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Friday 27 June 2014
Media AdvisoryRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama - The United States Attorney’s Office will hold a press conference in Dothan, Alabama to announce several indictments and arrests concerning illegal firearms sales at a single location in the Dothan area.
The press conference will be held on Monday, June 30, 2014 at 10:30 a.m., at the Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Dothan, located at 100 West Troy Street, Dothan, Alabama, and the media is invited. A press release and other documents will be provided at the conference.
PRESS CONTACT: Clark Morris
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: (334) 551-1755
Fax: (334) 223-7617Manhattan U.S. Attorney Files Civil Fraud Suit Against Hospital Group for Fraudulently Delaying Repayment of Nearly $1 Million of Medicaid OverchargesRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Thomas P. DiNapoli, the New York State Comptroller, today announced the filing and unsealing of a civil fraud lawsuit against CONTINUUM HEALTH PARTNERS, INC. (“CONTINUUM”), BETH ISRAEL MEDICAL CENTER d/b/a MOUNT SINAI BETH ISRAEL (“BETH ISRAEL”), and ST. LUKE’S-ROOSEVELT HOSPITAL CENTER d/b/a MOUNT SINAI ST. LUKE’S and MOUNT SINAI ROOSEVELT (“SLR”) for the hospitals’ fraudulent delay in fully repaying nearly $1 million in Medicaid overpayments for almost two years after it had discovered the overpayments. Federal law requires that when a recipient of Government funds discovers it has been overpaid, it must repay the Government within 60 days, but the hospitals in this case did not complete their repayments for nearly two years, and then only after repeated Government inquiries.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “The law requires hospitals that receive federal funds to which they are not entitled to promptly return them. They cannot just keep the money – after learning that they should not have received it – in the hopes that the government will not figure it out. To do so is fraud. I want to thank the office of New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, a frequent partner in these types of cases, for their excellent work in this investigation.”
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli said: “New York State’s Medicaid program costs taxpayers more than $50 billion annually. Fraud in the Medicaid program affects all New Yorkers and will not be tolerated. Audits and investigations by my office have found billions of those dollars lost to waste, fraud and abuse. We will continue to work with federal and state law enforcement to combat Medicaid fraud statewide. I thank U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara for his efforts to prosecute this case, which stemmed from the work of my office, and bring unscrupulous providers to justice.”
According to the allegations in the Government’s Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court:
CONTINUUM submitted hundreds of improper claims to Medicaid in 2009 and 2010 on behalf of BETH ISRAEL and SLR, totaling nearly $1 million, due to a software problem. These claims arose from care provided to patients enrolled in a Medicaid Managed Care Organization (the “MCO”), which contracted with healthcare providers. Under the applicable Medicaid regulations, these providers were entitled to receive as payment for care rendered to the enrolled patients only the amount paid by the MCO and were not entitled to obtain additional payments. A computer glitch caused the MCO erroneously to indicate to its contracted providers, including BETH ISRAEL and SLR, that they should seek additional reimbursement from Medicaid for the healthcare services they provided to the enrollees. CONTINUUM, on behalf of BETH ISRAEL and SLR, thus submitted the improper claims to Medicaid, and received payment for most of them.
Despite becoming aware of the software issue in late 2010 and, further, being provided in early February 2011 with a spreadsheet by a CONTINUUM employee who had identified virtually all of the claims affected by the issue, CONTINUUM and the hospitals failed to take appropriate steps to timely repay the claims. Instead, their repayments occurred only as the Office of the New York State Comptroller brought groups of potentially affected claims to CONTINUUM’s attention, over the course of more than a year. CONTINUUM and the hospitals repaid the remaining approximately 300 affected claims only after this Office issued a Civil Investigative Demand to CONTINUUM in June 2012, and the repayments were completed only in early 2013.
The Complaint in this case was filed under the False Claims Act, which punishes violators who submit false claims to the Government or knowingly attempt to avoid an obligation to repay federal funds. The allegations of fraud stated in the Complaint were first brought to the attention of the Government by a whistleblower, who filed a lawsuit under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. Those provisions allow private parties who have knowledge of fraud committed against the Government to file suit on behalf of the Government and share in any recovery. The United States may then intervene and file a complaint, as it did here.
Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the Office of the State Comptroller. He also thanked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, for its assistance in this case.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Frauds Unit. Civil Frauds Unit Co-Chief Rebecca C. Martin and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jean-David Barnea are in charge of this matter.
U.S. v. Continuum HealthPartners, Inc., et al. Complaint-In-Intervention
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Guilty Plea of New York State Assemblywoman to Citizenship and Bankruptcy Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that New York State Assemblywoman GABRIELA ROSA was charged with, and pled guilty to, two federal felony charges arising out of her efforts to obtain United States citizenship through fraud and fraudulently to conceal assets and income from a federal bankruptcy court. ROSA pled guilty in Manhattan federal court before United States District Judge Denise L. Cote to a two-count information (the “Information”) charging her with one count of making false statements to immigration authorities, and one count of making false declarations to a federal bankruptcy court. ROSA pled guilty pursuant to a plea agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office that requires her, among other things, to resign from office upon entry of her plea.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Gabriela Rosa’s crimes cut to the heart of her legal qualification to serve the people of the State of New York as a New York State Assemblywoman. She gained the ability to run for that office only as a result of a years-long immigration fraud, and then she compounded her lack of fitness to serve by defrauding a federal bankruptcy court. Now she faces losing her position and prison time for her actions.”
According to the superseding information, the plea agreement, and statements made today in Court:
The Marriage and Naturalization Fraud Scheme
The New York State Constitution states that only United States citizens may serve as members of the New York State Legislature. In November 2012, ROSA was elected to the New York State Legislature as an Assemblywoman for Assembly District 72 in Manhattan, and is currently serving a two-year term in the Assembly.
ROSA is a citizen of the Dominican Republic and had no citizenship status in the United States until 2005. In December 2005, ROSA was naturalized as a United States citizen as a result of a scheme to obtain legal residency and ultimately citizenship through a sham marriage. ROSA paid a United States citizen (“Spouse-1”) approximately $8,000 to enter into a sham marriage with her while she maintained a relationship with another individual who later became her husband (“Spouse-2”). In numerous submissions and statements to immigration authorities made under penalty of perjury between in or about 1996 and in or about 2005, ROSA falsely represented to immigration authorities that she had entered into a bona fide marriage with Spouse-1, and that she had never given false or misleading information to a U.S. immigration official while applying for immigration benefits.
The Bankruptcy Fraud Scheme
In September 2009, ROSA filed a voluntary petition for bankruptcy, under Chapter 7 of the United States Bankruptcy Code, in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (the “Petition”). Through the Petition, ROSA sought to liquidate over $30,000 in debt that she had accumulated on, among other things, credit card charges and personal loans. In the Petition, which ROSA signed under penalty of perjury, and in subsequent documents submitted in support of the Petition, which were also signed under penalty of perjury, ROSA knowingly and willfully made several false declarations and statements. Among other things, ROSA fraudulently omitted her ownership of a cooperative apartment in Manhattan (the “Apartment”) from the Petition, which required her to list all real or personal property in which she had any ownership interest. ROSA, who worked at the time as a legislative assistant in the New York State Legislature, also failed to list outside income she earned as a political consultant and income earned by Spouse-2 in the Petition and supporting documents.
In her plea allocution today before Judge Cote, ROSA admitted that she had entered into a sham marriage in an effort to obtain citizenship and had submitted a fraudulent petition to Bankruptcy Court. ROSA also agreed, pursuant to the terms of her plea agreement, to the return of a campaign contribution unlawfully received from a representative of a foreign government.
ROSA, 47, of Manhattan, faces a total statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. ROSA also faces a term of up to three years’ supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. She also must pay restitution and forfeiture arising out of her bankruptcy fraud offenses. The maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Judge Cote set a sentencing date for ROSA of October 3, 2014 at 10am.
Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the Criminal Investigators of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Howard S. Master and Jason Masimore are in charge of the investigation.
Luzerne County Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking of A MinorRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a Wilkes-Barre man pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani in Scranton to sex trafficking of a minor.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the defendant, Travis Humphrey, age 26, admitted that he helped others commit the crime by recruiting and transporting a 16-year-old female to engage in commercial sex acts in motels in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Humphrey and others rented motel rooms and posted “escort” advertisements and photographs on the backpage.com website during May 2013.
Humphrey was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2014, as a result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office.
Humphrey faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a possible maximum sentence of life in prison. Judge Mariani ordered a pre-sentence investigation to be completed and scheduled sentencing for the week of September 22, 2014.
Humphrey’s wife and co-defendant, Kyoni Humphrey, previously pleaded guilty to transporting a female from Pennsylvania to New Jersey to engage in prostitution.
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."
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa.
Lee's Summit Man Sentenced for Cyberstalking, Possessing Child PornRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Lee’s Summit, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for cyberstalking one victim and possessing child pornography images of another victim.
August W. Jentsch, 25, of Lee’s Summit, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to five years in federal prison without parole.
On Dec. 30, 2013, Jentsch pleaded guilty to cyberstalking and possessing child pornography.
Jentsch’s first victim notified the police department at the University of Minnesota (where she was attending school) that Jentsch had broken into her e-mail account and obtained nude images of her that were taken when she was 16 years old. The victim had briefly dated Jentsch in December 2007. The victim stated the 20-day relationship was not romantic and never physically intimate.
Jentsch stalked the victim from Jan. 2, 2008, to Aug. 29, 2011, by showing up at her work and residence, texting and e-mailing her, and leaving gifts for her. Beginning in September 2011, Jentsch set up fictitious Facebook profiles of the victim and posted the nude photos and video he had obtained from her e-mail account. This happened four or five times and each time the victim contacted Facebook to have the accounts taken down. Jentsch hacked into the victim’s gmail, Yahoo! E-mail, and Facebook accounts and assumed control of the accounts by changing the passwords. He sent random e-mails with the nude photos of the victim to people in her e-mail contacts. Jentsch also used the victim’s nude images and identity to set up another social media account to invite others to get in touch with the victim through Facebook for sexual activity.
A restraining order was served on Jentsch on Oct. 13, 2011. When a state search warrant was executed at Jentsch’s residence, officers found the images and video of the victim on an SD card that was in his computer. Investigators also discovered a video of child pornography on Jentsch’s computer that involved a second victim. The video portrayed the second victim, who was 15 years old, engaged in sexual activity with Jentsch.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. It was investigated by the University of Minnesota Police Department and the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department.
Lancaster Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal Prison for Sales of Bath Salts and Synthetic MarijuanaRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a Lancaster man was sentenced on Thursday in United States District Court in Harrisburg to 33 months in federal prison for his role in selling and distributing bath salts and synthetic marijuana.
United States Attorney Peter Smith stated that Amerjit Singh Grewal, 34, Lancaster, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Yvette Kane to 33 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to the unlawful distribution of MDPV, a Schedule I controlled substance more commonly referred to as “bath salts,” “plant food” and “research chemicals” falsely marketed for sale in convenience stores and mini-marts.
MDPV is a central nervous system stimulant which can cause hallucinogenic effects in the user. Users have reported bouts of psychosis and numerous deaths around the country have been linked to the use of MDPV.
Grewal obtained large quantities of MDPV in bulk or pre-packed for sale, as well as synthetic marijuana, also falsely marketed for sale as “spice” or “potpourri.” Grewal then distributed the drugs to convenience stores and gas station mini-marts where the drugs would be sold. In March 2012, Grewal sold almost ½ kilogram of bulk bath salts to an undercover officer in the parking lot of a gas station near Grantville.
Judge Kane also ordered Grewal to forfeit to the United States approximately $500,000 seized by investigators from bank accounts held by Grewal and his co-defendant, Kulwinder Singh Grewal, who has yet to be sentenced.
The case was jointly investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Harrisburg Resident Office, the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Dauphin County Drug Task Force and other county and local law enforcement agencies. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William A. Behe.
Laguna Pueblo Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Assault ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Keith J. Carr, 30, a member of Laguna Pueblo, pleaded guilty this afternoon to a federal indictment alleging a federal assault charge.
Carr was arrested on Feb. 28, 2014, on an indictment charging him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury. According to the indictment, the assault, which injured another Laguna Pueblo man, occurred on Dec. 20, 2012, within Laguna Pueblo in Cibola County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Carr pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that the victim sustained serious bodily injury on Dec. 20, 2012, when Carr crashed the vehicle he was driving and in which the victim was a passenger. According to the plea agreement, Carr was intoxicated and driving at a high rate of speed when he lost control of his vehicle and caused the vehicle to roll and crash. The victim sustained multiple fractures, nasal bone fractures, fracture of the pneumothorax, orbital fractures, and rib fractures as a result of the assault.
Carr has been in federal custody since his arrest and remains detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. At sentencing, Carr faces a statutory maximum penalty of ten years in prison.
This case was investigated by the Laguna/Acoma Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Spiers.
Lacey Act SentenceRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, Kenyen R. Brown, and NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement Special Agent in Charge Tracy A. Dunn announce that David Braley was sentenced yesterday in two related cases. First, Braley was sentenced to serve 30 months imprisonment for violations of the Lacey Act, Title 16, United States Code, Section 3372 and 3373. This charge was based on illegal sales of Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish including Red Snapper with a market value of $10,660.50. Braley was ordered to pay $3,731.18 in restitution to the owner of the vessel he used to illegally catch and sell the fish and $319.82 to the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Braley was also sentenced to serve 63 months imprisonment concurrently to the first sentence for retaliation against a witness who had provided information in the Lacey Act Case. This charge was based on postings Braley made on Facebook threatening physical violence to a witness.
This case was jointly investigated by the NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Alabama Marine Resource Division. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama and the Environmental Crimes Section of the Department of Justice.
Kamiah Man Found Guilty of Assaulting A DeputyRead the Press Release
Coeur d'Alene B Paul Lee Oatman, 33 of Kamiah, Idaho, was convicted yesterday by a federal jury in Coeur d'Alene for assault resulting in serious bodily injury, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
During the four day trial, the jury heard evidence that on July 13, 2013, the defendant assaulted a Kamiah Marshal and fractured his jaw in two places. The marshal was attempting to arrest a friend of the defendant, when the defendant interfered and struck the marshal in the jaw.
Paul Lee Oatman faces up to 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000.00, and up to 3 years of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for September 15, 2014, before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Coeur d'Alene.
“The jury's verdict sends the clear message that violent interference with a law enforcement officer engaged in his public safety duties will not be tolerated,” said Olson. “All persons have a duty to comply with a law enforcement officer's commands. I commend the hard work of prosecutors and staff from my office and the cooperative investigative work of the Nez Perce Tribal Police Department and the FBI.”
The case was investigated by Nez Perce Tribal Police, Idaho County Sheriff’s Department, Lewis County Sheriff’s Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Jury Convicts Charlotte Man of Federal Racketeering and Related ChargesRead the Press Release
Defendant Was Among 91 Charged In Operation Wax House
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal jury delivered a guilty verdict on Thursday, June 26, 2014 against a Charlotte man in connection with a $75 million racketeering conspiracy, announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina. Following a three-day trial, Steven Jones, 46, was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, securities fraud, wire fraud scheme to defraud investors and money laundering conspiracy.
This conviction is the latest in Operation Wax House, an investigation which began in 2007 and has netted 91 defendants to date, 86 of which have pleaded guilty or been convicted following a trial.
The United States Attorney’s Office is joined in making today’s announcement by John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Thomas J. Holloman III, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI) and North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall.
The federal criminal trial began on Monday, June 23, 2014, before Senior U.S. District Judge Graham C. Mullen. According to evidence introduced at trial, the criminal enterprise operated from about 2005 until 2012, and engaged in an extensive pattern of racketeering activities, which included investment or securities fraud, mortgage fraud in the form of wire fraud and bank fraud, and money laundering.
According to trial evidence, Jones was a promoter in the enterprise’s investment fraud operations, bringing in multiple investors, including an attorney, who Jones and his co-conspirators defrauded out of $3.7 million. Trial evidence established that throughout a seven year period the enterprise created a series of sham corporations to convince individuals to invest money. When investors would become aware of the problems with one corporation the enterprise would start a new corporation with new officers on paper to continue to defraud still further investors, court records show. Trial evidence also showed that Jones and others defrauded victims not of just money they had, but also caused the victims to take out expensive loans and to invest those loan proceeds based on false promises. According to evidence presented at trial, Jones and his co-conspirators used the investors’ money for personal expenditures, including private jets, high profile offices, entertaining themselves and others, and supporting their luxurious lifestyles. In total, the enterprise’s investment fraud operations took approximately $48 million from investors.
Following the jury’s conviction, Jones was released on home detention with electronic monitoring pending the scheduling of his sentencing hearing.
The racketeering conspiracy charge carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine or twice the gross profits or other proceeds. The securities fraud charge carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The money laundering conspiracy charge carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine or twice the amount of criminally derived proceeds. A sentencing date for the defendant has not been set yet.
Five defendants have charges pending in the case, two of which are international fugitives. Each remaining defendant and his or her status are listed below.
• Ramin Amini, 45, of Tehran, Iran, is charged with racketeering conspiracy, mortgage fraud and money laundering conspiracy. Role: Leader and promoter in the scheme. Status: International fugitive. • Kurosh Mehr, 52, of Charlotte is charged with racketeering conspiracy, mortgage fraud and money laundering. Role: Promoter and buyer. Status: On bond; Scheduled for trial September 2014. • Ann Tyson Mitchell, 62, of Charlotte, is charged with racketeering conspiracy, mortgage fraud and money laundering. Role: Facilitator. Status: On bond; Scheduled for trial September 2014. • John Wayne Perry, Jr., 32, of Charlotte, is charged with racketeering conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. Role: Promoter. Status: On bond; Scheduled for trial after September 2014. • Nazeere Saddig, 41, formerly of Charlotte, is charged with racketeering conspiracy and mortgage fraud. Role: Promoter and buyer. Status: International Fugitive.
Operation Wax House in the Western District of North Carolina is being handled by the Charlotte Division of the FBI and the Criminal Division of the IRS for the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force, along with the Securities Division of the North Carolina Secretary of State. The case was tried by Assistant United States Attorney Maria K. Vento and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Harrington, of the Securities Division of the North Carolina Secretary of State.
Today’s announcement is part of an effort by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF), created in November 2009, to combat financial fraud crimes by waging aggressive, coordinated and proactive investigations and prosecutions. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and state and local partners, the task force is the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets; and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,700 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force,www.stopfraud.gov.
The names and case numbers of the defendants charged to date in Operation Wax House are listed below, organized by their alleged role in the scheme.
Attorneys and Paralegals
Crawford/Mallard, Michelle 3:11cr374
Gates, Christine 3:09cr100
Norwood, Kelli, 3:09cr162
Rainer, Demetrius 3:08cr239/241
Smith, Troy, 3:08cr264Bank Insiders
Brown, Jamilia, 3:10cr124
Eason, Danyelle, 3:10cr116
Henson, Vic. F., 3:10cr124
Jackson, Mitzi, 3:11cr374
Ramey, Bonnie Sue, 3:10cr124Builders and Sellers
Fink, James, 3:11cr374; 3:12cr239
Jackson, Jennifer, 3:09cr241
Smith, Kelvis, 3:12cr238
Viegas, Jeffrey, 3:12cr298
Wittig, Mark, 3:12cr335
Wood, Gary, 3:09cr208Facilitators and Financiers
Hickey, Denis, 3:09cr103
McClain, Landrick, 3:10cr124
Mitchell, Ann Tyson, 3:12cr239
Panayoton, Sherrill, 3:11cr176
Taylor, Alicia Renee, 3:10cr124
Wilson, Willard, 3:09cr161Buyers
Banks, Arketa, 3:12cr297
Clark, Benjamin, 3:12cr239
Hillian, Kirk, 3:12cr83
Mathis, Charles, 3:10cr1
Mobley, Sarena, 3:10cr124
Moore, George, 3:12cr337
Richards, Dan, 3:10cr119
Smith, Kevin, 3:12cr341
Tyler, Glenna, 3:11cr200
Vaughn, Mary, 3:12cr329
Wallace, Jamaine, 3:12cr330
Wellington, William, 3:12cr333Notary Publics
Willis, Anthony, 3:09cr218
Myles, Denetria, 3:12cr239Appraiser
Darden, Clinton 3:10cr108Mortgage Brokers
Bradley, Bonnette, 3:12cr299
Clarke, Linda, 3:10cr120
Flood, Ericka, 3:10cr124
Goodson-Hudson, Crystal, 3:12cr339
Mahaney, Robert, 3:12cr34-0
Scagliarini, Coley, 3:11cr374
Staton, Walter, 3:10cr113
Vaughn, Danielle, 3:12cr329
Williams, Marcia, 3:12cr334
Williams, Sean, 3:12cr336
Woods, Joseph, 3:09cr178Real Estate Agents
Belin, Chris, 3:11cr374
Clark, Christina, 3:09cr44
Lee, Shannon, 3:12cr338
Pasut, Holly Hardy, 3:12cr331
Wolf, Nathan Shane, 3:12cr239
Wood, Gary, 3:09cr208Promoters
Amini, Ramin, 3:12cr239
Barnes, Vonetta Tyson, 3:12cr239
Brown, William, 3:12cr239
Bumpers, Travis, 3:12cr239
Carr, Stephen, 3:10cr124
Clarke, Benjamin, 3:12cr239
Clarke, Reuben, 3:10cr120
Coleman, Gregory, 3:10cr118
DeSimone, Frank, 3:12cr239
Dooley, Lorie, 3:12cr239
Hitchcock, Jimmy, 3:11cr374
Hubbard, Glynn, 3:12cr239
Hunt, Victoria, 3:12cr239
Hunter, Toby, 3:12cr239
Johnson, Ralph, 3:12cr239
Jones, Steven, 3:12cr239
Jones, Tyree, 3:10cr230
Long Waylon, 3:12cr239
Marshall, Michael, 3:07cr283
McDowell, John, 3:12cr239
McPhaul, Elizabeth, 3:10cr114
Mehr, Kurosh, 3:12cr239
Mitchell, Ann Tyson, 3:12cr239
Moye, Melvin, 3:12cr239
Myles, Denetria, 3:12cr239
Newland, Matthew, 3:12cr239
Perry, John Wayne, Jr., 3:12cr239
Perry, Kim, 3:10cr25
Phillips, Rick, 3:10cr115
Saddig, Nazeere, 3:12cr239
Sharreff-El, Drew, 3:10cr124
Sherald, Kiki, 3:10cr117
Simmons, Aaron, 3:09cr240
Snead, Todd, 3:10cr124
Staton, Lisa, 3:10cr113
Thorogood, Donte, 3:12cr239
Tyson, Carrie, 3:12cr239
Tyson, James, Jr. 3:12cr239
Tyson, James, Sr., 3:12cr239
Wellington, Phillip, 3:12cr332
Wood, Purnell, 3:12cr239International Narcotics Trafficker Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court to 54 Years in Prison for the Manufacture, Shipment, and Importation of Tons of Cocaine into the United States and Other CountriesRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that YESID RIOS SUAREZ was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to 54 years in prison for his role in overseeing the manufacture of tens of thousands of kilograms of cocaine in clandestine laboratories in Colombia, and the distribution and importation of tons of cocaine to the United States and other countries. RIOS SUAREZ, a citizen of Colombia, pled guilty in February 2014. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Katherine B. Forrest.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Yesid Rios Suarez was a leader of a conspiracy to bring into the United States tons of Colombian cocaine. He used violence to further his aims, including ordering murders, and will now pay for his crimes with a lengthy prison term.”
According to documents filed in this case, statements made at related court proceedings, and witness testimony at a two-day evidentiary hearing in May 2014:
Between 1992 and his arrest in Venezuela in 2011, RIOS SUAREZ, along with his co-conspirators, oversaw the manufacture of thousands of kilograms of cocaine in clandestine laboratories that they operated in the Arauca department of Colombia and other areas of Colombia near the Venezuelan border. During that time, RIOS SUAREZ and his co-conspirators also oversaw the distribution of thousands of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia and Venezuela to the United States and other countries through various intermediate shipping points. Specifically, once the cocaine had been manufactured in laboratories in Colombia, RIOS SUAREZ worked with others to launch planes carrying multi-hundred-kilogram loads of cocaine from clandestine landing strips operated by RIOS SUAREZ and his co-conspirators in Colombia and Venezuela.
Throughout this time, RIOS SUAREZ also directed others to carry weapons and to use violence in furtherance of the charged narcotics conspiracy. On one occasion, RIOS SUAREZ caused those working at his direction to murder two men in order to maintain the secrecy of RIOS SUAREZ’s narcotics trafficking operation. During the course of the narcotics conspiracy, RIOS SUAREZ also oversaw the planning and preparation for an attack on an oil pipeline located in Colombia, which attack was intended to divert the Colombian military’s attention from RIOS SUAREZ’s narcotics trafficking activities being carried out in the same region. The planned attack – which was ultimately foiled by Colombian authorities – involved dropping explosives from an airplane onto an oil pipeline.
All told, prior to his arrest in 2011, RIOS SUAREZ worked for nearly two decades overseeing critical steps in the manufacture, distribution, and importation into the United States and other countries of thousands of kilograms of cocaine, and causing others to engage in violence in furtherance of his narcotics trafficking operation.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Forrest ordered RIOS SUAREZ, 46, to pay a $1 million fine and a $100 special assessment.
Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding efforts of the DEA’s Bogota Country Office and the DEA’s New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force; the Government of the Republic of Colombia; and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Fee and Sean S. Buckley are in charge of the prosecution.
Houston Man Arrested for Beaumont Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Department of Justice
Office of Public AffairsBEAUMONT, Texas – A 23-year-old Houston man has been arrested for a bank robbery in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today.
Christopher M. Carmon Thomas was taken into custody in Houston on June 25, 2014 and went before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith F. Giblin on June 26, 2014 for an Initial Appearance.
According to information presented in court, on June 3, 2014, Thomas entered the Wells Fargo Bank on Gladys Avenue in Beaumont, Texas and presented the bank teller with a demand note. During the robbery, Thomas displayed a gun tucked into his pants by lifting his shirt. Thomas fled the bank with $2,309.00. Surveillance camera photographs were disseminated by the media and Thomas was identified by citizen tipsters and the victim bank teller.
If convicted, Thomas faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Craft.
A grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Gretna Man, Keith Joseph Mcgee, Convicted by A Federal Jury of Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Kenneth Allen Polite, Jr. announced that a federal jury has convicted a Gretna man guilty of crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children.
KEITH JOSEPH MCGEE, age 30, of Gretna, Louisiana, was found guilty of all three counts with which he was charged, specifically: attempting to coerce a minor to produce images of sexually explicit conduct; receiving sexually explicit images of a 14-year-old boy; and receiving sexually explicit images from a 15-year old boy.
According to evidence introduced in trial, MCGEE, formerly a foreign language teacher at several Catholic high schools, posted numerous personal advertisements on an online classified advertisement website seeking sexual interactions with “young teens” and “Catholic high school boys.” Additionally, between January 29, 2013, and February 11, 2013, MCGEE used e-mail, text messages, and several social media applications to correspond with two actual minors and an undercover FBI agent posing as a minor. During those correspondences, MCGEE confirmed that each person was a minor and then subsequently encouraged and enticed them to provide him with sexually explicit pictures. In addition to seeking sexually explicit pictures, MCGEE attempted to arrange sexual liaisons with the boys, including driving to the home of the 15-year-old boy at around 2:00 a.m. Additional trial evidence indicated that MCGEE had engaged in sexually explicit conversations and exchanged sexually explicit pictures with approximately six other minors who have not been identified.
MCGEE faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum penalty of 70 years, followed by up to a life term of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. He can also be required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing has been scheduled for September 23, 2014, at 9:00 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
This case was investigated by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Ginsberg and Patrice Harris Sullivan.
Gang Member Sentenced as Armed Career Criminal for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Hugo Barrera, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Ric Bradshaw, Sheriff, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO), announce that Edlord Dieujuste, 30, of Lake Worth, a documented member of the criminal street gang “Top 6”, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Kenneth L. Ryskamp to 180 months (15 years) in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release for being an armed career criminal in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to court documents, Dieujuste has multiple prior felony convictions for robbery with a deadly weapon, robbery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, robbery by sudden snatching, and felon in possession of a firearm. On November 1, 2013, Dieujuste was arrested by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Gang Unit on local charges after detectives recovered a loaded semi-automatic pistol and marijuana from his vehicle following a traffic stop.
A federal grand jury indicted Dieujuste on December 3, 2013, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession of marijuana. In February 2014, Dieujuste pled guilty to the indictment as charged.
Dieujuste was sentenced under the Armed Career Criminal Act, which provides a sentencing range of fifteen years to life for individuals who have been convicted of federal gun crimes and have at least three prior felony convictions for crimes of violence and/or serious drug offenses.
Mr. Ferrer commended the ATF, and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, for their work on this case. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John McMillan.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) which is the anti-gang, anti-gun violence initiative of the United States Department of Justice. This program emphasizes and facilitates cooperative federal, state and local prosecution of firearm crimes, violent criminals, repeat violent offenders and gang related criminal activity.
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.
Former Shaw Executive Convicted of Insider TradingRead the Press Release
BATON ROUGE, LA – United States Attorney Walt Green announced today that a former executive of the Shaw Group has pled guilty to engaging in insider trading. The conviction is the result of an ongoing federal investigation into the use of pre-merger confidential information regarding the 2012 acquisition of Shaw by Chicago Bridge and Iron Company (CB&I).
SCOTT DAVID ZERINGUE, age 48, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty today before Chief Judge Brian A. Jackson to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. ZERINGUE also agreed to forfeit proceeds derived from the offense.
In the Spring of 2012, Shaw began considering a potential merger. At the time, ZERINGUE was the Vice President of Construction Operations for Shaw’s Plant Services Division. In late July 2012, Shaw and CB&I came to an agreement whereby CB&I acquired all outstanding shares of Shaw stock. The merger between the two companies was publicly announced on July 30, 2012. As a result of the announcement, Shaw’s stock price rose substantially.
At today’s proceeding, ZERINGUE admitted that, prior to the public announcement, he received confidential inside information regarding the impending merger which he passed on to a family member with the understanding that the family member would trade in Shaw stock based on such information. Thereafter, ZERINGUE and the family member both used the inside information obtained by ZERINGUE to purchase Shaw stock and stock options. As a result of the insider trading, ZERINGUE and the family member made over $750,000 in profits.
ZERINGUE faces a sentence of up to 5 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release following imprisonment.
U.S. Attorney Green stated: “Insider trading undermines the level playing field that is essential to the integrity and fair functioning of the stock market. We will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute individuals who exploit confidential company information for personal gain at shareholder expense.”
This matter is being investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Christopher Dippel, Jr., and Senior Litigation Counsel M. Patricia Jones.
The investigation is continuing. Anyone with information concerning pre-merger insider trading of Shaw stock is urged to contact Special Agent Moe Hattier of the FBI at 225-291-5159 or Special Agent Kevin Bodden of the U.S. Secret Service at 225-925-5436.
Former Lubbock Resident Admits Possessing Child Pornography Involving Image of Prepubescent MaleRead the Press Release
LUBBOCK, Texas — A former resident of Lubbock, Texas, appeared today before U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings and pleaded guilty to a felony child pornography offense, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.
Jeremy Daniel Labrec, 23, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in federal prison, a lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Judge Cummings ordered a presentence investigation report with a sentencing date to be set after the completion of that report.
Labrec, who is in custody, admitted that while he lived in Lubbock, he used his cell phone to take a sexually explicit photograph of a prepubescent minor. He further admitted sending that image, via Skype, to an acquaintance who shared his interest in child pornography depicting prepubescent minor males.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “resources.”
The FBI investigated and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy is prosecuting.
Former Bronx Not-For-Profit Program DirectorSentenced in Manhattan Federal Court for BriberyRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that SATNARINE SEEBACHAN, formerly a program director at Bronx Shepherds Restoration Corporation (“Bronx Shepherds”), a not-for-profit corporation in the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to six months of weekend imprisonment to be served during a five year term of probation after having been found guilty by a jury of soliciting and accepting a bribe in the form of labor and materials for the renovation of his residence from a contractor who received federally funded contracts from Bronx Shepherds. SEEBACHAN was sentenced in Manhattan federal court by U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels, who also presided over the five-day jury trial.
According to the evidence introduced at trial, other proceedings in this case, and documents previously filed in Manhattan federal court:
SEEBACHAN was employed as a program director by Bronx Shepherds, a not-for-profit corporation that provides housing restoration to low-income individuals in the Bronx, New York. As program director, SEEBACHAN was responsible for administering two federally funded home improvement programs, namely, the Weatherization Assistance Program (“Weatherization Program”) and the Home Program (“Home Program”) (collectively, the “Programs”).
The Weatherization Program is a federal program funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Weatherization Program provides weatherization assistance, such as improved lighting and heating systems, window caulking, and wall and ceiling insulation, to buildings with low-income residents in order to make the buildings more energy efficient. The Home Program is a federal program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Home Program provides renovation assistance to low-income individuals who reside in small family homes, such as repairs to ceilings, bathrooms, kitchens, windows, and sidewalks. As a program director for Bronx Shepherds, SEEBACHAN was in charge of the bidding process to select the construction companies to perform the necessary work on the buildings, apartments, and houses that Bronx Shepherds had selected to participate in the Programs.
Toward the end of 2005, SEEBACHAN purchased a residence in Glen Cove, New York. In 2006, 2007, and again in 2010, at the direction of SEEBACHAN, a construction company that bid for and received contracts from Bronx Shepherds to perform renovation work under the Programs (the “Contractor”) supplied materials and labor for construction and renovation work performed at SEEBACHAN’s residence. Specifically, the Contractor paid for marble that was installed in SEEBACHAN’s residence and did extensive concrete beautification renovations to the driveway, front walkway, and back patio and pool area.
At the time the Contractor paid for the marble and performed the concrete work at SEEBACHAN’s residence, SEEBACHAN promised the Contractor that he would ensure that the Contractor received lucrative contracts to perform repairs on apartment buildings Bronx Shepherds owned and managed. The total dollar value of the labor and materials that SEEBACHAN obtained from the Contractor was more than $140,000. SEEBACHAN was found guilty of one count of bribery concerning an organization that receives federal program funds.
In addition to weekend imprisonment and probation, Judge Daniels also ordered SEEBACHAN, 52, of Glen Cove, New York, to perform 500 hours of community service, and pay a $10,000 fine and a $100 special assessment.
Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the New York State Inspector General’s Office.
This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Carrie H. Cohen is in charge of the prosecution.
Former Bail Bondsman Indicted in Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Roderick Neal, of Dothan, Alabama, was indicted for stolen identity refund fraud crimes, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ronald A. Cimino of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. for the Middle District of Alabama announced today following the unsealing of the indictment. Neal was charged with conspiracy, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to the indictment, Neal worked as a bail bondsman in Dothan, and stole personal identifying information. Neal provided this information to another individual who, in turn, provided the stolen identities to Ivory Bolen, and she used those identities to file fraudulent tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) claiming refunds.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Neal faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for conspiracy, a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each wire fraud count and a mandatory sentence of two years in prison for the aggravated identity theft counts.
This case was investigated by special agents of the IRS - Criminal Investigation. Trial Attorneys Charles Edgar and Jason Poole of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama, in particular Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Brown.
Former Attorney Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Prison for Bilking Investors of $2.8 MillionRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM -- A federal judge late Thursday sentenced a former Birmingham attorney to five years and 11 months in prison for a securities fraud scheme through which he took more than $2.8 million from 12 investors and spent it on a lavish home, private jets, championship football trips and island vacations, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, FBI Special Agent in Charge Richard D. Schwein Jr. and Alabama Securities Commission Director Joseph Borg.
U.S. District Judge Virginia Emerson Hopkins sentenced CHRISTOPHER SHAWN LINTON, 35, of Alabaster, on one count each of wire fraud, mail fraud, securities fraud and money laundering as part of his investment fraud scheme. She also sentenced him on one bank fraud count for submitting a fraudulent commercial loan application to Iberia Bank for a $908,650 loan. Linton used fraudulently obtained investor funds to pay the down payment on the commercial loan, but then defaulted on the loan by writing a $78,960 bad check at closing for his remaining equity on the loan. Linton pleaded guilty to the charges in February.
As part of his plea agreement, Linton is required to pay $2.5 million in restitution to the investors he defrauded, and to pay Iberia Bank $19,850 in restitution. The government's sentencing memorandum notes, however, that the Alabaster house Linton bought with $560,000 in investor funds, and then lavishly improved, cannot be used as means to compensate Linton's victims because there is not enough equity to satisfy a court judgment because Linton used the house as collateral on business and personal loans, which take priority over any judgment.
Linton must report to prison Sept. 22.
"The victims in this case trusted that this defendant, an attorney, would protect their investments. Instead, he robbed them of their savings so he could live a fantasy life of luxury," Vance said. "I appreciate the hard work of the FBI and the Alabama Securities Commission in helping us bring Mr. Linton to justice."
"Mr. Linton risked his clients' retirement funds, money for their children's education, and for their livelihood," Schwein said. "His actions are a dishonor to those who practice law with the utmost commitment and integrity, and the sentence handed down today recognizes his deplorable conduct."
"This Commission feels strongly that the sentence imposed by the federal court is proper and just," said Borg, the ASC director. "We expect this sentence to send a powerful message that professional misconduct that causes damage to our citizens' financial security, and to public confidence in the integrity of the practice of law, will be dealt with swiftly and appropriately. We are very proud to successfully combine our efforts with the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, Joyce Vance, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to ensure that justice is served on behalf of the victims."
Unlike Linton, the people who invested with him "worked hard and saved for years hoping to do a small remodeling project on their home," or to take grandchildren on vacations or leave money behind for their family, the government said in its sentencing memorandum. Some of the investors now need the money for assisted living and medical conditions, the government said.
"Linton's frivolous spending and reckless disregard for the investors' funds will have a lasting financial and emotional impact on the investors and their families for decades," the sentencing memorandum said.
According to the memorandum and Linton's plea agreement, he conducted the securities fraud scheme as follows:
In 2007, Linton became an officer, partner and part owner of a business known as Integrity Capital Inc., by purchasing stock in the company. Integrity Capital Inc. was located in the greater Birmingham area and its business was to make advance payments to lawyers who had submitted payment vouchers for work performed for the State of Alabama. Integrity Capital would then receive the voucher payments from the state and keep a percentage as a fee.
In 2009, Linton formed Integrity Capital LLC. Beginning about August 2009, Linton recruited advisors to solicit investments in Integrity Capital LLC in order to purchase the assets and capital stock of Integrity Capital Inc. Between September 2009 and December 2011, 12 individuals invested more than $2.8 million in Integrity Capital LLC. The investors mailed, wired or delivered money to Linton, who deposited the money into one of several bank accounts held by the law firm where he was a partner.
Former Army Soldier Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of His Five Year Old DaughterRead the Press Release
Army Soldier Naeem Williams, 34, will receive a life sentence for murdering his five-year-old daughter, Talia Williams, after a federal jury in Honolulu, Hawaii, reported today it was unable to reach a unanimous decision on whether to impose the death penalty.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and United States Attorney Florence T. Nakakuni of the District of Hawaii made the announcement.
The jury previously found Williams guilty of killing his daughter on July 16, 2005, by engaging in child abuse that included beating and punching her at the family’s residence on Wheeler Army Airfield in Honolulu. Williams was also convicted of participating, along with his wife, Delilah Williams, in a pattern and practice of assault and torture from December, 2004, until July 16, 2005, that resulted in Talia’s death. In addition, Williams was convicted of conspiring to engage in a pattern and practice of assault and torture leading to death, obstructing justice, and making false statements to Army Criminal Investigation Division agents on the night of his arrest in July 2005.The evidence presented at trial demonstrated that Naeem Williams and his wife Delilah Williams beat Talia Williams almost daily. Naeem Williams testified that the abuse was aimed at disciplining his daughter as a result of bathroom accidents and was exacerbated due to frustrations he was experiencing in his marriage. The evidence indicated the defendant’s physical abuse included punching Talia repeatedly, commanding her to eat her own feces, and using duct tape to bind her from head to toe to a bed post where she was whipped with a belt. In the hours preceding Talia’s death, Williams struck a frontal blow to Talia and her head slammed backwards against the floor. Talia then appeared to have a seizure.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Army Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Steve Mellin from the Capital Case Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren Ching.
Florida Man Sentenced on Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Boston – A Florida man was sentenced today for his role in perpetrating an investment fraud scheme.
Michael Zanetti, 36, of Pompano Beach, Fla. was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In March 2014, Zanetti pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 14 counts of wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Between 2007 and 2011, Zanetti participated in a conspiracy to defraud developers who were seeking financing for large-scale alternative energy and commercial projects by pretending to be a representative of a multi-billion dollar fund located in Luxembourg. Zanetti and his co-conspirators convinced developers to give deposits between $300,000 and $1 million to the fake fund with the promise that the deposit would be fully refundable. Zanetti and his co-conspirators spent the developers' deposit money, and the fake fund never financed any projects. In perpetrating this scheme, Zanetti continually reassured developers about the safety of their deposits even as the deposits were being spent.Zanetti’s co-defendants, John Condo, Evripides Georgiadis, and Frank Barecich have all been convicted and are awaiting sentencing.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; William P. Offord, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; Susan Hensley, Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration; and Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Alex J. Grant and Karen L. Goodwin of Ortiz’s Springfield Branch Unit.
Federal Jury Finds Man Guilty in Cocaine Trafficking and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - After a trial that began on June 9, 2014, a federal jury deliberated for just the afternoon on June 26, 2014, before finding Robert Russell Spence, a former resident of Duquesne, Pa., who is also known as “Slick” or “Little Russ”, guilty of taking part in both a cocaine conspiracy and a conspiracy to launder drug money, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Like dozens of his co-conspirators, Spence’s case was held before United States District Judge David Cercone in Pittsburgh, Pa.
According to Assistant United States Attorney Ross Lenhardt, who prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States, the evidence presented at trial established that Spence was the fulcrum of the entire drug trafficking organization due to his role as the main Pittsburgh-area recipient and trafficker of multiple kilograms of cocaine from California. AUSA Lenhardt indicated in court filings that the overall conspiracy involved approximately 2,000 kilograms of cocaine, valued at more than $200 million on the street. This amount of cocaine is enough for every man, woman and child who is currently a resident of Pennsylvania to have their own dose of cocaine. These doses of cocaine are commonly snorted in “lines” when it remains in powder form and “rocks” of crack cocaine are commonly smoked in pipes after being easily converted into that form in a microwave or over an open heat source such as a stovetop.
The testimony revealed that Spence was initially obtaining cocaine from California by use of common couriers such as DHL, Federal Express and the U.S. Mail until law enforcement made seizures of both cocaine packages coming to the Pittsburgh area and drug money headed back to California. The conspiracy thereafter changed the mechanism of transportation multiple times from tractor trailers and other vehicles, to flights from the Oakland, Calif. airport, to flights from the San Francisco airport, and ultimately to one way private jet flights costing approximately $40,000 each- paid for with bags of cash delivered by members of the conspiracy. Spence also conspired to launder his drug money in multiple ways including making purchases of vehicles, prepaid credit cards, hotels, houses, flights, drug processing materials and businesses in the names of other people, as well as depositing cash in amounts less than $10,000 in order to avoid federal laws which require banks and others to report such transactions.
Spence testified that he had paid for and fired numerous prominent local and out-of-state criminal attorneys, then he fired the attorney appointed by the court to represent him free of charge, and ultimately waived his constitutional right to counsel and represented himself throughout the trial with the assistance of Attorney Thomas Brown as his “stand-by” counsel.
The jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the final charge against Spence.
Judge Cercone indicated that sentencing will occur after the preparation of a Presentence Investigation Report by the United States Probation Office detailing Spence’s background including his criminal, familial, employment, educational and other histories. For cases involving these large amounts of cocaine, the law provides for a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison, in addition to a fine of up to $4.5 million. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of his crimes and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
The defendant has been in jail awaiting trial, in part because these crimes were committed while Spence was on state parole for previous convictions involving his sale of a firearm and “cloned” phones to an undercover state Trooper. Pending sentencing, the court continued Spence’s incarceration.
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) agents joined forces as the lead investigators in the case that led to the prosecution of Spence. The investigation also involved the valuable assistance of many other federal, state and local agencies including the West Homestead Police Department, the Cleveland Police Department, The Las Vegas Metro Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Oakland (California) Police Department and the Frederick (Maryland) Drug Task Force.
Falls Church Grocery Store Owners Convicted of Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
Defendants filed false insurance claims for over $100,000 after 2009 fire destroyed business
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Suzanne DeLyon, 65, of McLean, Virginia, and Byoung Kyung Kim, 53, of Centreville, Virginia were convicted yesterday by a federal jury on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and six counts of wire fraud.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Thomas J. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement after the verdict was accepted by U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton.
DeLyon and Kimface a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when they are sentenced on Oct. 3, 2014.
DeLyon and Kim were indicted on Jan. 30, 2014 by a federal grand jury. According to court records and evidence at trial, DeLyon and Kim were partners in an international grocery store in Falls Church, Virginia that was destroyed by a fire on Jan. 19, 2009. In the course of claiming insurance reimbursements from Travelers Insurance, DeLyon and Kim conspired to falsify payroll documents and records, and they made false representations to Travelers to get over $100,000 more than what they were legally owed.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and IRS-CI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maya D. Song and Gene Rossi and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison L. Anderson are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:14-cr-32.
Engineer Sentenced for Traveling to Laredo to Engage in Illicit Sexual ConductRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Douglas Alan Butler, 55, a resident of Battle Creek, Mich., has been sentenced for traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Butler pleaded guilty Sept. 9, 2013.
Today, Senior U.S. District Judge George P. Kazen handed Butler a sentence of 30 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. Butler will also be required to register as a sex offender.
According to the record, Butler started communicating with an undercover officer posing as a 15-year-old female by way of a local chat room. Communication started on March 28, 2013, and lasted for approximately a month until the date of his arrest, April 23, 2013.
During the chats, Butler was informed the girl was 15 years of age, but he still steered the communication to sexually illicit conversation and repeatedly asked the undercover investigator about sex. Butler also engaged in extensive conversations about what kind of sexual activities they would engage in when they finally met. Particularly, Butler indicated that he “could teach her so many things.” Butler advised that he had plans of traveling to Laredo and expressed a desire to meet her.
Butler had made arrangements to meet the deputy whom he believed to be the minor female at a local city park and promised to bring a sex toy during that encounter. He was arrested upon arrival at that park, at which time a pink vibrator was discovered in his car. A subsequent search of his hotel also resulted in the discovery of several condoms, Viagra pills and other paraphernalia of a sexual nature.
Butler admitted he had engaged in online chats of sexual nature with several young girls from Laredo and that he had met and engaged in sex with several women he had met in Laredo.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and Webb County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sonah Lee and Suntrease Williams.
Eads Man Sentenced to 92 MonthsRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Larry Caleb Fish, age 21, of Ripley, Tenn., was sentenced to 92 months in federal prison on Thursday following his guilty plea to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Edward L. Stanton III, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee and 25th District Attorney General Mike Dunavant.
According to the facts alleged in the indictment and revealed during the sentencing hearing, Fish, who was a previously convicted felon, was arrested on January 27, 2013, for possessing a stolen Smith & Wesson 9mm firearm. Fish traded a friend $80 and some Xanax and Marijuana for the stolen firearm. Fish’s criminal history is extensive and he has multiple felony convictions.
In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge S. Thomas Anderson ordered Fish to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal prison system.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office and the 25th District Attorney General’s Office. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Stringfellow represented the government.Department of Justice and Office of the Director of National Intelligence Announce Declassification of Renewal of Collection Under Section 501 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance ActRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON- The Department of Justice and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) released the following statement Friday:
“On March 28, 2014, the Director of National Intelligence declassified and disclosed publically that the U.S. government had filed an application with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) seeking renewal of the authority to collect telephony metadata in bulk, and that, on March 28, 2014, the FISC renewed that authority. The DNI also announced that the Administration was undertaking a declassification review of the FISC’s March 28th Primary Order.
“On June 20, 2014, the DNI declassified and publically disclosed that the U.S. government had filed an application with the FISC seeking renewal of the authority granted in March to collect telephony metadata in bulk, and that, on June 19, 2014, the FISC renewed that authority. The DNI also announced that the Administration was undertaking a declassification review of the FISC’s June 19th Primary Order and an accompanying Memorandum Opinion.
“Following a declassification review by the Executive Branch, the DNI has released in redacted form the March 28, 2014 Primary Order, signed by Judge Rosemary M. Collyer. Separately, following a declassification review by the Executive Branch, the FISC published in redacted form the June 19, 2014 Primary Order and an accompanying Memorandum Opinion, signed by Judge James B. Zagel, re-authorizing the collection of bulk telephony metadata under Section 215. The most recent authorization expires on September 12, 2014. These Primary Orders and Memorandum Opinion re-affirm that the bulk telephony metadata collection is lawful.
“The June 19, 2014 Primary Order and Memorandum Opinion are available at the FISC’s website, www.uscourts.gov. The March 28, 2014 Primary Order along with the July 19, 2014 Primary Order and accompanying Memorandum Opinion are available at the website of the Department of Justice, www.justice.gov; the website of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, www.dni.gov; and ODNI’s public website dedicated to fostering greater public visibility into the intelligence activities of the Government, IContheRecord.tumblr.com.”
Denver Man Found Guilty of Gun and Drug Crimes Following Jury TrialRead the Press Release
Defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years to life consecutive to any other sentence for possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime
DENVER – Dontae Daniel Hines, age 30, of Denver, Colorado, was found guilty earlier this week of gun and drug charges following a 3-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge William J. Martinez. The jury deliberated for 4 hours before reaching their verdicts. Hines is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Martinez on October 8, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. Hines was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 8, 2013. The indictment charged Hines with being a felon in possession of a handgun, possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Hines trial began on June 23, 2014.
According to the facts presented at trial, Hines was selling crack cocaine from inside an apartment building in Denver. During an undercover operation, Hines agreed to sell an undercover officer $40 worth of crack. After the transaction was complete, the undercover officers gave a signal to have an arrest team enter the apartment building. Before the arrest team could arrive, Hines told the undercover officer to smoke the crack in front of him so that he can prove he was not a police officer. Hines, seeing the officers enter the property, fled to the second level of the apartment building. Following a 25 second foot chase, Hines gave up and was taken into custody. During that chase he placed a black firearm onto a blue storage container sitting outside of a second level apartment. Officers very soon after the chase recovered the weapon. Hines having previous felony convictions was prohibited from possessing the firearm. Further, he was using the weapon, which had been reported stolen in the weeks leading up to the incident, in furtherance of drug trafficking – namely the sale of crack.
Hines faces not more than 10 years in federal prison, and up to a $250,000 fine for the one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He faces not more than 20 years in federal prison, and up to a $1,000,000 fine for one count of possession of cocaine base (crack) with intent to distribute. Finally, Hines faces not less than 5 years, and up to life imprisonment, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
This case was investigate by the Denver Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Hines is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Sibert and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Rieman.
Defendants Sentenced in the District Court of GuamRead the Press Release
ALICIA A.G. LIMTIACO, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that five defendants who were witnesses in the U.S. v. Mateo B. Sardoma, Jr. aka “Mat”, Rudy P.H. Sablan, Maric C. Edrosa aka “Cristina”, et al. trial were sentenced this week by Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood, as follows:
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Defendant JOSEPH MALLO, age 34, was sentenced on June 24, 2014, to 33 months incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. Defendant MALLO pled guilty to Felon in Possession of Firearms, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). MALLO testified he was a user of methamphetamine that he had obtained from Defendant Rudy Sablan.
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Defendant JERRICK UNCHANGCO, age 33, was sentenced on June 24, 1014, to time served of one year, 11 months and 29 days, and to three years supervised release. Defendant UNCHANGCO pled guilty to Felon in Possession of Firearms, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). UNCHANGCO testified he was a user of methamphetamine that he had obtained from Defendant Rudy Sablan.
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Defendant ROMMEL WHITING, age 44, was sentenced on June 25, 2014, to time served, followed by three years of supervised release. Defendant WHITING imported methamphetamine in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841 and 846. WHITING testified he was a user of methamphetamine that he had obtained from Defendant Rudy Sablan.
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Defendant ELIZABETH AGUON, age 56, was sentenced on June 25, 2014, to two years imprisonment and five years supervised release. Defendant AGUON pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841 and 846. AGUON testified she was a user of methamphetamine that she had obtained from Defendant Rudy Sablan.
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Defendant JOSEPH CABALLERO, age 47, was sentenced on June 26, 2014, to two years imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release. Defendant CABELLERO pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846. CABELLERO testified he performed odd jobs for Defendant Mateo B. Sardoma, Jr., and that he was a user of methamphetamine and distributed less than one gram of methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney Limtiaco stated, “Our community is not immune from the poison of methamphetamine. These cases illustrate the hard work our partners in law enforcement do every day to stop the distribution of methamphetamine into Guam.” These five defendants were witnesses in the U.S. v. Mateo B. Sardoma, Jr. aka “Mat”, Rudy P.H. Sablan, Maric C. Edrosa aka “Cristina”, et al., which is the product of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, (OCDETF) a focused multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force investigating and prosecuting the most significant drug trafficking organizations throughout the United States by leveraging the combined expertise of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
The investigations were conducted by Special Agents and Task Force Officers at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (DHS-HSI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The cases against Defendants UNCHANGCO and WHITING were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rosetta San Nicolas. The cases against Defendants MALLO, AGUON and CABELLERO were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred Black.
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Defendant Sentenced on Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown of the Southern District of Alabama announces today that Larry Gene Broadnax of Mobile was sentenced following a March 2014 guilty plea to a charge of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Broadnax was previously convicted in Mobile County in 2010, of Unlawful Distribution of a Controlled Substance and Robbery. By virtue of these convictions, Broadnax is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Broadnax possessed a 20 gauge and a 12 gauge shotgun on April 30, 2013, in connection with a home invasion burglary he participated in with three other individuals. During the home invasion a female occupant of the residence was raped by one of the individuals with Broadax.
Possession of a firearm or ammunition by a previously convicted felon is a violation of Title 18, United States Code Section 922(g)(1). United States District Court Judge Callie V.S. Granade imposed the statutory maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years supervised release.
This case was investigated by Detective Brad Grandquest of the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and Task Force Officer Lorne Watts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.
Defendant Sentenced for Prohibited Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown of the Southern District of Alabama announced today that Alonzo Spencer of Mobile, Alabama, was sentenced following a March 2014 guilty plea to a charge of being a felon in possession of ammunition. Spencer was previously convicted in Mobile County Circuit Court of Assault in 1984 and 1999, and Burglary in 1984. By virtue of these convictions, Spencer is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Spencer pled guilty to prohibited possession of multiple rounds of various type of ammunition.
Possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon is a violation of Title 18, United States Code Section 922(g)(1). Chief United States District Court Judge William H. Steele imposed a sentence of 84 months, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Mobile Police Department and Special Agent Nicholas P. Murphy of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.
Dallas Man Sentenced to 336 Months in Federal Prison on Child Pornography ConvictionsRead the Press Release
Defendant Convicted at Trial on Four Child Pornography Offenses
DALLAS — A Dallas man who was convicted at trial in March 2014 on various child pornography offenses, was sentenced today, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.
Ted Lynn Snider, 44, of Dallas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Barbara M. G. Lynn to 336 months (28 years) in federal prison and a 10-year term of supervised release. After a two-day trial followed by less than one hour of deliberation, a federal jury convicted him on two counts of transporting and shipping child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
In May 2013, the FBI discovered that a particular individual, later identified as Snider, was online sharing images and videos of young children engaged in vile and graphic sexual acts. On May 29, 2013, the FBI executed a search warrant at Snider’s residence, and while at the residence agents spoke with Snider. He admitted he had been using a file sharing program to trade files depicting child pornography and that he maintained a categorized, child pornography collection on his computer and external hard drives. The FBI seized electronic evidence that contained hundreds of images and videos of child pornography.
During trial, a detective testified he located chat logs between Snider and others with a sexual interest in children who talked about their desire to sexually assault children. They also exchanged child pornography with each other, and in fact, chats between Snider and two individuals were part of the evidence elicited regarding counts two and three. In those chats, Snider and the two other individuals discussed how they wanted to molest the prepubescent children depicted in the photos.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “resources.”
The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille Sparks and Deputy Criminal Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Tromblay prosecuted.
Correctional Officer Sentenced to over 3 Years in Prison in Baltimore Jail Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Smuggled Drugs into Baltimore Correctional Facility
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced correctional officer Ebonee Braswell, age 27, of Baltimore, today to 37 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for participating in a racketeering conspiracy arising from the smuggling of drugs and contraband inside the Baltimore City Detention Center (BCDC).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Secretary Gregg Hershberger of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services; Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Gregg L. Bernstein.This case was developed as a result of the efforts of the Maryland Prison Task Force, formed in 2011 with the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, and prosecutors. The Task Force has met regularly for over three years, generating recommendations to reform prison procedures and producing leads that have been pursued by state, local and federal criminal investigators. The investigation is continuing.
According to court documents, BGF has been the dominant gang at the BCDC, and in several connected facilities, including the Baltimore Central Booking Intake Center (BCBIC), the Women’s Detention Center, which houses many men, and in the Jail Industries Building.
Braswell, a correctional officer at BCDC, admitted that in 2012 and 2013, she helped smuggle contraband, including drugs such as Percocet, into BCDC for further distribution by BGF members. Other correctional officers helped Braswell smuggle the contraband into BCDC.
Twenty-four of the 44 defendants charged in the conspiracy have pleaded guilty, including 14 correctional officers. One defendant has died. Trial is scheduled to begin November 17, 2014 for the remaining defendants.
U.S. Attorney Rosenstein recognized the efforts of the other members of the Maryland Prison Task Force, including: Colonel Marcus L. Brown, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Chief Mark A. Magaw of the Prince George’s County Police Department; United States Marshal Johnny Hughes; Special Agent in Charge Karl C. Colder of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Field Division; Tom Carr, Director of the Washington-Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area; and Dave Engel, Executive Director of the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the FBI, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, Baltimore Police Department, and Maryland Prison Task Force, for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Robert R. Harding and Ayn B. Ducao, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.Columbia Man Admits to Conspiracy to Distribute OxycodoneRead the Press Release
Contact Person: Bill Day (803) 929-3000
Columbia, South Carolina -----United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that John Lanier Britt, age 52, of Columbia, South Carolina has entered a guilty plea in federal court in Florence, to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, a violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846. United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten of Florence accepted the guilty plea and will impose sentence after he has reviewed the presentence report which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that Britt was involved in the illegal distribution of oxycodone, a powerful prescription pain medication, for more than three years. Audio and video recordings of Britt selling oxycodone were made during the investigation. A search of Britt's house was conducted when Britt was arrested resulting in drugs being seized and evidence being found that Britt had sold almost 300 pills in the three days before he was arrested.
Mr. Nettles stated the maximum penalty for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone is imprisonment for 30 years and/or a fine of $2,000,000.
The case was investigated by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Diversion. Assistant United States Attorney William E. Day, II of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.# # #
Canadian Woman Pleads Guilty to Tax SchemeRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. and Department of Justice Tax Division Acting Assistant Attorney General Tamara Ashford announced today that Renee Jarvis, 51, of Ontario, Canada, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr., to conspiring with others to defraud the United States and to steal government funds. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa J. Miller and Tax Division Trial Attorney Jeffrey A. McLellan, who are handling the case, stated that the defendant was charged, along with six others, with filing false tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service. On April 8, 2009, Jarvis filed a U.S. Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return and claimed that she was entitled to a refund of $404,120.00. Thereafter, the defendant, a Canadian citizen, opened a bank account at a bank in the Rochester area, deposited a U.S. Treasury check and then withdrew the funds, in part, to pay a co-conspirator for preparing the false documents.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 12th, at 3:00 p.m. before Judge Geraci.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Shantelle Kitchen.Canadian Man Pleads Guilty to Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Daniel Hebert, 40, of New Brunswick, Canada, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara, to importation of 100 kilograms or more of marijuana into the U.S. from Canada and failure to appear to attend required court proceedings. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, a $2,000,000 fine, or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Catherine Baumgarten, who is handling the case, stated that on November 5, 2005, the defendant entered the United States at the Peace Bridge Port of Entry driving a tractor trailer. During a secondary inspection, law enforcement officers seized multiple plastic baggies containing marijuana. Hebert told Special Agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement that the marijuana was to be delivered to a man named "Brian" at Jim's Truck Plaza in Cheektowaga, N.Y. Law enforcement officers surveilled the defendant as he later met with co-defendants Brian Brady and Thomas Goodyer who were arrested along with Hebert.
On November 7, 2005, Hebert appeared before a federal Magistrate Judge who ordered the defendant released with various conditions, including that Hebert attend all court proceedings. The defendant was scheduled to appear on May 26, 2006 but failed to do so. On June 28, 2006, an arrest warrant was issued for the defendant.
Brian Brady was convicted of conspiracy to import 100 kilograms or more of marijuana into the U.S. from Canada and is awaiting sentencing. Charges are pending against Thomas Goodyer. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 7, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Arcara.California Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud Internal Revenue Service and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Kathryn Darlene Coryell, a Fresno, California, resident, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and wire fraud, announced Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ronald A. Cimino for the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag for the Northern District of California.
According to the plea agreement, beginning around Feb. 28, 2008, and continuing through April 16, 2012, Coryell and her co-conspirator Noemi Baez participated in a scheme to obtain and help others to obtain payment of false claims for refunds from the IRS by electronically filing false federal income tax returns in their own names and in the names of others. Using the names and Social Security numbers of multiple individuals, Coryell and Baez created false income information and filed with the IRS materially false tax returns claiming refunds derived from tax credits, including the Earned Income Credit, the Additional Child Tax Credit and the Making Work Pay Credit. Coryell and Baez filed more than 150 false and fraudulent claims, with false claims totaling more than $400,000. Baez pleaded guilty to conspiracy and aggravated identity theft and was sentenced on Feb. 6, 2014, to serve 30 months in prison.
At time of her sentencing on Oct. 23, 2014, before U.S. District Judge D. Lowell Jensen, Coryell faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $500,000 or twice the gain or loss resulting from her offense, whichever is greater.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Cimino and U.S. Attorney Haag commended the efforts of the special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case, and Trial Attorneys Charles O’Reilly, Erin S. Mellen and Sonia M. Owens of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
California Man Pleads Guilty to Theft and Embezzlement from the Passamaquoddy TribeRead the Press Release
Contact: F. Todd Lowell
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Charles
Fourcloud, 59, of San Jose, California, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in
Bangor, to stealing and embezzling funds from the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point.Court records show that in May 2013, the defendant was hired by the tribe to serve as its
chief financial officer (CFO). He applied for the CFO position using a fictitious employment
history and fake references and he had concealed the fact that he had been convicted of a federal
crime and served a prison sentence. From April through August 2013, the defendant
fraudulently obtained and stole about $20,000 from the tribe by submitting fraudulent travel
expense reports and supporting documentation and by submitting fraudulent documentation
related to moving expense reimbursement.Fourcloud faces up to 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He will also be required to
make full restitution. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation
report by the U.S. Probation Office.The investigation was conducted jointly by the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, Office of Inspector General and the Pleasant Point Police Department.Calcutta Man Indicted for Robbing East Liverpool BankRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment charging Brian Keith Johnston, age 41, of Calcutta, Ohio, with bank robbery, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
The indictment charges that on or about May 29, 2014, Johnston robbed the Home Savings and Loan Company in East Liverpool, Ohio, of approximately $1,756.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the East Liverpool Police Department, and the St. Clair Township Police Department. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David M. Toepfer.
An indictment 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.
Buffalo Woman Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Candace Walker, 33, of Buffalo, N.Y., pleaded guilty to theft of government funds before U.S. Magistrate Judge Hugh B. Scott. The charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison, a fine of $100,000 or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell T. Ippolito, Jr., who is handling the case, stated that Walker, a Contact Representative for the United States Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), collected unemployment insurance benefits for which she was not entitled. Between January 10, 2010, and October 2, 2011, the defendant fraudulently certified for unemployment insurance benefits on numerous occasions. Walker failed to report income earned from the IRS and from the Wheelchair Home, Inc., dba, Schofield Residence, in order to receive unemployment insurance benefits. In total, Manning stole $9,530 in unemployment insurance benefits from the IRS and $1,925 from the Wheelchair Home, Inc., dba, Schofield Residence.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation by the Department of the Treasury, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), Office of Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Robert E. O’Malley, the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Cheryl Garcia of the New York Regional Office, and the New York State Department of Labor, under the direction of Commissioner Peter Rivera.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 7, 2014, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Scott.Borger, Texas, Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison on Child Pornography ConvictionRead the Press Release
AMARILLO, Texas — Aaron Robert Wells, 23, of Borger, Texas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson to five years in federal prison, following his guilty plea in April 2014 to one count of transportation of child pornography. Judge Robinson remanded Wells, who had been on bond, to the custody of the U.S. Marshal. U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas made the announcement today.
According to documents filed in the case, in March 2012, Wells was contacted online by an undercover law enforcement officer through file sharing software. Wells had saved numerous images of child pornography on his computer and had made them available for online sharing. Among other images, the undercover officer downloaded two images of minor males engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “resources.”
The FBI investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Lubbock, Texas, prosecuted.
Belleville Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Failure to RegisterRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsOn June 25, 2014, Willie L. Carroll, a fifty year old Belleville, Illinois, man pled guilty in federal district court, in East St. Louis, to failure to register as a sex offender, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Carroll is scheduled for sentencing on October 17, 2014, at which time he faces a prison term of up to ten (10) years, a fine up to $250,000, or both, at least five (5) years supervised release after his prison term, and a mandatory special assessment of $100.
In 2013, after signing the Illinois Sex Offender Registration Act Registration Form on January 14, 2013, Davis moved to Missouri without registering in the state. Davis was required to register as a sex offender within three days of his move from Illinois to Missouri. The registration was due to his Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault conviction on May 1, 1991, in St. Clair County, Illinois.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who 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.”
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Daniel T. Kapsak for prosecution.
Austinite Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Provide Material Support to TerroristsRead the Press Release
In Austin this morning, 23-year-old Michael Wolfe (a.k.a. “Faruq”) pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization, announced Robert Pitman, United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Christopher Combs, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the San Antonio Division, and John Carlin, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. He faces up to 15 years in federal prison for the offense.
Appearing before United States Magistrate Judge Mark Lane, Wolfe admitted that from August 2013 to June 17, 2014, he planned to travel to the Middle East to provide his services to a foreign terrorist organization, namely, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham/Syria (ISIS) and to engage in violent jihad in Syria.
During the plea hearing Wolfe acknowledged that he applied for and acquired a United States passport, participated in physical fitness training, practiced military maneuvers and made efforts to conceal his communications about his plans to travel overseas to engage in violent jihad. Wolfe also purchased airline tickets so that he could travel to Europe to meet an FBI undercover employee, whom the defendant then believed would facilitate travel to Syria through Turkey. In furtherance of his attempt to provide material support to ISIS, Wolfe travelled to Houston and was apprehended on June 17, 2014, on the jet-way, as he attempted to board flight #8112 to Toronto, Canada. His ticketed itinerary had him traveling through Iceland and arriving in Copenhagen, Denmark on June 18, 2014. He then planned to make his way to Syria to join with ISIS and engage in the armed conflict.
Wolfe remains in federal custody pending sentencing before United States District Judge Sam Sparks in Austin. No sentencing date has been scheduled.
This case resulted from a Central Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation together with the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, United States Army Intelligence, Austin Police Department, Round Rock Police Department, Killeen Police Department, University of Texas Police Department, Travis County Sheriff's Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, Office of the Texas Attorney General and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
Assistant United States Attorneys Gregg N. Sofer and Michael Galdo, together with Department of Justice National Security Division trial attorneys Josh Parecki and Michael Dittoe, are prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.Arthur Schlecht and Co-defendants Sentenced for Role in Precious Metals Investment SchemeRead the Press Release
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, Ronald J. Verrochio, Postal Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Drew J. Breakspear, Commissioner, Florida Office of Financial Regulation, and Richard P. Foelber, Chief of Cooperative Enforcement, Commodity Futures Trading Commission announce the results of the sentencing hearing on June 26, 2014, of Arthur John Schlecht, 54, formerly of Miami-Dade County, for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and for wire fraud. Schlecht was convicted on February 27, 2014, following a five-week jury trial in Miami.
United States Judge Richard W. Goldberg sentenced Schlecht to 120 months in prison. Just before Schlecht’s sentencing hearing, co-defendants Carlos Rodriguez, age 37, and Ricardo Padron, age 54, were both sentenced to 45 months in prison. Co-defendant Robert Roca, age 62, was sentenced to 36 months in prison. Co-defendants are formerly of Miami-Dade County.
The evidence at trial revealed that over 700 investor victims lost in excess of $25 million as a result of the scheme perpetrated by Schlecht and his co-defendants. Co-defendants Rodriguez, Padron and Roca pled guilty prior to trial.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, USPIS, the Florida Office of Financial Regulation and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. This case was prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Caroline Heck Miller and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Sherwin.
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.
50th Anniversary Observance of the Civil Rights Act of 1964: Wednesday, July 2, 2014 at the Marquette University Law SchoolRead the Press Release
United States Attorney James L. Santelle of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced today that a special community gathering will be held on Wednesday, July 2, 2014, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 pm to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This special event will be held at Marquette University Law School, Eckstein Hall, located at 1215 West Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee.
The public is invited to attend this special community gathering as we remember the leaders, the challenges, and the achievements of the Civil Rights Movement and affirm our contemporary commitment to promote the purposes and the goals of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Welcoming and commissioning remarks will be provided by United States Attorney Santelle, Ralph Hollmon, President and CEO of the Milwaukee Urban League, Luis “Tony” Baez, Executive Director of Centro Hispano, James H. Hall, Jr., President of the Milwaukee Branch of the NAACP, City of Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, and Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele.
The program will include a video of President Lyndon B. Johnson signing the Civil Rights Act on July 2, 1964, and a special presentation by Professor Andrew W. Kahrl of the Carter G. Woodson Center for African-American and African Studies at the University of Virginia on the “The Significance of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s: Remembering the Leaders, the Challenges, and the Achievements.”
The keynote presentation, “Reflections on the Legacy of the Civil Rights Act and on the Civil Rights Challenges in Contemporary America,” will be delivered by the Honorable Jocelyn Samuels, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, United States Department of Justice. Assistant Attorney General Samuels will also participate in an interactive panel discussion with Messrs. Hollmon and Hall and Dr. Baez on the present initiatives and current challenges in the area of civil rights enforcement for the nation, the State of Wisconsin, and the Greater Milwaukee Area.
This event is co-sponsored by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the Community Relations Service of the United States Department of Justice, the Milwaukee Urban League, Centro Hispano, and the Milwaukee Branch of the NAACP.
Members of the media should call Deputy Public Information Officer Elizabeth Makowski at (414) 297-1700 to confirm their attendance.
22 Indicted in Multi-State Heroin Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Nashville, Tenn. returned a 23-count indictment on June 25, 2014, charging 22 individuals with various offenses relating to a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of heroin and fentanyl in the Middle Tennessee area, Northern Alabama and St. Louis, Missouri, announced David Rivera, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Much of the heroin had been adulterated or replaced with fentanyl and caused or contributed to the death of at least two persons in Alabama and was responsible for multiple non-fatal overdoses.
Joining Rivera at a morning news conference were Chief Steve Anderson of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, Jack Webb, Assistant Special Agent- in- Charge of the ATF, Nashville Field Division and Michael Stanfill, Asst. Special Agent- in- Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for Tennessee.
Local, state and federal agents, yesterday, began arresting those named in the indictment and as of this morning, 21 suspects were in custody.
“The resurgence of heroin as the drug of choice is wreaking havoc in our communities across the nation and causing untold overdoses and deaths,” said U.S. Attorney David Rivera. “I commend our law enforcement partners for their untiring efforts in bringing this case and interrupting the flow of such dangerous substances to our neighborhoods. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will vigorously prosecute this case and seek appropriate sentences for the conduct of those charged.”
According to the indictment, the year-long investigation identified Jamal Cooper of Antioch, Tenn. as one of the leaders and supervisors of the heroin distribution conspiracy and who was responsible for obtaining large quantities of heroin from multiple sources, including Lonald Ector of San Bernardino, Calif. and Robert Gonzales of Fontana, Calif. Various residences and properties in Nashville and Antioch, Tennessee, Florence, Alabama, and Sheffield, Alabama were used by the defendants to store heroin and cash generated from the sale and distribution of heroin, and from which to distribute heroin and fentanyl to the Middle Tennessee area, Northern Alabama and St. Louis Missouri.
The indictment alleges that members of the conspiracy used cutting agents, to dilute the heroin to increase their profits and distributed fentanyl, which they purported to be heroin, which caused or contributed to two deaths in Alabama and numerous non-fatal overdoses in Alabama and Nashville.
According to the facts set forth in the indictment, the defendants remained undeterred after learning of the deaths and overdoses and continued to distribute the heroin and fentanyl.
The indictment also alleges that four of the defendants conspired to use firearms against individuals whom they believed were attempting to rob other members of the conspiracy of money and drugs and one person was in fact shot in Nashville on April 4, 2014.
“These heroin-related overdoses and deaths are absolutely unacceptable,” Metro Police Chief Steve Anderson said. “Arrests like those announced today show that violent criminal activity associated with the illegal drug trade will not be tolerated by law enforcement and our partners in prosecutors’ offices at the state and federal level.”
“This focused investigation will have a lasting impact on reducing firearms related violence and taking drugs off the streets of the Nashville Metro area,” said ATF Special Agent–in–Charge Jeff Fulton. “Additionally, these arrests demonstrate ATF and our partners’ continued dedication to identify, target, and investigate violent criminals who lessen the quality of life in our neighborhoods.”“The prescription pill epidemic in the U.S. continues to produce a rapidly expanding base of new heroin users with no regard to race, gender, age, or economic background,” said Michael Stanfill, Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge of the DEA in Tennessee. “Our federal, state, and local partners will aggressively pursue those drug trafficking organizations that are attempting to capitalize on this new demand for heroin. This investigation is another example of law enforcement agencies working together and utilizing their combined resources to decimate a violent drug organization and improve the quality of life for people in Tennessee and Alabama.”
The indictment charges the following individuals with conspiring to distribute and possession with intent to distribute heroin and/or fentanyl:Jamal Cooper, aka Jamal Jordan, aka J, aka Mal, 37, of Antioch, Tennessee;
Lonald Ector, aka J.R., 46, of San Bernardino, California;
Robert Gonzales, 29, of Fontana, California;
D’Ron Robinson, aka St. Louis, 25, of Jackson, Tennessee;
Karon Key Jordan, 34, of Gallatin, Tennessee;
Jasmond Foster, aka Jazz, 26, of Sheffield, Alabama;
William Earl Foster, Jr., aka Buck, 25, of Florence, Alabama;
Donquez Groves, aka Lewis Palmer, aka Little Donnie, 31, of Nashville, Tennessee;
Wilton Bailey, aka Willy Will, 38, of Nashville, Tennessee;
Clifford Woods, aka Wimpy, 55, of Gallatin, Tennessee;
Tommy E. Smith, 37, of Nashville, Tennessee;
Sheteeka Bryant, 34, of Nashville, Tennessee;
Eric Williams, aka E, 38, of Nashville, Tennessee;
Robert Foxx, aka D-Tay, aka Johnny, 28, of Nashville, Tennessee;
Darnell Finnels, aka Ski, aka Skeezy, 24, of Nashville, Tennessee;
Shawna Caroline Foster, 36, of Florence, Alabama;
Jerry Ray Cochran, aka J Ray, 40, of Florence, Alabama;
William Kimbrough III, aka Trey, 37, of Tuscumbia, Alabama;
Wallace Earl Coffey, aka Nephew, aka Beck, 27, of Sheffield, Alabama;
Wallace Beckwith, aka Duke, 47, of Florence, Alabama; and
Thomas Barnett, aka Ham, aka Hambone, 27, of Florence, Alabama.The indictment also charges the following:
Knowingly conspiring to possess and discharge a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime:
Robert Noel, aka Kamp Trey, 22, of Nashville, Tennessee; Jamal Cooper, Eric Williams and Darnell Finnels.
Knowingly possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime: Jamal Cooper.Knowingly possessing and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime: Darnell Finnels.
Knowingly possessing and intentionally distributing fentanyl; Jamal Cooper.
Knowingly possessing and intentionally distributing heroin: Jamal Cooper-3 additional counts; Eric Williams-6 additional counts; Robert Foxx- 6 additional counts; and Donquez Groves-1 additional count.Conspiring to distribute fentanyl resulting in the death of another person: Jamal Cooper, William Earl Foster, Shawna Caroline Foster and Jerry Ray Cochran.
If convicted, all defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years to life in prison. Those charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in the death of another person face a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years to life in prison.This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department’s Specialized Investigations Division; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the 20th Judicial District Drug Task Force; the Lauderdale County, Alabama Drug Task Force; the Colbert County, Alabama Drug Task Force and the Florence, Alabama Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthias Onderak.
An indictment is merely an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Thursday 26 June 2014
York County Man Sentenced to Twenty Years for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a York County man was sentenced today to twenty years in prison for receipt of child pornography.
In November, a federal jury convicted Lawrence B. Blevins, Jr., age 44, West Manchester, Pennsylvania, of downloading child pornography from the internet. At sentencing today in Harrisburg Chief United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner noted Blevins’ previous conviction for indecent assault and his false testimony at trial as factors at sentencing.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the case arose from an investigation by West Manchester Township Police into a network of individuals who shared child pornography over the internet. In December 2011, a search warrant was executed at Blevins’ residence and recovered multiple computers and external storage devices from his room. Police found over a half million images of child pornography and hundreds of videos. Blevins was arrested and charged by local officials. On September 26, 2012, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Blevins with possession of child pornography.
“Blevins’ 20-year sentence again underscores HSI’s determination to track down child predators and bring them to justice ,” said Philadelphia acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker. “The immense amount of images and videos recovered by law enforcement during this investigation underscores the fact that possession and distribution of despicable images of child pornography is not a victimless crime. Our children are re-victimized every time a child predator views and shares these images.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
This investigation was conducted by West Manchester Township Police Department, the Northern York Regional Police Department, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The prosecutor assigned to the case is Assistant Unites States Attorney Michael A. Consiglio.
Warren County, N.J., Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Distributing Images of Child Sexual Abuse over the InternetRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A registered sex offender who was formerly employed at a law office in Paterson, N.J., was sentenced today to 180 months in prison for distributing images of child sexual abuse over the Internet, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Kevin Rease, 34, of Hackettstown, N.J., previously pleaded guilty to one count of an indictment charging him with distributing images of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in the case and statements in court:
Rease admitted that on Feb. 12, 2013, he made images and videos of child sexual abuse stored on his work computer available for others to download via an online peer-to-peer file sharing network. On that date, an undercover law enforcement agent successfully downloaded videos of child sexual abuse from Rease through the network.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced Rease to a lifetime of supervised release. In sentencing Rease, Judge Cecchi cited the defendant’s previous child exploitation convictions as a reason for the lengthy term.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark, and the New Jersey Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Alfonzo Walsman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
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Defense counsel: William B. Ware Esq., Chester, N.J.Two Set to Appear in Federal Court on Charges of Murder on Federal LandRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Cristian Alexander Zamora, 22, and Ricardo Leonel Campos-Lara, 19, have been indicted on charges of committing murder in the Sam Houston National Forest, a designated federal land, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson.
Zamora, aka Christian Zamora, Alexander, Alex or Pollo; and Campos-Lara, aka La Muerte, are set to make their initial appearances today at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Milloy. At that time, the U.S. expects to request they be ordered into federal custody pending further criminal proceedings.
The indictment, returned June 18, 2014, alleges they committed the murder of a 16-year-old male victim while in the Sam Houston National Forest. On Sept. 22, 2013, Zamora and Campos-Lara, both of El Salvador, allegedly aided and abetted each other in the murder by striking the victim with a bat and a machete.
If convicted of murder within the territorial jurisdiction of the U.S., both will face up to life imprisonment or the death penalty.
The charges are the result of an investigation by the FBI, Houston Police Department, Texas Rangers and the Walker County Sheriff’s Office. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark E. Donnelly.An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is considered innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.Two Charged with Conspiring to Smuggle Weapons to Middle EastRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Mahmoud Abdel-Ghani Mohammad Assaf (45, Jordan) and Yasser Ahmad Obeid (19, Lebanon) have been charged in a federal criminal complaint with conspiring to smuggle firearms from the United States, and conspiring to deal in firearms without a license, and to ship and receive firearms in interstate and foreign commerce, in violation of federal export control and firearms laws. If convicted as charged in the complaint, Assaf and Obeid face a statutory maximum penalty of ten years’ imprisonment on each firearms and export violation charge, and five years’ imprisonment for the conspiracy offenses.
According to the complaint, Assaf, a Jordanian national in the United States on a visitor’s visa, and Obeid, a citizen of Lebanon and legal permanent resident residing in St. Petersburg, Florida, are part of a network of individuals involved in smuggling firearms from the United States to the Middle East. The complaint alleges that the firearms were concealed in vehicles purchased at used car auctions in the Central Florida area and then exported to countries located in Africa and the Middle East.
After being arrested on June 25, 2014, Assaf and Obeid made their initial appearances before United States Magistrate Judge Thomas B. McCoun III. Assaf was detained pending further proceedings. Obeid’s bond hearing is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Friday, June 27, 2014.
A criminal complaint is merely an informal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Tampa. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josephine W. Thomas.
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Three Roanoke Residents Indicted on Passport Fraud ChargeRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, VIRGINIA – Three Roanoke residents who were arrested June 10 for conspiring to obtain a fraudulent passport have been indicted by a Federal grand jury sitting in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke.
The grand jury has charged George Anyuon, 35, Joseph Albino, 33 and Abuk Kuac, 29, each with one count of conspiring to commit passport fraud by willfully furnishing and attempting to furnish to another a fraudulent passport.
According to the indictment, the purpose of the conspiracy was to obtain a false passport for “Witness One,” which passport would have a false name, and to use that false passport to assist Witness One in fleeing the United States to avoid unrelated criminal charges. It was part of the conspiracy for Witness One to pay between $1,000 and $2,000 for this service. It is also alleged that Witness One would transfer ownership of his small Roanoke business and his car to the conspirators as additional payment.
The indictment alleges that conspirators would use their connections in embassies in Washington D.C. to obtain the false passport for Witness One, who would then travel to a Washington D.C. airport and use the false passport to leave the United States.
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum possible penalty of up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000.
The investigation of the case was conducted by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (H.S.I.), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Virginia State Police, the United States Marshals Service and United States Department of State Diplomatic Security Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel Bubar and Laura Day Rottenborn are prosecuting the case for the United States.
A Grand Jury Indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendants are entitled to a fair trial with the burden on the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.