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9 October 2014
Randolph County Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsOn October 7, 2014, a Randolph County man pled guilty to an indictment charging conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.
Seth T. Conway, 26, of Percy, pled guilty to a one-count indictment charging conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine. The offense occurred between 2012 and February 2014, in Jackson, Randolph, and Perry Counties. The factual basis for the guilty plea established that Conway was involved with co-defendant Tommy Tindall and others, in the manufacture of methamphetamine. During a February 20, 2014, search of a vehicle occupied by Conway and Tindall, agents located methamphetamine-making materials, and drug paraphernalia. A later search of a residence associated with Conway and Tindall revealed methamphetamine.
The methamphetamine offense carries a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years’ supervised release, and a fine of $1,000,000. Conway is set for a sentencing hearing on January 21, 2015. Tindall, who has previously pled guilty to his role in the conspiracy, is set for a sentencing hearing on November 21, 2014.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Perry County Sheriff’s Office, Coulterville Police Department, Randolph County Drug Task Force, Steeleville Police Department, Percy Police Department, Illinois State Police Methamphetamine Response Team, and Drug Enforcement Administration. The Randolph County States Attorney’s Office also assisted in the investigation.
The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Amanda A. Robertson for prosecution.
Portales Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine in Roosevelt County, N.M.Read the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jesus Jose Ornelas-Yanez, 39, of Portales, N.M., was sentenced yesterday to 121 months years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release for his methamphetamine trafficking conviction. He also was ordered to pay a $17,500.00 fine.
Ornelas-Yanez was arrested on Dec. 18, 2012, on a criminal complaint alleging that he violated the federal immigration laws by re-entering the United States without permission after he previously had been deported. He has been in federal custody since that time.
On Feb. 6, 2013, Ornelas-Yanez and a co-defendant, Tomas Garcia, 56, a Mexican national illegally residing in Portales, were indicted and charged with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. It also charged Ornelas-Yanez with unlawful reentry of a removed alien. According to the indictment, Ornelas-Yanez and Garcia conspired on Dec. 12, 2012, to distribute methamphetamine in Roosevelt County, N.M., and possessed methamphetamine on that date with the intention of distributing it to another person.
On June 26, 2013, Ornelas-Yanez entered a guilty plea to Count 2 of the indictment charging him with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Ornelas-Yanez admitted that prior to Dec. 12, 2012 he agreed to sell a pound of methamphetamine on consignment to a confidential informant and allowed the informant to send a courier to pick up the methamphetamine. The courier turned out to be a DEA agent working in an undercover capacity. Ornelas-Yanez admitted that on Dec. 12, 2012, he instructed the DEA agent to pick up the methamphetamine from Garcia at a convenience store in Portales, N.M. Subsequent lab analysis revealed that the substance obtained by the DEA agent from Garcia was 443.9 grams of actual methamphetamine.
Garcia pled guilty to Counts 1 and 2 of the indictment charging him with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on July 17, 2013. On Oct. 17, 2013, Garcia was sentenced to 24 months in prison. He will be deported when he completes his prison sentence.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the DEA, the Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lynn W.Y. Wang and Linda Mott prosecuted the case.
Pine Ridge Woman Charged with Killing A ManRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Involuntary Manslaughter.
Sarah Lilly Brown Eyes, age 56, was indicted on August 26, 2014. She appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on September 29, 2014, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 8 years of imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment charges that on June 24, 2014, at Slim Buttes, Brown Eyes ran over a man with a truck, killing him.
The charge is merely an accusation and Brown Eyes is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins is prosecuting the case. Brown Eyes was detained pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Pennsylvania Man Convicted of Selling Cocaine in BridgeportRead the Press Release
1125 Chapline Street, Federal Building, Suite 3000 ● Wheeling, WV 26003
(304) 234-0100 ● Contact: Tara Tighe, Public Affairs SpecialistCLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Mario Walton, a 33 year old Homewood, Pennsylvania native, pled guilty this week to selling crack cocaine in Bridgeport, West Virginia, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced today.
Walton faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000.00.
An investigation by the Greater Harrison County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force led to the prosecution of Walton. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Magistrate Judge John S. Kaull presided.
Parmelee Man Sentenced for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Parmelee, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury was sentenced on October 6, 2014, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Matthew Horned Eagle, age 24, was sentenced to 33 months in custody, 2 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Horned Eagle was indicted for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury by a federal grand jury on May 13, 2014. He pled guilty to Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury on July 14, 2014.
On April 7, 2014, in the late evening hours, Horned Eagle, who had been consuming alcohol, began arguing with his girlfriend in their bedroom. The noise awoke a child sleeping in another room and an adult female went into Horned Eagle’s room to tell them to quiet down. A physical struggle broke out between Horned Eagle and the adult female. When the victim tried to intervene, Horned Eagle stabbed her in the left thigh with a silver and black military style sword with a 17 inch blade. Horned Eagle’s actions caused a 3.5 centimeter long and 7 centimeter deep laceration to the victim’s left anterior thigh that required sutures to repair.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Maher prosecuted the case.
Horned Eagle was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Other IndictmentsRead the Press Release
Indictment: Former Official Made $300,000
In Unauthorized Agriculture Disaster PaymentsKANSAS CITY, KAN. – A former Farm Service Agency director in Sumner County was indicted Wednesday on a charge of making $306,000 in agriculture disaster payments to applicants who had been denied approval for the money, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Ellen A. Love, 51, Argonia, Kan., was charged with one count of unlawfully conveying federal funds. The indictment alleges the crime occurred while she worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture as Executive Director of the Sumner County Farm Service Agency (FSA). The Sumner County FSA Service Center is located in Wellington, Kan.The USDA provides assistance to farm producers who have suffered losses as a result of agricultural disasters. One program USDA administers is the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program (SURE). To be approved, applicants must have suffered significant crop losses in a disaster-designated county and they must have had crop insurance through the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation.
Applications for SURE are reviewed by the FSA County Office Committee. The indictment alleges that in June 2013 Love processed payments to four applicants even though they had been disapproved for failing to meet SURE crop insurance requirements.
She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.Ernest Opuku Acheampong, 44, is charged with making false statements in order to obtain U.S. citizenship. The crime is alleged to have occurred Oct. 29, 2004, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
The indictment alleges he falsely stated he had never been deported. In fact, in 1994 he had applied for asylum under another name and been denied. He was ordered deported, but failed to leave the United States.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000. Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
Adina Aguilar-Miranda, 25, Denver, Colo., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of interstate travel in furtherance of drug trafficking. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Sept. 23, 2014, in Ellis County, Kan.
If convicted, she faces a penalty of not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $4 million on the charge of possession with intent to distribute, and a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the other count. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs is prosecuting.
Justin Russell Bennett, 29, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of unlawfully using a VISA card, one count of unlawfully possessing a machine to make credit cards, and one count of unlawful possession of credit cards. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Sept. 22, 2014, in Sherman County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of not less than five years and not more than 40 years and a fine up to $2 million on the cocaine charge, a maximum penalty of 10 years and fine up to $250,000 on the charge of unlawful use of a credit card, a maximum penalty of 15 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the charge of unlawfully possessing a machine to make credit cards, and a mandatory two years and a fine up to $250,000 on the charge of unlawfully using a credit card. The U.S. Secret Service investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs is prosecuting.
Laron Walker, 30, Gladstone, Mo., is charged with one count of escaping from custody from the Grossman Community Corrections Center, a halfway house in Leavenworth, Kan. The crime is alleged to have occurred Sept. 17, 2014.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Marshals Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble is prosecuting.
Jose Luis Hernandez-Hernandez, 37, a citizen of Mexico who has been living in Kansas City, Kan., is charged with four counts of transferring a false identification document and four counts of possessing a false identification document, and one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in May, June, August and September 2014 in Wyandotte County, Kan.
Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties: Transferring a false identification document: Maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.
Possessing a false identification document: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.
Unlawfully re-entering the United States: A maximum penalty of two years and a fine up to $250,000.Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley is prosecuting.
Manuel Ramirez-Cuevas, 47, Kansas City, Kan., is charged with 10 counts of transferring false identification documents, and 10 counts of making false immigration documents. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in July and August 2014 in Wyandotte County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count of transferring false documents, and a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count of making false documents.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley is prosecutingIn all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Operators of "Big Blue" Cockfighting Pit, in McDowell, Kentucky, Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, VIRGINIA – United States Attorney Timothy Heaphy and Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring announced that Walter Dale Stumbo, age 52, Sonya K. Stumbo, age 51, and Joshua Dale Stumbo, age 26, of Floyd County, Kentucky, were sentenced to prison today in United States District Court in Abingdon, Virginia, for their roles in operating the “Big Blue” cock fighting pit in McDowell, Kentucky. In addition, the Court ordered the Stumbos to forfeit $905,208.64. Law enforcement agents seized all of the Stumbos’ assets to be credited to the forfeiture.
“The Big Blue Sporting Club was a sophisticated criminal operation that collected substantial profits by abusing animals,” United States Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy said today. “The fighting birds were horribly mistreated by these defendants. Cases like this help bring illegal private gambling and animal cruelty out of the shadows. Thanks to the persistence and creativity of law enforcement, this operation has been exposed, its profits disgorged, and its operators held accountable.”
Sonya Stumbo was convicted on all counts at the conclusion of a three day trial on August 6, 2014. Walter Dale Stumbo and Joshua Dale Stumbo both pled guilty to all charges without the benefit of a plea agreement. The Stumbos each were convicted of one count of conspiring to operate an illegal gambling enterprise and illegally conduct cock fights; five counts of transporting fighting roosters across state lines; and five counts of transporting bird fighting knives across state lines. Two other co-defendants, Wesley Dean Robinson and his son, Jonathan Robinson, pled guilty pursuant to plea agreements, cooperated with law enforcement and were sentenced previously in accordance with their plea agreements. Jonathan Robinson also pled guilty to a drug distribution charge and his sentence included time for that offense. Wesley Dean Robinson was ordered to forfeit $50,000 and Jonathan Robinson was ordered to forfeit $10,000.
The sentences imposed on the five defendants in the case are as follows:
DEFENDANT TERM OF IMPRISONMENT Walter Dale Stumbo 18 months Sonya Stumbo 10 months Joshua Dale Stumbo 10 months Jonathan Robinson 12 months and 1 day Wesley Dean Robinson 6 monthsIn imposing sentence, United States District Judge James P. Jones stated “It does not enhance the human being to inflict pain on animals. It simply doesn’t. It’s something that ought to stop. There is no good purpose for it, and, as the government points out, bad things happen around these types of events -- gambling obviously occurred, people spending money that they have no business spending, and we can all imagine the grief that may occur in families and individuals who become addicted to something like this. It diminishes us as human beings to treat animals in this fashion, and I think Congress has enacted a law that deserves enforcement.”
The successful prosecution was the result of a joint undercover operation by Virginia and Federal authorities. Evidence showed that the Stumbos, Robinsons and others organized a large scale and comprehensive cock fighting operation at the Big Blue Sportsmen’s Club (“Big Blue”) in McDowell, Kentucky, which included collecting “parking fees” from spectators, entrance fees from handlers and offering for sale such services as antibiotics for fighting birds, a full-service restaurant for spectators, cock houses for rental, and fighting gaffes for fighting cocks. The Robinsons transported birds and fighting gaffes from Wise County, Virginia, to Big Blue in Kentucky. On fight weekends at Big Blue, spectators and handlers traveled from Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, Georgia and other states. Spectators and participants were only allowed entry if they held a valid membership card. Each person was charged a one-time fee of $20 for the membership card. Entry fees to participate in the fighting were as high as $2,500 per entrant. At times, over 400 people attended and paid the $20 “parking fee.” While fights were taking place and after spectators had arrived, Dale Stumbo caused a bulldozer to be placed on the entrance road to the pit. The bulldozer remained in place until the fights concluded. Investigators executed search warrants on May 3, 2014, the second day of a two day derby billed as the “World Championship” and seized over $100,000 in cash from the Stumbos’ home near McDowell, Kentucky. Assistant United States Attorney Randy Ramseyer and Special
Assistant United States Attorney/Virginia Assistant Attorney General Michelle Welch prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. The case is being investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, the Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Bureau of Law Enforcement, and the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office. In addition, the following agencies assisted in the arrests or related proceedings: Virginia Animal Fighting Task Force; Virginia State Police Tactical Team; Southwest Virginia Regional Task Force; Botetourt County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office; Wise County, Virginia, Sheriff’s Office and Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office; Virginia State Veterinarian’s Office; United States Homeland Security Investigations; Kentucky State Police; the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
New Orleans Woman, Qiana Anderson, Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Wire FraudRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that QIANA ANDERSON, 35, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced today after having previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced QIANA ANDERSON to two years probation. In addition, ANDERSON was ordered to pay $18,810 in restitution to the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF) which was established by BP Exploration and Production, Inc. (BP) concerning the April 10, 2010 explosion on the Deepwater Horizon. Co-defendant CURTIS ANDERSON is scheduled to be sentenced on October 16, 2014, before Judge Milazzo.
According to court documents, between September 2010 and January 3, 2011, the ANDERSONs submitted false documents and made false statements to the GCCF in support of their claim that CURTIS ANDERSON’s janitorial business lost income as a result of the BP oil spill.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Secret Service and FBI in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis is in charge of the prosecution.
New Iberia Man Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Failing to Update Sex Offender RegistrationRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a New Iberia man was sentenced to 15 months in prison for failing to update his sex offender registration.
Rodger Dale Seilhan, 63, of New Iberia, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik for one count of failure to register pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. He was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the May 14, 2014 guilty plea, after failing to report his whereabouts to authorities for two years, the U.S. Marshals Service and other law enforcement agencies located Seilhan in New Iberia at a relative’s residence. He was arrested on March 11, 2014. The Travis County Sheriff’s Office in Texas arrested Seilhan on January 21, 1982 for aggravated sexual assault of a child, and he was later sentenced to 15 years in prison. After being released from prison, Seilhan reported residence changes to authorities while he lived in Texas until September 5, 2012. He was found to not be living at his last known address in Willis, Texas, after a sex offender verification check was conducted.
The U.S. Marshals Service, Travis County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.
New Haven Couple Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges Stemming from Bankruptcy Fraud and Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
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Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, William P. Offord, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, Patricia M. Ferrick, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and William K. Harrington, U.S. Trustee for Connecticut, New York, and Vermont (Region 2), today announced that JASON SHEEHAN, 41, and his wife, GLORVINA CONSTANT, 35, of New Haven, have pleaded guilty in Hartford federal court to charges stemming from an extensive bankruptcy fraud and tax fraud scheme.
“Instead of helping his fledgling company to emerge from bankruptcy, Jason Sheehan looted it, embezzled funds, and stole millions from taxpayers,” stated U.S. Attorney Daly. “Gloria Constant siphoned hundreds of thousands of dollars from the company’s bankruptcy estate by way of a no-show job, some of which was used to purchase a large home for her family while the company was failing. I commend the diligence of our Bankruptcy Fraud Working Group, which uncovered this scheme, and continues to unearth similar schemes that victimize not only creditors, but all citizens.”
“Fraud and dishonesty in bankruptcy proceedings undermine the integrity of this important system,” stated IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Offord. “Through his false statements to both the IRS and U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Mr. Sheehan evaded the payment of millions of dollars in employment taxes for his own personal gain. IRS and our law enforcement partners will continue to vigorously investigate those who willfully engage in this type of bankruptcy and tax fraud.”
“Put simply, Sheehan and Constant committed crimes on top of crimes,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Ferrick. “The extent to which this couple deceived the bankruptcy court and made misrepresentations to the IRS speaks to their total disregard for the law. Fortunately, as is typical in document intensive investigations, the paper trail was overwhelming. Unfortunately, many hardworking people employed by Infinistaff lost their jobs. Together with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI and IRS make a formidable team and will pursue and bring to justice those who so willfully violate our country’s bankruptcy and tax laws.”
“This case is an excellent example of the collaborative efforts of the Bankruptcy Fraud Working Group to combat fraud and abuse in our nation’s bankruptcy system,” stated U.S. Trustee Harrington. “The U.S. Trustee Program and its law enforcement partners are committed to protecting the integrity of the bankruptcy system.”
SHEEHAN pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of willful failure to collect, account for and pay tax, one count of embezzlement from a bankruptcy estate and one count of making a false declaration statement under penalty of perjury in a bankruptcy case.
According to court documents and statements made in court, SHEEHAN was the sole member of a limited liability company known as Infinistaff, LLC, which provided temporary workers to employers. In September 2010, Infinistaff filed a voluntary chapter 11 bankruptcy petition with the Connecticut Bankruptcy Court. As part of the bankruptcy case, SHEEHAN filed operating reports that falsely claimed that another company was being paid to process Infinistaff’s payroll checks and to prepare and file its payroll tax returns and tax payments. During this time, SHEEHAN also falsely represented to the Internal Revenue Service that this other company was making tax deposits under its taxpayer identification number. Although Infinistaff had such an arrangement with the other company for a period of time, the arrangement was terminated at the time SHEEHAN made these representations. After the arrangement with the other company was terminated, SHEEHAN continued to file operating reports with the bankruptcy court indicating that the arrangement was still in place, and that this other company was being paid monthly “administration fees.” SHEEHAN filed these reports in order to conceal his embezzlement of over $1 million from Infinistaff’s bankruptcy estate.
In addition, between 2011 and 2013, Infinistaff failed to account for and pay to the IRS more than $2.5 million in employment taxes the company had withheld from employee paychecks, and also failed to pay approximately $1.4 million in employer payroll taxes.
The investigation further revealed that CONSTANT received Infinistaff payroll checks totaling $354,000 during the bankruptcy proceedings even though she performed no work for the company.
SHEEHAN and CONSTANT used the stolen money to support a lavish lifestyle, including foreign travel and the purchase a $650,000 home in CONSTANT’s name.
CONSTANT pleaded guilty on October 6 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2013, CONSTANT purchased a home using proceeds from a $390,000 mortgage loan she obtained from a local bank, as well as approximately $260,000 embezzled by SHEEHAN from the Infinistaff bankruptcy estate. The mortgage loan application falsely stated that CONSTANT worked for Infinistaff and earned approximately $16,000 per month, when in fact, she did not work for Infinistaff at all. After a bankruptcy trustee was appointed in the Infinistaff bankruptcy case and the company was no longer operating, CONSTANT applied for a second mortgage loan of $131,000 from the bank. CONSTANT again misrepresented on the loan application that she was employed by Infinistaff and earning a substantial salary.
SHEEHAN is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson on December 31, 2014, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. CONSTANT is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Thompson on January 6, 2015, at which time she faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
This matter is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the U.S. Trustee Program.
The U.S. Trustee Program is the Department of Justice component that promotes and protects the integrity of the bankruptcy system by overseeing case administration and litigating to enforce the civil bankruptcy laws. Members of the public can report suspected bankruptcy fraud via email to [email protected].
In the District of Connecticut, the U.S. Attorney’s Office coordinates a Bankruptcy Fraud Working Group that includes representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Office of the U.S. Trustee, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Nevins and Senior Litigation Counsel Richard J. Schechter.PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722 [email protected]N. J. Man Sentenced for Transporting Rhode Island Minor to New Jersey to Engage in Criminal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Daniel Berger, 28, of Haskell, New Jersey, was sentenced today to 87 months in federal prison for travelling interstate for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a 13-year old female, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha; Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston field office of the FBI; Portsmouth, R.I., Police Chief Thomas F. Lee; and Colonel Steven G. O’DonnellSuperintendent of the Rhode Island State Police.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi also ordered Berger to serve 15 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term, to register as a sex offender and to pay restitution to the victim’s family in the amount of $909.39, for expenses incurred by the family as a result of this crime.
Berger pled guilty on July 18, 2014, to one count of transportation in interstate commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.At the time of his guilty plea, Berger admitted to the court that on July 24, 2013, he traveled from New Jersey to Portsmouth, Rhode Island, to meet with a 13-year-old girl he befriended on the Internet. Berger admitted to the court that he transported the girl to his residence in Haskell, New Jersey, with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
Local, state and federal law enforcement from Rhode Island and New Jersey began working collaboratively to locate the victim when she was reported missing on the morning of July 24, 2013. At approximately 12:30 a.m. on July 25, 2013, the victim was located by FBI agents at the defendant’s apartment in Newark, New Jersey.
According to information presented to the court, a roommate of Berger’s pointed out a vehicle being operated by Berger to an FBI Task Force agent. Agents subsequently stopped the vehicle and detained Berger. He has been detained since his arrest.
The case was prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
Portsmouth, R.I., Police, Rhode Island State Police and FBI agents from Providence and Newark, N.J., were assisted in the investigation and subsequent arrest of Berger by the New Jersey State Police and officers from the Ringwood, Wanaque, Paterson and Clifton, New Jersey Police Departments.###
To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Muscogee (Creek) Nation Second Chief Pleads Guilty to Embezzling from TribeRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. — Muscogee (Creek) Nation Second Chief Roger Dana Barnett, 53, of Bristow, pleaded guilty before United States District Court Chief Judge Gregory K. Frizzell to embezzling approximately $150,000 from the Tribe, announced U.S. Attorney Danny C. Williams Sr. for the Northern District of Oklahoma. Barnett was indicted on August 6, 2014.
Barnett admitted that, from April 2013 through April 2014, he embezzled more than $1,000 of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation funds from the Tribe’s Direct Assistance Fund, a tribal executive branch fund meant to aid tribal citizens in need.
The Government told the court it estimated the loss and restitution amounts to be approximately $211,000. The Government also told the court the direct assistance funds were embezzled by Barnett when he went to area casinos and withdrew the funds from ATMs. Barnett admitted he then used the money to gamble.
At the time of sentencing, Barnett faces the statutory maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shannon Cozzoni and Trent Shores on behalf of the United States.
Mitten Rock, N.M., Woman Sentenced to Prison for Federal Involuntary Manslaugher ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Patrica Benally, 37, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Mitten Rock, N.M., was sentenced this morning to 46 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release for her involuntary manslaughter conviction.
Benally was arrested on Feb. 5, 2014, on a criminal complaint charging her with involuntary manslaughter of a four-year-old Navajo child on the Navajo Indian Reservation. Benally was charged by indictment for involuntary manslaughter on Feb. 26, 2014.
According to court filings, Benally was intoxicated when the vehicle she was driving was involved in a rollover collision near mile marker 72 on U.S. Highway 491 south of Shiprock, N.M. The victim was one of five passengers, four of whom were young children, in Benally’s vehicle at the time of the collision. Benally’s blood alcohol content was .237 shortly after the collision.
On April 23, 2014, Benally admitted killing the victim while driving under the influence of alcohol. According to the plea agreement, Benally was driving intoxicated at a high rate of speed when she fell to sleep and lost control of the vehicle, causing it to roll over and crash. The victim was killed as a result of the crash.
The case was investigated by the Albuquerque and Farmington offices of the FBI and the Shiprock office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Spiers.
Missouri Woman Sentenced for Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsStephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced that today, Tisa V. Vaughn, 49, of Florissant, Missouri, was sentenced on a one-count indictment charging that she engaged in a scheme to commit health care fraud. On March 19, 2014, a jury found Vaughn guilty after a three-day trial in federal court. Today, the district court sentenced Vaughn to fifteen months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Vaughn was also ordered to pay $14,873.56 in restitution back to the State of Illinois and a $100 special assessment.
Evidence showed that Vaughn was the personal assistant for her sister, a Medicaid recipient, who resides in East St. Louis. It was shown at trial that Vaughn billed for hours of care when she was either not caring for her sister or when her sister was actually in the hospital. Furthermore, testimony indicated that the sisters split the payments that Vaughn billed and received from the Home Services Program for the State of Illinois. In today’s sentencing, the district court commented that the sentence was higher than usual because Vaughn had obstructed justice by having her sister lie about the fraud scheme to authorities.
“Nationwide, the biggest fraud problem in the Medicaid program has been these personal assistant programs which represent the number one fraud complaint to state Medicaid fraud units. Especially vulnerable to fraud are programs, such as the one implemented in Illinois, which allow the Medicaid recipient to control the selection and payment of personal care attendants. In most cases, the personal care assistant is a relative or family friend, who often is a ghost employee. In a typical fraud scenario, the scam payments made by the State of Illinois are split between the Medicaid recipient and the ghost employee. The terrible effect of this fraud is that it draws much-needed funds away from those who are truly deserving. It is for that reason that my office will continue to try to root out and prosecute these offenders. Unless you want to be a convicted felon, my advice is, simply, do not steal.” said United States Attorney Wigginton.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Illinois State Police - Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael J. Quinley and Liam Coonan.
Mexican Citizen, Antonio Rodriguez-gallardo, Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that ANTONIO RODRIGUEZ-GALLARDO, age 32, a citizen of Mexico and most recently residing in Houma, Louisiana, was charged today in a one-count indictment with illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of 8 U.S.C. ' 1326(a).
According to the indictment, RODRIGUEZ-GALLARDO reentered the United States on or about September 4, 2014 after having been previously removed on October 29, 2012.
If convicted, RODRIGUEZ-GALLARDO faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, a maximum fine of $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of one year, and a mandatory $100 special assessment.
U. S. Attorney Polite reiterated that an Indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations in investigating this matter. Assistant U. S. Attorney Spiro G. Latsis is in charge of the prosecution.
(Download Indictment )
Mescalero Apache Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Assault ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Clay Samson Geronimo, 26, a member of the Mescalero Apache Nation who resides in Mescalero, N.M., pleaded guilty last week in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to a federal assault charge. Geronimo entered his guilty plea on Oct. 10, 2014, without the benefit of a plea agreement.
Geronimo was arrested on Feb. 21, 2014, on a criminal complaint alleging that he assaulted a Mescalero Apache woman on Jan. 12, 2014, on the Mescalero Apache Reservation in Otero County, N.M., and caused her to suffer serious bodily injuries. Geronimo was indicted on March 3, 2014, and charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
Court filings reflect that on Jan. 12, 2014, Geronimo assaulted the victim by striking her in the face with his fists. As a result of the assault, the victim sustained a fractured eye socket and fractured nasal bones, which required surgical treatment. Geronimo was arrested on tribal charges on Jan. 12, 2014, and entered a no contest plea in Mescalero Tribal Court.
Geronimo has been in federal custody since his arrest on Feb. 21, 2014 and remains detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. At sentencing, Geronimo faces a statutory maximum sentence of ten years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Mescalero Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
The case was brought pursuant to the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
McCandless Man Sentenced to 88 Months in Prison for Receiving Pornographic Images of MinorsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A North Hills resident has been sentenced in federal court to 88 months imprisonment, to be followed by 12 years supervised release, on his conviction of receipt of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Mark Janosko, 48, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, on or about July 3, 2013, Janosko received images containing material depicting the sexual exploitation of minors.
Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Lieber Smolar prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Indiana County and Allegheny County District Attorney’s Offices and the McCandless Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Janosko.
This case was brought as part of the 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 information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
McAlester Woman Pleads Guilty to StalkingRead the Press Release
Muskogee, Oklahoma - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, announced today that TONI SHNEA FOURKILLER, age 31, of McAlester, Oklahoma, pled guilty to Stalking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2261A(1), 2261 and 2.
The charge arose from an investigation by the McAlester Police Department. The defendant was indicted in September, 2014.
The Indictment alleged that on or about March 23, 2014, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, left Indian country, with the intent to injure, harass, intimidate, and place under surveillance with intent to injure, harass, or intimidate another person, and in the course of, and a result of such travel, engaged in conduct that placed P.S. in reasonable fear of serious bodily injury to himself and caused P.S. serious bodily injury and substantial emotional distress.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the guilty plea and ordered the completion of a presentence report.
The statutory range of punishment is not more than 10 years imprisonment and/or up to a $250,000.00 fine.
Assistant United States Attorney Chris Wilson represented the United States.
Marion Mendiola Sentenced in the District Court of GuamRead the Press Release
ALICIA A.G. LIMTIACO, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that Defendant MARION MENDIOLA, was sentenced on October 7, 2014, in the District Court of Guam by Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood.
Defendant Mendiola was sentenced to one month in jail and seven months home confinement and placed on three years supervised release for his part in a drug conspiracy case. On July 13, 2012, postal inspectors seized a first class letter containing 60 grams of methamphetamine, which was 98% pure. The agents removed the meth and replaced it with ‘sham’ and delivered the letter to the defendant’s grandmother’s residence where defendant resided.
Agents observed defendant remove the letter from the mailbox and take it into the residence. Shortly thereafter, agents entered the residence. Defendant admitted he knew the letter contained methamphetamine. He told agents his brother Eugene expected the letter. Agents arrested Eugene Mendiola who was sentenced on July 23, 2014 to 31 months in prison and five years supervised release.
This case is the product of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a focused multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force investigating and prosecuting the most significant drug trafficking organizations throughout the United States by leveraging the combined expertise of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
Credit for the investigation is given to U.S. Postal Inspectors, Guam Customs and Quarantine and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clyde Lemons.Manhattan U.S. Attorney Settles Civil Fraud Claims Against Caremed Pharmaceutical Services for Engaging in Fraudulent ConductRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Thomas O’Donnell, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”), New York Region, announced today that the United States filed a civil fraud lawsuit in Manhattan federal court against SORKIN’S RX LTD. D/B/A CAREMED PHARMACEUTICAL SERVICES (“CareMed”), a New York-based pharmacy that sells high-cost specialty drugs used to treat conditions that require complex treatment, such as cancer. The United States’ Complaint-in-Intervention alleges that CareMed made false statements to insurance companies to secure prior authorization for the coverage of drugs by, among other things, fabricating Medicare beneficiaries’ medical information and posing as representatives of prescribing physicians’ offices when calling insurers. The Complaint also alleges that CareMed engaged in double-billing by re-stocking unused dosages of Procrit and Rituxan, and then re-selling the drugs and re-billing insurance companies that provide prescription drug coverage to Medicare beneficiaries or Medicaid. In addition, the Complaint alleges that CareMed submitted false claims for payment for automatic refills of Procrit and Rituxan that were not actually received by patients and their doctors. The lawsuit seeks damages and penalties under the False Claims Act.
Simultaneous with the filing of the lawsuit, the United States has settled the claims against CareMed pursuant to a settlement stipulation approved today by U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote. In the settlement, CareMed admitted that when contacting insurance companies to obtain prior authorization for drug coverage, some representatives of the company had falsely stated that they were calling from the prescribing physicians’ offices and, in some instances, responded to questions seeking the patient’s clinical information based on their understanding of the prior authorization criteria for the particular drug, instead of obtaining the patient’s actual clinical information. CareMed also admitted that it had failed to adequately oversee and train staff responsible for the prior authorization process. Furthermore, CareMed admitted that it had inadequate procedures and auditing processes to ensure that some claims submitted to third-party payors for Rituxan and Procrit were reversed or credited when necessary. CareMed agreed to pay a total of $10 million to resolve the Government’s claims, with $9,534,577 going to the United States and the remaining $465,423 to the State of New York.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “As alleged, to maximize profits CareMed obtained approvals for the coverage of costly drugs by providing insurers with fake clinical information and posing as physician office staff. CareMed allegedly also re-stocked and re-billed unused medications and stuck the Government – and taxpayers – with the bill for prescription refills that never went to patients or their doctors. By entering into this $10 million settlement, CareMed is being held accountable and paying for its fraud.”
HHS-OIG New York Region Special Agent in Charge Thomas O’Donnell said: “This settlement is another example of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General’s commitment to holding providers accountable for how they conduct business. HHS-OIG will continue to ensure that the individuals and entities that bill our federal health care programs do so with the utmost integrity.”
As set forth in the complaint filed in Manhattan federal court:
Insurance companies that provide prescription drug coverage to Medicare beneficiaries (“Medicare Part D sponsors”) require health care providers to obtain “prior authorization” for certain drugs, which means that the plan will cover the cost of the drug only if certain criteria are met. The prior authorization process can be time-consuming for physicians and their staff because it may require paperwork and multiple communications with insurance companies. In order to secure business from physicians, CareMed offered to take care of the prior authorization process for them and obtain coverage approvals expeditiously.
CareMed made false statements to Medicare Part D sponsors when seeking prior authorization for drug prescriptions in order to maximize the number of prescriptions it could process and the payments it received each day. Management exerted significant pressure on staff to get prescriptions approved quickly. Because CareMed knew that many insurance companies require the prescribing physician’s office to provide any necessary clinical information directly, staff posed as physician office employees when placing telephone calls to secure prior authorizations. Staff also frequently fabricated the patient’s medical information provided in response to clinical questions posed by insurance companies. They provided insurance companies with false medical information that they knew would meet the prior authorization requirements – which they had learned through online resources, discussions with colleagues, and company training materials – instead of taking the time to obtain the patient’s actual clinical information. For instance, CareMed provided insurance companies with fabricated patient blood test results that staff knew would satisfy the prior authorization requirements for certain drugs.
CareMed took steps to conceal its fraudulent conduct in connection with the prior authorization process. For example, the company installed a caller ID blocking system that prevented its name and location from appearing when outgoing calls were made to insurance companies.
CareMed also engaged in double-billing of Procrit (used to treat anemia caused by chronic kidney disease or chemotherapy) and Rituxan (used to treat non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma). When CareMed learned that a patient had not used medication that was prescribed, it made arrangements to retrieve the medication. CareMed employees sometimes then re-stocked and re-sold the returned medication without reversing the Medicare or Medicaid claim or providing an appropriate credit, and submitted another reimbursement claim for the same medication. As part of its investigation, the Government oversaw an audit that revealed that CareMed received payments from Medicare and Medicaid for amounts of certain dosages of Procrit and Rituxan that far exceeded the amounts the company purchased during the relevant time period.
Furthermore, CareMed sought payment from Medicare Part D sponsors and Medicaid for automatic refills of Procrit and Rituxan that were not actually delivered to and received by patients and their doctors. The pharmacy would generate automatic refills and then submit claims for these refills to Medicare Part D sponsors and Medicaid. However, when patients did not need the refill, CareMed sometimes failed to reverse the previously submitted claim for payment or credit Medicare or Medicaid for amounts already paid. CareMed would then sell the previously billed refill dosage to another customer and seek reimbursement for this sale as well.
In connection with this complaint and settlement, the Government joined a private whistleblower lawsuit that had previously been filed under seal pursuant to the False Claims Act.
Mr. Bharara thanked HHS’s Office of the Inspector General for its investigative efforts and extensive assistance with the case.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Frauds Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey K. Powell is in charge of the case.
Lower Brule Man Sentenced for Simple Assault of A Child Under 16Read the Press Release
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Lower Brule, South Dakota, man charged with Simple Assault of a Child under 16 pled guilty to and was sentenced on October 6, 2014, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno.
Marvin Grassrope, Jr., age 19, was sentenced to 18 months of probation and $25 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The conviction stems from an incident that took place on or about October 5, 2013, when Grassrope inappropriately touched a juvenile female.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Wright.
Logan Businessman Sentenced for Tax Fraud Arising from Arch Coal KickbacksRead the Press Release
Charleston, W.Va. - A Logan County businessman was sentenced today in federal court in Charleston to probation for three years and a $5,000 fine for filing false tax returns, U. S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced.
Gary Roeher, 52, of Holden, West Virginia, admitted that on his 2010 and 2011 federal tax returns, he illegally claimed business-expense deductions for kickbacks that he paid to an Arch Coal official at the company’s Mountain Laurel Mining Complex in Sharples, West Virginia. Roeher and the Arch Coal official stole money from Arch Coal through a dummy invoice scheme in which Roeher submitted bills for supplies that he had not provided. The Arch Coal official falsely certified that the supplies had been received, which prompted the accounting department for Arch Coal to pay the false bills. Roeher paid the Arch Coal Official kickbacks from the payments received. Roeher then deducted the kickback payments as legitimate business expenses on his 2010 and 2011 tax returns.
Between 2010 and 2011, Roeher paid the Arch Coal official more than $35,000 in kickbacks. Roeher has agreed to forfeit that amount as part of his plea agreement.
Roeher also fraudulently deducted approximately $43,000 used to install a pool at his home, claiming on his tax returns that it was a legitimate business expense.
These charges stem from an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the West Virginia State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Meredith George Thomas is in charge of the prosecution.
Local Pastor Pleads Guilty to Embezzling over $900,000 from Community CenterRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. — Willard Lenord Jones, 63, of Tulsa, church pastor and former Executive Director of the Greater Cornerstone Community Development Project, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge John E. Dowdell to three counts of wire fraud and one count of subscribing to a false tax return, announced U.S. Attorney Danny C. Williams Sr., for the Northern District of Oklahoma. Jones was charged by information on August 13, 2014, and sentencing is scheduled for January 12, 2015 at 10:00 a.m.
At the change of plea hearing, Jones admitted that, from September 2007 to June 2013, he misappropriated approximately $933,000 from the Greater Cornerstone Community Development Project, a non-profit organization formed to raise money for the building and operation of a community center in South Haven, a neighborhood in West Tulsa.
As the Executive Director, Jones solicited monetary contributions from donors, including foundations, corporations, churches and individuals, to fund the development project. As part of the scheme, Jones fraudulently transferred funds from community center bank accounts to church bank accounts and then transferred those funds into personal bank accounts. Jones admitted using the money on personal expenses and luxury items, including, hotels, gambling, liquor, automobiles, and jewelry. Pursuant to his plea agreement, Jones will forfeit his residence, a Rolex watch and fur coat. A criminal forfeiture money judgment will also be entered against him in the amount of $933,507.80.
At the time of sentencing, Jones faces the statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud and three years for subscribing to a false tax return. Jones would also forfeit his residence and luxury items and face a criminal forfeiture money judgment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations. United States Attorney Danny C. Williams Sr., and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph F. Wilson, Kevin C. Leitch, and Catherine Depew are prosecuting on behalf of the United States.
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
On October 9, 2014, Inocencio Segura Jimenez, 32, of Lincoln, was sentenced to five years and ten months (70 months) in prison for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Following the prison term, Segura will serve three years on supervised release.
On September 5, 2013, a search warrant was served by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force at Segura’s Lincoln residence. Segura was present at the time the warrant was served, and he was found in possession of a roll of black electrical tape. That black electrical tape matched tape which had been used to seal a plastic container found buried in the backyard of the residence. That container was opened and found to contain 176.43 grams of methamphetamine with a purity of greater than 95%. Information provided to law enforcement indicated that Segura intended to distribute that methamphetamine to other persons in the Lincoln area.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.
Lakeland Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington yesterday sentenced Jerman Antwon Green (29, Lakeland) to 15 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He pleaded guilty on June 19, 2014.
According to court documents, on December 20, 2013, Green entered a pawn shop in Lakeland and asked to see a firearm. Green then fled the store with the firearm in his hand. Detectives from the Lakeland Police Department witnessed Green fleeing from the store and ordered him to stop. Green eventually complied and was apprehended with the firearm. Prior to this incident, Green had been convicted of multiple felony offenses, including drug and gun offenses, and therefore was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Lakeland Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph W. Swanson.
This is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with Trevor Velinor, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. It is also a part of ATF’s Frontline strategy to reduce violent crime in communities.
Lab Manager Pleads Guilty to Tampering with Water SamplesRead the Press Release
Beckley, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that John W. Shelton pled guilty today in federal court in Beckley to conspiring to violate the Clean Water Act. Shelton, 47, of Daniels, West Virginia, was employed by Appalachian Laboratories in Daniels as a field technician and manager. Appalachian Laboratories performed water sampling and analysis for coal mining operations to ensure that discharges of pollutants into public waterways were within permitted limits.
Shelton admitted that he and other employees tampered with water samples to make them appear to be within permissible levels. Shelton admitted that they diluted samples by adding distilled water, and substituted water samples from the “honeyhole,” designated as such because the samples were always within permissible limits. Each time samples were diluted or water was substituted, Shelton allowed excessive pollutants to be discharged from mining operations into adjacent creeks and rivers.
Shelton also admitted that from 2008-2013, he and other Appalachian Laboratories employees failed to place samples on ice as required by law, and instead kept them in their trucks all day, compromising the integrity of the samples. To avoid detection by WVDEP, Shelton and other employees placed ice in their coolers on known inspection days to make it appear as though this was their regular practice.
Shelton faces up to 5 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 when he is sentenced on February 26, 2015.
The investigation is being conducted jointly by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Blaire L. Malkin and Larry R. Ellis are responsible for the prosecution.
Kimberling City Physician Pleads Guilty to Failing to File Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kimberling City, Mo., man who worked as an emergency room physician pleaded guilty in federal court today to failing to file tax returns despite earning hundreds of thousands of dollars in income each year.
Phillip Edward Psaltis, 64, of Kimberling City, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to a federal information that charges him with two counts of failing to file an income tax return.
Psaltis worked as an emergency room physician at Lawton Indian Hospital in Lawton, Okla., in 2011 and at Claremore Indian Hospital in Claremore, Okla., in 2010. Psaltis worked as an emergency room physician at Barton County Memorial Hospital in Lamar, Mo., from 2006 to 2009 and at Pike County Memorial Hospital in Louisiana, Mo. in 2008 and 2009.
By pleading guilty today, Psaltis admitted that he has failed to file federal income tax returns since 2002. The total tax loss from Psaltis’s unreported income during those years is $1,118,824.
The two specific charges to which Psaltis pleaded guilty today relate to his failure to file a federal tax return for 2009, when he earned approximately $450,664, and for 2010, when he earned approximately $433,339.
Psaltis admitted that he failed to file federal income tax returns for 2009, 2010 and 2011. Psaltis’s unreported income during those years totaled $1,204,786 and the total tax loss was $377,022. According to today’s plea agreement, Psaltis also owes $551,434 in outstanding federal taxes for the years 2002 through 2008. Because Psaltis did not file his 2012 tax return, the plea agreement says, it is estimated that he will owe approximately $128,109 in tax liability for 2012.
In addition to the federal taxes owed, the plea agreement also says that Psaltis owes $62,259 in Missouri and Oklahoma state income tax for the years 2009, 2010 and 2011. Psaltis’s medical license was suspended three times – on Dec. 14, 2009, on July 16, 20102, and on June 11, 2013 – for delinquency of Missouri state taxes or failure to file state income tax returns.
Under federal statutes, Psaltis is subject to a sentence of up to two years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $200,000 and an order of restitution. 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.
Jury Finds Men Guilty of Child Exploitation EnterpriseRead the Press Release
MISSOULA - On October 9, 2014 two men were found guilty of participating in a child exploitation enterprise and a conspiracy to advertise child pornography. Joshua Peterson, 45, of Prescott, Arizona, and Steven Grovo, 35, of Shirley, Massachusetts, were accused by a federal grand jury in Montana of promoting the sexual exploitation of children using an international online bulletin board where members advertised, distributed, viewed and received images depicting child pornography. Both men are being detained pending their January 22, 2015 sentencing in Missoula.
The government presented evidence that In November 2009, an early participant in the conspiracy designed and created an online bulletin board which allowed the board members to share in their common interest in exchanging files on line which contained child pornography and non-child pornography images. As the conspiracy progressed, additional members contributed to the design and operations of the board. Between November 6, 2009, through March 19, 2012, Peterson and Grovo and the others used the online bulletin board to share pictures and videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. During that same time the participants agreed to use the online bulletin board to publish or print notices or advertisements soliciting additional images of child pornography which they would then share and broadcast on the internet.
The lengthy and wide ranging investigation, referred to as Operation Kingdom Conqueror, is an ongoing cooperative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Montana Department of Criminal Investigations, the Helena and Polson Police Departments, the United States Department of Justice - Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Homeland Security Investigations, the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the States of Jersey Police Department, Isle of Jersey, near the UK.
The internet exchange of child pornography creates a market for the victimization of children. That market destroys lives and robs children of their innocence. It is a grotesque crime that must be dealt with in a manner that fully reflects the tragedy it causes its victims. This prosecution is a product of diligent work by the very dedicated, skilled and highly trained agents of Operation Kingdom Conqueror. As the work of this team of professionals-from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, State of Montana DCI, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Homeland Security, Polson Police Department and the Helena Police Department-continues, there will be more cases and more defendants indicted from all across the United States. These agents, and this office, will never relax our commitment to the protection of children." United States Attorney for the District of Montana, Michael W. Cotter.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson and Maureen C. Cain with the U.S. Department of Justice, Child Exploitation & Obscenity Section, prosecuted Peterson and Grovo on behalf of the United States.
This case was initiated under the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation. It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task (or the MT ICAC). The ICAC Task Force Program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing their investigative response to technology facilitated crimes against children.
Jury Finds McLaughlin Man Guilty of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Brett Roach, age 27, of McLaughlin, South Dakota, was convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, following a two-day jury trial in Pierre. The guilty verdict was returned on October 8, 2014.
The charge carries a 10 year mandatory minimum, up to life, in custody, and/or a $250,000 fine, as well as 5 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Roach was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 12, 2013.
The conviction stems from an assault which occurred on May 22, 2013, when Roach’s 11-month old stepdaughter was brought to the Mobridge Regional Hospital. A CT scan revealed that the child was bleeding inside her skull and had sustained 3 skull fractures. The 11-month old victim was flown to Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, where she underwent emergency treatment for her head injuries.
During the investigation, Roach admitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation that because the child’s crying had woken him up, he threw the child from a bed onto the hard floor. At trial, Roach claimed he had made this story up and the child had been injured in a simple fall. Medical experts at trial told the jury that a simple fall would not explain the victim’s life threatening serious head injuries.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Standing Rock Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.
A sentencing date has not been set. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Joplin Attorney Sentenced for Stealing $576,000 from ClientsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Joplin, Mo., attorney was sentenced in federal court today for stealing more than $576,000 from his clients.
Daniel D. Whitworth, 59, of Joplin, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to two years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Whitworth to pay $404,957 in additional restitution to his former clients and $72,810 to the government. Whitworth has surrendered his license to practice law in any and all jurisdictions.
Whitworth was the owner of a law practice in Joplin and practiced law for more than 33 years. On March 31, 2014, Whitworth pleaded guilty to wire fraud, money laundering and false statements on tax returns. Whitworth admitted that he embezzled approximately $576,739 from 22 of his legal clients between 2004 and Oct. 18, 2013. Whitworth spent these embezzled funds on personal loans and items unrelated to the legal matters of his clients.
Law enforcement officers investigated complaints made to the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel of the Missouri Supreme Court about Whitworth’s theft of client money. Investigators determined from bank records and speaking with former clients that Whitworth repeatedly took money from and for clients. He claimed that money would be used to resolve the matter that the client had pending before the court. In many instances, Whitworth deposited the client’s money either into his attorney trust account or into his personal bank accounts. After depositing his client’s money, Whitworth would then withdraw money and pay for personal expenses and items that were entirely unrelated to his client’s legal case.
According to court documents, Whitworth’s criminal conduct occurred over many years, beginning in 2006 when he entered a partnership to own a bar in Joplin and continuing for at least seven years. He embezzled money from at least 26 different clients, according to court documents, including the estates and trusts of the deceased and their families, individuals who were injured and seeking compensation through the courts and other criminal defendants seeking representation within the criminal justice system.
Whitworth also admitted that he failed to report the embezzled funds on his personal income tax returns for the years 2009-2011, which the plea agreement says totaled $448,835. Whitworth did not file an income tax return for 2012, according to the plea agreement, and therefore did not report the embezzled funds during this year as well.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Missouri Highway Patrol and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Jimmy Hsieh, William Perez and Pauline Perez Sentenced TodayRead the Press Release
ALICIA A.G. LIMTIACO, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendants JIMMY HSIEH, WILLIAM PEREZ AND PAULINE PEREZ who were convicted in a criminal conspiracy to conduct an illegal gambling business at the former MGM Spa in Tamuning, were sentenced on October 8, 2014. Chief Judge Tydingco-Gatewood imposed a two year prison sentence for JIMMY HSIEH who had pled guilty to the gambling conspiracy and money laundering. A $423,640.47 money judgment of forfeiture was also entered against HSIEH. HSIEH agreed to forfeit $178,113.45 from personal accounts and that three of his condos are subject to possible forfeiture proceedings, and was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. HSIEH's personal accounts and an MGM corporate account had already been previously seized by Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation agents with assistance from the FBI.
WILLIAM PEREZ, the manager and supervisor of the MGM poker operation in 2010, received a one year sentence (six months prison term and six months home confinement) and three years supervised release for conspiring to operate the illegal gambling business, by operating baccarat and poker games at the former MGM Spa. PEREZ also was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment and $24,000 fine.
PAULINE PEREZ, who had pled guilty to participating in the gambling business, and substantially assisted the government in the prosecution of the case, received one year probation and community service.
U.S. Attorney Alicia A.G. Limtiaco stated, “These sentences and the federal forfeiture of almost half a million dollars reflect the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Department of Justice’s commitment to prosecute those white-collar crimes, including illegal gambling businesses, money laundering and structuring offenses, where individuals evade currency transaction reporting requirements.”
The Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS, FBI and Naval Criminal Investigative Service supported the investigation and prosecution of this illegal gambling operation and related offenses. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karon Johnson (retired) was responsible for the prosecution of this case and Assistant U.S. Attorney B. Alcantara represented the U.S. Attorney's Office at the sentencing. One more defendant, JENNIE PAU, will be sentenced on Thursday, October 16, 2014, at the District Court of Guam.
A warrant of arrest has been issued for the fifth co-defendant, WAI KAM HO, who is currently a fugitive as he never returned to Guam as ordered by the Court, and will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law when found. Anyone with information related to WAI KAM HO also known as KEN HO is encouraged to contact the FBI at (671) 472-7332.Iowa Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced October 1, 2014, to more than five years in federal prison.
Ivan Lopez-Castelan, 32, from Iowa, received the prison term after a June 30, 2014, guilty plea to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.
At the guilty plea, Lopez-Castelan admitted he was involved in the distribution of at least 1500 grams of mixed methamphetamine which contained 500 grams or more of actual (pure) methamphetamine from approximately 2011 through February, 2014. On February 7, 2014, law enforcement conducted a controlled purchase of approximately one pound of methamphetamine from Lopez-Castelan in Orange City, Iowa, for $28,000.
Lopez-Castelan was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett. Lopez-Castelan was sentenced to 61 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed. He must also serve a 2-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Lopez-Castelan is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office assisted by the Iowa Great Lakes Drug Task Force, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa Division of Intelligence, Orange City Police Department, and the Tri-State Drug Task Force.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 14-4014.
Iowa Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced October 2, 2014, to four years in federal prison.
Jeremy Rabenberg, 40, from Hartley, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 10, 2014, guilty plea to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.
At the guilty plea, Rabenberg admitted he was involved in the distribution of at least 1500 grams of mixed methamphetamine which contained 500 grams or more of actual (pure) methamphetamine from approximately 2013 through February 2014. On January 29, 2014, during the early morning hours, Spencer Police Officers responded to a call and located Rabenberg asleep in his vehicle (with engine running) parked outside a bar. Officers seized about $5,000 in cash and about two grams of methamphetamine from the center console of the vehicle and a .380 caliber Berretta handgun with seven rounds in the loaded magazine from between the front passenger seat and the center console. Later on the same date, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Rabenberg’s residence. Law enforcement seized approximately 354.58 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine, $7,200 in U.S. currency and a number of firearms from Rabenberg’s bedroom.
Rabenberg was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett. Rabenberg was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Rabenberg is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office assisted by the Iowa Great Lakes Drug Task Force, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa Division of Intelligence, Orange City Police Department, and the Tri-State Drug Task Force.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 14-4025.
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 9, 2014, and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
ADRIAN RALPH KRELL, a 43-year-old resident of Billings, appeared on charges of drug user in possession of a firearm; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, KRELL, faces 20 years in prison, $1,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration. PACER Case Reference: 13-96
CHRISTOPHER RALPH MARQUIS, a 67-year-old resident of St. George, Utah, appeared on charges of possession of child pornography. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, MARQUIS, faces 20 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and lifetime supervised release. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. PACER Case Reference: 14-98
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.
Honduran Man, Miguel Villatoro-portillo, Sentenced for Illegally ReentryRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that MIGUEL VILLATORO-PORTILLO, age 34, a citizen of Honduras, was sentenced today after having previously pled guilty to a one-count indictment for illegal reentry of a removed alien.
U.S. District Judge Nanette Jolivette Brown sentenced VILLATORO-PORTILLO to 12 months imprisonment followed by two years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
According to court records, on or about June 12, 2014, MIGUEL VILLATORO-PORTILLO was found in the United States after having been officially deported and removed on or about January 9, 2009.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Department of Homeland Security/Immigration and Custom Enforcement and Removal in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Greenfield is in charge of the prosecution.
Honduran Man, Jose Luis Mayorga-lemus, Pleads Guilty to Illegally ReentryRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that JOSE LUIS MAYORGA-LEMUS, age 24, a citizen of Honduras, pled guilty yesterday to a one-count indictment for illegal reentry of a removed alien.
According to the indictment, on or about August 28, 2014, MAYORGA-LEMUS was found in the United States after having been officially deported and removed on or about August 3, 2011.
MAYORGA-LEMUS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years and a fine of $250,000, or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant, one year supervised release after imprisonment, and a $100 special assessment. U.S. District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle set sentencing for January 7, 2015.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Department of Homeland Security/Immigration and Custom Enforcement and Removal in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis is in charge of the prosecution.
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Franklin, N.C. Man Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Filing A False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger sentenced Isaac H. Birch today to 21 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release for filing a false tax return, announced Anne M. Tompkins, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Birch was also ordered to pay $480,047 as restitution to the United States Treasury.
Thomas J. Holloman III, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI) and Thomas L. Noyes, Inspector in Charge of the Charlotte Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service join U.S. Attorney Tompkins in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, Birch, 38, of Franklin, N.C. filed false tax returns for tax years 2007-2009, claiming he was entitled to hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax refunds. Court records indicate that Birch filed a false 2007 income tax return that contained fraudulent information, including other income in the amount of $735,425 and federal income tax withheld in the amount of $735,424. According to information in court documents and court proceedings, Birch filed these fraudulent returns after attending a tax return preparation seminar in Albany, N.Y., which taught participants how to file large refund claims against the Treasury Department using fraudulent methods. Court records show that Birch’s fraudulent action caused the Treasury Department to issue fraudulent tax refund checks in the amount of $480,047. Birch pleaded guilty in August 2013 to one count of filing a false tax return.
Birch was released on bond and will be ordered to self-report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.
The investigation of the case was handled by IRS and USPIS. The prosecution of the case is handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Gast of U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville.
Franklin County Resident Sentenced on Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsOn October 7, 2014, April D. Rollinson, of Murphysboro, Ill., was sentenced for her involvement in a methamphetamine conspiracy, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.
Rollinson, who had previously pled guilty to the one-count indictment charging conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, and fined $200. The offense occurred between 2012 and June 2013, in Perry, Jackson, Randolph, Franklin, and Williamson Counties. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings established that Rollinson obtained pseudoephedrine to be used in the manufacture of methamphetamine. Co-defendants Brandon K. Loftis and Samantha J. Plumlee have previously been sentenced to prison terms of 97 and 70 months, respectively, for their role in the methamphetamine conspiracy.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Perry County Sheriff’s Office, Perry County Drug Task Force, Illinois State Police/Southern Illinois Drug Task Force, Murphysboro Police Department, DuQuoin Police Department, Pinckneyville Police Department, Illinois State Police Methamphetamine Response Team, and Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case was assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Amanda A. Robertson for prosecution.
Four Sentenced for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
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(304) 234-0100 ● Contact: Tara Tighe, Public Affairs SpecialistMARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Four Northern West Virginia residents were sentenced for cocaine related offenses, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced today.
Kenneth An'bon Wang, 28, of Martinsburg, West Virginia was sentenced to 41 months in prison for distributing crack cocaine. Wang pled guilty in March 2014 after an investigation led by the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crime Task Force.
Troy Aaron Wilt, 31, was sentenced to 10 months in prison for distributing cocaine. Paul Harland Ellis, 35, was sentenced to five years of probation for money laundering transactions involving roughly $1,500.00 in proceeds from cocaine sales. Wilt and Ellis, both of Keyser, West Virginia, pled guilty after an investigation led by the Potomac Highlands Drug & Violent Crime Task Force.
Colleen Eugene Lowe, 49, of Martinsburg, was sentenced to five years of probation for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine. Lowe pled guilty in July 2014 after an investigation led by the Martinsburg Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Fort Worth Chiropractor Faces up to Five Years in Federal Prison in Heath Care Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
FORT WORTH, Texas — The owner/operator of a chiropractic clinic in Fort Worth, Texas, pleaded guilty this afternoon to a federal felony offense stemming from her submission of approximately $718,000 in false reimbursement claims to Medicare and Medicaid, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.
Melva Mitchell, 35, of Fort Worth, a licensed chiropractor, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor to one count of making false statements relating to health care matters. Mitchell operated Best Choice Chiropractic and Wellness Center on Oakland Boulevard in Fort Worth. She faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine and restitution. She will remain on bond pending sentencing, which is set for January 26, 2015, before Judge O’Connor.
According to documents filed in the case, Mitchell submitted claims for reimbursement to Medicare and Medicaid for chiropractic services that were not performed. She obtained the Medicare and Medicaid provider information for other individuals who were licensed Occupational Therapists, and used those persons’ provider information to obtain payments from Medicare and Medicaid for occupational therapy services that were not provided or were not provided by requisitely licensed individuals. Mitchell paid one of the individuals whose provider information she used a portion of the Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements she received.
As one example of her false statements, Mitchell submitted claims to Medicare and Medicaid indicating that she performed 25 separate chiropractic manipulations in her office from March 8, 2011 to March 10, 2011. These claims were false and fraudulent because she was on vacation in Puerto Rico at the time. For these 25 chiropractic manipulations, Mitchell submitted claims to Medicare totaling $1,750 and was paid $827.80. During this same time, Mitchell submitted claims to Medicaid totaling $4,515 and was paid $387.34.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, FBI, and Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit are investigating the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Brasher is in charge of the prosecution.
Former Putnam Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
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Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DARRICK COLLETTE, 33, of Thompson, formerly of Putnam, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in March 19, 2013, an FBI special agent logged onto a publicly available Internet file sharing network and downloaded images and videos of child pornography from a computer connected to the network with an Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to COLLETTE’s residence while he was living in Putnam. During a search of the residence on June 13, 2013, law enforcement officers seized computers and multiple external hard drives. COLLETTE was arrested at that time after he admitted that he had been downloading and trading child pornography over the Internet for more than 10 years.
Forensic analysis of COLLETTE’s computers and hard drives revealed more than 600 image files and videos of child pornography.
COLLETTE faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000. A sentencing date is not yet scheduled. He has been released on a bond and electronic monitoring since his arrest.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The Connecticut State Police and Putnam Police Department assisted in the search of COLLETTE’s residence.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
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U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722 [email protected]Former Medical Technician Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes in Exchange for Falsifying Urinalysis Drug TestsRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. — William Ray Allen, 33, of Tulsa, a former medical technician responsible for collecting urine specimens for random urinalysis drug testing, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge T. Lane Wilson today to accepting bribes in exchange for submitting fraudulent urinalysis drug tests and to submitting a falsified certification, announced United States Attorney Danny C. Williams Sr. for the Northern District of Oklahoma.
On September 4, 2014, a Federal grand jury indicted Allen with four counts of honest services mail fraud and three counts of accepting a bribe. Sentencing has been scheduled for January 6, 2015 at 10:00 a.m.
At the change of plea hearing, Allen admitted that, on August 8, 2014, while employed by 12 & 12, Incorporated, he warned those selected for court ordered random drug testing that they were going to be tested. He also substituted his own urine or the urine of others for drug testing and submitted falsified certifications with the substituted urine for analysis. Allen admitted to knowingly shipping the fraudulent substituted urine samples via Federal Express to the U.S. Probation Drug Laboratory. 12 & 12, Incorporated is a drug treatment facility contracted by the U.S. Probation Office to provide court ordered drug testing and treatment services to persons under supervision.At the time of sentencing, Allen faces the maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for honest services mail fraud; and, not more than 15 years in prison and a $250,000 for accepting a bribe.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel-lyn A. McCormick is prosecuting on behalf of the United States.
Former MPD Officer Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Pandering A Minor and Possession of Child Pornography-Defendant Admitted to Offenses Involving Three Teenage Girls-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Linwood Barnhill, 48, a former officer with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), was sentenced today to seven years in prison after earlier pleading guilty to two counts of pandering a minor and one count of possession of child pornography.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Andrew G. McCabe, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Barnhill, who was assigned to the Seventh Police District, pled guilty in June 2014 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He has resigned from the department. His plea agreement, which was subject to the Court’s approval, called for a seven-year prison sentence.
The Honorable Rosemary M. Collyer accepted the plea and sentenced Barnhill today. Upon completion of his prison term, Barnhill will be placed on 10 years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to the government's evidence, on Dec. 3, 2013, officers with the MPD’s Youth Investigations Division located a missing 16-year-old girl at Barnhill’s residence in Washington, D.C. Over the course of the previous two weeks, the government’s evidence showed, Barnhill had begun the process of cultivating the juvenile to engage in prostitution, including taking clothed and unclothed photographs of her. During this time-frame, he stated that he was going to send the photos to a man who was interested in “an appointment” with her. Barnhill further explained that he was going to set up a “date” for her to engage in sexual acts with this man, who would pay her $80. The juvenile was to provide Barnhill with $20 after the completion of the “date.” Barnhill arranged to have the juvenile’s hair done in preparation for the date. The 16-year-old never actually engaged in prostitution for the defendant.
During the course of the ensuing investigation, MPD officers and members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force learned that the defendant was involved in prostitution-related activities with other adult and juvenile females, including a 15-year-old.
According to the government’s evidence, the 15-year-old met Barnhill in September 2013, when he pulled up to her at a bus stop and asked if she was interested in modeling for him. The 15-year-old agreed to model for the defendant and went back to his apartment to “take modeling pictures.” Barnhill, who asked her to escort for him, took a series of clothed and unclothed photographs of the girl. Later that night, he contacted her by cell phone and told her that he had somebody that wanted to meet her for a “date.” Barnhill collected the money and paid the 15-year-old a portion of that money once she was finished with the “date.”
In addition, during the course of the investigation, law enforcement identified a 17-year-old female who also met the defendant in October 2013 when he pulled up to her at a bus stop in Washington, D.C. and asked her if she wanted to model. Sometime later, the 17-year-old went to Barnhill’s residence. He brought her into his bedroom, where he took multiple photographs of her, clothed and unclothed. After taking the photos, Barnhill asked the 17-year-old to perform oral sex on him. While she performed oral sex, Barnhill held his cellular phone and video-recorded the session. That video was recovered from a cell phone seized from the defendant’s residence pursuant to a search warrant.
Barnhill has been in custody since his arrest in December 2013.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge McCabe and Chief Lanier commended the work of the MPD detectives and Special Agents of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord, who prosecuted the case.
14-227Former Health Care Center Nursing Supervisor Pleads Guilty to Selling Fentanyl and other Pain KillersRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul announced today that Catherine Vitello, 41, of Elma, N.Y., pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute and distribution of hydrocodone and fentanyl before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
“As this case demonstrates, drug dealers come from all walks of life, and don’t always just stand on street corners,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “Here, the defendant abused her position as the head of a nursing program to obtain highly addictive drugs, and then distribute them illegally. Let all who hold such positions be aware they are not immune from prosecution if they also violate the law.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Alsup, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant was the Director of Nursing at the St. Catherine Laboure Health Care Center in Buffalo. Vitello sold un-used prescription drugs from her office. These drugs were prescribed for patients but were no longer needed for various reasons, including the death of the patient in some cases. The prescription narcotics included hydrocodone and fentanyl. On at least two separate occasions in October 2013, the defendant sold hydrocodone and fentanyl to a confidential source working with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of James J. Hunt, Acting Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Office, the Lackawanna Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Michel, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 23, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Arcara.- Former HPD Officer Convicted in Drug Conspiracy
Former Corrections Officer Convicted of Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury yesterday found former Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) Corrections Officer Leon Perry Brooks, Sr. (40, Jacksonville) guilty of four counts of possession of child pornography. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on each count. Brooks was indicted on December 18, 2013. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, in January 2013, a JSO detective on the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force was able to download two child pornography videos from an IP address registered to Brooks. A search warrant was subsequently executed at his home, which resulted in the seizure of several computers. Two of these computers contained multiple videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, in conjunction with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diidri W. Robinson.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Florida Businessman Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Conspiring to Defraud InvestorsRead the Press Release
Over 100 Investors Lost More Than $13 Million in Scheme
ORLANDO, FLA. – Blayne S. Davis, 33, formerly of Naples, Fla., has been sentenced to a nine-year prison term on a federal charge stemming from an investment fraud scheme in which more than 100 investors lost over $11 million, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and James D. Robnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Tampa Field Office of IRS- Criminal Investigation.
Davis pled guilty on July 28, 2014, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, to a charge of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. He was sentenced on Oct. 8, 2014, by the Honorable Carlos E. Mendoza.
Davis also will be required to pay restitution of between $11,894,776 and $13,215,874 to the investors who lost money. The Court will determine the final amount at a restitution hearing on Oct. 20, 2014. The Court is also expected to enter an order of forfeiture in a similar amount. In addition, following his prison term, Davis will be placed on three years of supervised release.
Davis has agreed to cooperate in the ongoing investigation. A co-defendant, Donovan G. Davis, Jr., 33, of Palm Bay, Fla., has pled not guilty and is awaiting trial in the case; trial is currently scheduled for May 4, 2015. (The two Davises are not related.) A third defendant, Damien L. Bromfield, 38, of Ocoee, Fla., pled guilty on Nov. 14, 2013, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and is awaiting sentencing.
According to a Statement of Offense, signed by Blayne Davis as well as the government, and filed with the Court, Blayne Davis was the director of trading for Capital Blu Management, LLC, a Florida-based corporation that purported to offer investment and managed account services for investors in the off-exchange foreign currency, or “forex,” marketplace. Donovan Davis, Jr. was the managing member of Capital Blu, and Bromfield was the director of operations.
Blayne Davis and Bromfield formed Capital Blu in January 2007. In 2007, according to the statement of offense, Donovan Davis, Jr. solicited relatives, friends, and associates to invest in Capital Blu, resulting in substantial amounts being placed under the company’s management. Donovan Davis, Jr., became a managing member of Capital Blu in August 2007, working out of an office in Melbourne, Fla.
In or about September 2007, according to the statement of offense, the three men formed the CBM FX Fund, LP, which pooled investors’ money into a common fund to be traded by Capital Blu Management. Many of Capital Blu’s managed-account investors transferred their investments into the CBM FX Fund.
By January 2008, according to the statement of offense, the three partners knew that the CBM FX Fund sustained significant trading losses, resulting in large losses for its investors. At or about that time, the statement of offense states, the men began defrauding investors by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises. These included, according to the statement of offense, a series of misrepresentations about Capital Blu’s trading performance, the value of the fund, and the risks of the fund.
According to the statement of offense, the men conspired to post positive monthly returns to the CBM FX Fund’s investors from January through August of 2008, even though the fund and its investors had sustained net losses. In addition, the men diverted investors’ money from the fund to pay for Capital Blu’s operational expenses and personal expenses, including their salaries and payments for the use of a private airplane.
In or about September 2008, the National Futures Association, an independent self-regulatory organization that oversees commodities and futures trading in the United States, conducted a surprise audit of Capital Blu and suspended its operations. As of September 2008, according to the statement of offense, investors had invested over $16 million into the CBM FX Fund; the investors had lost over $11 million.
This case was transferred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia from the Middle District of Florida.
The case is being investigated by a task force consisting of agents from the IRS- Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Brevard County, Fla., Sherriff’s Office. Related civil litigation was pursued by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Assistance on the criminal case was provided by Paralegal Specialists Donna Galindo and Corinne Kleinman; former Paralegal Specialist Diane Hayes; Legal Assistant Angela Lawrence; Forensic Accountant Crystal Boodoo; Information Technology Specialist Thomas (Ron) Royal; and Victim Witness Advocates Yvonne Bryant and Tasheeka Hawkins, all of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine K. Connelly and Anthony Saler, of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, have assisted with guidance on asset forfeiture matters.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan P. Hooks of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Ephraim (Fry) Wernick of the U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, who are designated as Special Attorneys in the Middle District of Florida.
14-228Five Individuals Indicted on Methamphetamine ChargesRead the Press Release
Follow @NDFLNewsPANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced that a federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment yesterday charging five individuals with narcotic and firearm offenses.
The indictment charges that John Matthew Love (36), Mabrye Joseph Bettinger (41), Bryant Anthony Kreis (32), Dusti Nicole Broxson (26), all from the greater Panama City area, along with Anastacio Mendoza (37), and Carmen Theresa Silva (39), from Atlanta, Georgia, were involved in a conspiracy to distribute at least 50 grams of crystal methamphetamine throughout Florida and elsewhere. The indictment further alleges that the conspiracy began as early as July 1, 2014, and continued until September 21, 2014.
The indictment results from an investigation by agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Panama City, Florida, and Montgomery, Alabama, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Panama City Police Department, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Houston County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Risinger is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Federal Judge Sentences Heroin Dealer to 10+ Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 130 months imprisonment followed by five years supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Terence F. McVerry imposed the sentence on David Scott a/k/a David Alford, 40.
According to information presented to the court, the defendant was caught with enough heroin to fill nearly 5,000 stamp bags just months after being released from federal prison on drug charges. At sentencing, the defense asked for leniency despite the fact that the defendant admitted that his actions “crippled the urban community.”
Judge McVerry also ordered that Scott forfeit thousands of dollars, as well as digital cameras and his vehicle.
Assistant United States Attorney Ross E. Lenhardt prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Scott.
Federal Grand Jury Criminal Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. — The results of the October 2014 Federal Grand Jury were announced today by Danny C. Williams Sr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged federal crimes which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Steven Lee Burch. Abusive Sexual Contact in Indian Country. Burch, 46, of Collinsville, is charged with engaging in non-consensual sexual contact with a woman within Indian Country. If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty is two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service are the investigating agencies.
David Castrejon. Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute. Castrejon, 30, of Turlock, California, is charged with possessing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. If convicted, the minimum statutory penalty is 10 years in prison and a $10,000,000 fine. If convicted, the defendant may also forfeit seized currency. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigating agencies.
Josue Antonio Chavez. Alien in the United States After Deportation. Chavez, 32, is charged with having unlawfully returned to the United States after being deported in June 2012 from Del Rio, Texas. If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the investigative agency.
Ray Alan Cook. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Cook, 30, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a .22 caliber pistol and ammunition after prior felony convictions. If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty is 10 years in prison and $250,000 fine. The defendant also faces forfeiture of the firearm involved in the offense. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigating agencies.
Joan Ervin Cruz-Garcia. Alien in the United States After Deportation. Cruz-Garcia, 24, is charged with having unlawfully returned to the United States after being deported in January 2012 from Laredo, Texas. If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the investigative agency.
Cesar Estrada-Sandoval. Alien in the United States After Deportation. Estrada-Sandoval, 30, is charged with having unlawfully returned to the United States after being deported in December 2007 from El Paso, Texas. If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the investigative agency.
Joshua Eli Owen. Felon in Possession of Firearm and Possession of Firearm After Conviction of Misdemeanor Crime in Domestic Violence. Owen, 26, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a .25 caliber pistol after prior felony convictions and after having been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. If convicted, each offense carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm and Explosives is the investigating agency.
Antonio Padilla-Lopez. Alien in the United States After Deportation. Padilla-Lopez, 42, is charged with having unlawfully returned to the United States after being deported in December 2007 from El Paso, Texas. If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the investigative agency.
George Eugene Pryor. Theft of Government Property. Pryor, 46, of Sand Springs, is charged with fraudulently receiving approximately $19,000 in Social Security disability payments from the Social Security Administration. If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Social Security Administration-Office of the Inspector General is the investigating agency.
Ismael Serrano-Rodriguez. Alien in the United States After Deportation. Serrano-Rodriguez, 56, is charged with having unlawfully returned to the United States after being deported in April 2012 from San Ysidro, California. If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the investigative agency.
Laura Sosa-Bringas. Alien in the United States After Deportation. Sosa-Bringas, 38, is charged with having unlawfully returned to the United States after being deported in August 2012 from Otay Mesa, California. If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the investigative agency.