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Monday 11 August 2014
Statement by Attorney General Holder on Recent Shooting Incident in Ferguson, MissouriRead the Press Release
Attorney General Eric Holder released the following statement Monday regarding the shooting incident that took place Saturday afternoon in Ferguson, Missouri:
“The shooting incident in Ferguson, Missouri this weekend deserves a fulsome review. In addition to the local investigation already underway, FBI agents from the St. Louis field office, working together with attorneys from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and US Attorney's Office, have opened a concurrent, federal inquiry. The federal investigation will supplement, rather than supplant, the inquiry by local authorities. At every step, we will work with the local investigators, who should be prepared to complete a thorough, fair investigation in their own right. I will continue to receive regular updates on this matter in the coming days. Aggressively pursuing investigations such as this is critical for preserving trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”
Sheffield Lake Man Charged with Embezzling $2.9 MillionRead the Press Release
A Sheffield Lake man was charged with embezzling approximately $2.9 million from Medical Mutual, said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio
Joseph F. Satava, III, age 69, was charged in a criminal information with one count of theft of embezzlement in connection with health case.
Satava embezzled approximately $2.9 million from his employer, Medical Mutual, between August 1997 and November 2013, according to the information.
Satava began working for Medical Mutual in 1971, and held the position of Manager of Credit and Collections for the past 20 years. In this capacity, he had the authority and managerial discretion to request and approve checks in amounts up to $5,000. During his tenure, Satava discovered a way to use this managerial authority to create reimbursement checks that he could then embezzle, steal, and convert, undetected, to his own personal use, according to the information.
To accomplish his embezzlement, Satava reviewed weekly printouts of the company’s accounts receivable trial balance statements to identify new companies that had signed contracts for insurance coverage. The weekly printouts included the amounts submitted by each company as the first payment for the insurance coverage. These payments were referred to as “binder payments.” Each binder payment was credited to the finance division’s “Binder Suspense Account.” At the end of each month, each company payment was then credited to the appropriate client-specific revenue account, according to information.
During most weeks, Satava selected between two and four companies from this printout that made binder payments under $5,000 and created a reimbursement check in the exact amount of each respective customer check submitted to the company. He caused the reimbursement check to be created by completing a company check reimbursement form. On the form, Satava listed an employee of the client company as payee, and requested payment in the amount of the company’s binder check. He stated on the form that insurance coverage had been denied as the reason for the requested reimbursement.
To conceal his embezzlement, Satava did not charge each reimbursement to the Binder Suspense Account. Instead, he charged the checks to an account that handled several billions of dollars of revenue each year. As such, the checks created by Satava were immaterial in amount relative to the volume of funds passing through this account, so the checks were not detected. Because the reimbursement checks were not charged against the account into which the binder payments were deposited, the coverage for each client company still went into effect, according to the information.
To negotiate the check, Satava forged the name of the payee appearing on the reimbursement check that he used without authorization. After he forged each check, he countersigned his own name beneath the forged name. Defendant used ATMs to deposit each check into his own personal bank account to avoid scrutiny from bank officials regarding the third party checks, according to the information.
Satava produced at least 1,382 reimbursement checks that he forged, countersigned, and deposited during his tenure as the manager of credit and collections, according to the information.
Satava used the embezzled funds to pay for living expenses that were otherwise beyond his means, such as furniture and other household items, his adult son’s personal expenses, a car loan, travel and personal vacations and a retirement home on Lake Erie, according to the information.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christos N. Georgalis and James Morford following an investigation by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the dourt after a review of factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
An information is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Shannon Conley, Through Her Attorney, Files A Notice of DispositionRead the Press Release
DENVER – Shannon Conley, age 19, of Arvada, Colorado, has, through her attorney, filed a notice of disposition in her criminal case (14-CR-163-RM). A notice of disposition is generally filed by the defense to notify the court that an agreement between the prosecution and the defense has been reached, where the defendant has agreed to plead guilty. The details of that plea agreement cannot be made public until the change of plea hearing, which has not yet been scheduled. At the change of plea hearing, Conley will be given an opportunity to change her plea from not guilty to guilty.
Conley currently is charged in a one count Information with Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
No additional information is available regarding what Conley has agreed to plead guilty to or the details of that agreement.
Psychologist Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court for Participation in Multi-Year No-Fault Automobile Insurance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JAY SEITZ, a psychologist licensed to practice in the State of New York, was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court in connection with his participation in a multi-year, no-fault automobile insurance fraud scheme. SEITZ was sentenced to two years in prison by U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein. SEITZ was convicted in March following a six-day jury trial of one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and health care fraud, one count of mail fraud, and one count of health care fraud.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Jay Seitz violated the ethical code he swore to uphold and committed fraud in pursuit of personal profit. With the sentence meted out today, his unscrupulous practices and flagrant violation of the law have now been justly punished.”
According to the Indictment filed in Manhattan federal court, other court documents, evidence introduced during trial and statements made at other court proceedings:
Between 2006 and 2008, SEITZ purported to provide psychological services to patients at medical clinics located in the Bronx and Brooklyn, New York. SEITZ signed treatment notes that described the diagnoses he purportedly made and the services he purportedly provided to patients treated at these clinics. These treatment notes, which often did not accurately reflect the psychological symptoms suffered by patients or the treatment they were provided, were used to generate claims that were submitted to no-fault insurance companies for reimbursement. These claims reflected that the psychological services for which reimbursement was sought were provided by SEITZ. In fact, SEITZ did not diagnose or treat any patients on whose behalf claims were submitted to no-fault insurance providers. Although the patients at the clinics with which SEITZ was associated sometimes received psychological screening and treatment, this treatment was provided by individuals who were not licensed psychologists or licensed social workers. In addition, the treatment duration and number of treatment sessions reflected on the claims forms often exceeded the actual duration of services provided or the number of sessions at which treatment was actually provided. No-fault insurance providers reimbursed over $3 million of claims submitted on behalf of two professional corporations associated with SEITZ, for patients purportedly, but not actually, treated by SEITZ.
In addition to the prison term, SEITZ, 62, of New York, New York, was sentenced to one year of supervised release. SEITZ was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,703,137.89 and forfeit $584,089.92 in assets.
Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The case is being handled by the Office=s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Blais and Kristy Greenberg are in charge of the prosecution.
Pompano Beach Resident Pleads Guilty and Is Sentenced for Illegally Trafficking in Marine LifeRead the Press Release
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Tracy Dunn, Special Agent in Charge, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Law Enforcement, announce that Eric Burman, 60, of Boca Raton, pled guilty and was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Court Judge James Lawrence King to a term of three years of probation. Burman was also ordered to pay a fine of $250,000, the fine to be transferred upon receipt to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Fund administered by the Department of Commerce, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, pursuant to the authority of Title 16, United States Code, Section 1861(e).
Burman was charged with a one count information with conspiracy to violate the federal Lacey Act, by transporting, selling, receiving, acquiring, and purchasing wildlife, that is Florida spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) with a fair market value in excess of $350.00, knowing that said wildlife was taken, possessed, transported, and sold in foreign commerce, in violation of the laws and regulations of the State of Florida, all in violation of Title 16, United States Code, Sections 3372(a)(2)(A), 3373(d)(1) and (2).
According to statements in court, and the court pleadings, at the relevant times, Burman was President and the sole Director of a Florida corporation with its principal place of business in Pompano Beach. Burman, through the business entity, was engaged in the wholesale commercial seafood industry, including the export of live Florida spiny lobster to the seafood market in China.
Burman admitted that during August and September 2010, he and a co-conspirator purchased spiny lobster from harvesters in Monroe County without creating and providing to the harvesters and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, trip tickets reflecting the transactions. Thereafter, a co-conspirator of Burman’s caused the lobster to be transported to the corporate business premises in Pompano Beach for packing and shipping in foreign commerce. Burman agreed to allow the co-conspirator to package, mark, and ship the spiny lobster under the corporate entity’s name and through the corporation’s shipping agent. The lobster was ultimately transported from the business in Pompano Beach to a commercial airfreight carrier at Miami International Airport and exported to Hong Kong, China. The charges included a series of “overt acts”, describing multiple instances when specific shipments of spiny lobster were made to China by air freight, and the unlicensed and undocumented purchase of spiny lobsters in the Florida Keys.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts NOAA Office of Law Enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Islamorada Field Office. This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Watts-FitzGerald and Antonia Barnes.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Philadelphia Man Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements to BanksRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA - Matthew Amato, 31, of Broomall, PA, pleaded guilty today to one count of making false statements to banks. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 12, 2014. Amato admitted today that between July 11, 2005 and August 9, 2005, he knowingly made and caused to be made false statements to Wachovia Bank, PNC Bank, and Sun National Bank for the purpose of influencing the actions of the banks upon lines of credit for which he had applied. Amato falsely claimed to be the sole proprietor and Chief Executive Officer of Chaka Fattah, Jr. & Associates, an existing business entity which previously had earned revenue, and falsely claimed that he would use the proceeds of the commercial loans for the working capital and business purposes of CFJA, as required under the terms of the loans.
Amato faces a maximum possible sentence of 30 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a $100 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul L. Gray.
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, EASTERN DISTRICTof PENNSYLVANIA
Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
PATTY HARTMAN, Media Contact, 215-861-8525Parkville Man Convicted in Plot to Export Industrial Products and Services to IranRead the Press Release
Conspired to Violate the U.S. Embargo Against Iran
Greenbelt, Maryland - A federal jury convicted Ali Saboonchi, age 34, a U.S. citizen residing in Parkville, Maryland, today of conspiracy and seven counts of exporting American manufactured industrial products and services to Iran.The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Special Agent in Charge William Winter of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
"This case and trial gave the public a rare view into the lengths Mr. Saboonchi and others like him will go to break the law of this country and aid our foreign adversaries," said Steve Vogt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Division. “We work every day to keep what may seem like benign technology and ideas created here in America from being used against us. These illegal export cases happen more often than the general public gets to see, and it will impact all of us if these conspirators aren't caught and stopped."
The International Emergency Economic Powers Act authorizes the President of the United States to impose economic sanctions on a foreign country when the President declares a national emergency. In 1995, the President issued a series of executive orders declaring that the actions and policies of the government of Iran constituted a national emergency, and imposed economic sanctions against Iran, to include a trade embargo (the Iran Trade Embargo). In order to implement the Iran Trade Embargo, the U.S. Department of the Treasury promulgated regulations that prohibit the export, sale or supply to Iran of any goods or services from the United States without prior authorization.
According to evidence presented during the two week trial, from November 2009 to the present, Saboonchi conspired with others to evade the Iran Trade Embargo by exporting American manufactured industrial goods and services to Iranian businesses. A co-conspirator, located in Iran, had Saboonchi in Maryland create and operate Ace Electric Company to obtain goods to be sent to Iran. The co-conspirator, who operated businesses in Tehran, Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), solicited purchase orders and business from customers in Iran for industrial parts and components manufactured in America, including:
- two cyclone separators, which are used in pipelines to separate impurities such as sand from liquids;
- six thermocouples, which are used to measure temperatures of liquids and gasses in industrial applications in the chemical and petrochemical fields;
- 10 stainless steel filter elements, which are used primarily in the oil and gas industry and can be used in water plants, hydrocarbon plants and nuclear plants;
- four bypass filters;
- three flow meters, which are used primarily in industrial applications to measure the flow of water but could be adjusted to measure other liquids and gasses;
- three actuator springs, which are used to control the flow rate of a liquid;
- numerous industrial parts, including hydraulic valves and connectors; and
- liquid pumps and valves, which have oil, gas, energy, aerospace and defense applications.Trial evidence showed that Saboonchi obtained price quotes and paid for these items, and took delivery of most of the goods, which he then shipped to co-conspirators in UAE and, in at least one case, China. The co-conspirator would repay Saboonchi for the goods and further arrange for the entities in the UAE and China to send the goods on to him and his customers in Iran. Saboonchi did not obtain authorization to export the products.
Saboonchi faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy and on each of seven counts for illegal export to an embargoed country. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm scheduled sentencing for February 2, 2015, at 1:00 p.m.
Co-defendants Arash Rashti Mohammad, and Mehdi Mohammadi, are citizens and residents of Iran. They were indicted in 2013, along with Saboonchi, on charges arising from the conspiracy, and are currently fugitives.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the FBI and HSI Baltimore for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Christine Manuelian and Kristi O’Malley, who are prosecuting the case.
Orangevale Man Sentenced for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Anthony Nail, 26, of Orangevale, was sentenced on Friday by United States District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. to five years and 10 months in prison for receipt and distribution of child pornography, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
According to court documents, between December 2011 and April 2012, Nail used a file sharing program to download and share child pornography over the Internet. Nail has been in custody since he pleaded guilty on March 21, 2014.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew G. Morris prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative 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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about Internet safety.
Ohio Prisoner Sentenced for Role in Detroit/west Virginia Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Defendant Managed Drug Conspiracy While Imprisoned in Ohio
Charleston, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that Mack Brooks, age 41, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to the maximum statutory sentence of 20 years imprisonment for his role in a conspiracy to distribute illegal drugs. Brooks was previously convicted of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and oxymorphone, highly addictive pain medications, following a three-day jury trial in July of 2013. During the course of the conspiracy that spanned more than two years, Brooks, while incarcerated in Ohio for a previous drug conviction, arranged the delivery of prescription pills from Detroit to West Virginia. Trial testimony established that Brooks and his organization were responsible for distributing over $1,000,000 worth of illegal pills in southern West Virginia. The sentence imposed today will run consecutive to the sentence Brooks is serving in Ohio.The successful prosecution of Brooks and others in his organization was due to the cooperative efforts of agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Wood County Sheriff’s Department.
This case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
North Carolina Man Convicted in Connection with Sex Trafficking EnterpriseRead the Press Release
A federal jury returned a verdict today convicting Shahid Hassan Muslim, aka “Sharp,” of two counts of sex trafficking, one count of kidnapping, one count of production of child pornography, one count of witness tampering and five counts of promoting a prostitution business enterprise. The verdict was announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General Molly Moran for the Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Anne M. Tompkins for the Western District of North Carolina, Special Agent in Charge John A. Strong of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Charlotte Division and Special Agent in Charge Brock Nicholson of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations Atlanta Division.
Evidence presented during the four-day trial, including the testimony of five victims, revealed that Muslim had operated an extensive sex trafficking enterprise in Charlotte, North Carolina and other cities between at least 2010 and the time of his arrest in November 2013. Muslim recruited young women and girls from the Charlotte area, some as young as 16 years old, and advertised them for prostitution on the internet. He recruited them using the idea that they would be part of a family when they had none. Muslim demanded all of their money and used extreme violence to control the young women and girls. As one witness explained, Muslim never hit the victims in the face because it would damage his “merchandise.”
The evidence further showed that Muslim kidnapped one of the victims and brutally beat her after she left and reported him to the police. Witnesses testified that he lured her to a hotel pretending to be a prostitution customer. When she arrived, Muslim attacked her while dressed in black and wearing a mask in the shape of a skull. He shoved her into a trunk and had her transported to his house, where he handcuffed her and bound her feet and continued to beat her. Muslim then put the victim in the shower, while still handcuffed, turned on the cold water, and left her overnight. Ultimately, she managed to escape and flee to a neighbor’s home for help.
Muslim’s control over the women and girls extended to when he was in custody on both state and federal charges. He convinced the victim involved in the kidnapping to submit a false affidavit declaring his innocence to state authorities, which resulted in the dismissal of those charges. He further harassed a victim in the federal case to submit a false affidavit taking ownership of a sexually explicit video that he produced of her when she was only 16 years old.
“This defendant targeted vulnerable young women and girls and exploited them for his own profit, using a brutal scheme of power and control” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Moran. “This disregard of the rights and dignity of some of the most vulnerable members of our community is intolerable in a nation founded on freedom and individual rights, and the Civil Rights Division is committed to bringing human traffickers to justice.”
“Muslim preyed upon young and vulnerable women, and with the promise of a better life, he lured them into his criminal enterprise,” said U.S. Attorney Tompkins. “Once in, Muslim used unspeakable violence to control and exploit these women and girls for his financial gain. We will continue to aggressively prosecute those who engage in this illegal business that dehumanizes women and strips them of their dignity.”
“Shahid Hassan Muslim promised his victims the loving support of a family, instead he controlled them through beatings, fear, and intimidation,” said Special Agent in Charge Strong. “Sex trafficking victims are traumatized and may be unsure of where to turn for help. The FBI devotes a significant amount of resources to recovery efforts and to hold those accountable who sacrifice another person’s civil rights and freedom for their own profit.”
“This defendant is one of the most violent and inhumane human traffickers we have ever encountered in North Carolina,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Spradlin of ICE Homeland Security Investigations in Atlanta. “Thankfully, by working with the FBI we were able to get this monster off of the streets and begin the process of repairing the damage he has inflicted on these victims’ lives.”
After deliberating for two and a half hours the jury found the defendant guilty on all counts. The defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimlani M. Ford for the Western District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney Benjamin J. Hawk of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
North Carolina Man Convicted in Connection with Sex Trafficking EnterpriseRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal jury returned a verdict today convicting Shahid Hassan Muslim, aka “Sharp,” of two counts of sex trafficking, one count of kidnapping, one count of production of child pornography, one count of witness tampering and five counts of promoting a prostitution business enterprise. The verdict was announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General Molly Moran for the Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Anne M. Tompkins for the Western District of North Carolina, Special Agent in Charge John A. Strong of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Charlotte Division and Special Agent in Charge Brock Nicholson of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations Atlanta Division.
Evidence presented during the four-day trial, including the testimony of five victims, revealed that Muslim had operated an extensive sex trafficking enterprise in Charlotte, North Carolina and other cities between at least 2010 and the time of his arrest in November 2013. Muslim recruited young women and girls from the Charlotte area, some as young as 16 years old, and advertised them for prostitution on the internet. He recruited them using the idea that they would be part of a family when they had none. Muslim demanded all of their money and used extreme violence to control the young women and girls. As one witness explained, Muslim never hit the victims in the face because it would damage his “merchandise.”
The evidence further showed that Muslim kidnapped one of the victims and brutally beat her after she left and reported him to the police. Witnesses testified that he lured her to a hotel pretending to be a prostitution customer. When she arrived, Muslim attacked her while dressed in black and wearing a mask in the shape of a skull. He shoved her into a trunk and had her transported to his house, where he handcuffed her and bound her feet and continued to beat her. Muslim then put the victim in the shower, while still handcuffed, turned on the cold water, and left her overnight. Ultimately, she managed to escape and flee to a neighbor’s home for help.
Muslim’s control over the women and girls extended to when he was in custody on both state and federal charges. He convinced the victim involved in the kidnapping to submit a false affidavit declaring his innocence to state authorities, which resulted in the dismissal of those charges. He further harassed a victim in the federal case to submit a false affidavit taking ownership of a sexually explicit video that he produced of her when she was only 16 years old.
“This defendant targeted vulnerable young women and girls and exploited them for his own profit, using a brutal scheme of power and control” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Moran. “This disregard of the rights and dignity of some of the most vulnerable members of our community is intolerable in a nation founded on freedom and individual rights, and the Civil Rights Division is committed to bringing human traffickers to justice.”
“Muslim preyed upon young and vulnerable women, and with the promise of a better life, he lured them into his criminal enterprise,” said U.S. Attorney Tompkins. “Once in, Muslim used unspeakable violence to control and exploit these women and girls for his financial gain. We will continue to aggressively prosecute those who engage in this illegal business that dehumanizes women and strips them of their dignity.”
“Shahid Hassan Muslim promised his victims the loving support of a family, instead he controlled them through beatings, fear, and intimidation,” said Special Agent in Charge Strong. “Sex trafficking victims are traumatized and may be unsure of where to turn for help. The FBI devotes a significant amount of resources to recovery efforts and to hold those accountable who sacrifice another person’s civil rights and freedom for their own profit.”
“This defendant is one of the most violent and inhumane human traffickers we have ever encountered in North Carolina,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Spradlin of ICE Homeland Security Investigations in Atlanta. “Thankfully, by working with the FBI we were able to get this monster off of the streets and begin the process of repairing the damage he has inflicted on these victims’ lives.”
After deliberating for two and a half hours the jury found the defendant guilty on all counts. The defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimlani M. Ford for the Western District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney Benjamin J. Hawk of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
North Carolina Man Convicted in Connection with Sex Trafficking EnterpriseRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal jury returned a verdict today convicting Shahid Hassan Muslim, aka “Sharp,” of two counts of sex trafficking, one count of kidnapping, one count of production of child pornography, one count of witness tampering and five counts of promoting a prostitution business enterprise. The verdict was announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General Molly Moran for the Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Anne M. Tompkins for the Western District of North Carolina, Special Agent in Charge John A. Strong of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Charlotte Division and Special Agent in Charge Brock Nicholson of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations Atlanta Division.
Evidence presented during the four-day trial, including the testimony of five victims, revealed that Muslim had operated an extensive sex trafficking enterprise in Charlotte, North Carolina and other cities between at least 2010 and the time of his arrest in November 2013. Muslim recruited young women and girls from the Charlotte area, some as young as 16 years old, and advertised them for prostitution on the internet. He recruited them using the idea that they would be part of a family when they had none. Muslim demanded all of their money and used extreme violence to control the young women and girls. As one witness explained, Muslim never hit the victims in the face because it would damage his “merchandise.”
The evidence further showed that Muslim kidnapped one of the victims and brutally beat her after she left and reported him to the police. Witnesses testified that he lured her to a hotel pretending to be a prostitution customer. When she arrived, Muslim attacked her while dressed in black and wearing a mask in the shape of a skull. He shoved her into a trunk and had her transported to his house, where he handcuffed her and bound her feet and continued to beat her. Muslim then put the victim in the shower, while still handcuffed, turned on the cold water, and left her overnight. Ultimately, she managed to escape and flee to a neighbor’s home for help.
Muslim’s control over the women and girls extended to when he was in custody on both state and federal charges. He convinced the victim involved in the kidnapping to submit a false affidavit declaring his innocence to state authorities, which resulted in the dismissal of those charges. He further harassed a victim in the federal case to submit a false affidavit taking ownership of a sexually explicit video that he produced of her when she was only 16 years old.
“This defendant targeted vulnerable young women and girls and exploited them for his own profit, using a brutal scheme of power and control” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Moran. “This disregard of the rights and dignity of some of the most vulnerable members of our community is intolerable in a nation founded on freedom and individual rights, and the Civil Rights Division is committed to bringing human traffickers to justice.”
“Muslim preyed upon young and vulnerable women, and with the promise of a better life, he lured them into his criminal enterprise,” said U.S. Attorney Tompkins. “Once in, Muslim used unspeakable violence to control and exploit these women and girls for his financial gain. We will continue to aggressively prosecute those who engage in this illegal business that dehumanizes women and strips them of their dignity.”
“Shahid Hassan Muslim promised his victims the loving support of a family, instead he controlled them through beatings, fear, and intimidation,” said Special Agent in Charge Strong. “Sex trafficking victims are traumatized and may be unsure of where to turn for help. The FBI devotes a significant amount of resources to recovery efforts and to hold those accountable who sacrifice another person’s civil rights and freedom for their own profit.”
“This defendant is one of the most violent and inhumane human traffickers we have ever encountered in North Carolina,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Spradlin of ICE Homeland Security Investigations in Atlanta. “Thankfully, by working with the FBI we were able to get this monster off of the streets and begin the process of repairing the damage he has inflicted on these victims’ lives.”
After deliberating for two and a half hours the jury found the defendant guilty on all counts. The defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimlani M. Ford for the Western District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney Benjamin J. Hawk of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
Nanny Admits to Stealing over $430,000 from A Montgomery County CoupleRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Kadiatu Sahid Kamara, age 50, of Gaithersburg, Maryland pleaded guilty today to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft, arising from a two year scheme in which she wrote herself approximately 118 checks from her employers’ bank account.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Kathy A. Michalko of the United States Secret Service - Washington Field Office; and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department.
According to her plea agreement, Kamara was a nanny caring for the children of a married couple living in Montgomery County. Kamara had access to checks linked to the victims’ money market account, though she had never been authorized to write checks from this account. From May 2011 to May 2013, Kamara wrote herself approximately 118 checks from the victims’ money market account, totaling approximately $431,542. She forged the signature of one of the victims on each check, and deposited the checks into her own bank account. Kamara used some of the money to buy a house in Africa, to send money transfers, and to play games at a casino in Charles Town, West Virginia.Kamara faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for mail fraud and a mandatory minimum of two years in prison consecutive to any other sentence imposed. Kamara has agreed to forfeit and pay restitution of $431,542. U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel scheduled sentencing for October 14, 2014.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the U.S. Secret Service and Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas P. Windom, who is prosecuting the case.Multiple Sentences Handed Down in Progreso Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – The former mayor of Progreso and three others have been sentenced for their convictions related a bribery scheme that permeated the town of Progreso and the local school board, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson.
Omar, Jose and Michael Vela were originally charged along with Jesus Bustos based on their participation in a scheme to create a “pay to play” public contracting system in Progreso. The Velas all pleaded guilty to conspiracy and bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, while Bustos, 58, pleaded guilty to conspiracy. In a separate, but related case, Orlando Vela was convicted of theft from a program receiving federal funds.
Michael, 30, Omar, 36, and Orlando, 34, are brothers and Jose, 65, is their father. Omar was the mayor of Progreso at the time of the criminal behavior. Michael was the president of the Progreso Independent School District Board (PISD) of Trustees, Orlando was employed by PISD as a risk manager and Jose was PISD’s director of maintenance and transportation.
Today, U.S. District Judge U.S. District Judge David Hittner sentenced Jose Vela to 120 months for the bribery concerning federally-funded programs and a consecutive 31 months for the conspiracy for a total of 151 months in federal prison. Omar and Michael Vela will serve 121 and 71 months, respectively, while Orlando received a 10-month-term. They will all also serve three years of supervised release. In addition, Jose Vela was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and forfeit $300,000. Omar and Michael Vela were ordered to forfeit $314,000 and $300,000, respectfully, while Orlando was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $12,874.42.
Bustos will be sentenced Aug. 27, 2014.
From 2004 through 2013, PISD received more than $1 million per year in federal program grants and funds from the U.S. Department of Education. In order to obtain contracts from PISD or from the City of Progreso, contractors were required to pay bribes.
The Velas were able to extract bribes from contractors as a result of their political control of Progreso and PISD. As government officials, Michael and Omar had a level of control over local government. In addition, Jose Vela controlled the PISD School Board by rewarding board members who voted as he directed with bribe money. Through this control over the PISD Board, Jose Vela caused contracts with PISD to be awarded to contractors who were willing to pay him bribes and kickbacks in return. Omar and Michael Vela assisted their father by gathering bribe payments from contractors and delivering the payments to him. They were then given a portion of those monies.
In total, Jose, Omar and Michael extracted more than $300,000 in bribe payments.
Bustos, a local architect, admitted that from 2004 through 2013, he paid bribes and kickbacks to obtain architectural contracts for his architectural firm IDEA Group LLC on public projects in the area. These included the Mario Ybarra Elementary School Construction project in Weslaco and West Elementary School, Fine Arts Center, North Elementary School and the Science and Technology building in Progreso.
In addition, from April 2009 to December 2012, Omar Vela instructed the owner of a plumbing and electrical supply company to provide fraudulent invoices to PISD and the City of Progreso for products they did not provide. When the invoices were paid, the owner returned the funds to Vela, resulting in more than $14,000 in kickbacks.
In a separate, but related case, Orlando Vela admitted he was responsible for directing and managing the school district’s risk management, loss control and safety programs. On May 11, 2012, he formed a company called Borderline Office Supplies which purported to be in the business of supplying office and janitorial products to school districts.
Between May 2012 and March 2013, Orlando Vela submitted invoices to PISD for products that Borderline did not actually supply to PISD. The payments on the fraudulent invoices were approved by PISD’s business manager, Orlando Vela’s wife, and totaled $12,874.42.
All were taken into custody following the sentences today, where they will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Robert S. Johnson is prosecuting the case.
Mexican National Living in Bellevue Sentenced to Prison for Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
BOISE – Esteban Villegas-Gamez, 39, a Mexican national living in Bellevue, Idaho, was sentenced to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge sentenced Villegas-Gamez at the federal courthouse in Boise. Villegas-Gamez pleaded guilty to the charge on May 19, 2014.
According to the plea agreement, Villegas-Gamez admitted he sold methamphetamine and firearms to a person assisting law enforcement as a confidential informant. Villegas-Gamez sold the informant methamphetamine and firearms on numerous occasions beginning in November 2013 until January 2014. Villegas-Gamez admitted that the combined total he sold the informant during the different transactions was in excess of 50 grams of methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Blaine County Narcotics Enforcement Team. Other agencies that assisted with the investigation include the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Idaho State Police. The Blaine County Narcotics Enforcement Team includes the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office, Sun Valley Police Department, Hailey Police Department, Ketchum Police Department, and Bellevue Marshal’s Office.
The case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit treasurevalleypartners.org.
Marion Man Sentenced on Plea of Guilty to Possessing Firearms and Ammunition as an Unlawful Drug UserRead the Press Release
A man who possessed more than twenty firearms, including at least six military style assault rifles; thousands of rounds ammunition; and about 90 high capacity magazines, as an unlawful user of marijuana, was sentenced today to serve nearly four years in federal prison.
Clint Allen Hughes, 33, from 1165 4th Avenue, Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 17, 2014, guilty plea to being an unlawful user of controlled substances in possession of firearms and ammunition.
Evidence presented at sentencing today showed the firearms and ammunition were seized following a search Hughes’s apartment by the Marion, Iowa, Police Department in August 2013. At that time, Hughes was determined to be an unlawful user of marijuana.
Hughes was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. Hughes was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
In sentencing Hughes, Judge Reade noted Hughes had a 20 year history of substance abuse and expressed displeasure that he had violated pretrial supervision by repeatedly testing positive for marijuana and falsely denying he continued to use the drug. Judge Reade also expressed concern about statements Hughes made to a Marion Police Sergeant on the day his apartment was searched, suggesting he was a survivalist and had another hidden location where he stored more guns.
Hughes 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 U.S. Attorney Richard L. Murphy and investigated by the Marion Police Dept. and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 14-CR-00010-LRR.Man Sentenced in Wichita Mortgage Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. A Wichita man was sentenced Monday to six years in federal prison for mortgage fraud, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said. He also was ordered to pay more than $250,000 in restitution.
Manjur Alam, 47, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. In his plea, he admitted he led co-conspirators in a scheme to submit mortgage loan applications containing false statements, thereby defrauding Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
In some cases, Alam submitted false verification of rent for nominal buyers. In other cases he submitted a false letter of credit for nominal buyers. In each loan, Alam and the co-conspirators falsely represented that the homes would be a primary residence. In truth, they did not intend to live in the homes.
U.S. District Judge Monti L Belot determined the actual loss totaled more than $485,000. The judge also noted that at the time of the crime Alam was on federal probation for a similar offense and his realtor license had been suspended.
Co-defendants included:
Christopher Ginyard, 28, Wichita, who was sentenced to two years supervised release and $40,000 restitution.
Henry Pearson, Jr., 29, Wichita, who was sentenced to two years supervised release and $56,000 restitution.
Henry Pearson, Sr., Wichita, who was sentenced to two years supervised release and $55,180 restitution.
Bruce Dykes, 46, Wichita, who was sentenced to two years supervised release and $14,872 restitution.
Janice Young, 27, Wichita, who was sentenced to five years supervised release and $60,332 restitution.
Steven Pelz, 40, Wichita, Kan., was sentenced Monday to two years federal probation and $31,924 restitution.Grissom commended the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Federal Housing Finance Agency - OIG, the Internal Revenue Service and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith for their work on the case.
Man Charged with Assault, Malicious Mischief, and Threats at Gettysburg National ParkRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Gary L. DuRocher, 41, no fixed address, was charged in a Criminal Complaint following a series of incident at the Gettysburg National Military Park on Friday night, August 8, 2014.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, DuRocher is charged with assault and malicious mischief within the special jurisdiction of the United States for allegedly starting a fire that damaged property in the Park and making a threat of harm to another person. The Complaint was filed by a Gettysburg Park Ranger. If convicted of all offenses, DuRocher faces 11 years in prison and fines of more than $500,000.
DuRocher was taken into custody after the incidents and made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan E. Schwab in Harrisburg today. A preliminary hearing on the complaint is scheduled for August 21, 2014. Magistrate Judge Schwab granted the Government’s motion to detain DuRocher pending that hearing because of his risk of flight and danger to the community.
Law enforcement officers of the National Park Service, Cumberland Township, Gettysburg Borough, McSherrystown Borough, Pennsylvania State Police and Maryland State Police, as well as fire and emergency response personnel from around the Gettysburg area participated in the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James T. Clancy.
Madera Man Sentenced TO 11 Years AND 3 Months IN Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — United States District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill sentenced Aaron Lewis Gaudinier, 50, of Madera, to 11 years and three months in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for receipt and distribution of child pornography, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
According to court documents, between December 14, 2011, and February 4, 2012, Gaudinier received and distributed more than 600 images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Some images were of prepubescent minors and some depicted violence. Gaudinier has been detained as a danger to the community and flight risk since his initial appearance on February 15, 2012; he pleaded guilty on May 5, 2014.
“Those who trade child pornography over the Internet and use peer-to-peer file sharing technology, mistakenly believe cyberspace shields them from detection by law enforcement,” said Nick Annan, acting special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations in San Francisco. “However, as this sentence makes clear, those who use the Internet to exploit children should be on notice, HSI, in collaboration with its state and local partners, is using every tool at its disposal to identify these online predators and bring them to justice - whether they are around the block or around the world.”
This case is the result of an investigation by the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, specifically the Madera and Fresno County Sheriff’s Offices, the Tulare Police Department, and the Fresno office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant United States Attorney David Gappa prosecuted the case.
It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about Internet safety education.
MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Obstruction of Child Sex Trafficking LawsRead the Press Release
Victor Manuel Contreras, 29, of Manassas, Virginia, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for obstructing and interfering with the enforcement of federal child sex trafficking laws.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia and Special Agent in Charge Clark E. Settle of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema of the Eastern District of Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made at his plea hearing, in July 2011, Contreras engaged in chats via Facebook with a minor female. In those chats, she indicated a desire to run away from home, and Contreras told her that he would help her if she did so. Once the girl ran away from home, Contreras arranged for her to stay with other MS-13 gang members, who subsequently coerced her into prostitution. When law enforcement officers interviewed Contreras during their search for the girl, Contreras lied about his relationship with her, and then called other MS-13 gang members to warn them that law enforcement officers were looking for her.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “resources” tab on the left of the page.
The case was investigated by HSI, and prosecuted by Trial Attorney Alicia Yass of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary K. Daly of the Eastern District of Virginia.MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to 60_Months in Prison for Obstruction of Child Sex Trafficking LawsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Victor Manuel Contreras, 29, of Manassas, Virginia, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for obstructing and interfering with the enforcement of federal child sex trafficking laws.
U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Clark E. Settle of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema of the Eastern District of Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made at his plea hearing, in July 2011, Contreras engaged in chats via Facebook with a minor female. In those chats, she indicated a desire to run away from home, and Contreras told her that he would help her if she did so. Once the girl ran away from home, Contreras arranged for her to stay with other MS-13 gang members, who subsequently coerced her into prostitution. When law enforcement officers interviewed Contreras during their search for the girl, Contreras lied about his relationship with her, and then called other MS-13 gang members to warn them that law enforcement officers were looking for her.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “resources” tab on the left of the page.
The case was investigated by HSI, and prosecuted by Trial Attorney Alicia Yass of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary K. Daly of the Eastern District of Virginia.
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Lawyer and Three Others Charged in Manhattan Federal Court with Scheme to Obtain Immigration Visas Based on Fraudulent Advanced Degree DiplomasRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Cheryl Garcia, Special Agent-in-Charge of the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (“DOL-OIG”) and James T. Hayes, Jr., the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); announced today federal charges against RICHARD KASSEL, an immigration lawyer, and three others, in a scheme to obtain immigration visas by submitting fraudulent diplomas and transcripts representing that aliens had earned advanced degrees that they did not obtain from schools they did not attend.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “As alleged, the defendants, including attorney Richard Kassel, cheated the system by engaging in a scheme to forge fraudulent diplomas and transcripts in order to obtain employment-based visas intended for professionals who had legitimately earned advanced degrees. Work visas must be earned not churned out if the system is to be valid and secure.”
As alleged in an indictment (the “Indictment”) unsealed today in Manhattan federal court, KASSEL created a scheme to obtain employment-based visas for immigration clients in exchange for a fee by pretending that these individuals possessed advanced degrees that they never earned. To perpetrate the scheme, KASSEL and ROSANNA ALMONTE, an assistant working for KASSEL, prepared and submitted fraudulent visa applications supported by fictitious diplomas and fake transcripts. JANA HALODA and VACLAV HALODA, both originally clients of KASSEL, facilitated the fraud by creating the fraudulent diplomas and supporting documents on a home computer and printer. More than a hundred fraudulent visa applications supported by these forged documents were submitted between 2008 and the present.
KASSEL (50), ALMONTE (26), JANA HALODA (32), and VACLAV HALODA (37) are all charged with conspiracy to commit immigration fraud and five substantive counts of visa fraud. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum of five years of imprisonment on the conspiracy charge and ten years imprisonment on each of the five counts of immigration fraud. The defendants also face a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense for each count. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General. He added that the investigation is ongoing.
The Office’s General Crimes Unit is overseeing the case. Assistant United States Attorney Andrea M. Griswold is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. v. Richard Kassel Indictment
Las Cruces Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Possession of Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Juan C. Rodriguez, 36, of Las Cruces, N.M., pled guilty yesterday afternoon in Las Cruces federal court to possession of matter containing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Rodriguez will be sentenced to 37 months in federal prison to be followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court. Rodriguez also will be required to register as a sex offender.
Rodriguez was arrested on April 23, 2014, by the FBI on an indictment charging him with one count of possession of child pornography. The indictment alleged that Rodriguez possessed child pornography in Doña Ana County, N.M., between June 2013 and Aug. 2013.
During yesterday’s hearing, Rodriguez pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that between June 6, 2013 and Aug. 22, 2013, he used a computer and computer-related media to download child pornography using a peer to peer network. In his plea agreement, Rodriguez acknowledged that law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at his residence on Aug. 22, 2013, and seized his computer and computer-related media. He further acknowledged that a forensic examination of those items uncovered approximately 30 still images and five videos consistent with child pornography.
Rodriguez was remanded into custody after entering his guilty plea. He remains detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of FBI and the Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory with assistance from the Denver office of the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander B. Shapiro of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.The case also was brought as part of the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force’s mission, which is to locate, track, and capture Internet child sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are 74 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies associated with the ICAC Task Force, which is funded by a grant administered by the NMAGO. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.
Kirbyville Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for $1.3 Million K2 ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kirbyville, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute synthetic marijuana, commonly referred to as K2.
Michael J. Saguto, 44, of Kirbyville, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to seven years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Saguto to forfeit to the government $1,354,034, which represents the proceeds of the mail fraud conspiracy and for which Saguto is jointly and severally liable with his co-defendants.
On March 20, 2014, Saguto pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to commit mail fraud and to participating in a conspiracy to commit money laundering. Saguto admitted that he conspired with others between March 1, 2011, and June 24, 2013, to defraud the Food and Drug Administration and to defraud the public by falsely representing that a number of synthetic cannabinoid products were “incense” or “potpourri” and “not for human consumption.” In reality, Saguto admitted, these substances contained compounds that were intended for human consumption as a drug.
Based upon the invoices, ledgers, and product seizures by law enforcement, this conspiracy was responsible for the manufacture and/or distribution of at least 188.14038 kilograms of synthetic cannabinoid products.
Co-defendant Travis E. Butchee, also known as “Donkey,” 38, of Springfield, also pleaded guilty to the same two conspiracy charges and awaits sentencing. Butchee’s wife, Victoria A. Butchee, also known as Victoria A. Wohlin, 29, of Springfield, also has pleaded guilty to her role in the mail fraud conspiracy and awaits sentencing. Co-defendant Christian L. Turner, 46, of Kirbyville, was sentenced on Monday, Aug. 4, 2014, to nine years in federal prison without parole. Turner pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance analogue and to being a felon in possession of firearms.
Travis Butchee opened The Man Cave, a retail business at 1927 S.Glenstone in Springfield, in February 2013. Travis Butchee and Saguto are the owners of Southern Spice, LLC and Saguto is the owner of Blues Away, a head shop and novelty store in Memphis, Tenn. Turner was employed by Saguto at Blues Away.
Saguto’s plea agreement cites a number of transactions in which materials used to manufacture and distribute synthetic cannabinoids were shipped via UPS or FedEx to members of the conspiracy – including controlled substance analogues (synthetic chemical compounds similar to THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana), green leafy substances which served as carrier media, labels that were affixed to packages of “Donkey Punch,” “Jolly Grape Giant,” “South of the Tracks,” “Baby Face,” “Scarface,” “Hillbilly Hay,” and other synthetic cannabinoid products, and foil and plastic packaging bags.
Travis Butchee and Saguto also admitted that they conducted financial transactions that involved the proceeds of the unlawful mail fraud conspiracy. They conspired to wire funds to the People’s Republic of China in order to carry out the conspiracy.
This case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, COMET (Combined Ozarks Multi-jurisdictional Enforcement Team) and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.KC Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Child PornRead the Press Release
Project Safe Childhood
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for attempting to distribute child pornography over the Internet.
James A. Rhea, 32, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to ten years in federal prison without parole.
On Nov. 25, 2013, Rhea pleaded guilty to attempting to distribute child pornography over the Internet.
On Aug. 17, 2010, Rhea took his laptop computer to a Northland Best Buy store for repairs. After a repair person discovered apparent child pornography on the computer, a report was made to the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department. A search of the computer revealed that it contained more than 400 images and more than 40 videos of child pornography. The computer search also turned up emails which contained child pornography being sent and received by Rhea. Rhea was questioned by police detectives and admitted to receiving child pornography through email and Web chats. Rhea also admitted to having an online profile in which he portrayed himself as an 18-year-old female.
According to court documents, Rhea resumed downloading child pornography on his cell phone after he was questioned by police detectives and his laptop was confiscated. When Rhea was later arrested, he was in possession of a cell phone that contained an email, which showed images of child pornography.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katharine Fincham. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."Jonathan Mendhein Sentenced to Sixty Months in Prison for Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On Aug. 14, 2014, Jonathan Mendheim, 35, of Indianapolis, Ind., was sentenced by the Honorable Leon Jordan, Senior U.S. District Judge, to serve 60 months in prison for receipt and possession of child pornography. Upon his release from prison he will be under supervised release for 20 years. Additionally, he was ordered to pay $3500 in restitution to the victims.
In January 2014, Mendheim pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Knoxville to these charges. Details of the crimes committed are outlined in the plea agreement on file with U.S. District Court.
This investigation was conducted by the Knoxville Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, Knoxville and Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. 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.
Jefferson County Man Sentenced to Lengthy Prison Term on Multiple Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – JODY EUGENE SMITH, Pevely, Missouri, was sentenced to 720 months in prison on multiple child pornography charges, including production, attempted production, receipt and transportation. Smith pled guilty to the charges in April and appeared today for sentencing before United States District Judge Henry Autrey.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the St. Louis County Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Rob Livergood handled the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Jefferson County Man Sentenced to 188 Months on Methamphetamine ChargesRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsA Jefferson County man was sentenced on August 8, 2104, to federal prison on methamphetamine charges, Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today.
Jose A. Roman, 37, of Mt. Vernon, Illinois, was sentenced to 188 months’ imprisonment, five years’ supervised release following his imprisonment, and was fined $200. The Court sentenced Roman as a Career Offender due to Roman’s previous criminal history. Roman had previously pleaded guilty to a two count federal indictment. Counts 1 and 2 charged that on two separate occasions on May 7, 2013, in Jefferson County, Illinois, Roman knowingly and intentionally distributed methamphetamine.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Joint Narcotics Unit of the Mt. Vernon Police Department and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department.
The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney George Norwood.
Ithaca, N.Y., Man Charged with Abusive Sexual Contact with Sleeping Woman on International FlightRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Ithaca, New York, man appeared in federal court today on charges he allegedly engaged in abusive sexual contact with a sleeping woman aboard a flight from Tokyo, Japan, to Newark Liberty International Airport, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Eun Jong Lee, 47, was detained upon arrival in Newark yesterday evening, Aug.10, 2014, and arrested by agents of the FBI. He was charged by complaint with abusive sexual contact and appeared this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Dickson in Newark federal court.According to the complaint filed today:
Lee was seated next to a woman on a United Airlines flight from Tokyo to Newark. While the plane was in the air, the woman B who did not know Lee B fell asleep. She awoke to find Lee’s hand on the front of her shirt, touching her breast through her clothing. Lee then touched the skin of her neck and attempted to place his hand down the front of the woman’s shirt.
After asking Lee to stop touching her, the woman reported the incident to a flight crew member and provided the crew member a written statement describing what happened. The federal government has exclusive jurisdiction over all abusive sexual contact cases that occur in American airplanes in flight.
The abusive sexual contact charge carries a maximum potential penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford, with the investigation leading to the arrest. He also thanked the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department for their role in the case.
The government is represented by Shirley U. Emehelu of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
14-289
Defense counsel: John Yauch Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
Lee, Eun Jong Complaint
Information: Federal Court ArraignmentsRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney's Office today 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 Strong in Great Falls on August 8, 2014 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
JENNELL MOZEL DOWNING, a 34-year-old resident of Great Falls, appeared on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, DOWNING, faces 40 years in prison, $5,000,000 in fines and 4 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Russell Country Drug Task Force. PACER Case Reference: 14-58
KYLE JOEANIEL GOBERT, a 28-year-old resident of Browning, appeared on charges of assault resulting in serious bodily injury, assault with a dangerous weapon and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, GOBERT faces life in prison, $250,000 in fines, and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. PACER Case Reference: 14-63
WAYNE DELVIN LITTLECROW, a 49-year-old resident of Brockton, appeared on charges of aggravated sexual abuse, abusive sexual contact and sexual abuse of a minor. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, LITTLECROW faces life in prison, $250,000 in fines and lifetime supervised release. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. PACER Case Reference: 14-62
BRANDON PETER REDHEAD, 25-year-old resident of Browning, appeared on charges of felony child abuse. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, REDHEAD faces 10 years in prison, $50,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. PACER Case Reference: 14-64
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ostby in Billings on August 11, 2014 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
LESLIE BEAR COMES OUT, a 32-year-old resident of Lame Deer appeared on charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on premises where children are present and felony child endangerment. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, BEAR COMES OUT faces life in prison, $4,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. PACER Case Reference: 14-79
DELPHINE MEDICINE HORSE, a 40-year-old resident of Lame Deer appeared on charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on premises where children are present and felony child endangerment. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, MEDICINE HORSE faces life in prison, $4,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. PACER Case Reference: 14-79
DONNIE DARRELL NOLAN, a 44-year-old resident of Billings, appeared on charges of felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, NOLAN faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in prison, and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. PACER Case Reference: 114-13
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.
Huntington Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Defendant was previously convicted of sexually assaulting two minor girls
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – John D. Hayes, a 66-year-old Cabell County resident, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for possession and attempted distribution of child pornography, United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today. The sentence was handed down by Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers in Huntington.
Following a bench trial in March of 2014, Hayes was found guilty of knowingly possessing child pornography and attempting to distribute child pornography. Between March 17 and April 28, 2012, authorities discovered that child pornography was being shared via a peer-to-peer network called Frostwire. Authorities traced the computer used to share the child pornography to Hayes’ Huntington residence. Computer evidence seized from Hayes’ home, including a portable USB drive, was examined by authorities and found to contain thousands of pornographic images and videos of children. The examination also revealed that one of the computers in Hayes’ possession contained the Frostwire program and had a unique user identification number (known as a GUID) that matched the GUID linked to the child pornography shared in March and April of 2012.
In 1979, Hayes was convicted in the Circuit Court of Putnam County, West Virginia for two counts of second degree sexual assault of female children ages 10 and 12.
U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin said, “When criminals like John Hayes download and trade child pornography, they perpetuate the exploitation and abuse of innocent children. Every successful child pornography prosecution makes our communities and our children safer.”
The investigation of Hayes was conducted by the West Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, with the assistance of the Huntington Police Department and the West Virginia State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald and Lisa Johnston were in charge of the prosecution.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.
Houston Woman Admits to Defrauding Charity Organization of More Than $65KRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Simone Nicole Gary, 36, of Houston, has pleaded guilty to mail fraud and Social Security fraud in relation to the submission of fraudulent claims to the American Kidney Fund (AKF), announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson.
On July 15, 2010, Gary used the name and Social Security number of another person to obtain employment at Fresenius Medical Clinic (FMC) in Houston as a financial coordinator. As part of her duties, Gary assisted clients with their financial needs and verified insurance information.
FMC provides kidney dialysis to patients with kidney failure and is a longtime client of AKF, located in Rockville, Md. AKF awards financial grants to dialysis patients to obtain health care insurance. AKF has an online process which allows a dialysis clinic to submit a grant application on behalf of a patient.
While employed at FMC, Gary submitted fraudulent applications to AKF for grants to patients undergoing dialysis. As a result, AKF mailed grant checks payable to these patients to the attention of Gary at FMC in Houston. Gary took these checks, forged patient signatures and then deposited them into her own bank account.
As a result of the scheme, AKF suffered a loss of $65,768.78.
U.S. District Judge Lynn N. Hughes, who accepted the guilty plea today, has set sentencing for Nov. 10, 2014. At that time, she faces up to 20 years in federal prison for the mail fraud and up to five years for the Social Security fraud. Both convictions also carry as possible punishment a $250,000 fine.
She was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
The case was investigated by the Secret Service and Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney John Braddock is prosecuting.
Horry County Man Charged with Money Laundering, Structuring and Lying to IRS AgentsRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Beth Drake (803) 929-3000
Columbia, South Carolina -----United States Attorney Bill Nettles announced that Larkin Thaddaeus Viers, age 36, of Horry County, South Carolina has been charged in a 14-count indictment. Larkin Thaddaeus Viers was charged with money laundering, a violation of Title 18, U. S. C. §1957, conspiracy to launder money, a violation of Title 18, U. S. C. §1956(h), and false statements to federal agents, a violation of Title 18, U. S. C. §1001. The maximum penalty Viers could receive is 20 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $2,000,000. The case was investigated by agents of the Internal Revenue Service and Secret Service and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney William E. Day II of the Florence office for prosecution.Guilty Plea in Madera County Marijuana GrowRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. —Sokhang Nguon, 22, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to cultivating marijuana, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
According to court documents, Nguon and three others were arrested on August 16, 2012, when state and federal agents searched a rural property in Chowchilla. More than 2,000 marijuana plants and several firearms were seized.
Nguon’s three co-defendants have pleaded guilty and have already been sentenced: Youn Yen was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison; Mayo Martinez Murillo was sentenced to five years in prison; and Thorn Meas was sentenced to three years in prison.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Madera Narcotics Enforcement Team (MADNET). Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Rooney is prosecuting the case.
Nguon has been in custody since his arrest and is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Anthony W. Ishii on November 10, 2014. Nguon faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Great Falls Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Meth OffensesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS - Christopher James Michelotti, a 30-year-old resident of Great Falls, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Michelotti's plea could result in a term of life in prison and his sentence can be no less than 12 years. Michelotti is being detained pending his sentencing on November 11, 2014 at 9:00 am in front of U.S. District Judge Brian Morris.
In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Betley, the government told the court that during the summer of 2013, the Russell Country Drug Task Force was investigating the defendant for methamphetamine distribution in Great Falls, Montana. The defendant and his co-defendant, Dustin Steele, employed other people in Great Falls to sell methamphetamine for them. Around that time, one man owed the defendant approximately $700.00 for a drug debt.
During the early morning hours of August 20, 2013, the defendant and Steele began to look for the man and the money. Later that evening, the man with the debt agreed to meet the defendant in the parking lot of a restaurant in Great Falls. The man arrived and found the defendant and Steele were both present. They forced the man into a blue Chevy pickup and demanded the money. Steele possessed a handgun, and the defendant wore brass knuckles with a knife.
The defendant and Steele then picked up another man at a local casino who was also responsible for the drug debt. As the defendant and Steele drove through Great Falls, the defendant was yelling that he only picks up a gun when he intends to use it.
As the night progressed, the first man with debt pleaded that he could get the money from his girlfriend. They went by the girlfriend's house, and the man told his girlfriend she only had a half-hour to obtain the money or he and the other man were going to die. Once they left, the girlfriend alerted the police to the kidnapping. The man who had been picked up at the casino was able to escape at this point. Meanwhile, Steele called a friend to come pick them up in order to get a different vehicle. He said they were running from the cops and he had hostages with him.
The friend went to pick up the defendant and Steele, and then drove them to Upper River Road to get a different truck. The defendant and Steele instructed the man to drive the new truck back to the blue Chevy pickup to make sure it was secure. The defendant and Steele had repeatedly said "there was life in the truck," meaning there were drugs and a loaded gun inside the truck. On the way back, the man proceeded to the area of the truck and saw that the police had arrived. He went for help. The police arrested the defendant and Steele.
A search of the 2003 Chevy pickup revealed a backpack with methamphetamine and a stolen gun. Specifically, detectives found a loaded Taurus Judge .45LC/410 Gauge pistol. Four shells were found in the pistol, as well as a box of 410 shotgun shells. Inside the backpack, detectives found 20.3 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine. Detectives also searched a known stash house later that day used by the defendant and found 6.7 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine.
The term pure methamphetamine refers to the purity contained in the transacted amount which is usually "cut" with inert ingredients that make the actual product less pure but more profitable as drugs are generally sold based on quantity not quality.
The case was investigated by the Russell Country Drug Task Force.
Fresno Man Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Sell Counterfeit DVD Movies and Other MediaRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Senior United States District Judge Anthony W. Ishii sentenced Jose Antonio Hernandez, 42, of Fresno, today to three years and four months in prison, for manufacturing and trafficking counterfeit CDs and DVDs, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
On May 19, 2014, Hernandez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement and traffic in counterfeit labels and counterfeit documentation and packaging.
According to court documents, from July to September 18, 2012, Hernandez was involved in an extensive scheme with other co-conspirators to store and distribute thousands of counterfeit DVD movies and audio CDs. Hernandez sold counterfeit movie DVDs and CDs, including some movies that had not yet been commercially distributed. Hernandez also admitted to manufacturing counterfeit DVD movies.
“As this sentence makes clear, Hernandez and criminals like him are a direct threat to the entertainment industry and to all of the hardworking people involved in the industry,” said Nick Annan, acting special agent in charge of HSI San Francisco. “Those involved in intellectual property theft don’t invest in product development; they don’t put a premium on product quality or safety. All they do is get rich at someone else’s expense. Intellectual property thieves should be aware that HSI and our law enforcement partners will use every available tool to keep them from profiting from the theft of others’ products, creativity, ideas and hard work.”
This case is the product of an extensive investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant United States Attorneys Henry Z. Carbajal III and Patrick R. Delahunty are prosecuting the case.
Fresno Man Pleads Guilty to Shining Laser at CHP PlaneRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Andrew Zarate, 20, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to aiming a laser pointer at a California Highway Patrol airplane, Air 43, announced U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner and Monica Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Sacramento field office.
According to court documents, Air 43 was struck up to 50 times by a powerful green laser pointer. As a result, the pilot suffered temporary blindness and Air 43 was forced to break away from a burglary in progress at a Fresno middle school.
Zarate is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill on November 3, 2014. Both men face a maximum prison term of five years and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
In June, David Walter Fee, 22, of Fresno, pleaded guilty to the same offense and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 25, 2014.
This case was the product of an investigation by the FBI’s Fresno Office, California Highway Patrol, and Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen A. Escobar and Michael G. Tierney are prosecuting the case.
Franklin County Man Sentenced to Probation for Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A resident of Waynesboro, Pa., has been sentenced in federal court to three years probation on his conviction of conspiracy to deliver cocaine, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Kenneth Biser, 60.
According to information presented to the court, Biser conspired to possess and distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine from Nov. 2011 to July 18, 2012.
Assistant United States Attorney John J. Valkovci, Jr., prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Safe Streets Task Force initiative comprised of the Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pa. Attorney General's Office, the Blair County Drug Task Force, the Cambria County Drug Task Force, the Somerset County Drug Task Force, the Roaring Spring Borough Police Dept. and the Paint Township Police Dept. for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Biser.
Former Queens District Leader and City Council Candidate Found Guilty of Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that attorney ALBERT BALDEO, a former Queens District Leader, was found guilty today in federal court of tampering with witnesses during the investigation of his alleged campaign fraud by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”). BALDEO was convicted of seven counts of obstruction of justice in Manhattan federal court after a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty.
U.S. Attorney Bharara stated: “The fact that Albert Baldeo lost his election does not excuse his corrupt conduct. With today’s verdict of guilty, an impartial federal jury has found that Baldeo lied and instructed others to lie to law enforcement agents investigating the source of his campaign contributions, and threatened and intimidated others in order to conceal the truth. These practices have no place in our politics or our justice system, and there should be no doubt that this Office will prosecute such conduct while it continues to vigorously investigate and prosecute political corruption in New York City and New York State.”
According to the Complaint, Indictment, and Superseding Indictment and evidence presented at trial:
In the fall of 2010, BALDEO, then a Queens District Leader of a political party and attorney, participated in a scheme to defraud New York City that involved the funneling of multiple illegal campaign contributions to his ultimately unsuccessful campaign for City Council. On various occasions, BALDEO, and in at least one instance one of BALDEO’s employees, provided money orders or cash to individuals to contribute to the campaign in their own names, even though BALDEO supplied the funds and these individuals did not contribute any of their own money or reimburse him for these donations.
As part of this scheme, BALDEO gave each such donor, commonly referred to as a “straw donor,” a campaign contribution card in which he or she wrote his or her name, address, employment information, and the amount of money purportedly donated to the BALDEO campaign. BALDEO instructed the straw donors to sign the contribution cards falsely affirming that the contribution was being made from their personal funds and was not being reimbursed in any manner. The New York City Campaign Finance Board (“CFB”) relied upon the information contained in these fraudulent contribution forms, among other things, in order to determine whether to release public matching campaign funds to BALDEO’s 2010 campaign. Moreover, as part of this scheme, BALDEO instructed several of these straw donors to sign affidavits, at least one of which was actually provided to the CFB, that also falsely asserted that these straw donors’ contributions were made using their own funds.
After learning of the FBI’s investigation of this matter, BALDEO obstructed the investigation by repeatedly instructing certain straw donors to provide false information to, or not cooperate with, the FBI agents who were investigating contributions to his campaign.
Moreover, in response to BALDEO learning that one straw donor was going to refuse to lie as instructed by BALDEO: (1) a threatening letter was faxed from BALDEO’s office to the office of this straw donor’s attorney; (2) a co-conspirator of BALDEO’s not charged in this matter made false allegations to the New York City Administration for Children’s Services that this straw donor was abusing his grandchild; and (3) BALDEO and the same co-conspirator made at least one complaint each to the New York City Department of Buildings about properties owned by this straw donor or his wife.
BALDEO, 54, of Richmond Hill, New York, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice, and six counts of obstruction of justice, each relating to a separate instance of witness tampering. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. BALDEO was acquitted of three fraud-related counts relating to approximately $15,000 in claims for city matching funds from the CFB which were never awarded. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. BALDEO is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Crotty on December 16, 2014, at 11:00 a.m.
United States Attorney Bharara praised the investigative work of the FBI and expressed his appreciation for the assistance of the New York State Board of Elections, the New York City Campaign Finance Board, the New York City Administration for Children’s Services, and the New York City Department of Buildings in the investigation and prosecution of this matter.
This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel C. Richenthal and Martin S. Bell are in charge of the prosecution.
Former Managing Member of Financial Group Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Investors of at Least $1.7 MillionRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Bonnie Lynn Recinos, aka Bonnie Farr, 54, of Mesa, Ariz., pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
According to court documents, from April 2006 until August 2009, Recinos and others solicited individuals to invest in various business and real estate projects, promising them a return of 3 to 5 percent. She assured the investors that their investment was secured with the assets of Farr and Associates and Farr Financial Group, of which she claimed to be “the managing member.”
The conspirators sent fraudulent statements showing the progress of the investments and the purported amounts of interest earned to date. Periodic payments were made to investors using money received from new investors. This was done to lure in new investors, to reassure existing investors their money was secure, and to keep investors from reporting to law enforcement.As a result of the scheme, Recinos obtained at least $1.7 million from investors, but instead of investing it, she used the money for her own business and personal expenses.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Henry Z. Carbajal III and Megan A. S. Richards are prosecuting the case.
Recinos is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Anthony W. Ishii on January 5, 2015. The maximum statutory penalty for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud is 20 years in prison. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case was done in connection with the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force, established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it is the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. For more information on the task force, please visit www.StopFraud.gov.Fishy Business – Smuggler of Swim Bladders Is Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Today United States Attorney Laura E. Duffy announced the sentencing of Song Shen Zhen, for smuggling 241 swim bladders from endangered Totoaba fish from Mexico into the United States. The Honorable Marilyn L. Huff handed down a one year sentence to Zhen and ordered him to pay restitution in the amount of $120,500 to the “Procuraduria Federal de Proteccion al Ambiente,” Mexico’s environmental protection agency.
According to information presented during the sentencing, on April 10, 2013, at approximately 12:45 a.m., Zhen drove his 2010 Dodge Attitude into the United States at the Calexico West Port of Entry (“POE”). Zhen, the sole occupant of the vehicle, told the Customs and Border Protection Officer that he had nothing to declare.
The officer, however, observed a deformity in both floor mats located in the rear of the vehicle. Upon closer inspection, he discovered what appeared to be dried Totoaba swim bladders, which were contained in two plastic grocery bags hidden under the mats. In total, the inspector found 27 swim bladders weighing a total of approximately 1.85 kilograms (4.07 pounds). One bladder was seized for testing and Zhen was permitted to leave the POE.
Unbeknownst to Zhen, CBP agents followed him to his home in Calexico and conducted surveillance. After Zhen left the house in mid-morning, the agents obtained a search warrant. Inside the house, they discovered that the residence was sparsely furnished, contained few personal effects, and appeared instead to be set-up as a Totoaba drying factory. An additional 214 Totoaba swim bladders were laid out in rows to dry, with fans positioned to blow air over them. There was a significant quantity of packaging materials and other evidence consistent with the shipment of Totoaba swim bladders overseas. Based on the estimated values set forth above, the 241 swim bladders possessed by Zhen (27 smuggled and another 214 in the house) were worth approximately $361,500 in Mexico, $1.265 million upon resale in the U.S, and $3.6 million in the overseas black market.
Background on Totoaba:
Totoaba macdonaldi, also known as Cynoscion macdonaldi, is a species of marine fish. It can grow to more than 6½ feet in length, weigh up to 220 pounds, and live up to 25 years. This marine fish is the largest species within the scaienidae family. It is endemic only to the Gulf of California, the narrow inlet between Baja California and the Mexico’s mainland (also called the Sea of Cortez). During the Totoaba’s spawning season, which runs from approximately March to May each year, Totoaba fish travel to the shallower waters at the mouth of the Colorado River, making them vulnerable to commercial and sport fishermen.Totoaba fish have internal air bladders that help them control their buoyancy in water. These air bladders, also called swim bladders, are highly prized in Asia for a variety of uses: as an ingredient in a specialty soup, for perceived therapeutic and medicinal purposes, and to improve the complexion. Swim bladders from the endangered Totoaba fish can be identified by distinctive tubes that are attached to the bladders.
Totoaba fish are protected as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. § 1531, et seq.) (“ESA”), the Lacey Act (16 U.S.C. § 3731, et seq.), and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (“CITES”). These laws generally prohibit the taking, possessing, transporting, importing, sale, and trade of Totoaba fish.
Based on information law enforcement officers have developed from conversations with researchers in Mexico and Totoaba fish smugglers, the value of Totoaba swim bladders in Mexico is approximately $1,500-$1,800 each. Once imported into the United States, the value increases to $5,000 each. They can be resold for $10,000 to $20,000 apiece in the overseas market.
As it is not legal to fish for Totoaba in Mexico, a poacher cannot risk being caught in possession of the easily-identified body of the endangered fish. It is much simpler to transport only the bladder, which is lighter, smaller, and much more valuable. As a result, PROFEPA (the Mexican federal agency tasked with the protection of endangered species) reports encountering Totoaba taken from the Colorado River, carved open so their swim bladders can be removed, and left to die on the shores.
DEFENDANT Case Number: Song Shen Zhen Age: 75 Calexico, California CHARGESSmuggling, Title 18, United States Code, Section 545
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Maximum penalties: 20 years in prison, $250,000 fine, 3 years of Supervised Release.Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service*Indictments and complaints are not evidence that the defendant committed the crime charged. All defendants are presumed innocent until the United States meets its burden in court of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Firearms Thief Sentenced to Spend the Next 12 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A resident of Saxton, Pa, has been sentenced in federal court to 144 months in prison, three years supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $20,250.42 on his conviction of theft of firearms and interstate transportation of stolen firearms, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Garrett G. Sherlock, 27.
According to information presented to the court, on Jan. 28, 2013, Sherlock stole 31 firearms from Saxton Outdoor Supply, Inc., which is a business licensed to deal in firearms. On the same day he transported the stolen firearms from Pennsylvania to Maryland.
Assistant United States Attorney John J. Valkovci, Jr., prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pennsylvania State Police-Bedford Barracks for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Sherlock.
According to Mr. Hickton, Sherlock was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a collaborative effort by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and communities to prevent, deter, and prosecute gun crime.
Ex Socia Gerente De Grupo Financiero Se Declara Culpable De Estafar A Inversionistas Por Al Menos $1.7 MillonesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Bonnie Lynn Recinos, también conocida como Bonnie Farr, 54, de Mesa, Ariz., fue declarada culpable hoy de conspirar para cometer estafa electrónica y por correo, anunció el procurador federal Benjamin B. Wagner.
De acuerdo con los documentos del tribunal, desde abril de 2006 hasta agosto de 2009, Recinos y otros solicitaron a individuos que invirtieran en varios negocios y proyectos inmobiliarios, prometiéndoles una ganancia de entre 3 a 5 por ciento. Aseguró a los inversionistas que su inversión estaba asegurada por los activos de Farr y Asociados y del Grupo Financiero Farr, de los cuales aseguraba ser la “socia gerente”.
Los conspiradores enviaron declaraciones fraudulentas mostrando el progreso de las inversiones y de los pretendidos intereses ganados hasta el momento. Se hicieron pagos periódicos a los inversionistas utilizando el dinero de nuevos inversionistas. Esto fue realizado para tentar a nuevos inversionistas, para asegurar a los inversionistas que su dinero estaba seguro, y para evitar que los inversionistas acudieran a los agentes de cumplimiento de la ley.
Como resultado de este fraude, Recinos obtuvo al menos $1.7 millones de los inversionistas, pero en lugar de invertir ese dinero, lo usó para su propio negocio y sus gastos personales.
Este caso es el producto de una investigación realizada por la Agencia Federal de Investigación (FBI, por sus siglas en inglés). Los procuradores federales auxiliares Henry Z. Carbajal III y Megan A. S. Richards están procesando el caso.
Está programado que Recinos sea sentenciada por el Juez Federal de Distrito Anthony W. Ishii el 05 de enero 2015. La pena máxima establecida por conspiración para cometer estafa electrónica y por correo es de 20 años de prisión. Sin embargo, la sentencia efectiva será determinada a discreción de la corte, luego de la consideración de todos los factores legales aplicables y de las Pautas Federales de Sentencias, las cuales tienen en cuenta una serie de variables.
Carl Junction Man Pleads Guilty to Failed Attempt to Receive Tornado BenefitsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Carl Junction, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to making false statements to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in a failed attempt to fraudulently receive federal disaster benefits following the tornado that struck the city of Joplin, Mo., on May 22, 2011, killing 158 people and causing more than $2.9 billion in damage.
Gary L. Mitchell, Jr., 35, of Carl Junction, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of making false statements to FEMA.
By pleading guilty today, Mitchell admitted that he claimed on a FEMA application for disaster assistance that his primary residence in Joplin had been damaged by the tornado. On May 26, 2011, Mitchell met with a FEMA-contracted inspector to discuss his claim and repeated his claim to have lived at 1905 Missouri Avenue. However, 1905 Missouri Avenue was not Mitchell’s residence at the time of the tornado. Mitchell owned that property, but had been renting it to another person for approximately nine years and did not live there.
FEMA denied Mitchell’s claim and he appealed. As proof of residency at that address, Mitchell provided a copy of his driver’s license (which he had obtained after the tornado) and a copy of a past due tax statement for the residence (which had been mailed to Mitchell at his Carl Junction residence). Mitchell’s appeal was also denied. However, if FEMA had believed his false claim to have resided at 1905 Missouri Avenue, the agency would have determined he was entitled to receive disaster assistance funds.
Under federal statutes, Mitchell is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000 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 the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General, the FBI and the Joplin, Mo., Police Department.
Disaster Fraud Hotline
Anyone with information about disaster fraud related to the Joplin tornado should call the National Center for Disaster Fraud hotline at 866-720-5721, the Joplin Police Department at 417-623-3131, or the FBI’s Joplin office at 417-206-5700.Caldwell Man Sentenced to 60 Months for Possessing A Sawed-Off ShotgunRead the Press Release
BOISE – Anthony Michael Payment, 21, of Caldwell, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 60 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing an unregistered firearm, a sawed-off shotgun, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Payment to forfeit the firearm and ammunition involved in the offense.
According to information presented in court, on August 19, 2013, officers responded to a residence in Nampa after learning that Payment threatened another person with the sawed-off shotgun. Nampa Police Department officers found the sawed-off shotgun at the residence, and Payment was arrested a short time later. The firearm Payment possessed was a Bay State, 20-gauge sawed-off shotgun with a barrel less than twelve inches in length. The National Firearms Act requires such a shotgun to be registered in the National Firearm Registration and Transfer Record if the barrel is less than eighteen inches in length. Payment had no firearms registered to him in the Record.
The case was investigated by the Idaho Department of Probation and Parole, the Nampa Police Department, the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Metro Task Force is comprised of federal, state and local agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Boise Police Department; Ada County Sheriff’s Office; Caldwell Police Department; Nampa Police Department; Meridian Police Department; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; and Idaho Department of Probation and Parole.
Payment was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional 2 coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit treasurevalleypartners.org.
Boise State Student Pleads Guilty to Distribution of OxycodoneRead the Press Release
BOISE – Kevin Jeffrey Daniels, 19, of Boise, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in the United States District Court to distributing oxycodone, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
According to court proceedings and the plea agreement, the defendant admitted to distributing approximately 190, 30mg oxycodone pills from December 2013 to February 2014 in the Treasure Valley. Daniels admitted that he agreed to have an out-of-state shipment of oxycodone pills sent to his residence in Surprise Valley. The charge is punishable by up to twenty years imprisonment, a term of supervised release of at least three years, and a $1,000,000 fine. Sentencing is set for October 21, 2014 before U.S. District Court Judge Edward J. Lodge.
Daniels’ charges are part of Operation Candle Wax, which resulted both in the charges against Daniels and the indictment of twelve others. Trial for ten of those indicted is set for November 4, 2014, on charges of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and heroin.
The indictment is the result of a joint investigation of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which included the cooperative law enforcement efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Marshals Service; the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force, a task force comprised of federal, state and local agencies, including the Boise Police Department, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Caldwell Police Department, Nampa Police Department, Meridian Police Department, and Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; the Twin Falls Police Department, Twin Falls Sheriff’s Office, Idaho State Police, and District 3 Probation and Parole.
The OCDETF program is a federal multi agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
Boise Man Sentenced to Prison for Unlawful Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
BOISE - Darren Scott McMullin, 30, of Boise, Idaho, was sentenced today to 58 months in prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm and for violating his supervised release, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. McMullin was indicted in March of 2014 for unlawfully possessing a .38 pistol. At the time he possessed the firearm, he was on supervised release for a prior federal gun conviction. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge sentenced McMullin to serve forty months of prison on the new felony offense, and sentenced him to serve 18 months on the supervised release violation, to run consecutively to each other. Judge Lodge also ordered McMullin to serve three years of supervised release. McMullin pleaded guilty to the indictment on May 20, 2014, and admitted to violating the conditions of his supervised release at today’s sentencing hearing.
According to evidence presented at the sentencing, this is McMullin’s third federal felony firearm conviction. In 2006, in the District of Wyoming, the defendant was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. In 2007, in the District of Idaho, he was convicted of possessing an unregistered sawed-off shotgun. He was on supervised release for the 2007 conviction when he was found by law enforcement to be in possession of a .38 pistol. His probation officer conducted a search of the vehicle he was driving. Officers located a loaded .38 pistol, drug paraphernalia, and marijuana inside of his vehicle.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Boise Police Department, the United Marshal’s Service, and the U.S. Probation Office.
The case was prosecuted as part of Idaho’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Program, which seeks to reduce gun violence in Idaho.
Boise Man Sentenced for Assault on MinorRead the Press Release
BOISE – Winters War Eagle, 22, of Owyhee, Nevada, was sentenced today to six months in federal prison followed by one year supervised release, of which 180 days could be served in a half-way house, with up to $2,000 in restitution, for Simple Assault of a Person under the Age of 16 years, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. War Eagle pleaded guilty on May 27, 2014.
According to the plea agreement, War Eagle admitted that on October 13, 2013, on the Duck Valley Indian Reservation, he willfully touched a 15-year-old girl in a patently offensive manner without her consent.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation assisted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Police Department in Owyhee, Nevada.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Bethany N. Wong Joins United States Attorney’s Office Civil DivisionRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha today announced the appointment of Bethany N. Wong as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Rhode Island. An experienced litigator in civil and criminal matters, Ms. Wong has been assigned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Division.
A native of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Ms. Wong graduated summa cum laude in 2005 from Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania. Ms. Wong earned her Juris Doctor at the University of Virginia School of Law in 2008.
Since February 2012, Ms. Wong had served as a staff attorney at the Women Against Abuse Legal Center in Philadelphia where she represented victims of domestic violence in Family and Superior Court through the Department of Justice funded “fast track” program.
Prior to joining the Women Against Abuse Legal Center, Ms. Wong was employed for four years as an Associate at Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP in Philadelphia where she advocated on behalf of clients in civil, criminal and appellate matters in federal and state courts in Pennsylvania.
“I am very pleased to welcome Bethany N. Wong as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island,” said United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha. “Ms. Wong’s education, experience and demonstrated commitment to public service will greatly strengthen this Office, in particular the Civil Division, which continues to expand its work on behalf of the people of Rhode Island.”
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Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking of A MinorRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Baltimore man pleaded guilty today to the sexual trafficking of a 15-year-old girl.
Justin Richardson, a/k/a "Jay," a/k/a "Jay Loyal Richardson," 21, pleaded guilty to recruiting and transporting a minor to engage in prostitution. Richardson and his codefendants, Mark Pinnock and Martin Pinkey, were originally charged in March 2014. Richardson is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton on November 14, 2014.
In late December 2013, officers responded to a 9-1-1 call from a Cambridge hotel, where they found the 15-year-old victim and Pinnock. The minor victim stated that Richardson and Pinkney had arranged for her to travel by bus from Baltimore to Boston. Pictures were taken of the minor victim in both Baltimore and Boston and used to post ads soliciting prostitution on the Internet websites Backpage and Craiglist. While in Boston, the minor victim completed commercial sex acts at the direction of Pinnock at two Boston area hotels.
Pursuant to the plea agreement, Richardson faces a sentence of at least 10 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Pinnock and Pinkey are scheduled to enter guilty pleas on August 12, 2014.
U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Cambridge Police Commissioner Robert C. Haas made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Kosto and Carlos Lopez, both members of Ortiz’s Civil Rights Enforcement Team. Ortiz also thanked the office of Middlesex County District Attorney Marian C. Ryan for its participation in the investigation that led to today’s plea.The aggressive enforcement of federal civil rights laws is a top priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. Since U.S. Attorney Ortiz created the Civil Rights Enforcement Team in 2010, the Office has substantially increased its focus on civil and criminal civil rights enforcement. In the last four years, the office has charged multiple defendants with sex trafficking and other criminal civil rights violations.