararat, armed with handguns, for the purpose of robbing the bank. Just after 9:30 a.m. on August 2, 2013, Robinson, while wearing a mask and carrying a firearm, entered Carter Bank and Trust, threatened an employee, brandished the firearm, and through intimidation did steal $7,370.
While Robinson was robbing the bank, Allen was waiting for him in a car outside the bank. When Robinson exited the bank, Allen drove the two of them away from the bank. While Allen and Robinson fled the bank after the robbery, bystanders who had observed the robbery followed Allen and Robinson in their own car and took pictures of the robbers’ car and recorded the license plate number. Robinson fired at least two shots from his handgun back toward the eyewitnesses’ vehicle to scare them off. The bystanders stopped following and called 911.
Robinson and Allen then met Cesar, Robinson’s girlfriend at the time, at a pre-determined location and entered a second getaway vehicle that Cesar drove to further assist Robinson and Allen in fleeing the bank robbery. Ceasar drove Robinson and Allen to another location in North Carolina. Through details given by various eyewitnesses, law enforcement officials were able to locate the vehicles used in the robbery and eventually located the suspects.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office, the Winston-Salem Police Department, the Virginia State Police and the Surry County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Bubar and Special Assistant Steven Bans prosecuted the case for the United States.
Three District Men Sentenced to Decades in PrisonRead the Press Release
For Shootings That Left 13 People Wounded
On North Capitol Street
Shots Fired From Two Cars in Drive-By Shootings; Violence Followed Incident at NightclubWASHINGTON – Three men, all from Washington, D.C., were sentenced today to prison terms for their roles in a drive-by shooting on North Capitol Street early March 11, 2013, that injured a total of 13 people, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Andrew D. Allen, 20, Keith D. Bobb, 22, and Arnell L. Smith, 21, pled guilty on July 3, 2014, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to 13 counts of assault with intent to kill and one count each of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and tampering with physical evidence. Their plea agreements, which were contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for Allen to be sentenced to 25 years of incarceration and for Bobb and Smith each to be sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The Honorable John Ramsey Johnson accepted the plea agreements today and sentenced the defendants accordingly: Allen, to 25 years, and Bobb and Smith, to 20 years each. Upon completion of their prison terms, the men will be placed on three years of supervised release.
“These three men will spend decades behind bars for the terror and chaos they unleashed on North Capitol Street,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “They left behind 13 victims when they sprayed gunfire into a crowd of innocent people. These prison sentences are a reminder that purveyors of violence and mayhem will be punished harshly.”
“This was a senseless act of violence perpetuated by rival crews,” said Police Chief Lanier. “It is our hope that the sentencing today of these criminals will bring some comfort and closure to the numerous victims who were injured.”
According to the government’s evidence, the violence stemmed from a longstanding conflict between rival groups. The defendants, who had ties to a Northeast Washington neighborhood, were engaged in disputes with a group of individuals associated with the Sursum Corda neighborhood near where the shootings occurred, and also with the area near 10th and G Streets NE. Over the years, various violent crimes between members of the two groups were committed. Specifically, soon before the shootings, a dispute took place at the Fur Nightclub.
Allen, Smith, and other individuals were among those at the nightclub late March 10, 2013 and early March 11, 2013, when the dispute took place. Afterward, Allen, Smith, and a third individual met with Bobb and, armed, they traveled in two cars to the Sursum Corda neighborhood in search of retaliation. A fifth individual, not responsible for the shootings, also was in one of the cars.
Shortly after 2 a.m., driving in caravan-style, one car behind the other, they traveled to the 1200 block of North Capitol Street NW, near the Tyler House Apartments, adjacent to the Sursum Corda neighborhood. Smith drove one car, Allen’s black 1999 Mercedes Benz, and Allen fired a Taurus 9 mm semi-automatic pistol, with an extended magazine, from the front passenger seat of the vehicle. Bobb drove the other car, a light blue 1999 Mercedes Benz, close behind Smith and Allen, and his passenger likewise opened fire, using a Glock 9 mm semi-automatic pistol, which also had an extended magazine.
After Allen began to shoot, some individuals, using .40-caliber semi-automatic firearms, shot back at the two cars. The defendants fled the area at a high rate of speed, turning right on H Street NW and running a red light. Red light cameras at the intersection of North Capitol and H Streets NW photographed the license tags of both cars.
The victims included seven men and six women, ranging in age from their late teens to their 30s. One man was shot in the abdomen and back and required multiple surgeries. One woman was shot multiple times in the left side of her body. Another man suffered a graze wound to the chest. Others were shot in the legs, thighs, buttocks and feet.On the afternoon of March 11, 2013, Allen grew concerned and agitated about televised news accounts of the shootings. The newscasts had footage from the crime scene in which Allen could recognize his car. He decided that he needed to “torch” his vehicle, which had been damaged by gunfire, because it could be identified by law enforcement. He and other defendants headed to the 3000 block of Stanton Road SE, where the vehicle was set on fire to devalue or destroy it as evidence. Following a series of 9-1-1 calls reporting the blaze, District of Columbia emergency personnel responded to the burning car. The remains of the car were seized by law enforcement, and evidence was recovered that later tied the vehicle to Allen’s family.
In the late afternoon of March 11, 2013, after the car had been destroyed, Allen, Bobb, and Smith resolved to get rid of the guns used in the shootings on North Capitol Street. The three received a ride to an apartment complex in Northeast Washington, D.C. There, Allen and Bobb met with another individual and traded away the Taurus and Glock pistols used in the North Capitol Street shootings in return for two Ruger semi-automatic pistols.
The defendants have been in custody since their arrests. Bobb and Allen were arrested on May 23, 2013. An arrest warrant also was issued for Smith at that time, but he was in custody to another jurisdiction and was not moved to the District of Columbia until early this year.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Machen and Chief Lanier commended the work of the detectives, mobile crime scene officers, intelligence officers, and others who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Christopher Brophy, Tommy Miller, Derek Starliper, Durand Odom, Steve Cohen, Melissa Matthews, Mark Crawford, John Marsh, Nelson Rhone, Juan Juarez, and Matthew Kutz, all of the Criminal Investigation Unit; Jelahn Stewart, Michael Hailey, Wanda Queen, Jennifer Clark, and James Brennan, all of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit; former Victim/Witness Advocate Kristina Rose, and Paralegal Specialist Debra Joyner. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Flynn and Jocelyn Ballantine, and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas A. Bednar and James E. Smith, who assisted in the investigation.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Brittin, who prosecuted the case.
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Three Colorado Springs Residents Convicted of Conspiracy to Defraud the IRS and Related Tax Charges Following Jury TrialRead the Press Release
DENVER – George Brokaw, age 68, John Pawelski, age 66, and Mimi Vigil, age 63, all from Colorado Springs, Colorado, were found guilty today of conspiracy to defraud the IRS and related tax charges, following a 4-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge Christine M. Arguello. The jury deliberated for an hour and a half before reaching their verdicts. Brokaw, Pawelski and Vigil are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Arguello on January 25, 2015. Following the guilty verdicts the three defendants, who were free on bond, were taken to U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen M. Tafoya’s courtroom for a detention hearing. Magistrate Judge Tafoya changed the conditions of their bond to include GPS monitoring confined to Colorado Springs as well as a curfew from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
All three defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on May 22, 2013, which was followed by a superseding indictment on October 21, 2013. According to the superseding indictment, and evidence presented at trial, beginning in October 2008, and continuing through May 2009, Brokaw, Pawelski, Vigil, and others conspired with each other to defraud the United States by submitting false claims for income tax refunds to the Internal Revenue Service.The three filed or caused to be filed false, fictitious and fraudulent Form 1040 tax returns containing false claims for refunds in their names. A total of twelve fraudulent returns were filed attempting to receive over twenty-four million dollars in fraudulent refunds. In connection with these false tax returns they submitted or caused to be submitted false Forms 1099-OID. The 1099-OID forms falsely reported that financial institutions, lenders, or other entities had withheld and paid over to the IRS interest income from accounts which did not generate such interest income and from which no such withholdings were made. The Form 1040 tax returns claimed false refunds based on these false claims of withholdings.
Furthermore, from March 2008 and continuing through April 2012, the defendants willfully conspired with each other to obstruct and impede the due administration of the Internal Revenue laws by attempting to thwart the legitimate collection of taxes owed to the IRS by them and others. They caused to be filed or submitted to the IRS a variety of false, fraudulent, or illegitimate documents which purported to constitute payments of taxes owed to the IRS as well as purported electronic funds transfer (EFT) drawn on closed bank accounts. In addition, the defendants filed a variety of false and fraudulent liens or other documents which falsely claimed that IRS employees, who were engaged in legitimate tax collection efforts against one or more of the defendants, owed one or more of the defendants amounts of money ranging from tens of millions of dollars to billions of dollars.
All three defendants face statutory maximum sentences ranging from not more than 3 years to not more than 10 years, plus up to a $250,000 fine, per count of conviction.
“Defendants sought to hide their disregard for the Constitution and our system of laws behind an inky cloud of fraudulent and sometimes farcical ‘legal’ claims,” said U.S. Attorney John Walsh. “The jury, after hearing all the evidence and argument, saw through Defendants’ continuing scheme and convicted them of fraudulently attempting to obtain millions of dollars from the United States.”
“This verdict of guilty on all counts sends a clear message when you participate in a fraudulent tax scheme attempting to receive millions of dollars in fraudulent refunds, you will be found guilty,” said Stephen Boyd, Special Agent in Charge for IRS Criminal Investigation, Denver Field Office. “On the front end, IRS did an outstanding job safeguarding U.S. tax dollars by preventing any fraudulent refunds from being issued to these individuals.”
“We are happy that the jury held the defendants accountable for their repeated efforts to interfere with and harass legitimate tax collection efforts by hard working IRS employees,” said Preston Lamb, Special Agent in Charge of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).
This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS CI), and Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mathew Kirsch and Martha Paluch.
Tahlequah Woman Pleads Guilty to Interstate Travel in Aid of Racketeering EnterpriseRead the Press Release
Muskogee, Oklahoma - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, announced that AMANDA DAWN COOKSON, age 27, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma pled guilty to Interstate Travel or Transportation in Aid of Racketeering Enterprises, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1952(a)(3).
Charges are a result of an investigation by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and was coordinated by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) of the Eastern District of Oklahoma. OCDETF is an initiative led, and coordinated by, the Office of the United States Attorney. The defendant was indicted in July, 2014.
The Indictment alleged that beginning on or about April 22, 2012, the defendant, traveled in interstate commerce from the State of Oklahoma to Little Rock, Arkansas, and purchased Oxycodone from Walgreens Pharmacy with a false prescription with the intent to promote, manage, establish, carry on and facilitate the promotion, management, establishment and carrying on of an unlawful activity, that is, a business enterprise involving narcotics or controlled substances in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846, 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(C), and thereafter performed or attempted to perform an act to promote, manage, establish and carry on, and to facilitate the promotion, management, establishment and carrying on, of such unlawful activity.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the guilty plea and ordered the completion of a presentence report. Sentencing will be scheduled following its completion. The defendant will remain in the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing.
The statutory range of punishment is not more than 5 years imprisonment and/or up to a $250,000.00 fine.
Assistant United States Attorney Shannon Henson represented the United States.
Statement by Department of Justice Regarding Albuquerque City Council VoteRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – The Department of Justice commends the Albuquerque City Council for its historic vote unanimously endorsing the settlement agreement on use of force by the Albuquerque Police Department. Yesterday’s vote affirmed the Council’s partnership in pursuing sustainable reforms that will ensure constitutional and effective policing, promote greater trust between officers and the communities they serve, and protect officer and public safety. The Department looks forward to filing the settlement agreement in court and starting these essential reforms.
Statement by Department of Justice Regarding Albuquerque City Council VoteRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – The Department of Justice commends the Albuquerque City Council for its historic vote unanimously endorsing the settlement agreement on use of force by the Albuquerque Police Department. Yesterday’s vote affirmed the Council’s partnership in pursuing sustainable reforms that will ensure constitutional and effective policing, promote greater trust between officers and the communities they serve, and protect officer and public safety. The Department looks forward to filing the settlement agreement in court and starting these essential reforms.
Senate Passes Five-Year Reauthorization for the U.S. Parole CommissionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC – The Chairman of the United States Parole Commission, Isaac Fulwood announced today the passage of a bill to reauthorize the U.S. Parole Commission (USPC) for five years, which took effect November 1, 2013. Fulwood expressed his pleasure regarding the term of the authorization; a five-year reauthorization rather than the several previous two-year reauthorizations. This extended term will permit the Commission to provide greater certainty and consistency to perform its many functions concerning D.C. Code felons and federal offenders. Currently the USPC has jurisdiction over more than 17,800 D.C. Code felons and approximately 3500 federal offenders, despite the abolishment of federal parole in 1987.
Chairman Fulwood expressed gratitude to Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), who strongly supported the agency’s re-authorization. “Providing the Parole Commission with a five-year extension eliminates the concern of job stability among staff. With job stability comes more focus on productivity and quality work—which continues to fulfill the mission of the USPC.” Congresswoman Norton worked closely with the House and Senate Judiciary committees on the bill because of the USPC’s responsibility for D.C. Code felons.
“I am pleased that we were able to get a somewhat longer reauthorization,” said Norton. “However, considering that the USPC now has continuing responsibilities for D.C. Code felons and certain federal offenders, it is important to stabilize this important public safety agency with the same permanent authorization as other federal law enforcement agencies. . .The reauthorization gives the Commission the longer-term stability it needs to continue to succeed and improve in the future.”
Chairman Fulwood joins Congresswoman Norton in her appreciation of the work of Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-VT), House Judiciary Committee Chair Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Ranking Member John Conyers (D-MI), Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security Chair Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA), for their work on getting the bill passed in the Senate and the House last month.
Self-Described Investment Fund Manager Sentenced to 57 Months’ Imprisonment in $5 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, Thomas Bannon, the president of Overseas Investors LLC and Overseas Investors International, Ltd. (collectively, “Overseas Investors”), was sentenced in federal court in Brooklyn, New York to 57 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $5,001,949 in restitution. In June 2014, Bannon had pleaded guilty to wire fraud for defrauding an individual entrepreneur of $5 million through, among other things, false representations about his access to hedge funds and wealthy investors. Co-defendant Theodore Sweeten pleaded guilty in June 2013 to wire fraud and was sentenced to 48 months in prison in January 2014. Co-defendant Robert Bardey was convicted by a federal jury on all counts, including wire fraud and perjury, on October 28, 2014, and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 11, 2015.
The sentence was announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and George Venizelos, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI).
“Thomas Bannon claimed to have access to the wealthy and their millions of dollars. In reality, Bannon’s only access was to other fraudsters and phony bank documents which he used to perpetrate this audacious fraud on an unsuspecting investor. We hope that this conviction and sentence serve as a warning to others engaged in such fraudulent conduct that they will be held accountable and face imprisonment for their actions,” stated United States Attorney Lynch. Ms. Lynch expressed her appreciation to the FBI, the agency responsible for the investigation.
Bannon falsely represented to the victim that Overseas Investors collaborated with hedge funds and wealthy investors who were willing, in exchange for a substantial fee, to “lease” funds and set up bank accounts in its clients’ names that contained the leased funds. Based on this and other misrepresentations, Bannon and his co-conspirators induced the victim to invest $5 million in order to “lease” a credit line of $100 million, which in turn would enable them to generate millions of dollars in profit through special investment programs. In furtherance of that scheme, Bannon and his co-conspirators falsely represented that the victim’s funds would be held in an attorney escrow account pending confirmation of the posting of $100 million in the leased-funds account. In fact, Bannon and his co-conspirators simply distributed the victim’s $5 million among themselves and falsely represented that a $100 million account had been created at HSBC by sending the victim fabricated bank documents on HSBC letterhead.
When the victim discovered that the bank documents on HSBC letterhead were phony, he requested a refund of the $5 million that he had deposited into the attorney escrow account. In response, Bannon and his co-conspirators told the victim that the money had been disbursed to the investors who created the $100 million account. In particular, Bannon concealed from the victim the fact that he had requested and received $600,000 of the escrowed funds prior to the issuance of the fabricated HSBC documents.
The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Winston M. Paes and Marcia M. Henry.
This prosecution was the result of efforts by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF), which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated, and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices, and state and local partners, it is the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory, and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state, and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets, and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions, and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants. For more information on the task force, visit http://www.StopFraud.gov.
The Defendant:
THOMAS BANNON
Age: 82
Residence: New York, New York
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 12-CR-471
Rochester Man Arrested, Charged with Producing False Military ID Cards and Making False StatementRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Mark Allen Kelly, 54, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with producing false military ID cards and making false statements to federal agents. Each charge is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Gestring, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, Kelly misrepresented himself to his employer and the community as being an Officer in the United States Navy. The defendant regularly wore full dress naval uniforms at Veterans events. This included a memorial for a fallen Marine killed in Afghanistan where Kelly presented a flag to the Marine’s parents. When questioned, the defendant supported his false claims by presenting an authentic looking, but fraudulently made, military ID card.
The defendant’s conduct came to the attention of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) who began a criminal investigation. During the investigation, Kelly was interviewed by NCIS Agents and made several false material statements. Investigators also recovered several false military ID cards in various stages of production from the defendant’s place of employment.
Kelly will make his initial appearance at 12:00 p.m. today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan Feldman.
The criminal complaint is the culmination of an investigation by Special Agents of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Leo Lamont, NCIS Northeast Field Office.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.Queens Doctor Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute OxycodoneRead the Press Release
Gracia L. Mayard, a Queens doctor, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to illegally distribute oxycodone, a highly addictive prescription pain killer. Mayard entered his plea before United States District Judge Joseph F. Bianco at the United States Courthouse located in Central Islip, New York. At sentencing on February 27, 2015, Mayard faces a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment and a $1 million fine.
The guilty plea was announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; James J. Hunt, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York; Thomas C. Krumpter, Acting Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD); Joseph A. D’Amico, Superintendent, New York State Police (NYSP); and Shantelle P. Kitchen, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS).
“Dr. Mayard tried to evade prescription reporting requirements in order to provide vast quantitites of these powerful painkillers in exchange for cash. Simply put, he acted as a drug dealer, not a doctor. Even after he surrendered his DEA registration he continued to write prescriptions,” stated United States Attorney Lynch. “Health care professionals are not above the law, and those who illegally dispense prescriptions pills in violation of their oaths will be prosecuted.” Ms. Lynch extended her grateful appreciation to each of the law enforcement agencies for their assistance in this case.
During his allocution before Judge Bianco, Mayard admitted that in 2012 and 2013, he provided prescriptions to a co-conspirator for patients he had not examined in exchange for cash, and he continued to write prescriptions after surrendering his DEA registration to prescribe controlled substances on February 7, 2013.
On March 20, 2013, as part of a federal and state prescription drug abuse initiative within the Eastern District of New York, Mayard was arrested by members of the DEA’s Long Island Tactical Diversion Squad comprising agents and officers of the DEA, Nassau County Police Department, Rockville Centre Police Department and Port Washington Police Department. Mayard has been in custody since his arrest. According to court filings and records of the New York State Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement, during the first nine months of 2012, Mayard issued 2,953 oxycodone prescriptions – totaling 376,469 pills. On February 6, 2013, when members of the DEA Tactical Diversion Squad contacted Mayard, he voluntarily surrendered his DEA registration authorizing him to prescribe controlled substances. However, three weeks later, on February 28, 2013, Mayard nevertheless issued a prescription for oxycodone. On March 13, 2013, a pharmacist, in the presence of DEA agents, called Mayard about the prescription. During the call, Mayard confirmed that he had issued the prescription and provided his surrendered DEA registration number, all in an effort to persuade the pharmacist to fill the oxycodone prescription.
Oxycodone is a scheduled controlled substance that may be dispensed by medical professionals only for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of a doctor’s professional practice. It is a powerful and highly addictive drug and is increasingly abused because of its potency when crushed into a powder and ingested, leading to a heroin-like euphoria.
Mayard’s guilty plea is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York as part of the Prescription Drug Initiative. In January 2012, this Office and the DEA, in conjunction with the five District Attorneys in this jurisdiction, the Nassau and Suffolk County Police Departments, the New York City Police Department, and New York State Police, along with other key federal, state, and local government partners, launched the Prescription Drug Initiative to mount a comprehensive response to what the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ Center for Disease Control and Prevention has called an epidemic increase in the abuse of so-called opioid analgesics. So far, the Prescription Drug Initiative has brought over 160 federal and local criminal prosecutions, including the prosecution of 15 health care professionals, taken civil enforcement actions against a hospital, a pharmacy, and a pharmacy chain, removed prescription authority from numerous rogue doctors, and expanded information-sharing among enforcement agencies to better target and pursue drug traffickers. The Initiative also is involved in an extensive community outreach program to address the abuse of pharmaceuticals.
The government’s case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Allen Bode.
The Defendant:
Name: GRACIA L. MAYARD
Age: 62
Residence: Queens, NY
Portland Men Sentenced for Crack Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
Contact: Michael J. Conley
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 780-3257Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that
Hamadi Hassan, 32, of Portland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Nancy
Torresen to 30 years in prison for leading a crack cocaine trafficking conspiracy. Hassan pleaded guilty on May 12, 2014. Judge Torresen also sentenced Hassan’s co-conspirator, Biniam Tsegai, 28, of Portland, to eight years for his role in the conspiracy. Tsegai pleaded guilty on May 15, 2014.According to court records, between November 2010 and February 2012, the defendants were part of a drug trafficking conspiracy that acquired cocaine in Boston and distributed crack cocaine in the greater Portland area. Hassan was the leader of the conspiracy, took orders for crack cocaine from customers and co-conspirators, transported cocaine from Boston to Maine, and prepared, packaged and delivered crack cocaine to his customers and co- conspirators. Tsegai prepared crack cocaine for sale and distribution after it had been brought to
Maine and he took orders for and delivered user-level quantities of crack cocaine to customers.The defendants operated their drug trafficking ring out of hotels in the greater Portland area. They often carried firearms and held large sums of cash. They hid crack cocaine throughout the greater Portland area in milk containers or cigarette cartons left randomly on the sides of the roads, in bushes, under trees and in wooded areas. On May 16, 2011, police recovered over 20 grams of defendants’ crack cocaine inside a cigarette box located in the play area of a local day care facility.
Judge Torresen noted that Hassan’s lengthy criminal history, including three prior convictions for drug trafficking and violent crimes, and his violent nature warranted the lengthy sentence imposed on him. According to evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, Hassan threw a female co-conspirator to the ground and broke her ribs by stomping on them because of an unpaid drug debt, choked a second female co-conspirator while promising to kill her if she cooperated with authorities, and forced a third female co-conspirator to sell narcotics from her hospital bed while she was admitted. Hassan was subject to an enhanced sentence as a career offender.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the
Portland Police Department, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Maine State Police and the Southern Maine Gang Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers from the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Immigration & Customs
Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Portland and Biddeford Police Departments.Operation ‘Cat Eyes’ Targets Illegal Sale of ‘Misbranded’ and Adulterated Cosmetic Contact Lenses That Pose Risk to EyesightRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Federal prosecutors this week filed a series of criminal charges against Los Angeles-area retail outlets, as well as their owners and managers, that allegedly sold contact lenses without prescriptions – some of which were contaminated with dangerous pathogens.
Two criminal informations filed this morning, as well as four additional informations filed on Tuesday, charge a total of 12 defendants with the illegal sale of decorative and cosmetic contact lenses.
All six cases allege that the defendants sold “misbranded” contact lenses because they were sold without prescriptions.
Two of the cases also allege that the defendants sold adulterated contact lenses that were contaminated with bacteria known as Bacillus cereus. According to court documents, the Bacillus cereus bacterial strain can cause severe infections that, even with prompt treatment, can lead to blindness.
The cases filed this week are the result of Operation “Cat Eyes,” an investigation that was conducted by the United States Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Import Operations Branch of the Los Angeles District Office; the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations; the California Department of Public Health; and the California Department of Consumer Affairs’ Division of Investigation, Health Quality Investigation Unit.
Operation Cat Eyes targeted retail stores – some of which were opened specifically for Halloween – that sold cosmetic and decorative contact lenses without a prescription to unsuspecting consumers in Southern California.
Contact lenses – whether corrective, cosmetic or decorative – are considered to be prescription medical devices subject to FDA regulations. Due to the risk of injury, blindness and possible eye infection, all contact lenses require prescriptions from medical professionals who can provide guidance on the proper care and maintenance of the contact lenses.
The six cases filed this week in United States District Court in Los Angeles charge these defendants:
• Halloween and Party Discounters, Inc. (which operated as a booth at the Los Angeles Fair in Pomona); Mike Honabach, 45, of Highland, the owner of Halloween and Party Discounters, Inc.; Intertrade Imports, Inc., a Jacksonville, Florida company; and Eunju Kang Savvidis, 53, of Jacksonville, the manager of Intertrade, were charged today with one count of introducing adulterated devices into interstate commerce for selling bacteria-adulterated lenses at the County Fair (Honabach and his company were charged in two additional counts with receipt of bacteria-adulterated contact lenses and with sale of misbranded contact lenses);
Aspirational International, Inc., a Hong Kong corporation that was charged today with offering misbranded contact lenses for sale at http://www.colorlens4less.com/;
Doris Owusu Ansah, 54, of West Covina, the owner of Sunset Beauty Salon in West Covina, who is charged with selling a misbranded pair of contact lens on October 16;
Jung Rae Jo, 60, of Cerritos, the owner of Fashion Young in Westminster, who allegedly sold four pairs of misbranded contact lenses to two undercover FDA investigators on October 14;
CKL Fashion, Inc. (a Corona-based company that operates T-Shirt Mart in Glendale) and its manager, Young Kim, 51, of La Crescenta, who allegedly sold two pairs of misbranded contact lenses to an undercover FDA investigator on October 14; and
HTS General, Inc. (doing business as the Halloween Superstore on North Glendale Avenue in Glendale; Zinaida Khrimyan, 25, of Glendale, the owner of HTS; and Patrick Abedi, 30, of Glendale, the store manager for HTS, who allegedly sold a pair of misbranded contact lenses on October 14.
All 12 defendants will be issued summonses directing them to appear for arraignments in federal court in Los Angeles on December 9.
All of the charges filed in Operation Cat Eyes are misdemeanor offenses that carry a statutory maximum penalty of one year in federal prison and fines of up to $100,000 for an individual and up to $200,000 for a corporation.
The FDA has issued various warnings against the use of cosmetic contact lenses (for example: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm402704.htm).
Release No. 14-147
Olympia Man who Preyed on 16-Year-Old, Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Production and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A 47-year old Olympia, Washington man who was convicted in May 2014, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 15 years in prison for production and possession of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. MICHAEL T. LAURSEN was found guilty by U.S. District Judge Robert J. Bryan following a two day bench trial. Evidence at trial revealed that LAURSEN supplied a 16-year-old with drugs and photographed her in sexually explicit conduct. Judge Bryan imposed 10 years of supervised release following prison.
“This defendant betrayed the trust of a vulnerable young woman, claiming he would help and protect her when it really was just a ploy to exploit her,” said Acting U. S Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “He persisted in blocking the efforts of her family to get her into drug treatment and law enforcement officers investigating the crime. This 15 year prison sentence with ten years of federal supervision to follow will protect other vulnerable members of the community.”
According to records filed in the case, the victim was known to LAURSEN through her relatives. She first met LAURSEN when she was 12-years-old. After she turned 16 years old in 2012, LAURSEN initiated a sexual relationship with her, supplied her with drugs, and encouraged her to miss school. In June 2012 and October 2012, LAURSEN took photographs of the victim, including photographs of his sexual conduct with her. LAURSEN encouraged the victim to run away from home, and then had her stay with him in motel rooms, apartments, and other person’s homes. He directed her to engage in sexually explicit acts while he took photographs.
“This joint federal, state and local agency investigation illustrates the lengths to which law enforcement will go to bring a child predator to justice,” said Brad Bench, special agent in charge of HSI Seattle. “Now, with this federal sentence, the public can rest assured Laursen will spend more than a decade behind bars with close federal monitoring to follow.”
The case was investigated by the Washington State Patrol-Missing and Exploited Children’s Task Force, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)-South Sound Investigative Task Force, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ye-Ting Woo and Seth Wilkinson.
Oakdale Inmate Pleads Guilty to Inflicting Severe Injuries on a Fellow InmateRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that an Oakdale inmate pleaded guilty Thursday to severely beating a fellow inmate twice in one day.
Douglas Darrell Harris, 32, a resident of the Federal Correctional Institution in Oakdale, La., pleaded guilty Thursday before U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi to one count of assault at a federal correctional institution. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Harris assaulted a fellow inmate twice on April 1, 2014. One of the beatings was caught on camera, and the other was witnessed by a guard. As a result of the beatings, the injured inmate suffered from fractured fingers, a fractured humerus, blurred vision and head pain. He also suffered a seizure and was admitted into the intensive care unit. Additionally, his hands were so badly injured, they required surgery.
The defendant faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date of February 12, 2015 was set.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth is prosecuting the case.
New Jersey Builder Indicted on Bank Fraud and Bribery Charges as Part of $1 Million Mortgage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A federal grand jury indicted a Neshanic Station, New Jersey, man today for his role in a $1 million mortgage fraud scheme, including an alleged bribe of a bank agent to approve a loan on a property that exploded hours before the closing, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Antonio Pimenta, 46, is charged with one count of bank fraud conspiracy, three counts of bank fraud, and one count of bribing a financial institution’s agent. He was previously charged by complaint in September 2012 for bank fraud and money laundering. Pimenta will be arraigned before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court on a date to be determined.
According to the indictment and other documents filed in this and related cases:
From 2007 to 2008, Pimenta and other conspirators engaged in two related mortgage fraud conspiracies through a company called Premier Mortgage Services. The conspirators targeted properties in low-income areas of New Jersey. After recruiting “straw buyers,” they used fraudulent documents to make it appear as though the straw buyers possessed far more assets and earned far more income than they actually did.
The conspirators then submitted these fraudulent documents as part of mortgage loan applications to financial institutions. Relying on these fraudulent documents, financial institutions provided mortgage loans for the subject properties. The conspirators then split the proceeds from the mortgages among themselves at closing time. The closings went forward through the use of fraudulent settlement statements (HUD-1s), which hid the true sources and destinations of the mortgage funds provided by financial institutions. The straw buyers had no means of paying the mortgages, and many of the properties entered into foreclosure proceedings.
Attorneys, paralegals, loan officers, and others performed different roles in the scheme. Pimenta owned and managed Kelmar Construction Co. Kelmar built properties that were then sold to straw buyers using fraudulent mortgage loans brokered by Klary Arcentales and closed by Linda Cohen, two other conspirators in the scheme.
On the morning of Oct. 19, 2007, one such property, located in Irvington, New Jersey, exploded the morning before the scheduled closing. Even though the house had been obliterated, Pimenta and others were still able to close on the fraudulent mortgage loan later that day by paying a $50,000 cash bribe to Cohen, the bank’s closing agent.
In total, fraudulent loans based on properties built by Pimenta’s company caused losses of more than $1 million.
Three previously charged conspirators have already pleaded guilty in connection with the scheme. Lester Soto, 58, of Freehold, New Jersey; Klary Arcentales, 46, of Lyndhurst, New Jersey; and Linda Cohen, 56, of Orange, New Jersey have each pleaded guilty before Judge Salas.
Each count in the indictment is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1 million.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford, and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen, with the investigation. Fishman also thanked the Social Security Administration-Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Ryan, for its participation in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rahul Agarwal of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division and Zach Intrater of the office’s Criminal Division.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered 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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Defense counsel: Alain Leibman Esq., Princeton, New Jersey
Pimenta, Antonio Indictment
New Hampshire Man Pleads Guilty to Interstate Travel to Have Sex with ChildRead the Press Release
Contact: Andrew McCormack
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Chad
Amodio, 42, of Northwood, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty today in U.S District Court in
Bangor to interstate travel to have sex with a minor.Court records and proceedings reveal that in March 2014, Amodio began having inappropriate sexual conversations on a chat website with a 13-year-old girl. Police were alerted and an undercover officer took control of the minor’s account. Amodio communicated with the undercover officer and made plans to travel from his home in New Hampshire to Maine in order to have sex at the girl’s home. Shortly after arriving at the Penobscot County address provided by the undercover officer, Amodio was arrested. Alcohol and a bottle of lubricant were found in his vehicle which he admitted purchasing in anticipation of the planned sexual encounter.
Amodio faces up to 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by the Bangor Police Department, the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office, and the Maine State Police.