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15 October 2014
Camden Drug Trafficking Organization Charged with Selling Heroin, Methamphetamine and Assault WeaponsRead the Press Release
Multiple Arrests Made Following Multi-Agency Investigation
CAMDEN, N.J. - Four members of a drug trafficking organization allegedly responsible for distributing heroin and crystal methamphetamine in the Camden area were arrested today by federal, state and local law enforcement officers, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Arrested this morning were the alleged leader of the conspiracy, Wendell Fleetwood, a/k/a “Dell,” 28, of Camden and Sicklerville, N.J, and three other members of the conspiracy: Wendell Bethea, a/k/a “Rell,” a/k/a “Ruger;” 25, of Camden and Maple Shade, N.J.; and Julio Alvarado, 25, and Erica Fleetwood, 24, both of Camden. A fifth federal defendant, Brandon Jones, 25, of Camden, remains at large. The charges are the result of an investigation by the Camden County Crime Collaboration (C-4).
Each defendant was charged in a federal criminal complaint unsealed today with one count of conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The defendants are also charged in separate counts in connection with distribution of heroin and/or methamphetamine to an undercover officer. Wendell Fleetwood and Bethea are additionally charged with possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Bethea faces three counts in connection with selling three high-capacity assault weapons to an undercover officer, as well as a handgun that had been used in a recent homicide. The defendants are scheduled to make their initial court appearances this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court.
“Because of C-4 – our collaborative partnership with state and local law enforcement -- as well as the more robust Camden County PD and its community policing orientation, and other efforts, Camden is becoming safer every day,” U.S. Attorney Fishman said. “We are grateful that all of our law enforcement partners share our vision and commitment to make Camden the safe city its residents deserve.”
“While the success of this operation hinged on the teamwork of many agencies, it was the bravery, selflessness and dedication of the law enforcement officers involved that made these significant arrests possible,” Camden County Prosecutor Mary Eva Colalillo said.
According to the complaint:From November 2013 through October 2014, the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to distribute illegal drugs – primarily heroin – in and around Camden. Through the authorized interception of cell phone calls and texts, the use of various surveillance methods, controlled undercover purchases and other means, law enforcement learned that Wendell Fleetwood was the leader of the drug trafficking organization (the “Wendell Fleetwood DTO”). He supplied wholesale quantities of heroin to Bethea and Alvarado, who either resold it to other distributors or repackaged it into smaller quantities for sale to customers.
In intercepted calls, Bethea, Jones and Alvarado and their associates discussed and directed the purchasing, processing, packaging, storing and distributing of heroin, as well as its quality and the pricing and collection of the proceeds from its sale. In addition to replacing their cellular phones after only a couple weeks of use and speaking in code to avoid detection by law enforcement, the Wendell Fleetwood DTO allegedly used Erica Fleetwood to relay drug-related messages from her brother, Wendell, to Bethea and Jones. Jones, Alvarado and Erica Fleetwood also conducted counter surveillance for the DTO. The Wendell Fleetwood DTO also replaced their vehicles frequently to avoid detection, renting cars or obtaining vehicles which were stolen or fraudulently obtained.
“Camden’s drug gangs victimize the city in so many ways – through the poison they sling, and the violence tied to the trade,” Edward J. Hanko, FBI Special Agent in Charge, said. “The FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force, alongside our law enforcement partners, is committed to dismantling these despicable drug trafficking organizations.”
“Heroin abuse has been a major issue facing New Jersey,” Carl J. Kotowski, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, said. “The arrest of these individuals highlights the fact that members of DEA will continue to do its part to remove those responsible for putting those drugs on the street.”
The conspiracy count with which each defendant is charged carries a minimum potential penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The firearms charges faced by Bethea each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
“The dismantling of this sophisticated criminal network wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication and cooperation of all the law enforcement partners who worked long and hard to identify these suspects and ensure their arrest,” Camden Police Chief J. Scott Thomson said. “The removal of these individuals from the community this morning will have an immediate positive impact on public safety in Camden as the supply of illegal drugs and guns on Camden’s streets has just been reduced.”
“The success of this collaboration proves the value of sharing intelligence with others in law enforcement,” Col. Rick Fuentes, Superintendent of the N.J. State Police, said. “Multiple agencies were targeting different individuals who turned out to be working together to push drugs into the South Jersey region. This was a well-organized group who went to great lengths to avoid detection, such as speaking in code and frequently changing cell phones.”U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, Cherry Hill Resident Agency’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Hanko; special agents of the DEA, Maple Shade Resident Office’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Group, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Kotowski; investigators of the N.J. State Police’s Violent and Organized Crime Bureau, Trafficking South Unit, under the direction of Superintendent Fuentes; investigators with the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Colalillo; detectives of the Camden County Police Department – Metro, under the direction of Chief J. Scott Thomson, with the investigation leading to today’s charges. He also thanked the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge David W. Bosch; and the Camden County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Charles H. Billingham, for their roles in the case. He also thanked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations; the N.J. Office of Attorney General, Division of Criminal Justice; the Delaware River Port Authority, the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, the Gloucester City Police Department and the Cherry Hill Police Department for their roles in the investigation.
The government is represented by Deputy U.S. Attorney Nelson S.T. Thayer Jr. and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Angermeier of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was developed through the work of the Camden County Crime Collaboration. Every federal, state and local law enforcement agency and prosecutor’s office responsible for combating drug trafficking, gang activity and violent crime in Camden has come together in one location to share intelligence, develop strategies and support the investigative and prosecutorial efforts of its partners. C-4 has merged the individual missions of the various law enforcement agencies into a single strategic attack on drug trafficking and drug-related violent crime. This coordination greatly enhances the law enforcement community’s ability to identify and prosecute Camden’s most dangerous criminals.
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Fleetwood DTO Global Complaint Affidavit
Fleetwood, Wendell Complaint
Bethea, Wendell Complaint
Alvarado, Julio Complaint
Fleetwood, Erica ComplaintCambria County Man Pleads Guilty to Violating Narcotics and Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pa., pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Eugene Albert Harris, Jr., 38, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.
In connection with the guilty plea, on May 31, 2013, Harris distributed less than 100 grams of heroin, and he was found in possession of a NOR, Model SKS, 7.62 x 39 caliber rifle, and a Jennings Bryco Arms, Model 59, 9 mm caliber pistol. On Apr. 25, 2003, Harris was convicted in Indiana Co., Pa., of drug trafficking, which is a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. Federal law prohibits persons who have been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year from possessing firearms.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for April 2, 2015, at 11 a.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of $1,250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie L. Haines is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cambria County Drug Task Force conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Harris.
According to Mr. Hickton, Harris is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a collaborative effort by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and communities to prevent, deter and prosecute gun crime.
Buffalo Man Sentenced for Distributing Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.--U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Isaiah Washington, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of distribution of crack cocaine, was sentenced to 46 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank T. Pimintel, who handled the case, stated that the defendant was arrested along with Mashi Phillips and Rayshawn Minter in March 2013. The defendants distributed quantities of cocaine in parts of Buffalo including French Street and Box and Glenwood Avenues. Between November 2012 and March 2013, the defendants each sold cocaine or crack cocaine.
Rayshawn Minter was sentenced to 100 months in prison in August 2014. Mashi Phillips will be sentenced on February 2, 2015.
The sentencing is result of an investigation by Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda.Buffalo Man Sentenced for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Avery Gill, 56, of Buffalo, N.Y., who was convicted of bank fraud, was sentenced to time served and four years probation by U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Arcara. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $28,512.78.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie P. Grisanti, who handled the case, stated that between September 2012 and March 2013, Gill and co-defendants Calvina Myles and David Johnson devised a scheme to defraud Capital One Bank. The defendants used the names and personal identification information of two individuals to apply for two Capital One credit cards in those names. The defendants then purchased merchandise and gift cards from retail stores using the credit cards. Gill also made ATM withdrawals using the credit card. As a result of this conduct, Capital One suffered a loss of $29,454.
Calvina Miles, who was also convicted of bank fraud, and David Johnson, who was convicted of aggravated identity theft, are awaiting sentencing.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division currently under the direction of Inspector in Charge, Shelly A. Binkowski.Bergen County, N.J., Man Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Receiving Images of Child Sexual Abuse over the InternetRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. - A Bergen County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for downloading images and videos depicting child sexual abuse on a computer at his parents’ house, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Joshua Babilonia, 24, Fair Lawn, New Jersey previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joel A. Pisano to an information charging him with one count of receiving images of child sex abuse over the Internet. Judge Pisano imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Special agents of the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) executed a search warrant on Sept. 13, 2012, at the residence of Babilonia’s parents. Agents seized digital evidence that contained more than 600 images and a large number of videos depicting child sexual abuse, including material that involved prepubescent minors and portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct. The evidence seized included three files previously downloaded from Babilonia by law enforcement agents working in an undercover capacity on a peer-to-peer network.
During his plea hearing, Babilonia admitted he was a member of the online network between January 2011 and September 2012 and searched for and downloaded images of child sexual abuse. He also admitted that his files were viewable and downloadable by others on the network.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Pisano sentenced Babilonia to five years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $6,000. He is also required to register as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of ICE HSI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Andrew M. McLees in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Corcione of the U.S. Attorney=s Office General Crimes Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Adolph Galluccio Esq., Totowa, N.J.Bay Area Woman Sentenced to Twenty-Seven Months Imprisonment for Credit Card Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Jasmine M. Mitchell was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for credit card fraud and identity theft, announced United States Attorney Melinda Haag and United States Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Andrew C. Adelmann.
Mitchell pleaded guilty on Aug. 13, 2014, to one count of access device (credit card) fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. According to the plea agreement, Mitchell admitted to using counterfeit credit cards in the name of another individual to obtain cash advances at the Graton Resort and Casino on Feb. 23, 2014. When Mitchell was arrested by Sonoma County Sheriff’s Deputies that day, she was found with numerous other counterfeit credit cards in the names of other individuals.
Mitchell, 34, who has lived throughout the Bay Area, was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 1, 2014. She was charged with fraudulent use of unauthorized access devices, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1029(a)(2), and aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A(a)(1).
The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Edward M. Chen, United States District Court Judge, following a guilty plea on one count of access device fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1029(a)(2), and one count of aggravated identity theft in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A(a)(1). Judge Chen also sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release. Mitchell was also ordered to pay restitution to Citibank and CIBC. The defendant has been in federal custody since May 2014, when she was arrested by Sonoma County Sheriff’s Detectives outside of a hotel in Tiburon, Calif.
Kyle F. Waldinger is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Rawaty Yim. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Secret Service and the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.
(Mitchell indictment )
Attorney General Holder Recognizes Department Employees and Others for Their Service at Annual Awards CeremonyRead the Press Release
Attorney General Eric Holder recognizes 278 department employees for their distinguished public service today at the 62nd Annual Attorney General’s Awards Ceremony. Ten other individuals outside of the department are also honored for their work. Held at DAR Constitution Hall, this annual ceremony recognizes both department employees and others for their outstanding dedication to carrying out the Department of Justice’s missions.
“With this important event, we come together to honor some of our nation’s most distinguished, dedicated, and deserving public servants,” said Attorney General Holder. “The hard work and impressive achievements of these 278 award recipients have inspired their colleagues at every level of the U.S. Department of Justice – including me. Their leadership has been indispensable in defining the past year as one of historic accomplishment in the face of nearly unprecedented challenge.”
Attorney General Holder and Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole present the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service – the department’s highest award for employee performance – to the team responsible for outstanding achievement in U.S. v. Windsor implementation.
The task of the Windsor Implementation Team was to make real the promise of the U.S. v. Windsor decision striking down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act. As the U.S. Supreme Court noted, the purpose and effect of Section 3 was to discriminate against same-sex couples in the more than 1,000 federal laws in which marital status is a relevant consideration. Bringing to bear expertise from across the department, the Windsor team coordinated with agencies across the government to identify these laws, as well as other federal rules and policies affected by Section 3, and issue new policies and guidance to expunge the discrimination Section 3 had required. In doing so, the team ensured that committed and loving couples throughout the country, and their families, would receive equal treatment by the government regardless of their sexual orientation.
The recipients of the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service include, from the Civil Division, Chief of Staff and Counselor to the Assistant Attorney General Jonathan F. Olin; Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General Natalia T. Sorgente; Counsels to the Assistant Attorney General James A. Cadogan, James C. Cox, Helen L. Gilbert and Joshua I. Wilkenfeld; Special Assistant for Policy in the Office of the Assistant Attorney General Kerry A. Bollerman; Federal Programs Branch Assistant Branch Director Arthur R. Goldberg; Federal Programs Branch Trial Attorneys Jennie L. Kneedler, Jean Lin and Eric R. Womack; and Appellate Staff Attorneys Adam C. Jed, Jeffrey E. Sandberg and Abby C. Wright; from the Civil Rights Division, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pamela Karlan; Office of the Assistant Attorney General Acting Chief of Staff and Senior Counselor Emily M. Loeb; Policy and Strategy Section Legislative and Policy Counsel Varda Hussain; and Appellate Section Trial Attorney Holly A. Thomas; from the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, Office of Legal and Victim Programs Attorney-Advisor Jason F. Cunningham; from the Office of the Attorney General, Deputy Chief of Staff and Counselor to the Attorney General Jenny R. Mosier; from the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, Associate Deputy Attorney General Robin E. Jacobsohn and Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General Geoffrey A. Starks; from the Office of the Associate Attorney General, Counsel to the Associate Attorney General Stacey K. Grigsby; from the Office of Legal Counsel, Office of the Assistant Attorney General, Deputy Assistant Attorneys General Benjamin C. Mizer and Leondra Kruger; from the Office of Legal Policy, Chief of Staff Steven Siger; from the Office of Justice Programs, Office of the Assistant Attorney General Senior Adviser Theron P. Pride Jr.; from the Office of the Solicitor General, Assistant to the Solicitor General Eric J. Feigin; and from the Tax Division, Appellate Section Attorney Ivan C. Dale.
The Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Heroism is given to recognize an extraordinary act of courage and voluntary risk of life during the performance of official duties. This year’s award is presented for courageous acts during the rescue of a young hostage.
On Jan. 29, 2013, Jimmy Lee Dykes boarded a school bus in rural Midland City, Alabama, killed the driver, and took five-year-old Ethan Gilman hostage in a fortified underground bunker. Armed with multiple weapons and improvised explosive devices (IED), Dykes grew increasingly unstable over the six-day standoff, leading to an assessment that the kidnapped child would ultimately die unless a rescue was attempted. On Feb. 4, 2013, at grave personal risk and without regard for their own safety, five members of the FBI Hostage Rescue Team made entry into the bunker, which Dyke’s had previously indicated was a “funnel of death.” The initial breach was violent, but successfully cleared the bunker hatch for the five-man entry team. The team immediately encountered additional obstacles placed lower in the opening by Dykes. As the entry slowed, Dykes retrieved his handgun and engaged the team from less than five feet away while in a position of cover, and with Ethan as a shield. During the initial assault, Dykes detonated an external IED, and was believed to be in the process of attempting to detonate a second IED inside the bunker. At grave personal risk and without regard for their own safety, the members of the team moved from a position of cover, exposing themselves to gunfire, in order to clear the obstruction for entry. Without hesitation, the team entered into the darkened, smoke-filled hole. Once inside, they swiftly sorted through a confused situation, identified Ethan and immediately evacuated him from the bunker and the remaining IED threat. The exceptional courage and extraordinary decisiveness of the recipients ultimately prevailed, resulting in the death of Dykes and the rescue of Ethan unharmed.
The recipients of the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Heroism include, from the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office, Supervisory Special Agents Christopher K. Curren, Neil Whitfield Darnell, William T. Francis Jr., Ryan J. Short and Kyle R. Vowinkel; Critical Incident Response Group Special Agents Brocklyn D. Bahe, Christopher S. Baylor, Benjamin M. Binger, Christian Galeski, J. Michael Montoya, Kevin P. Murray, Matthew Nagle and Stanley M. Wadas; and Special Agent Rodney O. Draper.
The Edward H. Levi Award for Outstanding Professionalism and Exemplary Integrity is presented to pay tribute to the memory and achievements of former Attorney General Edward H. Levi, whose career as an attorney, law professor, dean and public servant exemplified these qualities in the best traditions of the department. This year’s award is presented to Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Counselor for International Affairs in the Criminal Division’s Office of the Assistant Attorney General Bruce C. Swartz for exemplary service to the Criminal Division and the department.
Mr. Swartz is a person of utmost integrity, who has demonstrated his exceptional strength of character and expertise in over 12 years as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Division and, more recently, as the department’s Counselor for International Affairs. He supervises three Criminal Division offices, each of which plays a critical role in international law enforcement. In addition to guiding these offices as they navigate some of the most sensitive international legal issues that the department handles, Mr. Swartz provides essential advice to the Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General and other department leaders concerning the intersection of U.S. and international interests in areas of criminal law enforcement, national security and intelligence matters. He is the consummate professional and an exemplary public servant.
The Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award recognizes employees who have served at least 20 years in the department and have demonstrated high standards of excellence and dedication throughout their careers. This award is presented only in exceptional circumstances to those individuals of special merit and is not awarded to express general appreciation for tenure alone. One Mary C. Lawton Award is presented this year.
This year’s award is presented to T. Christian Herren Jr.¸ Chief of the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section for exceptional contributions and leadership to the Civil Rights Division and the department.
Mr. Herren’s oversight and direction have guided the heavy and highly complex litigation, appellate and administrative review docket carried by the Civil Rights Division Voting Section, while managing resources wisely and efficiently, and raising the productivity and professionalism standards of staff. Throughout his 20 years of service to the Voting Section, Mr. Herren has significantly contributed to the development of the jurisprudence of voting rights law through his appellate work on matters before the U.S. Supreme Court or the courts of appeal, or his trial work in the district courts throughout the nation. His institutional knowledge of the section’s work and voting law in general, coupled with a critical review of existing practices and a willingness to innovate and strategize, has enabled him to maximize the Voting Section’s enforcement efforts. He is highly respected within the division, the department, and by elections officials and civil rights practitioners nationwide. Mr. Herren’s lifetime of dedication to the Voting Section exemplifies his strong commitment to not only voting rights, but to civil rights in general and overall public service.
The William French Smith Award for Outstanding Contributions to Cooperative Law Enforcement is an honorary award granted to recognize state and local law enforcement officials who have made significant contributions to cooperative law enforcement endeavors. This year’s award is presented to the Broward County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office Task Force Officer William Schwartz.
Prescription drug abuse is a serious problem throughout the nation. Detective Schwartz has been a true crusader in our country’s battle against prescription drug abuse and has led the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Miami Field Division’s (MFD) Tactical Diversion Squad (TDS) program with an end result that has made a substantial impact on the illegal distribution of pharmaceuticals throughout the state of Florida. Through his outstanding investigative work on high impact pharmaceutical investigations, he has been instrumental in the success of the DEA MFD TDS goals and objectives. Detective Schwartz has educated hundreds of federal and state attorneys and law enforcement officers to investigate and successfully prosecute those responsible for the illegal diversion of pharmaceutical drugs. His outstanding accomplishments have significantly contributed to preventing the illegal diversion of pharmaceutical drugs and reducing prescription drug abuse which is vital to the health and welfare of the American people.
The Attorney General’s Award for Meritorious Public Service is the top public service award granted by the department, and is designed to recognize the most significant contributions of citizens and organizations that have assisted the Department of Justice in the accomplishment of its mission and objectives. This year’s award is presented to Helen Miner, a volunteer with the Federal Bureau of Prisons at the Federal Correctional Institution in El Reno, Oklahoma, for her outstanding dedication to FCI El Reno and the inmate population. Ms. Miner is honored for her outstanding dedication to the rehabilitation and improvement of the incarcerated as they prepare to reenter back into society. Her dedication as a volunteer at FCI El Reno for 44 years has greatly infused the incarcerated men at FCI El Reno by giving inmates hope and skills that will extend beyond their incarceration. Ms. Miner demonstrates confidence and respect, while promoting self-confidence, self-improvement and self-worth within the inmate population. Her commitment and contributions to FCI El Reno have been invaluable.
The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service is the Justice Department’s second highest award for employee performance. The recipients of this award exemplify the highest commitment to the department’s mission. Ten Distinguished Service Awards were presented this year to individuals or teams of people.
The first Distinguished Service Award is presented to members of the investigative and litigation team responsible for exemplary performance in the prosecution of conspiracies in the automobile parts industry. This team, honored for its leadership, dedication and tireless investigation of global anticompetitive cartels, is responsible for the historic prosecution of over a dozen price-fixing, bid-rigging and market-allocation conspiracies in the automobile parts industry. This four-year investigation was unprecedented in both its scope and the volume of commerce affected by the illegal conduct. Due to the team’s efforts, 26 companies have agreed to pay fines totaling $2.3 billion and 20 individuals have been sentenced to serve jail sentences. The conspiracies uncovered by the investigation affected more than 25 million cars purchased by American consumers and over $5 billion in automotive parts sold to U.S. car manufacturers and automobile plants in 14 states. As a result of the extraordinary efforts of the team, competition was restored to the auto parts industry, and the companies and individuals responsible were held accountable for their illegal conduct.
Award recipients include, from the Antitrust Division, Chief Lisa M. Phelan; Assistant Chief Kathryn M. Hellings; Trial Attorneys Shane Cralle, Paul Gallagher, Kenneth W. Gaul, Mark C. Grundvig, Jason Jones and Eric Meiring; Washington Criminal I Section Secretary Priscilla Scruggs; Paralegal Unit Paralegal Specialist Meghan Ballard; and Office of Operations Trial Attorney Portia Brown; from the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Special Agents Kristina Honeycutt and Faustine M. Smith-Neil; and from the FBI’s Detroit Field Office, Special Agent Douglas R. Wood Jr.
The second Distinguished Service Award is presented for distinguished service by the team that engaged in groundbreaking work to address constitutional violations in the operation of the juvenile court in Shelby County, Tennessee. For the first time since the law was enacted almost 20 years ago, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act was used to investigate a juvenile court. The investigation uncovered that children were not: provided timely and adequate notice of the charges against them; protected against self-incrimination; provided timely probable cause hearings; provided meaningful assistance of counsel; and provided adequate protections before being transferred to adult court. The investigation also revealed that black children received disproportionately harsh treatment in the different stages of the delinquency process. The team negotiated a landmark settlement that is being implemented and promises to transform the juvenile court in Shelby County into a model for the nation. In the short time since the settlement was entered, Shelby County has already funded and inaugurated a juvenile public defender system. In that same time, the rate of admissions to pre-trial detention has drastically dropped, and initial data suggests that black children are already being treated more fairly at all stages of the delinquency process.
Award recipients include, from the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section, Deputy Chief Judith C. Preston, Special Litigation Counsel Winsome G. Gayle and Trial Attorney Anika N. Gzifa.
The third Distinguished Service Award is presented for groundbreaking and highly successful work as part of the investigation into manipulation of the London InterBank Offered Rate (LIBOR), a leading benchmark interest rate that is tied to student loans, mortgages and financial instruments used around the world, as well as other leading benchmark interest rates, including the Euro Interbank Offered Rate (Euribor). Between June 2012 and October 2013, members of the LIBOR team resolved cases with four of the world’s largest financial institutions: Barclays Bank PLC (Barclays), UBS AG (UBS), The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (RBS), and Coöperatieve Centrale Raiffeisen-Boerenleenbank B.A. (Rabobank). At all four institutions, certain derivatives traders requested that certain rate submitters submit LIBOR and/or Euribor contributions that would benefit the traders’ positions, rather than rates that complied with the definitions of LIBOR and Euribor. In addition, at Barclays and UBS, management directed that LIBOR submissions be lowered in order to reduce the reputational risk associated with proper, higher LIBOR submissions. To date, the criminal penalties assessed by the department and resulting from the LIBOR team’s actions exceed $1.1 billion.
Award recipients include, from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Acting Deputy Chief of Staff and Counselor to the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division Rebecca A. Rohr; Acting Fraud Section Chief William J. Stellmach; Deputy Fraud Section Chiefs Daniel Braun and Patrick F. Stokes; Assistant Fraud Section Chief Sandra Moser; and Trial Attorneys Alexander H. Berlin and Gary Winters; from the Antitrust Division, Assistant Chief Elizabeth B. Prewitt; Trial Attorneys Ludovic C. Ghesquiere, Richard A. Powers and Daniel M. Tracer; New York Office Legal Administrative Officer Caitlin E. Morrison; Chicago Office Trial Attorney Eric L. Schleef; and Litigation I Section Trial Attorney Michael T. Koenig; from the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Special Agents Patrick M. Boone, Michael P. Kelly, Michael J. McGillicuddy, Kendra S. McLamb and Jeffrey Weeks; and Forensic Accountant Kyle D. Dornbos.
The fourth Distinguished Service Award is presented to the team whose outstanding contribution led to the successful arrest and prosecution of James “Whitey” Bulger and his longtime girlfriend, Catherine E. Greig. Bulger, one of the country’s most notorious criminals, had eluded capture for his crimes for over 16 years, helped in no small part by Greig. In June 2011, federal law enforcement officials developed a public campaign that focused on Greig rather than Bulger. The campaign worked, and Bulger and Greig were located in a Santa Monica, California, apartment along with over $800,000 in cash and 30 firearms. Bulger and Greig were then successfully prosecuted, and Greig received one of the highest sentences for harboring a fugitive ever imposed in the United States. After a 10-week trial, Bulger was convicted of multiple offenses and in November 2013, he was sentenced to serve consecutive life terms in prison. Bulger’s trial was a monumental undertaking, involving evidence spanning more than 20 years of criminal conduct, including 19 charged murders. Over the course of the 10-week trial, the government called almost 70 witnesses, many of whom were hostile, advanced in age and murderers themselves. Following trial, the team also resolved several difficult and novel victim-related forfeiture issues.
Award recipients include, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary R. Hafer, Mary B. Murrane and Fred M. Wyshak Jr.; and Paralegal Specialist Theresa M. Fahey; from the DEA’s New England Division, Supervisory Special Agent Daniel M. Doherty; from the FBI’s Boston Field Office, Supervisory Special Agent Richard E. Teahan; Special Agents Michael J. Carazza and Gregory J. Comcowich; and Public Affairs Specialist Katherine A. Gulotta; from the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, Special Agent Scott F. Garriola; from the Office of the Inspector General Investigations Division, Senior Special Agent James J. Marra; from the U.S. Marshals Service, Asset Forfeiture Division Assistant Chief Inspector Thomas J. Abernathy III and District of Massachusetts Deputy U.S. Marshal Neil R. Sullivan; from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division Special Agent Sandra J. Lemanski; and from the Massachusetts State Police, Detective Lieutenant Stephen P. Johnson.
The fifth Distinguished Service Award is presented for the successful settlement negotiations and the predicate fraud investigations conducted by the recipients which led to the largest settlement with a single entity in American history – $13 billion – and the largest Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act penalty ever recovered by the department - $2 billion. The tireless efforts of the recipients advanced core missions of the department by holding wrongdoers accountable for reckless and abusive conduct that contributed to the financial crisis, as well as providing substantial compensation for federal entities supported by American taxpayers and critical assistance to neighborhoods impacted by the mortgage meltdown.
Award recipients include, from the Office of the Associate Attorney General, Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Elizabeth Taylor; Chief of Staff Brian Martinez; and Director of the RMBS Working Group Geoffrey Graber; from the Civil Division, Director of E-Discovery, FOIA and Records Allison C. Stanton; Office of the Assistant Attorney General Counsel Melanie T. Singh; Consumer Protection Branch Trial Attorney David A. Frank; and Fraud Section Trial Attorney Carol Lynn Wallack; from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Degnan and Viveca D. Parker; and from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Elias, Colleen M. Kennedy, David T. Shelledy and Kelli L. Taylor.
The sixth Distinguished Service Award is presented to the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) Trial Team for exemplary performance in litigating the U.S. v. City of New York discrimination case. In this long-standing Title VII case, the district court found that the city of New York engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination against black and Hispanic applicants for entry-level firefighter positions. Specifically, the district court found that the city violated Title VII by using written examinations that had a disparate impact on black and Hispanic applicants, and did not test the relevant skills needed to perform the firefighter job. At the time the city administered the first challenged examination, the uniformed members of the FDNY were only 2.9 percent black and 2.8 percent Hispanic. This extremely low level of minority representation in the FDNY was essentially the same as in the early 1970s, when the city was also sued for racially discriminatory hiring practices in its fire department. As a result of the liability finding and the United States’ continued litigation of remedies, current and future applicants to the FDNY have the opportunity to compete for employment on a fair and lawful basis for the first time in decades based on a new examination developed under the supervision of the district court and in conjunction with the recipients. In addition, the city has agreed in principle to pay up to $98 million in back-pay to victims of the city’s discrimination, and the court ordered the city to give 293 victims priority employment as a firefighter. This is the largest affirmative recovery ever obtained by the Civil Rights Division in a Title VII case.
Award recipients include, from the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section, Deputy Chief Meredith L. Burrell; Special Litigation Counsels Eric K. Bachman and Sharon A. Seeley; Supervisory Civil Rights Analyst Cynthia M. Jones; Trial Attorneys Clare F. Geller, Kathryn E. Ladewski, Barbara A. Schwabauer, Jennifer M. Swedish, Allan K. Townsend and Carolyn P. Weiss; and Paralegal Specialists Adrienne D. Harrell and Tamera N.C. Overton; from the Criminal Section, Trial Attorney David N. Reese; from the Appellate Section, Deputy Chief Dennis J. Dimsey and Trial Attorney Lisa J. Stark; and from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, Senior Trial Counsel Elliot M. Schachner.
The seventh Distinguished Service Award is presented to the teams involved in the successful investigation and prosecution of the violent transnational criminal organization Barrio Azteca. This complex racketeering case targeted an organization responsible for the U.S. Consulate murders in Juarez, Mexico, and countless shootings, assaults, and other acts of violence, as well as narcotics trafficking and money laundering. The team eventually charged 35 members and associates, and sustained convictions on all who were found or brought into the United States, with the most violent members, including those responsible for the consulate murders, being sentenced to serve life sentences in prison.
Award recipients include, from the Criminal Division, Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section Trial Attorney Brian D. Skaret; from the DEA, U.S. Consulate General Special Agents James D. Armstrong and Javier Barraza; from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher A. Snyder; from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas, Assistant U.S. Attorney John Gibson; from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal; from the FBI’s Tampa Field Office Special Agent Carlos M. Hernandez; from the FBI’s El Paso Field Office, Supervisory Special Agent Rodolfo Ortega Jr. and Special Agents Samantha A. Mikeska, Lorenzo Perez Jr. and Alyson Samuels; from the FBI’s Miami Field Office, Supervisory Special Agents Edgar Cruz and Alfred A. Watson, and Special Agent Charles M. Bryden; from the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office Supervisory Special Agent Rene F. Medina and Special Agent Gregory Watterson; and from the U.S. Marshals Service’s Investigative Operations Division, Chief Inspector M. Brian Maxwell.
The eighth Distinguished Service Award is presented to the team who performed distinguished work on complex legal issues arising from the 17-day federal government shutdown that occurred in October 2013 as the Executive Branch faced novel questions arising from a possible default on its fiscal obligations in the midst of a government-wide shutdown. Teams of attorneys from the Office of Legal Counsel and the Civil Division’s Federal Programs and Commercial Litigation Branches were on the front lines in addressing all of these complicated legal questions. The team advised the White House, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Attorney General and various other agencies, while also fending off lawsuits challenging agencies’ actions (or inaction) during the shutdown. In a historic time of great national significance, and under extraordinary deadlines, the team’s work was thorough and careful; covered a wide range of statutory, regulatory and constitutional issues affecting every agency in the Executive Branch; and combined the highest standards of craft with the imagination and creativity demanded by the unprecedented nature of the shutdown and debt limit conflict.
Award recipients include, from the Office of Legal Counsel, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Daniel L. Koffsky; Senior Counsel Matthew D. Roberts; and Attorney-Advisers Jaynie Lilley, Thomas G. Pulham and Nitin Shah; from the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Assistant Branch Director Susan K. Rudy; Federal Programs Branch Trial Attorneys Kathryn C. Davis, Lesley R. Farby, Adam D. Kirschner and Daniel S.G. Schwei; and Senior Trial Counsel Ellen M. Lynch.
The ninth Distinguished Service Award is presented to the Office for Victims of Crime Antiterrorism and Emergency Assistance Program (AEAP) Team for its effective, reliable and compassionate response to victims of terrorism and mass violence. Due to the far-reaching scope and horrific nature of crimes of mass violence, communities are usually unprepared, financially or emotionally, to respond to the needs of victims and survivors. The AEAP Team has provided these communities with invaluable support in both the short and long term, from emergency crisis response to enabling victims and their families to participate in criminal justice proceedings years later. The AEAP Team has gone far beyond the role of simply awarding funding, and has taken a farsighted and proactive role to assist victims and their states and communities.
Award recipients include, from the Office of Justice Programs’ Office for Victims of Crime, Director Joye E. Frost; Deputy Director J. Robert Cantrall; and Program Manager Eugenia Pedley.
The 10th and final Distinguished Service Award is presented to Tax Division Office of the Assistant Attorney General Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General Kathleen E. Lyon for her extraordinary work in drafting the Program for Non-Prosecution Agreement or Non-Target Letters for Swiss Banks (Swiss Bank Program). The department has had ongoing investigations into the use of foreign bank accounts to evade U.S. taxes, and the Swiss Bank Program was designed to encourage Swiss banks not already under investigation to cooperate with the department’s efforts. Ms. Lyon was instrumental in drafting the terms of the Swiss Bank Program.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement recognizes outstanding professional achievements by law enforcement officers of the Department of Justice. Two Excellence in Law Enforcement Awards are presented this year.
The first Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement is presented to the members of Operation Main Hub, a multi-agency investigation into neighborhood gangs and drug trafficking organizations initiated in 2009. The FBI focused on the Turabo Heights Public Housing Projects (PHP) and the Barriada Morales while the DEA investigated the Gautier Benitez and Brisas del Turabo PHPs. The investigation revealed that neighborhood based gangs and drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) in these areas were directly involved in several shootings to protect their territory, and were responsible for distributing powder cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, marijuana and prescription pills, resulting in millions of dollars of illicit revenue. Within Barriada Morales, the investigation targeted drug points near elementary schools and head start programs, and included multiple controlled drug buys, controlled firearms purchases, and firearms seizures from the gangs, along with extensive surveillance and law enforcement interventions. Agents utilized advanced investigative techniques and obtained numerous pen registers and six Title III wire intercepts. The FBI’s San Juan, Puerto Rico, Division was assisted by approximately 350 other law enforcement agents, including agents from the FBI, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and local law enforcement agencies. As a result, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico agreed to indict 79 individuals in the Turabo Heights PHP and 126 individuals in the Barriada Morales DTO. Additionally, the DEA indicted 60 individuals between the Gautier Benitez and Brisas del Turabo PHPs. With over 350 tactical operators flown to the island, the arrests within the Barriada Morales became the largest single day tactical operation in FBI history. These arrests significantly disrupted the narcotics distribution network within Caguas, Puerto Rico, and caused a noticeable decrease in violence, especially within the Turabo Heights PHP.
Award recipients include, from the FBI’s Chicago Field Office, John A. Morales, and from the FBI’s San Juan Field Office, Special Agents Cristina R. Bretsch, Michael A. Dubravetz Jr. and Allen P. Pack; from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Miami Field Division, Puerto Rico III Field Office Special Agent Carlos M. Gonzalez; from the DEA’s Caribbean Division, Special Agents Rafael A. Santiago, Joseph R. Slesar and Stavros Stefanidis; from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Y. Hernandez-Vega, Alberto R. Lopez and Teresa Sofia Zapata; from the Police of Puerto Rico, Agents Jose A. Velazquez-Garcia; Pablo A. Irizarry-Ayala and Jesus Marrero-Cruz; and from the San Juan Municipal Police, Agent Michelle C. Cheveres-Contes.
The second Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement is presented for outstanding performance in the recovery of missing children.
Award recipients include, from the U.S. Marshals Service’s Investigative Operations Division, Chief Inspector Denis Donovan IV and Senior Inspector Frank T. Conner. The investigators of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Sex Offender Investigations Branch target missing child cases when a felony warrant is outstanding for the abductor or companion of an abducted, missing or endangered child. This missing child initiative teams fugitive hunters from the Sex Offender Investigations Branch with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) resources as the nation’s clearinghouse for missing children. This mandate began as a joint effort between the USMS and NCMEC to identify outstanding warrants associated with missing child cases. On Jan. 10, 2014, the USMS and NCMEC reached their milestone 500th child recovery for the Sex Offender Investigations Branch missing child initiative. More than 10 years after the start of the operation, the missing child initiative continues to grow and make a positive impact in communities across the nation.
The Attorney General’s Award tor Exceptional Service in Indian Country recognizes extraordinary efforts by department employees that demonstrate the department’s commitment to fight crime in Indian Country. This year’s award is presented to Assistant U.S. Attorney Glynette R. Carson McNabb for the District of New Mexico for her exceptional service and outstanding contributions to public safety in Indian Country over the course of 14 years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Since June 2010, Ms. McNabb has served as the supervisor for the District of New Mexico’s Indian Country Crimes Section and Tribal Liaison for the 22 tribes in New Mexico. Her dedication to improving public safety and the quality of life in tribal communities not only in New Mexico but throughout the country, has substantially contributed to the department’s commitment to fight crime in Indian Country.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Management recognizes outstanding administrative or managerial achievements which have significantly improved operations, productivity, or reduced costs. Two Excellence in Management Awards are presented this year.
Award recipients include, from the U.S. Marshals Service’s Office of General Counsel, Principal Deputy General Counsel Lisa M. Dickinson for her exemplary leadership in management at the U.S. Marshals Service; and from the Civil Division’s Office of Management Programs, Executive Officer and Director Kenneth L. Zwick for his exemplary leadership in management of the Civil Division.
Ms. Dickinson has dedicated 20 years of professionalism and integrity to the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS). Her efforts to support and improve the USMS and its employees, while serving in myriad capacities within the organization, exemplify the best traditions of the department. She is not only highly regarded for her expert legal counsel, but also is respected for her stellar historical knowledge of the USMS and known for always willing to share her insight and knowledge. In her current position as the Principal Deputy General Counsel overseeing operations of the Office of General Counsel, Ms. Dickinson continues to provide legal advice and guidance, coordinate litigation matters with U.S. Attorney's Offices and respond to inquiries from other federal agencies and members of the public. Throughout her career, she has been called upon numerous times to serve dual roles for the USMS. From 2004 to 2006, she served as the Acting Executive Assistant to the director, while at the same time serving as the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer. From 2006 to 2008, she served as the Senior Counsel to the director, providing advice and guidance on diverse issues and matters. In 2012, while providing counsel in the Office of General Counsel, she also served as the Acting Assistant Director for the Human Resources Division, and from June 2013 through March 2014, she served as the Associate Director for Administration. In every position throughout her career, Ms. Dickinson has inspired co-workers and subordinates with her dedication and knowledge of the USMS, and its historic role in protecting our judiciary for the nation.
Mr. Zwick is recognized for his sustained leadership in guiding the business operations of the department’s component. In his tenure with the department, Mr. Zwick has responded with speed and effectiveness to repeated challenges of extraordinary complexity, including the creation of an administrative infrastructure to support the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. He has also expertly transformed the daily operations of the Civil Division’s litigation support and human resources efforts, saving the department millions of dollars and dramatically improving efficiency. Mr. Zwick has consistently provided outstanding contributions to the department under challenging conditions, and his exceptional leadership has markedly improved the department’s operations.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Information Technology recognizes outstanding achievements in applying information technology to improve operations and productivity, reduce or avoid costs, and solve problems. Two Excellence in Information Technology Awards are presented this year.
The first Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Information Technology recipient is Director Richard W. Tayman from the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Office of Information Technology for Superior Program Management of ENRD Information Technology Systems.
Mr. Tayman is a true technology innovator who is extremely well respected throughout the department. While he has taken care of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s (ENRD) automated information technology systems for over 25 years, Mr. Tayman is also regularly called upon to provide expert guidance for the development and deployment of major enterprise-wide department’s IT systems. Just as the department turns to him for advice, insight and guidance, so do some of the world’s largest information technology equipment vendors and service providers. As a result, ENRD and the department often see incredibly satisfying price tags on the products and services it procures, and technology solutions are often provided with extra care and concern when Mr. Tayman is involved in such acquisitions.
The second recipients of the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Information Technology are Supervisory IT Specialist Ray M. Jagels and IT Specialist Douglas L. Baus from the U.S. Marshals Service’s Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System, for the development of the innovative and complex JPATS System
Over an aggressive 19-month development cycle, the Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System (JPATS) Information Technology Team developed the innovative and complex JPATS Automated Routing and Scheduling System. The team implemented the details of hundreds of JPATS trips and over 11,000 prisoner routes in the system, developed major customization of Oracle Transportation Management Software, and implemented complex data integration procedures between the Base Scheduling System and the Automated Routing and Scheduling System. New user interface functions were created, and a comprehensive training program was developed to successfully address a significantly re-engineered business process. At the close of fiscal year 2013, the use of this program succeeded in exceeding target goals by supporting improvements in scheduler productivity, and by enhancing operational performance that resulted in an overall savings of $11.1 million for the department.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Furthering the Interests of U.S. National Security recognizes outstanding achievements and contributions in protecting U.S. national security. One Excellence in Furthering the Interests of U.S. National Security Award is presented this year for exemplary service in the operation of a national online counterterrorism program. Through innovative online targeting strategies and creative use of technology, Terror Net is a key contributor to the FBI’s mission to protect the U.S. from terrorist attack. Terror Net is a national online counterterrorism program operated by the FBI San Francisco Division. It targets predicated subjects who use the Internet in furtherance of terrorist acts, and focuses on homegrown violent extremists (HVEs) who are difficult to identify and investigate through traditional methods. The Terror Net team conducts online targeting of HVEs, both in the San Francisco Division and other FBI field offices which do not have their own resources or subject matter expertise to conduct this type of operation. The Terror Net team is the preeminent FBI asset used to locate, engage, and disrupt terrorist threats emanating from the online realm. Through fiscal year 2013 to present, Terror Net has conducted major counterterrorism disruptions against two subjects who attempted to conduct large scale vehicle bomb attacks on significant targets in the United States. Terror Net is currently supporting 37 cases in 17 field offices, and has supported over 70 investigations in 25 field offices over time.
Award recipients include, from the FBI, San Francisco Field Office Special Agents James P. Colraine, Daniel R. Costin, Stephen V. Denitto, Kevin J. Gray, T.M. Ito, Steven A. Kornaros, Matthew Quick, Mike P. Stahala and Gregory Wuthrich; Sacramento Field Office Language Specialist Bassam Dib; Legat Singapore Supervisory Special Agent Sanjay Virmani; Counterterrorism Division Intelligence Analyst Sarah E. Marconi and Management and Program Analyst Melissa L. Willig.
The Attorney General’s Award for Equal Employment Opportunity is the department’s highest award for performance in support of the Equal Employment Opportunity program. One Equal Employment Opportunity Award is presented this year for outstanding leadership and performance in equal employment opportunity and diversity in the Tax Division. The Tax Division’s Attorney Diversity Subcommittee has made significant and long-lasting contributions to the division and the department in the areas of diversity, inclusion, and employee engagement. The subcommittee developed concrete proposals to improve attorney hiring practices in the division; brought the Diversity and Inclusion Dialogue Project to the department; recommended changes to the division’s attorney worklife policies; fostered deeper relationships with department affinity groups; and hosted a number of thought-provoking, interesting and fun diversity and inclusion events for division employees. The recipients each served as chair of this subcommittee and, as such, deserve to be recognized for their outstanding contributions to diversity and inclusion in the division and the department.
Award recipients include, from the Tax Division, in the Criminal Enforcement Section, Northern Region, Assistant Chief Karen Kelly; from the Civil Trial Section, Southern Region Assistant Chief David M. Katinsky; from the Office of Review, Section Chief Ann C. Reid; and from the Civil Trial Section, Eastern Region, Section Chief Deborah S. Meland.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Legal Support recognizes outstanding achievements in the field of legal support to attorneys by paralegal specialists and other legal assistants.
In the Paralegal Category, this year’s award for Excellence in Legal Support is presented to Paula C. Clinedinst, Paralegal Specialist for the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Wildlife and Marine Resources Section for her sustained outstanding paralegal support to the ENRD Wildlife and Marine Resources Section. Ms. Clinedinst is a key member of the Wildlife and Marine Resources team, superbly providing all facets of paralegal support, including cite-checking and proofing briefs; legal research; overseeing and tracking two high-volume litigation dockets; and training other paralegals. For 25 years, she has gone above and beyond the call of duty time and again, and has delivered outstanding results for the division. Moreover, her tireless efforts and dedication have ensured success in some of the division’s most important and difficult matters, including litigation related to the Navy’s use of sonar; the operation of the Federal Columbia River Power System; the listing of the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act; and California’s Central Valley Project.
In the Legal Support Category, this year’s award for Excellence in Legal Support is presented to Gail P. Dallman, Legal Assistant for the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees’ Office of the U.S. Trustee - Region 11 for her outstanding and sustained dedication and contributions to the U.S. Trustee Program. On her own initiative, Ms. Dallman worked to identify, test and implement the use of low-cost alternatives to the Public Access to Case Electronic Records (PACER) system. Based on her success in converting offices in Region 11, the U.S. Trustee Program made PACER costs savings nationwide a priority for fiscal year 2014, and Ms. Dallman is playing an important role in that effort. She serves as one of the field leads on the CourtLink Working Group, adapted the PowerPoint tutorial she developed for her region for use on a national level, and assisted in drafting frequently asked questions and answers for new users. She also fields questions and provides assistance to staff from around the country as they work to implement this new system in their offices. As a result of the efforts started by Ms. Dallman, the U.S. Trustee Program has already realized significant savings, and projects a drop in PACER costs of at least $750,000 in fiscal year 2014.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Administrative Support recognizes outstanding performance in administrative or managerial support by an administrative employee or secretary. Two Excellence in Administrative Support Awards are presented this year.
In the Administrative Category, this year’s award for Excellence in Administrative Support is presented to Staci A. Card, Contract Specialist for the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, New York, for her outstanding work in her contracting efforts for the Electronics Business Group of Federal Prison Industries (FPI). Her expertise, attention to detail and innovative thinking have directly resulted in the realization of numerous renewable energy projects, benefitting FPI and federal agencies in their quest to become more energy efficient. Ms. Card’s devotion to duty is in keeping with the highest standards of the agency, and reflects great credit upon herself, the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the department.
In the Secretarial Category, this year’s award for Excellence in Administrative Support is presented to Renee L. Robinson, Information Technology Specialist for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska for her outstanding and sustained dedication and contributions to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska. Ms. Robinson is recognized for her indispensable contributions to the mission of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in multiple roles. Besides her regular responsibilities as Information Technology Manager, Ms. Robinson developed and executed the Information Management, Records Management, Case Management and Property Accountability Programs for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and two branch offices in the District of Alaska. She served as the Acting Administrative Officer while the position was vacant, and has ensured that docketing functions are accomplished while that position remains vacant. Ms. Robinson can be counted on to perform any support task required in the office, and does so willingly, accurately, and professionally. Her dedication reflects greatly upon herself, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the department.
The Claudia J. Flynn Award for Professional Responsibility recognizes a department attorney who has made significant contributions in the area of professional responsibility by successfully handling a sensitive and challenging professional responsibility issue in an exemplary fashion and/or leading efforts to ensure that department attorneys carry out their duties in accordance with the rules of professional conduct. This year’s award is presented to Paul M. O’Brien, Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Division’s Office of the Assistant Attorney General for his significant contributions to the professional responsibility of department attorneys. Mr. O’Brien has spent his 20-year career representing the interests of the department on challenging professional responsibility issues. In his capacity as the Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division, he oversees the highly sensitive work of the Office of Enforcement Operations and the Public Integrity Section, and has led efforts to ensure that the department’s attorneys carry out their duties in accordance with the rules of professional conduct. His improvements to the Electronic Surveillance Unit and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Unit ensure that department attorneys have the tools, resources and knowledge to represent the interests of the United States while meeting their professional responsibility obligations. Whether the issues involve particularly sensitive or challenging matters, or enhance department policy in the area of professional responsibility, Mr. O’Brien is highly respected by his colleagues as a dedicated leader who can be depended upon for his integrity, judgment and commitment to do the right thing in every circumstance.
The Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Service in Freedom of Information Act Administration recognizes exceptional dedication and effort to the implementation of FOIA. The president’s Open Government Directive and the Attorney General’s FOIA Guidelines prioritize the need for the government to incorporate information technology into FOIA processing when responding to requests for information. The Civil Division’s FOIA Unit developed a groundbreaking program that successfully increased the efficiency and timeliness, while decreasing the cost, of responding to FOIA requests. In just one fiscal year, the recipients successfully transformed workflows and applied information technology typically used in litigation to the FOIA search, review, and response process. Using these new methods, in fiscal year 2013 the team reduced the division’s request backlog by more than 50 percent, while receiving six percent more requests than the previous year. Using new processes and technology the team completed 33 percent more requests than in fiscal year 2012. The success of the team is attributable to its expertise and dedication to the president’s open government priorities. Through its efforts, the recipients created a technologically innovative FOIA system that advances the president’s and the Attorney General’s goals of providing faster and more complete responses to requests for information by the public.
Award recipients include, from the Civil Division’s Office of the Assistant Attorney General, Senior Supervisory FOIA Counsels Angie E. Cecil and James M. Kovakas; Director of the Office of Litigation Support Joshua P. Wood; and Office of Management Programs Senior Litigation Support Professional Tammy L. Walmsley for their outstanding and sustained dedication and contributions to the department’s FOIA Program.
The Attorney General’s Award for Fraud Prevention recognizes exceptional dedication and effort to prevent, investigate and prosecute fraud, white-collar crimes and official corruption. This team is honored for its exceptional perseverance, diligence and vision in the investigation, litigation and prosecution of allegations that Johnson & Johnson and two of its subsidiaries, Janssen and Scios, improperly promoted drugs, disregarded patient safety and paid kickbacks to enhance sales. The resolution marks the culmination of an extensive, coordinated eight-year investigation. The team’s extraordinary efforts resulted in three civil complaints and two criminal informations filed in the three different districts, and demonstrated an exemplary use of parallel proceedings. More important, the team’s efforts resulted in Johnson & Johnson paying in excess of $2.2 billion to resolve criminal and civil liability arising from its illegal misbranding and fraudulent marketing of drugs to vulnerable populations such as the elderly, children and those with developmental disabilities, and its payment of kickbacks to physicians and the nation’s largest long-term care pharmacy provider. The global resolution is the third largest health care fraud settlement in U.S. history, and with respect to Risperdal, the resolution is the largest settlement for one drug.
Award recipients include, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Deputy Chief for Affirmative Civil Litigation Mary Catherine Frye; and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott M. Cullen, Charlene Keller Fuller and Albers S. Glenn; from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas R. Green and Sara Winslow; from the from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin James Larsen; from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, Assistant U.S. Attorneys George B. Henderson III and Gregg David Shapiro; and from the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch Fraud Section, Senior Trial Counsel Laurie A. Oberembt; Senior Counsel for Healthcare Fraud Edward C. Crooke; and Trial Attorneys Jennifer L. Cihon, Kimberly I. Friday, Patrick M. Klein II and Renée S. Orleans.
The Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Community Partnerships for Public Safety recognizes outstanding achievement in the development and support of community partnerships designed to address public safety within a community. The award recognizes the significant contributions of citizens and organizations that have assisted the department in the accomplishment of these programs.
This year’s Outstanding Contribution to Community Partnerships for Public Safety Award is presented to the team who performed exceptional work to address solutions to the active shooter epidemic. This team focused on two major collaborative efforts: working with Executive Branch members to create a singular national voice addressing potential solutions to the active shooter problem; and working with law enforcement nationally to share best practices and lessons learned. To accomplish the first task, the recipients began what became six months of nearly-daily meetings with representatives from Executive Branch agencies. President Obama had asked the working group to focus first on creating guides for schools, institutions of higher learning, and houses of worship which would be used to develop comprehensive Emergency Operations Plans. From the first meeting led by the Vice President’s Office, it became clear that each working group member brought his or her own agencies varied priorities and responsibilities. Out of intense and productive discussions, three distinct 100-page guides were written, vetted, and approved by the Executive Branch agencies. When the documents were released by Vice President Biden during a July 2013 press conference, it marked the first time a collaborative effort had resulted in Federal agency collaboration on emergency planning guides. The guides provide practical advice on how to work with students, teachers and administrators on ways to prevent and intercede before an active shooter incident happens, and how to react and respond when it does. The second effort undertaken by the team focused on finding a practical way to share with 800,000 law enforcement officers better ways to predict and respond to active shooter incidents. The team designed a three-tiered approach to this task. First, the team worked with the department’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and Texas State University to adopt a national response protocol for law enforcement. Second, the team developed materials for a two-day conference, hosted by FBI field office personnel to bring lessons learned and best practices to the chiefs, sheriffs, and commanders on the scenes of these incidents. Finally, the team developed tabletop exercises specific to schools and universities to bring law enforcement and first responders together to discuss how they would handle an active shooter incident in their territory.
Award recipients include, from the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Office of the Director Supervisory Special Agent Michael McElhenny; Resource Planning Office Special Advisor Kathryn M. Crotts; Critical Incident Response Group Supervisory Special Agent Katherine W. Schweit; and Public Affairs Specialist Andrew C. Ames; from the Department of California Highway Patrol, Lieutenant David William Knoff.
The Cubby Dorsey Award for Outstanding Contributions by a Wage Grade System Employee recognizes extraordinary performance and contributions by wage grade system employees, including laborers, mechanics, and skilled craft workers. One Cubby Dorsey Award for Outstanding Service by a Federal Wage Grade System Employee is presented this year to Michael Grigsby, HVAC Supervisor Federal Bureau of Prisons Federal Prison Camp (FPC) in Montgomery, Alabama.
Mr. Grigsby is honored for his outstanding leadership and dedication to FPC Montgomery for the past 16 years. His knowledge and fortitude to research the most cost effective methods for repairing projects at an institution which opened in 1930 continues to exceed expectations. Mr. Grigsby supervises the plumbing, electrical, and HVAC details at the facility. Additionally, he works closely with Maxwell Air Force Base personnel, and continues to exemplify a very positive partnership with the local community. Mr. Grigsby handles institution emergencies regarding facility concerns in his area of expertise with outstanding efficiency. His ownership of projects assigned to him are reflective of his determination to ensure the best solution for a long term resolution are utilized, as well as always researching the most cost effective methods. Mr. Grigsby is viewed as a leader among his peers, and his reputation is that of a great historian to FPC Montgomery.
The Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Contributions by a New Employee recognizes exceptional performance and notable accomplishments towards the department’s mission by an employee with fewer than five years of federal career service. Two Outstanding Contributions by a New Employee Awards are presented this year.
The first Contribution by a New Employee Award is presented to Regina Kline, Trial Attorney in the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section, for her exemplary work in the division. As the driving force behind the precedent-setting U.S. v. Rhode Island and City of Providence (Rhode Island) sheltered workshop lawsuit filed by the Civil Rights Division, Ms. Kline has distinguished herself as an extraordinarily dedicated and effective advocate for the United States. Through her outstanding oral and written advocacy, a groundbreaking settlement was achieved in the case, the first agreement to apply the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) integration mandate in a comprehensive manner to state and local employment service systems for persons with disabilities. Olmstead v. LC (Olmstead) has been called the Brown v. Board of Education of the disability rights movement, and Olmstead enforcement has been a top priority for the department. Although many of the department’s cases involve the unnecessary segregation of people with disabilities in residential institutions, Ms. Kline’s work in Rhode Island expanded this work to look beyond just where people live, to examine how people live. The results obtained by Ms. Kline in Rhode Island have played a pivotal role in leveraging the department’s Olmstead enforcement to bring about broad policy change, and have led to nationwide interest in addressing segregation in state employment services. Although Ms. Kline has served as a trial attorney at the department for less than two years, she has also played a lead role in the United States’ intervention in Lane v. Kitzhaber, an ADA lawsuit challenging the state of Oregon’s over-reliance on segregated employment services settings for people with disabilities.
The second and final Contribution by a New Employee Award is presented to Ashley Altshuler, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma, for his exceptional performance in support of the DOJ Project Safe Neighborhoods, Project Sentry and Offender Reentry Initiatives. Since his hiring, Mr. Altshuler has exceptionally performed his duties in support of the department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, Project Sentry and offender reentry initiatives. He has taken the initiative to make reentry a priority, and led his U.S. Attorney’s Office’s efforts, even though he has been an Assistant U.S. Attorney for less than three years. His creation and development of the Probationer and Parolee Reentry Program has made the Western District of Oklahoma safer. Mr. Altshuler has also established a research partnership with a local university to study the effectiveness of the reentry program.
The John Marshall Awards are the department’s highest awards offered to attorneys, for contributions and excellence in specialized areas of legal performance. Twelve awards in nine categories are presented this year.
The first John Marshall Award for Trial of Litigation is presented to John O. Holm, Erika B. Kranz and Kristin R. Muenzen, Trial Attorneys in the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Land Acquisition Section, for their exceptional work litigating the acquisition of land for the United Airlines Flight 93 Memorial.
The Flight 93 National Memorial Trial Team was responsible for litigating the acquisition of over 275 acres of land in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed on Sept. 11, 2001. The land was acquired to construct the Flight 93 National Memorial to honor the victims of this national tragedy. The recipients were responsible for litigating this case and ensuring just compensation was paid to the former landowners. The case involved extensive discovery, motion practice, settlement negotiations and a week-long trial during the most recent government shutdown. On Dec. 9, 2013, the Land Commission issued a report finding that the fair market value of the subject property was $1.5 million, which was $21.7 million less than the valuation by the landowners’ appraiser. As the result reflects, the Flight 93 Trial Team was successful at every stage of this litigation from the preparation of numerous successful motions that eliminated millions of dollars claimed by the landowners, to limiting the scope of evidence presented at a highly-contentious trial in which the team was able to undermine the testimony of an expert who is nationally recognized in the field of valuing similar, high-profile properties. Through the team’s efforts, the United States and its taxpayers saved tens of millions of dollars, while ensuring that the necessary land was acquired to develop a national memorial to the victims of United Airlines Flight 93 who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.
The second John Marshall Award for Trial of Litigation is presented to Joseph E. DePadilla, Benjamin L. Hatch and Brian J. Samuels, Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Paul G. Casey, Trial Attorney in the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, for their outstanding performance prosecuting 14 sea-based Somali pirates and one land-based Somali pirate leader for their role in the capture and murders of four Americans onboard the sailboat Quest. These prosecutions resulted in two separate trials, U.S. v. Mohammad Saaili Shibin, and a two-month capital trial involving three defendants, U.S. v. Ahmed Muse Salad, Abukar Osman Beyle, and Shani Nurani Shiekh Abrar. Shibin was the first Somali-based pirate leader ever brought to trial in the United States, and his case was the first time that U.S. piracy laws had ever been applied to a person who did not himself go onto the high seas to commit violent acts of piracy, but rather facilitated those acts from the relative safety of Somalia. The recipients secured convictions on all counts and Shibin was sentenced to serve more than 12 life sentences. In the Salad, et al. trial, the Attorney General directed the prosecution team to seek the death penalty for all three defendants who were found guilty on 26 counts of the indictment. The jury determined that the defendants were eligible to receive the death penalty, and ultimately recommended sentences of life imprisonment. The district court subsequently imposed 19 consecutive life sentences, two concurrent life sentences, and 360 months consecutive for each defendant. This prosecution demonstrates the United States’ commitment to obtaining justice for victims of piracy affecting the United States and the international community, and it sends a strong message that Somali pirates and their land-based leaders are not beyond the reach of U.S. and international law.
The first John Marshall Award for Participation in Litigation is presented for exemplary dedication and contributions to assert government interest to guarantee right to counsel for indigent defendants. In the 50 years since the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Gideon v. Wainwright guaranteeing the Sixth Amendment right to counsel for indigent defendants, the department had spoken about the indigent defense crisis in America and provided leadership and grant-making to address it, but had never participated in litigation to contribute to assuring that all Americans facing criminal charges are guaranteed an attorney. That changed in 2013, when a litigation team from the Access to Justice Initiative and the Civil Rights Division researched, crafted, and filed a statement of interest in the federal case of Wilbur v. City of Mount Vernon asserting that the federal government has a strong interest in ensuring that all jurisdictions are fulfilling their obligations under Gideon. The filing stated that in the event that the court found constitutional violations, workload limits for public defense providers should be imposed to better ensure quality representation for each client, and an independent monitor should be appointed to ensure compliance. In December 2013, the Federal District Court Judge in Wilbur ruled that there had been a systematic deprivation of the right to counsel and ordered the appointment of an independent monitor. The department’s participation in the case drew national attention and strengthened the department’s ongoing contribution to justice for all, including those who are unable to afford an attorney.
Award recipients include, from the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section, Chief Jonathan M. Smith and Trial Attorney Paul A. Killebrew; and Access to Justice Initiative Acting Senior Counselors Karen A. Lash and Deborah Leff; and Senior Counsels Jenni Katzman and Larry Kupers.
The second John Marshall Award for Participation in Litigation is presented for superior performance in the litigation and prosecution of Randolph Linn, the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo arsonist. Award recipients include, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bridget M. Brennan and Ava M. Rotell Dustin. On Sept. 30, 2012, Linn, armed with gas cans and a handgun, set fire to the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo, the largest mosque in northwest Ohio. This horrific act resulted in more than $1.4 million in damage, displaced the congregation and a full-time elementary school for over a year, and caused a wave of fear to spread throughout the Muslim community in the region. Less than three months after the fire was set, the recipients skillfully negotiated a binding plea agreement resulting in Linn pleading guilty to damage to religious property, use of a fire to commit a felony and use of a firearm to commit a crime of violence. On April 16, 2013, Linn was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison for these hate crimes.
The first John Marshall Award for Support of Litigation is presented for exceptional support to the National Labor Relations Board and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Award Recipients include, from the Office of the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Beth S. Brinkmann; Appellate Counsel Scott R. McIntosh; and Appellate Staff Attorneys Melissa N. Patterson and Benjamin M. Shultz; and from the Office of the Solicitor General, Assistant to the Solicitor General Curtis E. Gannon. This team is honored for providing exceptional support to the National Labor Relations Board in connection with the challenged validity of President Obama’s recess appointment of three board members, and to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in connection with the president’s appointment of its director. The issues opened up multiple first-impression questions of constitutional law implicating the historical practices under the Recess Appointments Clause all the way back to the first president. The recipients undertook an extraordinary effort, turning to the primary historical sources themselves, poring over original appointment records in the National Archives, the U.S. Department of State, the Library of Congress and other historical collections, and documented a substantial number of presidential recess appointments never before reported in any academic source or judicial decision.
The second John Marshall Award for Support of Litigation is presented to the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section, Deputy Section Chief Ellen M. Mahan; Assistant Section Chief William D. Brighton; Senior Counsel Jerome W. MacLaughlin; Senior Attorneys Peter M. Flynn and Keith T. Tashima; and Trial Attorney Bradley L. Levine, for outstanding performance recovering funds for cleanup and restoration at the New Bedford Harbor PCB Superfund Site. This team was instrumental in recovering $475 million for environmental cleanup and restoration of natural resources at the New Bedford Harbor polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) Superfund Site in Massachusetts. Decades of industrial discharges spread PCB contamination across 18,000 acres of the harbor bottom. PCB pollution threatens human health and interferes with a multi-generational tradition of fin and shell fishing in the harbor by local families, including families of Portuguese, Puerto Rican and Cape Verdean descent. The money recovered will increase the pace and efficiency of the harbor cleanup. This case procured a huge victory for the people of New Bedford and for the environment, and struck a blow for environmental justice. It represents an outstanding achievement by this talented, determined and resourceful team of litigators.
The John Marshall Award for Handling of Appeals is presented to Deputy Chief Robert A. Parker of the Criminal Division’s Appellate Section, Criminal Division Attorney Christopher J. Smith; General Attorney Paula H. Wulff of the FBI’s Office of the General Counsel; Senior Counsel David J. Karp from the Office of Legal Policy; and from the Office of the Solicitor, Deputy Solicitor General Michael R. Dreeben, and General Assistant to the Solicitor General Elaine J. Goldenberg. This team is recognized for its extraordinary work in successfully defending the interests of the United States before the U.S. Supreme Court in Maryland v. King. In King, the court, by a narrow vote of five to four, upheld the right of federal and state law enforcement to collect DNA samples from arrestees for the purpose of generating identification profiles. The importance of this decision cannot be overstated as it validates over two decades of efforts by Congress, state legislatures and federal and state law enforcement agencies to create a reliable national database of DNA identification profiles that can be used to identify criminal offenders, solve crimes and exonerate the innocent, all while rigorously protecting personal privacy. The recipients worked together to brief and argue the case on behalf of the United States, and the Supreme Court majority’s opinion closely tracks the arguments they crafted. Their efforts were crucial to the outcome of this case, and will have far-reaching effects on the ability of federal, state and local enforcement agencies to identify offenders and solve crimes.
The John Marshall Award for Providing Legal Advice is presented to John T. Lynch Jr., Chief of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, for his dedicated service and outstanding leadership of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. Mr. Lynch is a leader in one of the department’s most prominent areas of concern, and his expert, tireless and professional work as Chief of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section has furthered the department’s mission at every stage. From the highest levels of the department and throughout the law enforcement community, anyone who confronts complex issues involving computer crime or cyber threats knows and relies upon Mr. Lynch and the people that he leads. From providing expert advice on hacking cases, protecting intellectual property rights, and guiding the department’s position on crucial legislative and policy initiatives, Mr. Lynch has served the government with the highest commitment and level of professionalism.
The John Marshall Award for Preparation or Handling of Legislation is presented to Deputy Director Michelle Morales and Attorney Janis Kockritz from the Criminal Division’s Office of Policy and Legislation for their exceptional work in conceptualizing, planning and completing the DOJ Review of Federal Firearm Prohibitors Report. The report was commissioned by President Obama following the murder of 20 first graders and six adult staff members at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. The team’s exhaustive work resulted in a comprehensive report that examines how the current prohibitors are applied in practice to prevent certain categories of persons from obtaining and/or possessing firearms; identifies statutory, regulatory and operational gaps or weaknesses in the existing prohibitors; and presents legislative and executive policy options for modifying or enhancing the prohibitors to make them more effective in preventing potentially dangerous individuals from having guns. The report is a major contribution to department’s understanding of the role, application and realities of the federal firearm prohibitors in federal law enforcement, and marks a notable advancement for the Criminal Division in legal and policy analysis.
The John Marshall Award for Asset Forfeiture is presented to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arlo Devlin-Brown, Christopher D. Frey, Randall Wade Jackson, Paul M. Monteleoni, Matthew L. Schwartz and John T. Zach for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara A. Ward of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey. This team is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of various cases stemming from the collapse of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, which was revealed in December 2008 to be the largest Ponzi scheme in history. In the five years since Bernard Madoff was arrested for orchestrating his massive Ponzi scheme, the team conducted an international investigation that resulted in the prosecution of more than a dozen individuals; a deferred prosecution agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank; and the forfeiture and collection of more than $4 billion. The forfeited funds are being distributed through the largest and most ambitious remission project in the department’s history, where it will reach thousands of victims in dozens of countries, and serve as a precedent for future large-scale remission programs. The team’s extraordinary work, including its novel use of forfeiture, has ensured a meaningful measure of recompense to thousands of innocent victims who otherwise would not have recovered anything from the failed investments.
The John Marshall Award for Alternative Dispute Resolution is presented to the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Natural Resources Section Assistant Section Chief Keith E. Saxe and Senior Attorneys Stephen G. Bartell and Thomas K. Snodgrass for their outstanding professional achievement for the protection of ecosystems in Juab County, Utah. This team is honored for its exemplary work in the management of litigation involving claims brought under the Quiet Title Act for highway rights-of-way, and the negotiation of a creative three-sided resolution of the first of dozens of lawsuits involving highway rights-of-way claims that threaten the federal government’s ability to manage federal lands in the western United States. The settlement provides for the protection of important ecosystems in a remote area of Juab County in Utah, designated as the Deep Creek Mountains Wilderness Study Area, which is known for its beauty and impressive geologic formations. The agreement balances the protection of the lands with limited access to these remote areas for recreational purposes. The settlement is historic in identifying an approach to resolving a flood of litigation that could severely drain the resources of the department and its client land-management agencies. The negotiation was a model of cooperation among federal, state and local governments, as well as environmental interests, and set a foundation of good will on which to build further agreement and resolutions.
The John Marshall Award for Interagency Cooperation in Support of Litigation is presented to Robert A. Kaplan, Regional Counsel for Region 5 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for his outstanding work managing EPA’s largest regional enforcement program. As the chief attorney overseeing the EPA’s largest and most successful regional enforcement program, Mr. Kaplan is recognized for his unrelenting efforts to support the environmental enforcement litigation that the department pursues on EPA’s behalf. In fiscal year 2013, the Office of Regional Counsel overseen by Mr. Kaplan led all 10 EPA regions in the number of civil litigation referrals to the department, the number of civil judicial matters concluded, the total dollar value of injunctive relief and supplemental environmental projects obtained in their cases, and the total amount of air pollution reduced through enforcement efforts. These results were enabled in large part by Mr. Kaplan’s leadership and initiatives promoting joint priority-setting by EPA and the department; the efficient deployment of enforcement resources; and the active oversight and support of the case development work, negotiations and litigation undertaken by the assigned case teams.
Attorney General Holder Announces Vanita Gupta to Serve as Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights DivisionRead the Press Release
Attorney General Eric Holder announced on Wednesday that Vanita Gupta will serve as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.
Gupta succeeds Molly Moran, who will become Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General.
“Vanita has spent her entire career working to ensure that our nation lives up to its promise of equal justice for all,” said Attorney General Holder. “Even as she has done trailblazing work as a civil rights lawyer, Vanita is also known as a unifier and consensus builder. She has a knack for bridging differences and building coalitions to drive progress. I am certain that Vanita will serve as a sound steward of this critical division, continuing the exemplary work that Molly Moran, Jocelyn Samuels and Tom Perez, have so ably led.”
Prior to joining the department, Gupta served as Deputy Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union and Director of its Center for Justice. Previously, she was an attorney for its Racial Justice Program. Over her career, Gupta has earned a reputation for working closely and collaboratively with law enforcement, departments of corrections and across the political spectrum to advance smart policing and criminal justice reforms. Through her work with the ACLU, she has been involved in reform initiatives around the country pertaining to federal and state policing, sentencing, drug policy and criminal law. Her recent work has focused on building a bipartisan consensus to end overreliance on incarceration.
Gupta began her career as a lawyer with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. In addition to her work with the ACLU and NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Gupta has taught civil rights litigation and advocacy clinics at New York University School of Law since 2008. She received a B.A., magna cum laude, from Yale University and J.D. from New York University School of Law.
Her first case involved leading an effort to win the release of 35 defendants in Tulia, Texas, whose drug convictions and lengthy sentences were discredited by the work of Gupta and the legal team of private bar attorneys she organized. All of the defendants were eventually pardoned in 2003 by Governor Rick Perry, and she helped to negotiate a $6 million settlement for those arrested.
Gupta begins at the department on Monday, Oct. 20.
The Attorney General also announced that Molly Moran will become Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General in Acting Associate Attorney General Stuart F. Delery’s office.
“Molly Moran stepped in to lead the Civil Rights Division at my request and she has led the division through some unprecedented challenges,” said Attorney General Holder. “During a time of transition for the division, Molly provided stability and leadership. From Ferguson, Missouri to voting rights cases in Texas, North Carolina and beyond, the division has continued its critical work on behalf of the American people with the benefit of Molly’s wise counsel, thoughtful leadership and tireless advocacy. Fortunately for the country, the department and I will be able to continue to rely on Molly’s talents for the foreseeable future as Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General.”
Since becoming Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, Moran has provided stability and leadership to the division during one of its most high profile periods. Stepping into the role as Acting Assistant Attorney General just before the shooting of Michael Brown by a Ferguson Missouri Police Officer, Moran has overseen the ongoing civil rights investigation into the shooting and opened a civil pattern or practice investigation into the operations of the Ferguson Police Department. In September, the division filed a statement of interest in Hurrell-Harring et al. v. New York regarding the standards for indigent defense provided by the state—only the second time the division has weighed in on a state level case on right to counsel. Following a September 2014 trial, the department won its first Voting Rights Act case since the Supreme Court’s Shelby v. Holder ruling. In the case, which challenged the Texas voter ID law, the court agreed with the department’s position that the law is discriminatory in both effect and intent.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bridget M. Brennan and Ava Rotell Dustin Honored for Toledo Mosque Arson ProsecutionRead the Press Release
Attorney General Eric Holder presented Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bridget M. Brennan and Ava M. Rotell Dustin the John Marshall Award for Participation in Litigation today at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., honoring them for successfully prosecuting the arson at the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo last year.
The annual Attorney General Awards recognize department employees and other individuals for their dedication to carrying out the Department of Justice’s mission.
“With this important event, we come together to honor some of our nation’s most distinguished, dedicated, and deserving public servants,” said Attorney General Holder. “The hard work and impressive achievements of these 278 award recipients have inspired their colleagues at every level of the U.S. Department of Justice – including me. Their leadership has been indispensable in defining the past year as one of historic accomplishment in the face of nearly unprecedented challenge.”
“The hard work of these talented prosecutors and agents deserves national recognition, both because of their success but even more because of what they were fighting for,” said U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio Steven M. Dettelbach. “Religious freedom is at the core of our community and nation, and those who would commit acts of violence based on a how someone prays also do violence to our American ideals.”
The John Marshall Award for Participation in Litigation is presented for superior performance in the litigation and prosecution of Randolph Linn, the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo arsonist. Award recipients include, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bridget M. Brennan and Ava M. Rotell Dustin.
On Sept. 30, 2012, Linn, armed with gas cans and a handgun, set fire to the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo, the largest mosque in northwest Ohio. This horrific act resulted in more than $1.4 million in damage, displaced the congregation and a full-time elementary school for over a year, and caused a wave of fear to spread throughout the Muslim community in the region. Less than three months after the fire was set, the recipients skillfully negotiated a binding plea agreement resulting in Linn pleading guilty to damage to religious property, use of a fire to commit a felony and use of a firearm to commit a crime of violence. On April 16, 2013, Linn was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison for these hate crimes.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley L. Altshuler Receives Award from Attorney General for Reentry ProgramRead the Press Release
Oklahoma City — Attorney General Eric Holder recognized 278 Justice Department employees, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley L. Altshuler from the Western District of Oklahoma, with Attorney General Awards at a ceremony this morning in Washington DC. These annual awards recognize department employees and other individuals for their dedication in carrying out the mission of the Department of Justice.
"With this important event, we come together to honor some of our nation's most distinguished, dedicated, and deserving public servants," said Attorney General Holder. "The hard work and impressive achievements of these 278 award recipients have inspired their colleagues at every level of the U.S. Department of Justice – including me. Their leadership has been indispensable in defining the past year as one of historic accomplishment in the face of nearly unprecedented challenge."
"We are delighted that the Attorney General has recognized the dedicated work of AUSA Altshuler in the implementation of our Probationer and Parolee Reentry Program," said Sanford C. Coats, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma. "We are extremely proud of our reentry efforts which are specifically designed to help offenders avoid recidivism and become productive members of society."
AUSA Altshuler received an Attorney General's Award for Contribution by a New Employee for his exceptional performance in support of the DOJ Project Safe Neighborhoods, Project Sentry and Offender Reentry Initiatives. Since he was hired, AUSA Altshuler has exceptionally performed his duties in support of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, Project Sentry and offender reentry initiatives. He has taken the initiative to make reentry a priority and led these efforts in the U.S. Attorney’s Office through the creation and development of the Probationer and Parolee Reentry Program (PPREP).
The PPREP program is designed to serve three purposes: (1) To inform recently released state parolees and probationers about the coordinated effort between federal, state, and local authorities to prosecute gun offenders to the fullest extent of the law; (2) to educate them about the legal consequences of gun and drug crimes; and (3) to inspire them to seek reentry social services to better their lives and lessen the chances of recidivism. The PPREP program is a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office, Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office, ATF, DEA, FBI, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Oklahoma Department of Corrections Probation and Parole, Oklahoma City Police Department, Edmond Police Department, Midwest City Police Department, and other non-governmental entities. In addition, AUSA Altshuler has established a research partnership with a local university to study the effectiveness of the reentry program.
The inaugural PREP session was held on March 24, 2011, which targeted 100 offenders. Since that date, over two dozen P-PREP programs have been held hosting approximately 3000 state probationers and parolees.
Arrests Dismantle Craighead County Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK - Christopher R. Thyer, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas; along with David Downing, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Jonesboro Police Department Chief Kenton Buckner; and Craighead County Sheriff Marty Boyd announced the unsealing of a 43-count indictment charging multiple defendants in Arkansas and California, with multiple drug charges. An investigation into a large-scale drug trafficking organization based in Jonesboro resulted in the early-morning arrests of ten defendants on charges involving the distribution of methamphetamine.
“The arrests today effectively dismantled this Jonesboro-based drug trafficking organization,” stated Thyer. “We not only made arrests here in Eastern Arkansas, but also have traffickers from San Jose, California and Michigan in custody. Together, with the DEA and our federal, state and local partners in Arkansas and across the nation, we will investigate, arrest and prosecute those who seek to bring meth into our neighborhoods.”
The investigation began in February 2013. Multiple undercover operations and numerous other law enforcement actions, including multiple seizures of methamphetamine were used during the investigation. All told, the DEA seized approximately 96 pounds of methamphetamine which has an estimated street value of $1.9 million.
Through the course of the investigation, DEA learned that Joseph Farrell was a large-scale methamphetamine dealer in the Jonesboro area, selling between 5 and 15 pounds of methamphetamine per week. Farrell had sources of supply for methamphetamine in both Blytheville and San Jose, California, and Farrell occasionally received shipments of methamphetamine and marijuana from his source in California through FedEx.
The indictment, unsealed today, was handed down by a Federal Grand Jury on October 8, 2014. The indictment charges 22 defendants in 43 separate counts. The counts include conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and using a communication facility in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. If convicted of conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams methamphetamine, each defendant will face a sentence of not less than 10 years to life imprisonment.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, with assistance from multiple law enforcement agencies including: the Jonesboro Police Department, the Craighead County Sheriff’s Office, Arkansas State Police, and United States Marshal Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Chris Givens and Benecia Moore.
An indictment contains only allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
14 October 2014
Woodstock, Vermont’s Woodstock Inn & Resort Takes Steps to Comply with the Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announces that the Woodstock Inn & Resort, Woodstock, Vermont has agreed to complete specific modifications to come into compliance with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). Title III of the ADA prohibits a public accommodation from denying an individual or a class of individuals, on the basis of a disability, the opportunity to participate in or benefit from the goods, services, facilities, or accommodations of an entity. Title III requires a public accommodation to remove architectural barriers to access in existing facilities where it is readily achievable to do so. The United States Attorney’s Office’s investigation began following a complaint made to the Vermont Human Rights Commission regarding the accessibility of the Woodstock Inn & Resort.
An onsite survey of the Woodstock Inn and Resort performed by United States Department of Justice architects revealed ADA compliance issues related to the parking areas, exterior routes, entrances, lobby, bars and dining areas, toilet rooms, representative guest rooms, designated accessible guest rooms, and the spa. The Woodstock Inn & Resort has remedied some of the ADA compliance issues identified and has agreed to a work schedule stating that most of ADA compliance issues identified will be addressed by the end of 2016 and all agreed to changes will be made by the end of 2019.
The Woodstock Inn & Resort’s owners recognized the obligation to address the issues identified in the onsite survey. The Woodstock Inn & Resort’s owners and their representatives are to be commended for their cooperation with the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont.
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont worked in partnership with Tracey Tsugawa and Karen Richards of the Vermont Human Rights Commission in addressing and resolving these important civil rights issues. Assistant United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest, with assistance from the Disability Rights Section of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, handled this matter on behalf of the United States and is working with other Vermont businesses to resolve their ADA compliance issues. Further information on the ADA and its requirements may be found at www.ada.gov.Wichita Man Sentenced to 7+ Years for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man was sentenced Tuesday to 92 months in federal prison for trafficking in methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Michael Ortega-Alvarez, 46, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. In his plea, Ortega-Alvarez admitted that on April 29, 2014, he met a Wichita police officer, who was working undercover, at a Quick Trip at 6011 W. Central and sold him an ounce of methamphetamine for $1,100.
On May 6, 2014, Wichita police stopped Ortega-Alvarez’s truck at 3100 E. 31st South. Police found a pound of methamphetamine in a red and white cooler in the truck. In addition, they found two bags of methamphetamine that weighed about a pound each hidden in a brown pillow in the truck. An additional pound of methamphetamine was located at his residence.
Co-defendant Manuel Bencomo-Rodriguez is set for sentencing Jan. 5.
Grissom commended the Wichita Police Department and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs for their work on the case.
United States Attorney Encourages Iowa Officials to Ensure Voting Equality for People with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kevin W. Techau announced today that Iowa officials have been provided with guidance to help ensure voting equality for people with disabilities. The Justice Department recently published a new technical assistance publication about federal laws that protect the rights of voters with disabilities, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act. The publication, “The Americans with Disabilities Act & Other Federal Laws Protecting the Rights of Voters with Disabilities,” is intended to help election officials, poll workers and voters understand how the ADA and other federal laws ensure equality in the voting process for people with disabilities. Last week, Mr. Techau provided the new publication to all county auditors in the Northern District of Iowa.
“Our goal is to ensure there are no inaccessible polling places or voting equipment anywhere in the Northern District of Iowa,” said Mr. Techau. “I am hopeful this new guidance will help secure voting equality for all Iowans.”
“The right to vote is the foundation upon which our country is built,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Molly Moran for the Civil Rights Division. “For too long in our history, many people with disabilities have been excluded from exercising this fundamental right and have been prevented from being a full participant in our democracy. A number of federal civil rights laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Voting Rights Act, have been put in place to address fairness in the voting process for people with disabilities. The Justice Department is fully committed to enforcing these laws to ensure that voters with disabilities are no longer discriminated against in the election process.”
The publication provides guidance about how the federal disability rights laws apply to the election process, from registration to voting. The publication discusses the need for policies, procedures, and programs to be in place to ensure that voters with disabilities are not discriminated against or illegally excluded from voting. For example, the guidance discusses local governments’ obligations under the ADA to ensure polling places are physically accessible to voters with mobility disabilities, as well as their obligation to provide effective communication with voters who have vision and hearing disabilities. Voters with disabilities must be able to access their polling place like everyone else, and vote alongside their neighbors and friends.
The “The Americans with Disabilities Act & Other Federal Laws Protecting the Rights of Voters with Disabilities” publication may be found at http://www.ada.gov/ada_voting/ada_voting_ta.pdf. Those interested in finding out more about the ADA may call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 1-800-514-0301 (V) or 1-800-514-0383 (TTY), or visit its ADA website at www.ada.gov. ADA complaints may be filed by email to [email protected].
U.S. Attorney Luger Announces 2013 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Awarded to Fbi Special Agent Ruth Hovey for Her Outstanding Investigative Work Fighting White Collar Crime in MinnesotaRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger today announced that Special Agent Ruth Hovey of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the recipient of the 2013 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award for her outstanding law enforcement work in the State of Minnesota. Special Agent Hovey has been an outstanding partner to the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s pursuit of justice in fraud cases for more than a decade, and her exemplary work during 2013 was consistent with her many previous accomplishments.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office depends on excellent work by our law enforcement partners to pursue successful prosecutions,” said U.S. Attorney Luger. “It takes a particular diligence to make white collar cases like those investigated by Special Agent Hovey. On behalf of the Department of Justice and the Assistant U.S. Attorneys in my Office, as well as all of the victims for whom she has sought justice throughout her career, I am honored to present Ruth Hovey with the 2013 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Svendsen said: “Special Agent Ruth Hovey is being honored today for her body of work investigating financial crimes. In the past several years she has brought her extensive skills to many significant investigations involving investment advisor fraud, working to protect the people of this country from those who would prey on them and steal their hard-earned savings. Special Agent Hovey is also a tremendous teammate and mentor to white collar prosecutors and agents alike. I have been privileged for the past several years to work with Ruth and to call her my friend, and I am pleased that she is being recognized for her hard work.”
Special Agent Hovey works primarily on white collar investigations focusing on investment fraud. She has led or played a central role in several large investigations that resulted in successful federal prosecutions. In 2013, Special Agent Hovey made invaluable contributions to multiple prosecutions, including acting as a leader on a team that investigated a number of hedge funds that placed money with Tom Petters and Petters Company, Inc., including the trial and conviction of Jim Fry, an investment manager of one of those hedge funds, in one of the most complex white collar cases in the history of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota. The defendants in these hedge fund cases lied to investors and used their money to invest in the Petters Ponzi scheme, playing an essential role in one of the largest fraud schemes in history, which resulted in catastrophic losses to the victims. The successful prosecution of this complex case required extraordinary cooperation and teamwork between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement agents from three different agencies. With respect to the investigation, Special Agent Hovey was particularly adept at finding the needles in this massive haystack of documents and other evidence. All told, this evidence amounted to millions of pages of documents. Special Agent Hovey and the other agents interviewed hundreds of potential witnesses, resulting in nearly 12,000 pages of written memoranda of interviews.
Special Agent Hovey was also instrumental in the recent investment fraud case against Mark Holt, a securities broker, investment advisor, and now disbarred attorney, who operated a multi- million dollar fraud scheme for at least eight years. Throughout the investigation, Special Agent Hovey did an outstanding job communicating with the victims to ensure that their voices were heard by the probation officer and the sentencing court. As a result of her work, the Court received many powerful letters detailing the impact of Holt’s crimes on the victims and their families. Holt was sentenced to serve 10 years in federal prison, and ordered to pay more than $2.9 million in restitution to the victims of his scheme.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office Law Enforcement Award is presented annually to a local, state, or federal law enforcement agent, officer, or investigative team that has performed outstanding work on a significant federal case or on a series of cases. In addition, the recipient of the award must exemplify the cooperative spirit Minnesotans have come to expect from local, state, and federal law enforcement.###
Two Local Businessmen Sentenced on Multiple Federal Fraud Charges Involving Elderly Victims in St. LouisRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO - ROBERT PALMER and MARK DRIVER were sentenced to 70 months and 30 months in prison, respectively, for defrauding numerous elderly victims of approximately $3,000,000, beginning in 2004 and continuing through 2010.
According to court documents, Princeton Partnership, LLC, was an insurance brokerage business involved in the sale of life insurance products. Princeton operated out of offices in the Hill area of St. Louis at 1928 Marconi Street (also known as 5149 Daggett Avenue). Palmer and Driver both ran the day-to-day operations of Princeton, solicited customers, marketed the company's services and had financial oversight of the company with authorization over the company's two operating bank accounts. Palmer and Driver solicited Princeton customers with the false promises that they would invest the customers' funds in suitable investments, including but not limited to, real estate, stocks and life insurance annuities. Examples of those victims include: During 2004 Palmer solicited several members of a family who had received funds upon the death of their elderly aunt with the false representation that Princeton would place those funds in a real estate investment for the benefit of those customers. Based upon his false representations, the family members transferred some or all of those funds to Princeton.
In 2005 Palmer solicited funds from an elderly individual and her family with the false representation that they would place those funds in a real estate investment for her benefit. Based on those representations the family transferred her funds to Princeton.
During 2006 through 2010 Palmer solicited investment funds from two elderly sisters with the false representations that Princeton would make suitable investments with those funds. They transferred their funds and control of their stock holdings to Princeton and, later Palmer and Driver sold and liquidated the stocks. They also persuaded one of the sisters to liquidate a life insurance policy as well and transfer the funds to Princeton.
During 2007 through 2009 Driver solicited investment funds from an elderly woman who transferred her funds, as well as control of her stock holdings, to Princeton.
In 2006, an elderly woman was solicited by Driver to invest her personally held funds in a series of life insurance annuities through Princeton. Princeton used her funds to purchase four (4) life insurance annuities. As a further part of the scheme, during in or about 2008 and 2009, at Driver's direction she liquidated three (3) of her life insurance annuities and provided those funds to Princeton based upon the false representations that the funds would be placed in suitable investments for her benefit.
Most or all of the funds transferred to Palmer, Driver and Princeton by the numerous victims were used by Palmer and Driver for their own personal uses and the general operating expenses of Princeton. Palmer and Driver also engaged in Ponzi-type transactions where they used some funds provided by new customers to pay old customers who falsely believed they were receiving the returns on their purported investments.
In all cases Palmer and Driver obtained approximately $3,000,000 from Princeton customers based upon their false representations, which they used for their own personal use and for the expenses of their company, Princeton.
Palmer, Kansas City, MO; and Driver, St. Louis, MO, pled guilty in June to two felony counts of mail fraud and two felony counts of wire fraud. They appeared today for sentencing before United States District Judge Rodney Sippel.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Postal Inspection Service, with assistance of the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Hal Goldsmith handled the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Two Facing Federal Charges for Patterson Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Two Central Valley men are now in federal custody after a Fresno grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging them with armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
Juan Carlos Reyes, 24, of Tracy, and Jose Valadez Jr., 33, of Patterson, were indicted on September 18, 2014. Valadez was arrested on the day of the robbery and has been in custody since then on a state charge, which was dismissed Friday. Reyes was arrested on a federal warrant on October 11, 2014, after he was detained in Manteca by local law enforcement on suspicion of an unrelated offense.
According to the indictment, on June 19, 2014, Reyes and Valadez robbed the Wells Fargo Bank at 1035 Sperry Avenue in Patterson. Both of the men were armed, one with a handgun and the other with a sawed-off shotgun.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Melanie L. Alsworth is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum statutory penalty for armed bank robbery of 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The mandatory minimum statutory penalty for brandishing a sawed-off shotgun during a crime of violence is 10 years in prison with a maximum of life in prison. The mandatory minimum statutory penalty for brandishing a handgun during a crime of violence is seven years in prison with a maximum of life in prison. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
The charges are only allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Tracy Man Enters Guilty Plea to Fraud Charges in Phantom Debt Collection CaseRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Kirit D. Patel, 71, of Tracy, pleaded guilty today to four counts of mail fraud and wire fraud, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
According to court documents, Patel was the owner and president of Broadway Global Master, a company that purported to be a debt collection company. From 2010 to 2012, callers operating from outside the United States placed more than two million phone calls to consumers in which they impersonated law enforcement officers and threatened to arrest the consumers if they did not provide immediate payment for online payday loans that the callers claimed were delinquent. In most cases, the consumers did not owe delinquent loans and the callers did not have the authority to collect the debts from those who did owe any balances on payday loans. Broadway Global Master processed consumers’ payments when they eventually relented and paid the non-existent debts to avoid the continued threat of arrest. From 2010 to 2012, Patel’s company received more than $5 million in payments from consumers, most of which was immediately transferred out of the country.
This case is the product of an investigation by the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew G. Morris is prosecuting the criminal case. In April 2012, the Federal Trade Commission filed a civil lawsuit against Patel and his two companies (2:12-cv-855-JAM) alleging violations of the Federal Trade Commission Act and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
Patel is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge John A. Mendez on February 10, 2015. Patel faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Three Plead Guilty to Charges Related to Methamphetamine Trafficking in Kern CountyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Three men entered guilty pleas to drug-related charges arising out of two different cases, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced. In the first case, two Southern California residents pleaded guilty today to use of an interstate facility to aid racketeering, and in the second case, a Bakersfield resident pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Southern California Men Plead Guilty to Using a Cellphone to Aid Racketeering
According to court documents, Luis Alfonso Mendivil, 22, of Riverside, and Jonathen Leyva, 27, of Rialto, admitted that they conspired with others to distribute approximately 3.5 kilograms of methamphetamine. From September 1, 2013, to October 22, 2013, they used a cellphone to carry on an unlawful methamphetamine distribution operation in Bakersfield.This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kern County Sheriff’s Department.
Both men are scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Lawrence J. O'Neill on December 22, 2014. Mendivil and Levya face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.Bakersfield Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracy
According to court documents, Juan Angel Lopez, 32, of Bakersfield, admitted that from March 1, 2014, to July 10, 2014, he knowingly and intentionally conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in Bakersfield. On April 18, 2013, a Kern County Sheriff’s deputy stopped Lopez’s vehicle and, hidden under the center console, found two firearms, a distribution amount of methamphetamine in a clear plastic bag, and $844 in cash. Also found in the vehicle were four cellphones. Lopez admitted that he knowingly possessed the 74.31 grams of methamphetamine seized from his vehicle and also acknowledged that he possessed the two firearms, which he was prohibited from possessing since he was a previously convicted felon.This case is the product of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation that is composed of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the Bakersfield Police Department, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Southern Tri-County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.
Lopez is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge O'Neill on December 22, 2014. Lopez faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Assistant United States Attorney Brian Delaney is prosecuting both cases.
Three Convicted of Conspiracy to Defraud Gulf Oil Spill FundRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM -- A federal jury on Monday convicted three people of conspiracy and fraud for their family run scheme to steal more than $3 million from the claims fund established by British Petroleum for victims of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and FBI Special Agent in Charge Richard D. Schwein Jr.
Following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Sharon Lovelace Blackburn, the jury deliberated about seven hours and returned guilty verdicts on all 55 counts against MARCELLA TRUSS, 53, her husband, MARTEE DAVIS, 42, both of Grand Bay, Ala., and Marcella Truss' brother, HOWARD LENARD CARROWAY, 42, of Mobile. Sentencing dates have not been set.
All three were convicted of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud occurring between August 2010 and December 2011 for filing false claims with the Gulf Coast Claims Facility. Evidence at trial showed the oil spill fund paid almost $2 million on the fraudulent claims. The jury also convicted Truss, Davis and Carroway of aggravated identity theft in carrying out the scheme.
The jury convicted Truss on 31 counts of wire fraud for submitting, or causing to be submitted, false claims to the GCCF and on one count of mail fraud related to a check received as part of the scheme. Davis was convicted on three wire fraud counts.
Truss and Davis were convicted of laundering money stolen from the GCCF. Carroway was convicted on two counts of obstructing justice for telling recruits in the scheme to lie to prosecutors. He also was convicted on five wire fraud counts.
BP owned the Macondo Oil Well where the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in 2010. BP established the GCCF in June 2010 to administer and settle claims made against the company by individuals or business for losses, damages or other costs resulting from the massive oil spill.
"The people convicted Monday saw a disaster that harmed the Gulf of Mexico, much of its coastline and thousands of people, and their choice was to exploit the disaster and steal from the fund intended to help its victims," Vance said. "We place a high priority on investigating and prosecuting fraud related to natural and man-made disasters to ensure that funds available to help victims of those tragedies do not fall into the hands of criminals," she said.“Those who seek to scam benefits intended for honest citizens genuinely affected by disasters can expect the FBI to be right behind them, and ultimately to face the same result as those convicted today,” said Schwein.
Truss, Davis and Carroway originally were charged along with two other people, Truss' son, Robert Truss III, 26, of Houston, and Cedric Dion Ravizee, 37, of Birmingham. Robert Truss pleaded guilty in August to conspiracy, money laundering, wire fraud and mail fraud. Ravizee pleaded guilty in June to one count of wire fraud.
This week's guilty verdicts bring to 20 the number of people convicted in the Northern District of Alabama on charges related to the scheme to defraud the GCCF. Marcella and Robert Truss, Davis and Carroway recruited the 16 other defendants to provide personal information that was used to file false claims. Those recruited then received claim payments and provided a portion of the payments to the ringleaders.
All of the claims falsely stated that the individual had worked for a company called Built by Request and had lost wages because of the Deepwater Horizon incident. Marcella Truss owned BBR and dissolved the company after the scheme played out.
The maximum penalty for conspiracy is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for wire fraud and mail fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The penalty for aggravated identity theft is two years in prison added to any sentence imposed for the underlying felony. The maximum penalty for obstruction of justice is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.The money-laundering charge for which Davis was convicted carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $500,000, or twice the value of the money involved in the crime, whichever is greater. The money-laundering charge for which Marcella Truss was convicted carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and $250,000 fine.
The FBI investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Henry Cornelius, Jacquelyn M. Hutzell and Xavier O. Carter are prosecuting the case.
###Three Chiropractors Sentenced in Staged Automobile Accident SchemeRead the Press Release
93 defendants have been charged to date in Operation Sledgehammer I-VI
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Jeff Atwater, Florida Chief Financial Officer, and Dave Aronberg, State Attorney, Office of the State Attorney for Palm Beach County, announce that defendants Kenneth Karow, 54, chiropractor, of West Palm Beach, Hermann J. Diehl, 44, chiropractor, of Miami, and Hal Mark Kreitman, 50, former chiropractor, of Miami Beach, were sentenced before U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marra for their participation in a massive staged automobile accident scheme based in Palm Beach and Miami-Dade Counties.
Defendant Karow was sentenced to 11 years in prison; defendant Diehl was sentenced to nine years in prison; and defendant Kreitman was sentenced to eight years in prison.
After a seven-week trial before U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marra, a federal jury in West Palm Beach convicted all of the defendants of one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341, all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349; and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1956(a)(1), all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(h). Defendant Karow was convicted of 48 substantive counts of mail fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1341 and 2, and 11 substantive counts of money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1956(a)(1)(A)(i), 1956(a)(1)(B)(i), 1956(a)(1)(B)(ii) and 2. Defendant Diehl was convicted of two substantive counts of mail fraud and three substantive counts of money laundering. Defendant Kreitman was convicted of 21 substantive counts of mail fraud and two substantive counts of money laundering.
According to the fourth superseding indictment, these defendants were charged with defrauding insurance companies out of Personal Injury Protection (“PIP”) insurance payments through the use of the United States Mails. This indictment alleges that the fraud was committed in a number of ways, including: (1) by soliciting licensed chiropractors, including defendants Karow and Diehl, who would serve as the “named owners” of chiropractic clinics although others would maintain financial control over the businesses in order to avoid Florida’s licensing restrictions; (2) by recruiting individuals to participate in staged automobile accidents or persons who had been in real automobile accidents but who had not suffered any injuries to attend chiropractic clinics and make claims for reimbursement for treatments that were neither needed nor received; (3) submitting fraudulent claims to insurance companies stating that the bills were for treatments that were medically necessary and were actually received when neither was true; (4) submitting claims to insurance companies without attempting to collect co-pays and deductibles from the insureds and without disclosing that fact to the insurance companies; and (5) converting the money collected from the insurance companies to cash which would be used to pay recruiters, patients, and other participants, and to enrich the members of the conspiracy.
This superseding indictment was the latest in a series of federal and state charges that have been part of a four-year investigation into a massive staged automobile accident/fraudulent chiropractic clinic scheme based in Palm Beach and Miami-Dade Counties. The joint federal and state law enforcement investigation, dubbed Operation Sledgehammer, has resulted in charges filed against 93 defendants for their participation in this automobile insurance fraud scheme. Of those 93 defendants, 57 have been charged federally by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, resulting in court-ordered restitution of more than $11 million to the defrauded insurance companies, and 51 of those 57 defendants have been convicted by jury or by guilty plea. The remaining six defendants are fugitives. Another thirty-six defendants have been charged by the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office.
According to the evidence presented at trial, between October 2006 and December 2012, the defendants and their co-conspirators staged automobile accidents and thereafter caused the submission of false insurance claims through chiropractic clinics they controlled. To execute the scheme, the true owners of the chiropractic clinics allegedly recruited individuals, who had the medical or chiropractic licenses required by the state to open a clinic, to act as “nominee owners” of the clinics. The defendants also recruited individuals, whom they referred to as “Macho” and the “Hembra” or the “Perro” and “Perra,” to participate in the accidents, and others to help the clinics launder the insurance proceeds. The defendants also hired complicit chiropractors, including Diehl, Karow and Kreitman, and therapists who prescribed and billed for unnecessary treatments and/or for services that had not been rendered. Thereafter, complicit clinic employees prepared and submitted claims to the automobile insurance companies for payment for these unnecessary or non-rendered services. Twenty-one clinics participated in this scheme.
Mr. Ferrer commended the efforts of the FBI, IRS-CI, the Florida Division of Insurance Fraud, the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office, and the Greater Palm Beach County Health Care Fraud Task Force for their outstanding work in this case. Mr. Ferrer also recognized the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) for its collaboration and assistance in this investigation. This case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys A. Marie Villafaña and E.J. Yera.
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.
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Billy Gene McCorkle, Jr., a registered sex offender, has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for distributing child pornography.
“McCorkle’s choice to continue to exploit children, even as a convicted sex offender has resulted in his exit from society” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “Recidivist offenders like this defendant prey on the most innocent in our society who depend on us to protect them. We will continue to prosecute those who traffic in these horrific images and exhibit such blatant disregard for the welfare of young children.”
“The defendant’s repeated sexual exploitation of children is an egregious crime and well deserves this lengthy sentence,” said Brock D. Nicholson, Special Agent in Charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations in Atlanta. “The distribution of child pornography continues the exploitation of its victims and creates a demand for the further abuse of other children. HSI is grateful to have such a strong partner in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia to aggressively investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of these vile crimes.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and other information presented in court: On November 4, 2013, a special agent with the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) discovered that McCorkle had accessed a website used to exchange images of child pornography. On November 5, 2013, the agent, acting in an undercover capacity, sent an email to McCorkle, based on his profile information. During the email exchange that followed, McCorkle offered to, and did, send child pornography to the undercover agent depicting a young, nude girl who appeared to be about eight years old. The subsequent investigation revealed multiple occasions that McCorkle sent and received files containing child pornography.
On December 13, 2013, HSI special agents arrested McCorkle for distributing child pornography, and related offenses. At the time of his arrest, federal agents also seized a cellular telephone from McCorkle. When agents searched McCorkle’s telephone pursuant to a search warrant, they found more than 13,000 images of child pornography. Agents also learned that McCorkle was a registered sex offender, having been previously convicted of child molestation on February 22, 2006.
McCorkle, 46, of Canton, Ga., was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison, to be followed by lifetime supervised release. McCorkle pleaded guilty on May 8, 2014.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security.
Assistant United States Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. prosecuted the case.
This case is a part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Raleigh Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that in federal court today, MICHAEL JOSEPH PLOCAR, 62pled guilty before Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever III to receipt of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2), during his arraignment.
On March 19, 2014, a Criminal Indictment was filed charging PLOCAR with the violation.
In October 2012, according to the investigation, an undercover officer discovered that PLOCAR’s IP address was downloading and sharing Child Pornography (CP). On November 1, 2012, a search warrant was executed at PLOCAR’s home and he was present at the time. During his non-custodial interview, PLOCAR admitted that he had been downloading and viewing child pornography for the past several years. Agents seized several computers, as well as other media devices, including a harddrive which was located in a locked safe that PLOCAR admitted he used to back-up his CP files. A subsequent computer forensics examination of these items revealed approximately 44 videos of CP on 2 computers and 3 harddrives. The videos were lengthy, several over 30 minutes long.
At sentencing, scheduled for the January 12, 2015 term of court, PLOCAR faces up to 20 years imprisonment. If he has had prior convictions relating to aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, abusive conduct involving a minor or ward, sex trafficking of children, or the production, receipt, possession, sale, distribution, shipment, or transportation of children pornography, the penalty increases to up to 40 years imprisonment.
Investigation of this case was conducted by HSI, Wake County Sheriff’s Office, Cary Police Department, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Ethan Ontjes prosecuted the case for the United States.
This case was part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a national program aimed at ensuring that criminals exploiting children are effectively prosecuted by making full use of all available law enforcement resources at every level. For more information about this important national project, Project Safe Childhood, go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Radiology Billing Company to Pay $1.95 Million to Resolve False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - The United States Attorney’s Office announced that it has reached a settlement with Medical Business Service, Inc. (MBS), which agreed to pay $1.95 million to settle claims that it violated the False Claims Act by fraudulently changing diagnosis codes on claims to Medicare and Medicaid, in order to get the rejected claims paid on behalf of radiologists. MBS was located in Florida, with an office in Duluth, Ga.
“Billing companies provide a key check-point to combat medical billing fraud. Consequently, they will be examined with the same scrutiny as healthcare providers,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates.J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “Federal funds designated for use through the Medicare and Medicaid programs are much needed but limited. When those funds are not used as intended, the system does not work as intended and people suffer. The FBI will continue to work with its various law enforcement partners in dedicating significant investigative resources toward ensuring that these federally funded healthcare based programs are not abused.”
“The health care providers who contracted with MBS placed their trust in the company to correctly process claims and not submit fraudulent information to the Medicare and Medicaid programs,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General in Atlanta. “The lack of compliance and oversight by MBS placed all these providers at risk. Billing services such as MBS have no less of a duty to ensure truthful information on claims than do the providers who use these services.”
The civil settlement resolves the United States’ investigation into MBS’s billing practices. The United States alleges that MBS improperly coded and billed claims by radiologists that were submitted to the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Medicare and Medicaid issue guidance stating that they will not pay for certain procedures given to patients with specific diagnoses. Medicare and Medicaid will reject claims for payment that combine those procedures and diagnoses. MBS allegedly changed the diagnosis codes on previously rejected claims to avoid those restrictions in order to have the claims paid. The settlement covers a three year period, 2008-2010, during which the conduct allegedly occurred.
This civil settlement resolves a lawsuit filed by Katlisa N. Vaughn under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private citizens to bring civil actions on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery obtained. The case, pending in the Northern District of Georgia, is filed under United States of America, State of Florida, State of Georgia, State of New York, State of Tennessee, and State of Texas ex rel. Katlisa N. Vaughn v. Medical Business Service, Inc., Civ. No. 1:10-CV-2953. The Federal government will receive $1.917 million from the settlement, while Florida, Georgia, New York, and Texas will split the remainder of the settlement. Ms. Vaughn will receive a share of the settlement payment that resolves the qui tam suit that she filed. The claims settled in the civil settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.This resolution is part of the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud under the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announced by Attorney General Eric Holder and Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, in May 2009. The partnership between the two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation. One of the most powerful tools in that effort is the False Claims Act, which the Justice Department has used to recover more than $14 billion since January 2009 in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs. The Justice Department’s total recoveries in False Claims Act cases since January 2009 are over $20 billion.
This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General.
The civil settlement was reached by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher J. Huber.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty in FBI Investigation into Heroin TraffickingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH- A Pittsburgh resident pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Samuel Brooks, age 28, 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 and around June, 2013, and continuing thereafter to in and around May, 2014, the Brooks conspired with others to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
Judge Conti scheduled sentencing for Feb. 19, 2015, at 3:30 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of a mandatory minimum of five years and up to a maximum total sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of $5,000,0000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Amy L. Johnston is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Brooks.
Penn Yan Man Sentenced for Attempting to Obtain Money from Bank by ExtortionRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.--U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Jonathan A. Karcher, 21, of Penn Yan, N.Y., who was convicted of attempting to extort money from the Lyons National Bank in Penn Yan, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer to 41 months in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Everardo A. Rodriguez, who handled the case, stated that on June 5, 2013, Karcher called the manager of Lyons National Bank and demanded that the manager take $15,000 in cash and leave it by a dumpster behind the Rite Aid store across the street from the bank. During that conversation, the defendant threatened the bank manager by informing her that he had information about the manager’s residence and children. Karcher later drove to the area of Lyons National Bank and parked in the Rite Aid parking lot across the street. The defendant then walked by the dumpster behind the store to determine if the $15,000 had been left there as he had directed the branch manager to do.
Subsequent investigation by the FBI and Penn Yan Police Department identified Karcher as the offender. Investigators tracked the defendant down through the analysis of records tied to the cellular telephone used in the call to the bank.
The sentencing is the culmination of a joint investigation on the part of the Penn Yan Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Hulse, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.Patricia Merz and Christopher Mcguigan Convicted for Embezzling from Mother's Bennington EstateRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that a federal jury in Burlington on Friday found Patricia Merz, 57, of Niskayuna, New York, guilty on charges of conspiracy, interstate transportation of stolen money, wire fraud and forgery after a three-day trial in U.S. District Court. The week before, Christopher McGuigan, 52, of Rutland, Merz's brother and co-defendant, pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge. Chief Judge Christina Reiss has released both defendants on conditions pending their sentencings, which have been scheduled for early next year.
Earlier this year, a federal grand jury in Rutland returned an indictment charging the defendants with conspiracy, wire fraud, interstate transportation of stolen money and forgery. According to the indictment, the defendants' mother, Annelise McGuigan, died in Bennington in 2009. She left no will. In late 2009, the Bennington probate court appointed Merz and McGuigan as co-administrators of their mother's estate. As administrators, they had a legal duty to prepare an inventory of estate assets, pay the estate's debts and render an accounting to the court.
According to the indictment, Annelise McGuigan owned a house in Rupert at the time of her death. With the court's permission, Merz and McGuigan sold the house in 2010, a sale which netted the estate about $180,000. Although Merz and McGuigan had received claims against the estate totaling more than $88,000 -- debts incurred for funeral expenses, property maintenance, credit card expenses and nursing home and medical care -- Merz and McGuigan never paid any of those obligations. Instead, they used virtually all of the estate funds to benefit themselves, expending all the estate funds within about one year. Merz withdrew about $50,000 from the estate account by forging McGuigan's signatures on numerous banking withdrawal slips.
Over 30,000 Students to Take Pledge Against Gun ViolenceRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kenneth Polite announced that on Wednesday, October 15, 2014, over 30,000 students in over 70 schools across Southeast Louisiana will participate in his Office’s first district-wide Student Pledge Against Gun Violence Day.
Middle and high school students will sign a voluntary pledge promising that they will never take a gun to school, will never resolve a dispute with a gun, and will use their influence to prevent friends from using guns to resolve disputes. Elementary school children will make a simpler commitment, pledging that if they see a gun they will not touch it, they will assume that any gun they see might be loaded, and they will tell a teacher or a trusted adult.
In coordination with the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods program, the Student Pledge Against Gun Violence is a national program that recognizes the role that young people, through their own decisions, can play in reducing gun violence. This campaign against youth gun violence culminates each October in a Day of National Concern about Young People and Gun Violence. Students from around the country will join together in pledging to do their part to end gun violence. Over 10 million students nationwide have signed the pledge since its inception in 1996.
U.S. Attorney Polite stated that his Office began using the pledge during the 2013-14 school year, with approximately 2500 students signing the pledge at seven schools. Because of the outstanding response from school leaders and students, the Office decided to expand the initiative district-wide to include all schools in all 13 parishes, including Assumption, Jefferson, Lafourche, Plaquemines, Orleans, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, and Washington. "Our Office is pleased to take this opportunity to reach out to students, engage in a dialogue about gun violence and the importance of making right choices, and encourage them to become peacemakers of our time," stated U.S. Attorney Polite.
In addition to providing the pledges, members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies will serve as speakers at several schools to talk to students about what they can do to reduce gun violence in their communities.
The participating schools and law enforcement agencies are as follows:
Schools: Algiers Technology Academy (Orleans Parish)
Alice Birney Elementary School (Jefferson Parish)
Assumption High School (Assumption Parish)
Benjamin Franklin Elementary Mathematics and Science School (Orleans Parish)
C.T. Janet Elementary School (Jefferson Parish)
Christian Brothers School (Orleans Parish)
De La Salle High School (Orleans Parish)
Dwight D. Eisenhower Academy of Global Studies (Orleans Parish)
East Houma Elementary School (Terrebonne Parish)
East St. John Elementary School (St. John Parish)
East St. John High School (St. John Parish)
Emily C. Watkins Elementary (St. John Parish)
Esperenza Charter School (Orleans Parish)
Fannie C. Williams Charter School (Orleans Parish)
Fifth Ward Elementary (St. John Parish)
Fisher Middle/High School (Jefferson Parish)
G. T. Woods Elementary School (Jefferson Parish)
Garyville/Mt. Aire Math & Science Magnet (St. John Parish)
Gentilly Terrace Charter School (Orleans Parish)
Golden Meadow Lower Elementary School (Lafourche Parish)
Gretna No. 2 Academy for Advanced Studies (Jefferson Parish)
Hammond Junior High Magnet School (Tangipahoa Parish)
Harry Hurst Middle School (St. Charles Parish)
Helen Cox High School (Jefferson Parish)
Henry Ford Middle School (Jefferson Parish)
International High School of New Orleans (Orleans Parish)
J.C. Ellis Elementary (Jefferson Parish)
Jefferson Elementary (Jefferson Parish)
John L. Ory Communication Arts Magnet School (St. John Parish)
Johnson Gretna Park Elementary School (Jefferson Parish)
Joshua Butler Elementary School (Jefferson Parish)
KIPP Believe Primary School (Orleans Parish)
KIPP Renaissance High School (Orleans)
Lafayette Academy Charter School (Orleans Parish)
Lake Area New Tech Early College High School (Orleans Parish)
Lake Forest Charter School (Orleans Parish)
Lake Pontchartrain Elementary School (St. John Parish)
LaPlace Elementary School (St. John Parish)
Laurence D. Crocker College Prep (Orleans Parish)
Livaudais Middle School (Jefferson Parish)
Martin Behrman Elementary (Orleans Parish)
Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary School (Orleans Parish)
Mater Dolorosa Catholic School (Tangipahoa Parish)
McDonogh 32 Literacy Charter School (Orleans Parish)
McDonogh 26 Elementary (Jefferson Parish)
McDonogh 42 Elementary Charter School (Orleans Parish)
Medard H. Nelson Charter School (Orleans Parish)
Mildred Harris Elementary (Jefferson Parish)
Miller Wall Elementary (Jefferson Parish)
Myrtle C. Thibodeaux Elementary (Jefferson Parish)
New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy (Orleans Parish)
Northshore High School (St. Tammany Parish)
Our Lady of Grace School (St. John Parish)
Paul J. Solis Elememtary (Jefferson Parish)
Pierre A. Capdau Charter School (Orleans Parish)
Pierre Part Middle School (Assumption Parish)
St. Augustine High School (Orleans Parish)
St. Benedict the Moor (Orleans Parish)
St. Bernard Middle School (St. Bernard Parish)
St. Christopher School (Jefferson Parish)
St. Peter Claver Catholic School (Orleans Parish)
St. Mary's Academy (Orleans Parish)
Sylvanie Williams College Prep (Orleans Parish)
T. H. Harris Middle School (Jefferson Parish)
The Good Shepherd School (Orleans Parish)
Vic A. Pitre Elementary School (Jefferson Parish)
Village East Middle School (Terrebonne Parish)
West St. John Elementary (St. John Parish)
West St. John High School (St. John Parish)
Wesley Ray Elementary School (Washington Parish)
William Fischer Accelerated Academy (Orleans Parish)
William Hart Elementary (Jefferson Parish)Agencies: Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Gretna Police Department
Houma Police Department
Houma Sheriff’s Department
Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office
New Orleans Police Department
St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office
Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office
U.S. ProbationOmaha Man Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
On October 9, 2014, Todd Shannon Bartusek, age 43 of Omaha, Nebraska, pled guilty to one count of Tax Evasion, a felony, before the Honorable Joseph F. Bataillon, Senior United States District Court Judge. The penalty for such offense includes a term of imprisonment of up to five years, a $250,000 fine, or both such fine and imprisonment, and a term of supervised release of up to three years. Bartusek is to be sentenced on January 9, 2015.
An investigation conducted by the Internal Revenue Service determined that between at least 2007 and 2010, Bartusek operated a sports bookmaking business while a resident of the District of Nebraska. While operating the sports bookmaking business, Bartusek collected losses, receiving payment in the form of cash, checks, and internet payments. Bartusek did not report any of the income he received from the sports bookmaking business on his 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 personal income tax returns. The unreported income for 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 resulted in an additional income tax due and owing the Internal Revenue Service of at least $256,902.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service.
November 2014 ElectionsRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Middle District of North Carolina United States Attorney Ripley Rand announced today that Assistant United States Attorney Robert M. Hamilton will lead the efforts of the United States Attorney’s Office in connection with the Justice Department=s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 4, 2014, general elections. AUSA Hamilton has been appointed to serve as the Election Officer for the Middle District of North Carolina. In this capacity, AUSA Hamilton is responsible for overseeing the District=s handling of allegations of election fraud and voting rights abuses, as well as working in consultation with the Justice Department as to these allegations.
United States Attorney Ripley Rand said, "Every citizen must be able to vote without fear of interference or discrimination. Every citizen’s vote must be counted without fear that it will be stolen because of fraud. The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process."
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on Election Day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are efforts to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Furthermore, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballots or to be assisted in voting by a person of their choice.
Voting is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to vote exercise their rights if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt the voting process are brought to justice. With respect to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses, United States Attorney Ripley Rand stated that AUSA Robert M. Hamilton will be on duty in the Middle District of North Carolina while the polls are open. AUSA Hamilton and the United States Attorney’s Office will ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities. AUSA Hamilton can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 336-333-5351.
Furthermore, the Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] will have Special Agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 336-855-7770.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to [email protected] or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
United States Attorney Ripley Rand said, “Ensuring that our elections are free and fair depends in large part on the cooperation of the public. If you have specific information about voters being harassed or discriminated against, voter fraud, or other voting irregularities, please make that information available immediately to our Office, the FBI, or the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.”
Norwalk Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing CocaineRead the Press Release
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Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LAMAR POWELL, 60, of Norwalk, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for his role in a southwestern Connecticut narcotics trafficking ring.
This matter stems from a six-month investigation spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Stamford Police Department’s Narcotics and Organized Crime Squad. As a result of the investigation, 20 individuals were charged with various federal offenses related to the distribution of cocaine and crack cocaine in Bridgeport, Norwalk and Stamford. In addition, law enforcement officers seized more than $100,000 in cash, 500 grams of cocaine, 350 grams of crack cocaine, several vehicles and jewelry.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the investigation revealed that Marvin Wooten, also known as “Smash,” of Norwalk, was operating a significant crack cocaine distribution ring in Fairfield County. Between September 2012 and January 2013, Wooten regularly purchased multi-hundred gram quantities of cocaine from various sources of supply, including POWELL, and also from individuals who were distributing cocaine out of a Bridgeport barbershop. Wooten then converted the cocaine to crack cocaine and distributed it to other dealers and customers.
During the investigation, Wooten met with POWELL on several occasions to purchase hundreds of grams of cocaine.
On July 11, 2013, POWELL pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack cocaine”) and 500 grams or more of powder cocaine.
Wooten also pleaded guilty and, on May 22, 2013, was sentenced to 120 months of imprisonment.
This matter has been investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force – including the Bridgeport, Stamford, Norwalk, Milford, Westport, and Stratford Police Departments, and the Connecticut State Police – and the Stamford Police Department’s Narcotics and Organized Crime Squad. The U.S. Marshals Service also assisted in the arrests of several of the defendants.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Karwan and Robert Spector.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722 [email protected]New Jersey Woman Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Non-ProfitRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Rochelle Biesenthal, 64, of Brigantine, New Jersey, was sentenced today to 12 months and a day in prison. On May 28, 2014, Ms. Biesenthal pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and three counts of tax evasion.
As part of her wire fraud charge, Ms. Biesenthal engaged in a scheme to defraud the Jewish Heritage Programs (“JHP”). JHP is a non-profit organization in Philadelphia that provides opportunities for Jewish college students (at the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University and other universities), as well as young professionals, and other persons to engage with their Jewish heritage and reaffirm their Jewish identity. Ms. Biesenthal was carried out the scheme between 2002 and April 2009, while she was employed as a bookkeeper at JHP. She fraudulently prepared and issued checks drawn on JHP’s bank accounts and rather than use them for the non-profit’s mission, she made those unauthorized checks payable to her.
Ms. Biesenthal also fraudulently authorized electronic debits from JHP’s bank accounts to pay for her personal credit cards and her family’s personal credit cards. As part of the scheme, she defrauded JHP of a total of well over $400,000. In addition, she never reported her unauthorized income in her tax returns in tax years 2007 through 2009 and concealed the true sources of her income.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sozi Pedro Tulante.
In addition to the prison term, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Petrese Tucker ordered Biesenthal to pay restitution in the amount of $171,187.04 to JHP and $61,637 to the Internal Revenue Service. The Court also imposed three years of supervised release, and a $400 special assessment.UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, EASTERN DISTRICTof PENNSYLVANIA
Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
PATTY HARTMAN, Media Contact, 215-861-8525Nevada, Mo., Woman Pleads Guilty to Failure to Pay over Employees' Payroll TaxesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that the owner of a Nevada, Mo., business pleaded guilty in federal court today to failing to pay over more than $357,000 in federal taxes.
Dana L. Thompson Cavener, 51, of Nevada, waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to failure to pay over employment taxes.
Cavener was corporate secretary of Cavener’s Library and Office Supplies, Inc., in Nevada, Mo., which she co-owned with her husband. The business employed an average of three to five employees during the 10 years of Cavener’s criminal conduct.
By pleading guilty today, Cavener admitted that she withheld federal income taxes, Social Security taxes and Medicare taxes from the wages of her employees but willfully failed to pay over those taxes to the IRS from 2001 to 2011. The total tax loss was $357,025.
Under federal statutes, Cavener is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Mohlhenrich. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.Miami-Dade Business Owner Sentenced to 5.5 Years for Medicaid FraudRead the Press Release
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Attorney General Pam Bondi announce the sentencing of Yamile Calvo-Gonzalez, 41, of Homestead. United States District Judge Joan A. Lenard sentenced Calvo-Gonzalez to 66 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered her to pay $2,015,286.24 in restitution to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Calvo-Gonzalez, who previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1349, was the owner of WY Medical Group and Rehabilitation Services, Inc., located in Miami-Dade County.
“Health care fraud threatens the strength and integrity of our health care system,” said U.S. Attorney Ferrer. “As I have previously stated, we remain steadfast in our efforts to protect Medicaid from fraud and abuse for those who need it – the sick, the elderly and the poor. We will continue to work with our state and local law enforcement partners to bring justice to anyone seeking to defraud Medicaid.”
“We will continue to partner with federal, state and local agencies to uphold the integrity of the Medicaid program and to protect taxpayer dollars,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), is comprised of the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Department of Justice and other federal, state and local agencies. The Florida Office of the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and HHS-OIG investigated this case.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of Florida Office of the Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Hagerenesh Simmons.
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.
Masked Baton-Wielding Bandit Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Oakland Bank Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Noah Blue was sentenced on October 10, 2014, to 78 months in prison for a summer bank robbery spree in Oakland, announced United States Attorney Melinda Haag and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Johnson.
In pleading guilty, Blue admitted to committing the following bank robberies:
Date
Bank
Location
Amount Stolen
7/26/2013
Bank of the West
2023 Mountain Boulevard, Oakland
$1,805
8/1/2013
Bank of the West
2023 Mountain Boulevard, Oakland
$684
8/26/2013
Bank of the West
2023 Mountain Boulevard, Oakland
$1,849
9/4/2013
Chase Bank
3310 International Boulevard, Oakland
$1,732
During the commission of the robberies, Blue entered the banks hooded with his face masked and wearing gloves. Blue passed the victim tellers notes announcing that he was robbing the bank and demanded they give him money. In his Aug. 26, 2013 robbery of the Bank of the West, Blue, armed with an 18-inch baton, jumped the teller counter and confronted the victim tellers face to face. Blue raised the baton at one victim teller and threated to beat her if she did not give him money.
Blue, 22, of Oakland, was arrested on Sept. 4, 2013. He was charged by federal criminal complaint on Oct. 17, 2013, and a grand jury returned an indictment on Oct. 24, 2013, charging him with one count of armed bank robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a) and (d), and three counts of unarmed bank robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a). Blue pleaded guilty on July 18, 2014, without an agreement with the government, admitting all four of the charged bank robberies. Blue was remanded into custody after he pleaded guilty to the charged offenses.
The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Jon S. Tigar, United States District Court Judge. Judge Tigar sentenced Blue to 78 months in prison to be followed by a 5-year period of supervised release. Blue was also ordered to pay full restitution to Bank of the West. The money stolen from the Chase Bank was seized at the time of Blue’s arrest.
Brian C. Lewis is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Janice Pagsanjan. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Oakland Police Department and the FBI.
(Blue complaint )
(Blue indictment )
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Guilty Plea of Mayor of Mount Vernon Ernest D. Davis to Failing to File Income Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that ERNEST D. DAVIS, the mayor of the City of Mount Vernon, pled guilty in White Plains federal court to failing to file corporate and personal income tax returns. DAVIS surrendered today and entered his plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul E. Davison.
According to the Information and today’s plea proceeding:
In 1988, ERNEST D. DAVIS purchased a rental property located at 14-16 Sandford Boulevard East in Mount Vernon, New York. He held the building through a corporation known as 14-16 Sandford East, Inc. DAVIS admitted that he sold the building in 2003 but he failed to file the required federal corporate income tax return with the Internal Revenue Service on which he should have reported the proceeds of the sale. In addition, DAVIS also failed to report the proceeds of the sale of 14-16 Sandford Blvd. on his 2003 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, Form 1040, which he filed on or about February 1, 2005.
DAVIS also admitted today that he knowingly failed to file a personal federal income tax return for the tax year 2011, when he earned approximately $106,743 in adjusted gross income.
DAVIS, 76, of Mount Vernon, New York, pled guilty to two counts of willfully failing to file federal income tax returns. He faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
DAVIS is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Davison at 11a.m. on January 26, 2015.
Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of the Inspector General.
The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Perry A. Carbone, Kathryn Martin and James McMahon are in charge of the prosecution.
U.S. v. Ernest Davis Information
Man Sentenced to over Four Years in Prison for DUI Death in Kings Canyon National ParkRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Nicholas Moser, 25, was sentenced today four years and four months in prison by United States District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill for involuntary manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
According to court documents, Moser was intoxicated when he lost control and rolled his truck near Cedar Grove, in the Kings Canyon National Park. The incident occurred during the early morning hours of Saturday, August 31, 2013, the first day of the Labor Day weekend. Three of Moser’s passengers, who were sitting in the rear of his truck, were ejected, causing the death of Thomas Wefald and serious injuries to the other two. Another passenger in the cab was also injured, as was Moser.
Moser and others drank alcohol and smoked marijuana before Moser drove the group several miles from Cedar Grove to Muir Rock, located at the end of Highway 180, where they remained for about a half an hour. The accident occurred shortly after Moser began the return trip to Cedar Grove.
This case was the product of an investigation by the National Park Service. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Frye prosecuted the case.Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON - An Everett, Mass. man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to bank fraud conspiracy.
Gean Fabio DaSilva, 33, pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge Rya W. Zobel to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and money laundering. It is alleged that the defendant conspired to defraud banks by depositing worthless checks into accounts opened in fictitious names and then withdrawing funds before the banks realized the deposits were worthless. In July 2012 the defendant allegedly used illegally obtained funds to purchase, at least in part, a cashier's check used to buy real estate in Everett.
Judge Zobel scheduled sentencing for Jan. 13, 2015.
The maximum sentence under the bank fraud conspiracy statute is 30 years in prison, followed by up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The maximum sentence under the money laundering statute is 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Robert E. Richardson of Ortiz’s Major Crimes Unit.
Liberal Man Sentenced for Child PornRead the Press Release
Project Safe Childhood
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Liberal, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for receiving child pornography over the Internet.
Matthew W. Splitter, 25, of Liberal, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to seven years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Splitter to pay $2,000 in restitution to one of the victims portrayed in the child pornography images.
On March 11, 2014, Splitter pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography over the Internet.
According to court documents, an officer with the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force identified Splitter’s computer as distributing and receiving child pornography over the Internet through a peer-to-peer file-sharing program. A search warrant was executed at Splitter’s residence on Oct. 5, 2011, and his computer was seized. A forensic examination of the computer revealed 62 videos of child pornography and 493 images of child pornography. The images involved a child as young as 1 to 2 years of age. Court documents describe a large number of “hideous and violent” images that involve young children being raped by adults, bondage and animals.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Milligan. It was investigated by Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Joplin, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."Lawrence Man Sentenced for Theft of over $230,000 in Federal Tax Refund ChecksRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Lawrence man was sentenced today in connection with the theft of $230,000 in federal tax refund checks.
Wilson Santana, 41, was sentenced today to 21 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $237,277.18 to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Santana pleaded guilty in May 2014 to 34 counts of theft of public money.
Between November 2011 and March 2012, Santana provided Robert Montero, a bank teller at Metro Credit Union in Lawrence, with 30 U.S. Treasury checks containing fraudulently obtained tax refunds to be negotiated through various bank accounts controlled by or associated with Santana. Santana paid a fee to Montero for each check Montero negotiated. The U.S. Department of the Treasury had issued the checks based on tax returns that later were determined to contain false information. For example, although the tax returns contained biographical information of real people in Puerto Rico, their addresses were falsely listed in New York and Massachusetts. The tax returns also contained false employment information. Santana, knowing that the tax return checks had been issued based on false information, negotiated them with Montero’s help at Metro West Credit Union. The total value of the 30 refund checks was $211,214.18.
Between March and April 2012, Santana sold four more U.S. Treasury checks containing fraudulently obtained tax refunds to Montero. Unbeknownst to Santana, those transactions were monitored by federal agents. The four U.S. Treasury checks contained tax refunds in the amount of $26,227.00.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; William P. Offord, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; and Lisa Quinn, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Maxim Grinberg of Ortiz’s Health Care Fraud Unit.
Last of Eight Defendants in Oxycodone Trafficking Ring SentencedRead the Press Release
Boston – The last of eight defendants was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Boston on Friday in connection with an oxycodone trafficking ring that distributed more than 70,000 Oxycodone pills in New England.
Michael Chenoy, 29, of Royal Palm Beach, Fla., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 52 months in prison and three years of supervised release in connection with his role in supplying Oxycodone from Florida. Chenoy pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone in January 2014.
Chenoy along with Michael Wilson, Ryan McGinnis, and Jonathan Deleeuw were Florida-based suppliers of Oxycodone. They sold the pills to Steven Kostenblatt of New Hampshire, who was the leader of the conspiracy. Kostenblatt and his then-girlfriend, Jillian Reis distributed the pills to other Oxycodone drug dealers on the South Shore of Massachusetts and in New Hampshire.
Wilson, McGinnis, Deleeuw, Kostenblatt and Reis each previously pleaded guilty in connection with their roles in the conspiracy and have been sentenced to terms ranging from 168 months to 42 months in federal prison.
According to prosecutors, the Florida-based members of the conspiracy obtained Oxycodone pills from one or more so-called pain clinics in or around Boca Raton, Fla. after first obtaining fraudulent MRIs from a mobile MRI trailer located behind a gentlemen’s club. Members of the conspiracy also paid individuals who had obtained prescriptions from the so-called pain clinics for their pills and purchased pills from other drug dealers.
The Florida-based suppliers then delivered the Oxycodone pills to Kostenblatt using various means, including runners and UPS packages. Two runners, Simeon Schwartz, of Florida, and Mark Devereaux, of Massachusetts, also pleaded guilty and have been sentenced.
During the course of the investigation, law enforcement agents seized more than 4,000 Oxycodone 30 mg. pills and in excess of $170,000 in drug proceeds in Boston, South Carolina, and Florida.
Sentences previously imposed on the defendants are as follows:
- Steven Kostenblatt, age 27, of Keene, N.H., was sentenced on May 23, 2014, by U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 168 months in prison and three years supervised release.
- Jillian Reis, age 30, of Boston, Mass., was sentenced on Sept. 11, 2014, by U.S. District Judge George A. O’Toole, Jr. to 84 months in prison and three years supervised release.
- Jonathan Deleeuw, age 30, of Lake Worth, Fla., was sentenced on Aug. 8, 2014, by U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 56 months in prison and two years supervised release.
- Ryan McGinnis, age 30, of Lake Worth, Fla., was sentenced on July 31, 2014, by U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 42 months in prison and three years supervised release.
- Michael Wilson, age 30, of Lake Worth, Fla., was sentenced on June 23, 2014, by U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 42 months in prison and one year supervised release.
- Simeon Schwartz, age 26, of Boyton Beach, Fla, was sentenced on June 25, 2014, by U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 26 months in prison and two years supervised release.
- Mark Devereaux, age 25, formerly of Rockland, Mass., was sentenced earlier in the investigation in federal court in the District of Columbia by U.S. District Judge Ellen S. Huvelle to 28 months in prison and three years supervised release.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Michael J. Ferguson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; and Quincy Police Chief Paul Keenan, made the announcement today. Significant assistance was also provided by the Billerica Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Office in West Palm Beach, Fla., Charleston, South Carolina, and the District of Columbia, the Massachusetts State Police, the South Carolina Highway Patrol, the Clarendon County South Carolina Sheriff’s Office, the Manchester New Hampshire Police Department, the Hancock New Hampshire Police Department, the Hillsborough County New Hampshire Attorney’s Office, the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Arnold of Ortiz’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.
Las Cruces Man Sentenced to 130 Months for Participating in Las Cruces-Based Methamphetamine Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Ernest Joe Marquez, 46, of Las Cruces, N.M., was sentenced in Las Cruces federal court this morning to 130 months in federal prison followed by five of supervised release for his methamphetamine trafficking conviction. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, Special Agent in Charge Will R. Glaspy of the DEA’s El Paso Field Division, and Special Agent in Charge Thomas Atteberry of the Phoenix Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Marquez was one of eleven defendants arrested in May 2012 and charged with participating in a conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute from Jan. 2012 through May 2012. According to a superseding indictment filed in Oct. 2012, members of the conspiracy transported methamphetamine from El Paso, Texas, and Phoenix, Ariz. to Doña Ana County, N.M., where the methamphetamine was distributed to local drug dealers.
Nine of the eleven defendants resolved the charges against them by entering guilty pleas to various drug trafficking charges. Marquez and Melchor Arroyos, 53, of El Paso, Texas, elected to proceed to trial on the following counts of the superseding indictment: Count 1, charging both men with conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute; Count 13, charging Marquez with using a communication device to facilitate a drug trafficking crime; Count 16, charging Marquez with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute; and Count 17, charging Arroyos with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. On July 31, 2013, a federal jury returned guilty verdicts against Arroyos and Marquez after a three-day trial.
The evidence at trial established that in March 2012, the DEA received authorization to conduct a wiretap investigation and listen to communications occurring over Marquez’s telephone. During the investigation, the investigators learned that Marquez was conspiring with others to bring large quantities of methamphetamine from Texas and Arizona to New Mexico so that the drugs could be divided up, repackaged, and sold on the streets of Las Cruces. Among other things, the investigation revealed that in April 2012, Marquez sent two women to Arizona to pick up a pound of methamphetamine. Through intercepted conversations, the investigators learned that, after taking possession of the methamphetamine, Marquez sold the methamphetamine to local drug dealers.
The investigation also revealed that in May 2012, Marquez made arrangements for the delivery of another pound of methamphetamine. This time, Arroyos was responsible for delivering the methamphetamine. After Arroyos’ initial attempt to deliver the methamphetamine to Marquez was unsuccessful, the two men had a telephone conversation during which they made arrangements for Arroyos to deliver the methamphetamine to Marquez at his home. Before Arroyos could make the delivery, he was arrested by an officer who executed a traffic stop on Arroyos’ vehicle and found a pound of methamphetamine hidden in the engine area of the vehicle.
On Aug. 12, 2014, Arroyos was sentenced to ten years of federal prison followed by five years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Las Cruces offices of the DEA and ATF, with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, Hatch Police Department, Motor Transportation Division of the New Mexico Department of Public Safety, New Mexico State Police, Las Cruces/Doña Ana County Metro Narcotics Agency, and Las Cruces Police Department Gang Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah M. Davenport, Marisa Lizarraga and Aaron O. Jordan.
The case was the result of a five-month investigation led by the DEA and ATF, which was designated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) program. OCDETF is a nationwide Department of Justice program that combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations.
Jefferson County Receives DOJ Funding to Establish Alabama’s First Day Reporting CenterRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – The Department of Justice has awarded the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles a Second Chance Act grant of $687,176 to establish a Day Reporting Center in Birmingham, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and Pardons and Paroles Executive Director Cynthia Dillard.
The Day Reporting Center will deliver services to people on parole from state prisons to help them successfully return to society and reduce the likelihood of Birmingham area probationers committing new crimes.
“This grant demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to helping states that are on the path to curbing criminal recidivism," Vance said. "The day reporting center will follow best practices that have curtailed the rate at which new crimes are committed by ex-offenders in other areas," she said. “Jefferson County contributes more inmates to state prisons than any other county in Alabama, so starting here is a strong step in the right direction.”
Since 2010, Vance has worked with state and local agencies and community organizations through the North Alabama Reentry Council to reduce crime by increasing successful reentry outcomes for newly released offenders.
Through the Department of Justice’s Smart on Crime initiative, the department promotes a holistic approach to reducing crime – prevention, enforcement and reentry. Smart on Crime prioritizes crime reduction efforts that are committed to data-driven, evidenced-based methodology, and that are collaborative efforts among all stakeholders. The DRC will collaborate with community-based service providers to improve reentry outcomes for ex-offenders.
The DRC services will include employment options, education, substance abuse rehabilitation, and behavioral training, all which have been proven to increase the chances that an ex-offender will avoid re-offending and returning to prison.
Community-based reentry services, such as DRCs, are effective in reducing criminal recidivism and are more cost-efficient, compared to incarceration. The Birmingham center will be modeled after DRCs in Georgia, where only 7 percent of DRC participants reoffend. Alabama’s current ex-offender recidivism rate is about 35 percent. The projected daily cost of the Birmingham center is a fraction of the $43 a day for each inmate within Alabama’s prison system.
Reentry programs that have proven effective in other states towards reducing crime and prison populations are a topic being reviewed by the Alabama Prison Reform Task Force. Taskforce Chairman, State Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, said, "Community-based, reentry services are the key component to reducing recidivism in our corrections system. These programs are crucial to the reform efforts under way in Alabama."
State Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, a taskforce member, added, "We are appreciative of the Department of Justice’s support to help us reduce recidivism among our inmates under community supervision. The improved supervision measures created by this grant will not only help our prison overcrowding situation in Alabama, but also help newly released individuals get on the right track."
Congress created the Second Chance Act in 2008. It has received broad bipartisan support within Congress, and from former President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama. The Second Chance Act is the first-of-its-kind legislation that authorizes federal grants to government agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide support strategies and services designed to reduce recidivism by improving outcomes for people returning from prisons, jails and juvenile facilities.
The Second Chance Act is administered by the Office of Justice Programs within the Department of Justice.
Information: Federal Court ArraignmentsRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney's Office announced that those persons listed below were arraigned before the U.S. Magistrate and the indictments handed down by the Grand Jury unsealed.
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ostby in Billings on October 10, 2014, and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
ZECHARIAH JOE WHITE, a 20-year-old resident of Lodge Grass, appeared on charges of assault on a federal officer. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, WHITE, faces 20 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. PACER Case Reference: 14-97
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lynch in Missoula on October 10, 2014, and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
BRUCE ANTHONY GLASS, a 37-year-old resident of Stevensville, appeared on charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. . If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, GLASS, faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Missoula HIDTA. PACER Case Reference: 14-43
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lynch in Missoula on October 9, 2014, and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
ROBERT LEWIS WHITE, a 51-year-old resident of Butte, appeared on charges of distribution of child pornography and receipt of child pornography. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, WHITE, faces 20 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and lifetime supervised release. The case was investigated by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigations.. PACER Case Reference: 14-20
If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system so that you stay current and not miss any important developments in the case.
To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court's calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
- Illegal Alien Sentenced for Using Deceased Boy’s Identity
IRS Employee Arrested Today Following Indictment for Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Kimberly Brown-English, 52, of Fresno, was arrested today after a grand jury indicted her last Thursday for filing fraudulent tax returns while she was an employee of the IRS and for making an opportunity for others to file false tax returns, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced. Brown-English is scheduled to be arraigned today at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gary S. Austin in Fresno.
According to court documents, Brown-English filed returns with claims for false deductions and credits, such as dependents, the child tax credit, and the head of household status. The false returns allowed Brown-English and other tax payers to obtain undue tax refunds or improperly reduce their tax liabilities.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Tax Division of the Department of Justice. Assistant United States Attorney Patrick R. Delahunty is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Brown-English faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison, a $10,000 fine, and dismissal from office. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables and applicable statutory sentencing factors.
The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Huntington Man Admits Being A Heroin DealerRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that Mark R. Tabb, 46, of Huntington, West Virginia pled guilty today in federal court in Huntington to possession with intent to distribute heroin. On August 15, 2012, Tabb was arrested at his 4th Avenue home by officers with the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force. In a search of his home conducted at the time of his arrest, officers located more than ten grams of heroin and $9,500 in cash. Tabb admitted that the heroin was his and he intended to sell it in the Huntington area. Tabb faces up to 20 years imprisonment and up to a $1 million fine when he is sentenced on January 26, 2015.
Grand Island, Nebraska, Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, IA - On Tuesday, October 14, 2014, Juan Carlos Gomez, age 20 of Grand Island, Nebraska, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose to 12 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Gomez was also ordered to serve a term of three years of supervised release following imprisonment, and pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victim’s Fund.
On May 7, 2013, Gomez was the driver of a vehicle that carried approximately 863.90 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine. There were two other occupants in the vehicle, Alberto Anguiano and Thomas Lee Boswell, both of whom have pleaded guilty. Alberto Anguiano was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment, and Thomas Boswell is awaiting sentencing.
This investigation was conducted by the Iowa State Patrol, Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa
(Download Press Release)
Fresno Man Sentenced to over 6 Years in Prison on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — United States District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill sentenced Anthony Murua, 36, of Fresno, to six years and five months in prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
According to court documents, a report was filed with the Fresno Police Department alleging that Murua was making harassing telephone calls and sending threatening text messages, including a picture of a gun. During a search of Murua’s home, a Jimenez Arms 9 mm handgun and ammunition were found in his bedroom. Murua’s prior felony convictions include domestic abuse, assault and robbery.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Melanie L. Alsworth prosecuted the case.
Fort Yates Man Sentenced for Domestic Assault by a Habitual OffenderRead the Press Release
Bismarck - U.S. Attorney Timothy Q. Purdon announced that on October 14, 2014, Brett See Walker, age 28, Fort Yates, ND, was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Daniel L. Hovland to serve 24 months imprisonment for Domestic Assault by a Habitual Offender.
Walker was charged by Indictment with Domestic Assault by a Habitual Offender and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon on March 26, 2013. Walker later changed his plea to guilty. Judge Hovland also sentenced Walker to three years supervised release and ordered him to pay $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims Fund, as well as restitution in the amount of $1.398.63
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Delorme prosecuted the case.