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18 June 2014
USA Lynch Interviewed in Documentary About Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
http://fusion.net/Modern_Life/video/fusion-investigates-pimp-city-full-investigation-778729
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/inside-americas-secret-neighborhood-brothels-24293507
Two Men Sentenced for Harassing ManateesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Taylor Blake Martin (22, Alabama) and Seth Andrew Stephenson (22, Rockledge) were sentenced today by U.S. Magistrate Judge Gregory J. Kelly. Martin and Stephenson previously pleaded guilty to harassing an endangered species.
Judge Kelly ordered Martin to pay a $3,000 fine, and sentenced him to 175 hours of community service, and 2 years’ probation. Stephenson was ordered to pay a $2,000 fine, and was sentenced to 175 hours of community service, and 2 years’ probation. Martin and Stephenson were also ordered to individually post an apology and a statement of remorse on Facebook.
According to court documents, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service became aware of a video posted on Facebook that showed one individual luring two manatees to a dock with a water hose and another individual jump off of a boat dock and “cannonball” an adult manatee and a calf. Further investigation revealed that Martin was the person who “cannonballed” on top of the manatees and Stephenson lured the manatees to the dock with the water hose. The video shows Martin land on the back of the adult manatee as the manatees swim away. Stephenson then begins to use the water hose in an attempt to lure the manatees back as the video ends.
After the video was posted on Facebook, several people commented on it. In response to a post that expressed displeasure with Martin’s actions, Martin responded, “hahaha…in my debue [sic] as tayla the manatee slaya…im f---- ready to cannonball on every manatee living yewwww.”
"The U.S. Magistrate Judge sent a clear message with this sentence that Manatee Harassment is a serious crime which will be dealt with harshly. If there had been evidence of physical damage to the Manatees he would have put them in jail," said Andrew Aloise Resident Agent in Charge for the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
“There’s absolutely no excuse for this type of reckless behavior with any wildlife species, but particularly those that are endangered,” said Ken Warren, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokesperson. “We hope these sentences serve as a reminder of that and as a deterrent to anyone thinking of harassing or bothering, in any way, manatees or any type of wildlife.”
Manatees are protected under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. They are found in marine, estuarine and freshwater environments.
This case was investigated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.
Three Defendants Sentenced to Prison in $3.2M Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Patrick Adebowale Sogbein, his wife, Adebola Adefunke Adebimpe, and Eduardo Abad were sentenced yesterday to prison terms of 144 months, 51 months, and 12 months and 1 day, respectively, for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and health care fraud, announced United States Attorney Melinda Haag; David Johnson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in San Francisco; and Glenn R. Ferry, the Special Agent in Charge for the Los Angeles Regional Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services.
The sentences for Sogbein and Abad also included their convictions for conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks involving the Medicare program.
Evidence at trial showed that, beginning in approximately December 2006, Sogbein, the owner of Debs Medical Distributors, a Van Nuys, Calif., durable medical equipment company, worked with Edna Calaustro, a San Francisco physician, and street level recruiters, including Abad and Mele Saavedra, to locate Medicare beneficiaries and write bogus prescriptions for expensive power wheelchairs for the beneficiaries. In 2008, after Sogbein had increasing difficulties with Medicare scrutinizing the claims that he submitted, Sogbein and his wife, Adebimpe, began submitting claims through a separate company in Adebimpe’s name, Dignity Medical Supply, a Santa Clarita, Calif., durable medical equipment company. The evidence showed that Sogbein and Edna Calaustro worked with Abad, Saavedra, and others to identify Medicare beneficiaries. Abad and Saavedra recruited beneficiaries at locations in the Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods in San Francisco, including a fast food restaurant at the Powell Street cable car turnaround and a Tenderloin neighborhood senior center. After identifying beneficiaries, Calaustro, with Abad or Saavedra, went to the beneficiaries’ homes with a portable copy machine, copied their Medicare cards, and conducted sham examinations to obtain background information for the required Medicare paperwork. Calaustro gave the fraudulent paperwork and bogus prescriptions to Sogbein and Adebimpe. Sogbein and Adebimpe, in turn, created additional fraudulent paperwork in the names of their respective companies and submitted the claims to Medicare. Sogbein paid Calaustro a $100 kickback for each power wheelchair prescription. Sogbein paid Abad and Saavedra $100 and $50 kickback, respectively, for each beneficiary they identified. This scheme continued through July 2011.
From December 2006 through July 2011, Sogbein and Adebimpe were paid more than $1.6 million for over 400 fraudulent power wheelchair claims submitted to Medicare using the bogus prescriptions written by Calaustro, for beneficiaries identified by Saavedra and Abad.
Prior to trial, co-defendants Edna Calaustro and Mele Saavedra, both of San Francisco, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, conspiracy to receive kickbacks involving the Medicare program, and health care fraud. Calaustro and Saavedra are scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 26, 2014.
Sogbein, 61, Adebimpe, 47, both of Santa Clarita, Calif., Abad, 68, Calaustro, 71, and Saavedra, 49, of San Francisco, Calif., were indicted by a federal grand jury on Jan. 26, 2012, for conspiracy to commit health care fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349 and health care fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. On Sept. 19, 2013, a grand jury returned a superseding indictment adding charges against Sogbein, Calaustro, Abad, and Saavedra for conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks involving the Medicare program, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. Sogbein was remanded into custody following his conviction at trial. Adebimpe, Abad, Calaustro, and Saavedra remain out of custody.
The sentences were handed down today by the Honorable Jeffrey S. White, United States District Court Judge, following their convictions at trial. Judge White also sentenced the defendants to three-year terms of supervised release and ordered payment of restitution and forfeiture. Sogbein and Adebimpe were ordered to pay restitution of $1,577,426 and $1,019,937, respectively, to Medicare and were also ordered to forfeit $1,577,426 and $1,019,937, respectively, to the United States. Abad was ordered to pay restitution of $100,000 to Medicare and was ordered to forfeit the same amount. Defendants Adebimpe and Abad were ordered to begin serving their prison sentences on Aug. 19, 2014.
Denise Marie Barton and Randy Luskey are the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who are prosecuting the case with the help of Assistant U.S. Attorney David Countryman, Beth Margen, and Bridget Kilkenny. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI in San Francisco and DHHS OIG in Los Angeles.
(Sogbein superseding indictment )
Somerset Oncology Practice and Office Manager Plead Guilty to Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act Offenses Related to Misbranded Cancer Treatment DrugRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, KY - Hematology and Oncology Center PLLC (HOC) in Somerset, Ky., pled guilty in federal court on Tuesday to charges of knowingly receiving a misbranded cancer treatment drug.
HOC’s former office manager, Natarajan Murugesan, also pled guilty; he admitted to aiding and abetting in the introduction of an unapproved oncology drug into interstate commerce. HOC and Murugesan’s offenses qualify as misdemeanors under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The criminal charges stem from a 2014 civil settlement in which HOC, Murugesan, and Dr. N Mullai agreed to pay $2 million, plus interest, to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to the Medicare program for misbranded and unapproved chemotherapy drugs that were administered through HOC’s Somerset clinic.
“The Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act establishes a ‘closed’ system of drug manufacturing and distribution to protect the safety of drugs used in the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Kerry Harvey. “Efforts to bypass this system with non-FDA approved foreign source drugs put patients at risk of receiving counterfeit, contaminated, or ineffective medications. The government will continue to prosecute such efforts – particularly when motivated by profit – to minimize the chances of patients receiving unsafe medications, and to ensure that the Medicare program does not pay for unapproved drugs.”
The defendants admitted that, between January 2010 and July 2011, HOC purchased substantial amounts of chemotherapy drugs and other cancer treatment drugs from a foreign distributor in Canada, which was operating under the name Quality Specialty Products (“QSP”). These drugs were sourced from foreign locations including: Turkey, India, the European Union, the United Kingdom, or other unidentified international locations. Often, the drugs arrived at HOC with labeling and dosage instructions in foreign languages. Some of the QSP drugs were distributed with labeling that wasn’t approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and therefore were misbranded. Also, many of these QSP drugs were not the version of the international oncology drug approved by the FDA for distribution within the United States.
Murugesan was responsible for ordering the drugs from QSP. He and HOC purchased the foreign QSP drugs for prices substantially below what drugs from FDA-approved manufacturers and distributors cost. Mullai administered the QSP drugs to her patients, and HOC submitted claims for reimbursement to Medicare, which typically does not cover misbranded or unapproved drugs by the FDA.
The parallel civil and criminal investigation was conducted by the FDA, Office of Criminal Investigation (FDA-OCI), and the plea agreements and settlement resulted from joint efforts of FDA-OCI, the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
HOC and Murugesan are scheduled to be sentenced on October 3, 2014. HOC faces up to five years of probation and a maximum fine of $200,000. Murugesan faces up to one year in prison and a maximum fine of $100,000. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other federal statutes.
Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Porn of ToddlerRead the Press Release
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Today, ANTHONY RAY SACKETT, 35, of Norman, Oklahoma, pled guilty to producing child pornography, announced Sanford C. Coats, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.
According to court records, on January 31, 2014, Sackett used an approximately two-year-old girl to engage in sexually explicit conduct and took pictures of the encounter with his Samsung phone. Sackett then used the phone to transfer the images to others via the Internet. At the time of this offense, Sackett was a registered sex offender due to a 2002 Cleveland County conviction for possession of child pornography.
Due to his prior conviction, Sackett faces a heightened penalty in federal court of 25 years to 50 years in prison. A sentencing hearing will be set by the court in approximately 90 days.
This case is the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in California. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Hale.
Serial Fraudsters Sentenced to Prison for Scheme Using Medical Patients’ Identities to Fraudulently Obtain MerchandiseRead the Press Release
Stole Personal Identifying Information of over 100 Individual Victims to Obtain Over $993,000 of Merchandise
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Denise W. Wearing, age 37, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, today to seven years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme to obtain merchandise using stolen personal identifying information of medical patients. Wearing also admitted that from November 2011 through June 2012, she received $20,068 in disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency after she falsely claimed that she was displaced by Hurricane Irene. Judge Hollander also ordered Wearing to pay restitution of $993,772.43.On June 16, 2014, Judge Hollander sentenced Michelle Jernell Cole, age 28, of Baltimore, to six years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for the same offenses, as well as for an unrelated fraud scheme in which Cole fraudulently received the Social Security benefits of a deceased relative. Judge Hollander ordered Cole to pay restitution of $409,305.53 for the bank fraud scheme and an additional $50,635 in restitution to the Social Security Administration.
The sentences were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein and Special Agent in Charge Brian Murphy of the United States Secret Service - Baltimore Field Office.
According to their plea agreements, Michelle Cole’s sister, Chanell Cole, met Wearing between 2004 and 2005 while both were serving fraud-related sentences in the Maryland Department of Corrections. Chanell introduced Michelle to Wearing.
From 2008 through approximately May 2010, Chanell Cole worked for a rheumatologist who had an office at Good Samaritan Hospital in Baltimore. Using her access to the physician’s patient files, Cole unlawfully obtained the personal identifying information (PII) of numerous patients, including names, addresses and social security numbers, which she provided to Wearing.
From 2010 through February 2012, Michelle Cole worked at a medical practice in Laurel, Maryland, where she also stole PII of patients, which she provided to Wearing. After being fired from that practice for reasons unrelated to the PII theft, from February 2012 through February 2013, she worked for a rheumatologist who had an office in Glen Burnie, Maryland. In that position she also fraudulently obtained the PII of numerous patients which she provided to Wearing. Michelle Cole obtained that position after submitting a fraudulent resume in support of her application. Michelle Cole had three previous state convictions for similar conduct.
From 2010 to February 2013, Wearing and other conspirators used the stolen PII to fraudulently open credit accounts and assume control of existing credit accounts at Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom. The conspirators used the accounts to purchase merchandise in the names of the unknowing victims without intending to pay for the goods. Wearing and other conspirators caused the delivery of the fraudulently obtained merchandise to their own residences, and to the residences of friends and family members, primarily in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. After the merchandise was delivered, Wearing and others drove to the delivery address and picked up the packages, and paid the recipient a fee for having received the packages. The fee was either cash or a previously determined item of merchandise that was part of the delivery.
Once she received the merchandise, Wearing provided it to other members of the conspiracy so that it could be sold for cash, typically for 50% of its retail value, or returned to the retail stores in exchange for gift cards. Wearing provided most of the merchandise to Yolanda Welch for sale and Welch paid Wearing in cash after she completed the sales.
During the course of the scheme, Wearing placed more than 1000 calls to retail stores and delivery services in furtherance of the scheme. Additionally, Wearing caused more than 200 deliveries of fraudulently obtained goods. On some occasions, Wearing sent merchandise to Michelle Cole or Chanell Cole for them to sell to their acquaintances. Both Michelle and Chanell Cole sent cash to Wearing through Western Union transactions and wire transfers through their banks. Wearing had seven previous fraud-related convictions.
Over the course of the scheme, the identities of over 100 individual victims were used to obtain over $993,000 of merchandise.
Chanell Y. Cole, age 31, of Owings Mills, Maryland, and Yolanda Gail Welch, age 39, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme and were sentenced to three years in prison and 33 months in prison, respectively. Judge Hollander ordered Chanell Cole to pay restitution of $32,091.91, and ordered Welch to pay restitution of $993,772.43. Judge Hollander sentenced co-conspirator Linda Nguyen, age 28, of Philadelphia, to one day in prison, followed by four months of home detention as part of five years supervised release, for her role in the conspiracy and ordered Nguyen to pay restitution of $54,399.
Today’s announcement is part of efforts underway by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed 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, visit www.stopfraud.gov.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the U.S. Secret Service for its work in the investigation and Macy’s fraud investigators for their assistance. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Budlow, who prosecuted the case.
Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to More Than 14 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Wm. Terrell Hodges yesterday sentenced Renita Mount Rayner (53, Tampa) to 14 years and 7 months in federal prison for three counts of robbery of a federally insured financial institution and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The court also ordered Rayner to forfeit $8,028, traceable proceeds of the offenses. Rayner pleaded guilty on February 13, 2014.
According to court documents, on November 12, 2013, Rayner entered an Ocala branch of Alarion Bank, displayed a handgun, and handed a teller a note that read, “Have gun. Will use it. Give me all the money.” Once she had obtained $1,940, Rayner dropped the demand note and fled the bank in a red Honda automobile.
Detectives subsequently identified Rayner’s thumbprint on the recovered demand note. They also confirmed that Rayner’s car matched the description of the getaway vehicle. Days after the robbery, she was arrested on unrelated charges in the Tampa area. At the time of her arrest, Rayner had $1,602 in cash still inside of her purse.
Subsequent investigation showed that Rayner had committed at least two other robberies in the previous three months. On August 7, 2013, she walked into a Grow Financial Credit Union branch, in St. Petersburg. During that robbery, Rayner handed a teller a note that read, “Give me all your money, do not give a dye pack.” After obtaining $3,348, Rayner fled the credit union in the same red getaway car. When surveillance images of the robbery were released to the media, one of Rayner’s long-time friends recognized her as the robber and contacted authorities.
On September 5, 2013, Rayner robbed a Dunedin branch of BB&T bank. In that incident, Rayner handed a note to a bank employee that read, “Give me all your money, I have a gun and I am not afraid to use it.” After taking $2,740, Rayner fled the bank. Investigators ultimately recovered from a nearby trash can the demand note, wig and sunglasses that Rayner had used as a disguise. Rayner’s fingerprints were found on the sunglasses. Her DNA was later identified on the discarded wig.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Marion County Sheriff’s Office; the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office; the City of St. Petersburg Police Department; and the State Attorney’s Offices for Marion and Pinellas Counties. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
Savannah Man Sentenced for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Kenneth Wayne Johnson, age 48, of Savannah, Tenn., was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison Tuesday following his guilty plea to one count of distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.
According to the facts alleged in the indictment and revealed during the sentencing hearing, from November of 2011 to July of 2012, Johnson used a peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing program on a computer connected to the internet to seek out images of child pornography and download them to his computer. Once the images were downloaded to Johnson’s computer, they became available for download by others using similar programs. On several occasions, undercover law enforcement agents in Virginia, Oklahoma, and Tennessee were able to use such a program to download illicit images from Johnson’s computer. Johnson was downloading the images at his place of employment, copying the images to a thumb drive, and then transferring them to his home computer.
In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge S. Thomas Anderson ordered Johnson to serve five years of supervised release, forfeit all computers and media containing alleged child pornography, and pay $2,668 in restitution to identified victims depicted in the pornographic images. There is no parole in the federal prison system.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations and the Jackson Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Ireland represented the government.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative of 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, PSC 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 PSC, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab “resources.”San Francisco Tax Attorney Sentenced to Prison for Failing to Report IncomeRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – James P. Kleier was sentenced today to serve 12-months in custody for his failure to file tax returns for 2008-2010, announced United States Attorney Melinda Haag and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge José M. Martinez.
According to his plea agreement, Kleier, a practicing tax attorney and partner at Preston, Gates, & Ellis, LLP, from 1999 through 2005, and associate at Reed Smith, LLP, from 2005 through 2010, failed to report any income he earned from 1999 through 2010. According to court documents, for 2008, 2009, and 2010 Kleier earned $624,923, $476,088, and $200,734, respectively. He was ordered to pay past-due taxes to the government in the total amount of $650,993 for 2003, 2008, 2009, and 2010.
“Our tax system is vital to this country and our communities. The defendant, a tax attorney, knew that he was required to file tax returns and pay taxes. This office will continue to work with the IRS to ensure that each person pays his or her fair share,” stated U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag.
Special Agent-in-Charge José M. Martinez said, “The prosecution of individuals who brazenly attempt to avoid their tax filing and payment obligations and prevent the IRS from performing its mission is necessary to maintaining public confidence in our tax system.”
Kleier, of San Francisco, 58, was charged on May 1, 2013, with three counts of failure to file income tax returns. He admitted to failing to file tax returns for several years and pleaded guilty to one count. The sentence was imposed by the Honorable Laurel Beeler, United States Magistrate Court Judge, in San Francisco. Kleier was ordered to self-surrender in September 2014 to start serving his sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Newman is prosecuting this case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the IRS, Criminal Investigation.
(Kleier information )
Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Tax SchemeRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Norman Perry, 51, of Rochester, N.Y., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa, to making a false claim to the United States and aggravated identity theft. Making a false claim to the United States carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory term of two years in prison, to be served consecutively to any sentence imposed on the false claim charge.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa J. Miller, who handled the case, stated that the defendant posted advertisements in Rochester claiming that he could find lost or unclaimed funds. Individuals then provided Perry with their name, address and social security number and agreed to pay the defendant a fee, generally in the amount of $300, for each $1,000 check they received. In reality, Perry used the information to prepare and file false and fraudulent tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service, claiming that the individuals had qualified educational expenditures and were entitled to receive the American Opportunity Credit, a refundable tax credit for educational expenses. None of the individuals were students, none had incurred any educational expenditures and none provided such information to Perry.
In addition, the defendant filed a false tax return with the IRS in another individual’s name, and had the check sent to an address in Rochester. The check was subsequently cashed.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, under the direction of Shantelle P. Kitchen, Acting Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Office.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 14th, at 11:00 a.m. before Judge Siragusa.Repeat Bank Robber Handed Significant SentenceRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Joseph C. M. Krist, 43, of San Antonio, has been ordered to prison for 30 years for bank robbery and using a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Krist was convicted by a Corpus Christi federal jury Dec. 12, 2013.
Today, U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzalez Ramos, who presided over the trial, handed Krist a sentence of 240 months for the bank robbery and a consecutive sentence of 120 months for the firearm charge, resulting in a total 360-month federal prison sentence. In handing down the sentence, Judge Ramos noted the need to protect the public. Krist will also be required to serve a term of five years of supervised release following completion of the prison term.
Joseph C. M. Krist was found to have committed the bank robbery of the IBC Bank on corner of Everhart and Burney in Corpus Christi on Jan. 13, 2013. He entered the bank wearing a grey hoodie and green shirt sleeve covering the lower portion of his face while brandishing a .40 caliber pistol at employees.
Evidence demonstrated that Krist was a prior convicted bank robber both in state and federal court. At the time of the IBC bank robbery, he was wanted by the authorities for violations of his state parole and federal supervised release.
Authorities located him at a campground in Uvalde three days after the robbery. At the time of his arrest, Krist was found in possession of a large amount of cash and a .40 caliber handgun as well as the grey hoodie and a green t-shirt missing a single shirt sleeve.
Krist had initially admitted to the robbery. At trial, however, he contended he was not present at the robbery, but he refused to identify the actual robber. The jury deliberated for approximately four hours before finding him guilty as charged.
Krist 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 FBI with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service and Corpus Christi Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lance Duke.
Pittsburgh Man Facing Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A Pittsburgh resident has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The one-count indictment returned on June 17 named Jerome Johnson, 36, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, on or about Feb. 26, 2014, Johnson possessed with the intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 20 years in prison, a fine not to exceed $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine A. King and Craig Haller are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
A task force led by the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case. The task force also included several other federal, state, and local agencies from multiple states, including the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Allegheny County Police Department, the Penn Hills Police Department, the Monroeville Police Department, and the McKees Rocks Police Department.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pittsburgh Man Charged with Illegally Possessing Heroin, Gun and AmmoRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A Pittsburgh resident has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating various federal laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The three-count indictment named Tony Gay, 24, currently incarcerated, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, on Nov. 6, 2013, Mr. Gay possessed with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, unlawfully possessed a Glock 9mm pistol and ammunition, and possessed that firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 40 years in prison, a fine of $5,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Barbara K. Doolittle is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Pittsburgh Police, and the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Philadelphia Woman Alleged to Have Fraudulently Applied for Hurricane FundsRead the Press Release
Kia Arthur, 41, of Philadelphia, was charged by Information with one count of theft of government funds, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. According to the Information, the defendant applied for and received Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) benefits, alleging that she had been displaced from her home as a result of Hurricane Irene. The Information alleges that the representations in the defendant’s application to FEMA were false, and that, in fact, she was never displaced from her primary residence. The defendant’s alleged actions resulted in a loss to the government of approximately $18,413.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 10 years imprisonment, a three year period of supervised release, restitution to the government of $18,413, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Amanda R. Reinitz.
Click here to view the indictment
An Information is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, EASTERN DISTRICTof PENNSYLVANIA
Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
PATTY HARTMAN, Media Contact, 215-861-8525Operator of Hazelton Business Indicted in Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Rafael Sanchez, 50, formerly of Hazleton, was charged yesterday by a federal grand jury in Scranton in a 43-count Indictment with conspiracy in respect to claims, false claims, theft of public money, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. The charges are felonies with each charge carrying a maximum possible prison sentence of between 5 and 20 years.
According to U.S. Attorney Peter Smith, the Indictment alleges that Sanchez operated a business under the name of Sanchez Multi Service in Hazleton and that, from 2011 to 2014, Sanchez and others not named in the indictment used the identities of unknowing third parties to prepare and file fraudulent federal income tax returns. The Indictment alleges that Sanchez deposited and cashed fraudulently obtained tax refund checks totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. Sanchez is also alleged to have conspired to make false statements to a federal firearms dealer in connection with the purchase of a firearm.
Sanchez was arrested in January 2014 and is currently on pre-trial release.
The charges are the result of an on-going investigation by the Scranton Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. The IRS received assistance in the investigation from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Hazleton City Police Department.
The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney William Houser for prosecution.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
In this case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute is 20 years imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
Ohio Couple Plead Guilty in Extortion CaseRead the Press Release
1125 Chapline Street, Federal Building, Suite 3000 ● Wheeling, WV 26003
(304) 234-0100 ● Contact: Chris Zumpetta-Parr, Public Affairs SpecialistWHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – A husband and wife from Ohio admitted to extorting nearly a million dollars from a woman who had embezzled the money from a West Virginia college, according to United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II.
Jason Kirkland Weese, age 31, and his wife, Rachaelle Marie Weese, age 26, pleaded guilty today in Federal court to “Extortion”, admitting that they used fear and the threat of force to cause Shelly Lough to provide them with large amounts of cash that Lough took from her former employer, Bethany College. Jason Weese also pleaded guilty to “Money Laundering” as a result of his purchase of a 2013 Chevrolet Camaro with a portion of the cash he received from Lough.
The Weeses, who both are from East Liverpool, Ohio, admitted to using the money received from Lough to purchase a 2013 Mitsubishi Sport Utility Vehicle, a 2013 Honda All-Terrain Vehicle, as well as large amounts of prescription drugs.
Evidence introduced at the plea hearings established that Lough had exchanged sexually explicit messages and images with Jason Weese. The Weeses then threatened to turn over the images and messages to Lough’s husband if Lough did not comply with the demands for cash. Lough complied until she lost her job at the college, and when she could no longer pay the Weeses, Jason Weese threatened to burn down her Ohio County home.
Lough was prosecuted on State charges and was convicted of embezzlement and falsification of accounts in Brooke County (W.Va.) Circuit Court, admitting to the theft of $1,038,000.00 from Bethany.
Jason Weese faces up to 40 years in prison as a result of his convictions, and Rachaelle Weese faces up to 20 years. The Weeses are required to make full restitution to Bethany College. Part of the restitution will be satisfied through the liquidation of motor vehicles acquired by the Weeses and seized by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld handled the matter on behalf of the government. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Brooke County Sheriff’s Department. U.S. Magistrate Judge James E. Seibert presided.
Office Worker Pleads Guilty in Miami for Role in $7 Million Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
An office worker pleaded guilty today in connection with a health care fraud scheme involving Anna Nursing Services Corp. (Anna Nursing), a defunct home health care company.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Martens of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Office of Investigations Miami office made the announcement.
Lizette Garcia, 37, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joan A. Lenard in the Southern District of Florida to one count of payment of health care kickbacks. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 27, 2014.
Garcia was an office worker at Anna Nursing, a Miami home health care agency that purported to provide home health and therapy services to Medicare beneficiaries. According to court documents, Anna Nursing was operated for the purpose of billing the Medicare Program for, among other things, expensive physical therapy and home health care services that were medically unnecessary and/or were not provided.
On behalf of the owners and operators of Anna Nursing, Garcia paid kickbacks and bribes to patient recruiters in return for the recruiters providing patients to Anna Nursing for home health care and therapy services that were medically unnecessary and/or were not provided. Anna Nursing then billed the Medicare program on behalf of the recruited patients, which Garcia knew was in violation of federal criminal laws.
From approximately October 2010 through approximately April 2013, Anna Nursing was paid by Medicare approximately $7 million for fraudulent claims for home health care services that were medically unnecessary and/or were not provided.
The case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys A. Brendan Stewart and Anne McNamara of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,900 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $6 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, has removed over 17,000 providers from the Medicare program since 2011.
To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), go to: www.stopmedicarefraud.gov .Office Worker Pleads Guilty in Miami for Role in $7 Million Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
An office worker pleaded guilty today in connection with a health care fraud scheme involving Anna Nursing Services Corp. (Anna Nursing), a defunct home health care company.
U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Martens of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Office of Investigations Miami office made the announcement.
Lizette Garcia, 37, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joan A. Lenard in the Southern District of Florida to one count of payment of health care kickbacks. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 27, 2014.
Garcia was an office worker at Anna Nursing, a Miami home health care agency that purported to provide home health and therapy services to Medicare beneficiaries. According to court documents, Anna Nursing was operated for the purpose of billing the Medicare Program for, among other things, expensive physical therapy and home health care services that were medically unnecessary and/or were not provided.
On behalf of the owners and operators of Anna Nursing, Garcia paid kickbacks and bribes to patient recruiters in return for the recruiters providing patients to Anna Nursing for home health care and therapy services that were medically unnecessary and/or were not provided. Anna Nursing then billed the Medicare program on behalf of the recruited patients, which Garcia knew was in violation of federal criminal laws.
From approximately October 2010 through approximately April 2013, Anna Nursing was paid by Medicare approximately $7 million for fraudulent claims for home health care services that were medically unnecessary and/or were not provided.
The case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys A. Brendan Stewart and Anne McNamara of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,900 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $6 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, has removed over 17,000 providers from the Medicare program since 2011.
To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), go to: www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.
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.
Minnesota Man Convicted of 18 Counts Related to International Arms SmugglingRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS—Recently in federal court, a jury found a Minneapolis man guilty of smuggling guns to Nigeria and lying on required federal firearms purchase records. Sheriff Olaleran Mohammed, 51, a naturalized U.S. citizen currently living in Brooklyn Park, was convicted on Monday of one count of Smuggling Goods from the United States and 17 counts of providing False Statements During the Purchase of a Firearm. Mohammed was indicted in October 15, 2013 and was arrested November 22, 2013 in Atlanta, when returning from Nigeria. His trial before United States District Court Judge Susan Richard Nelson began June 11, 2014 and concluded Monday.
“Gun smuggling overseas is a serious offense our office will pursue aggressively,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger. “I am pleased with the jury’s verdict and with the hard work that led to that verdict.”
The investigation began in the fall of 2012 when agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) discovered seven handgun purchases were made within days of each other at a gun shop in the western suburbs of the Twin Cities. Investigators eventually discovered Mohammed had made a total of 17 handgun purchases between 2009 and 2012. ATF investigators suspected there was a high likelihood Mohammed had lied on at least some of the firearms purchase forms, which are required by U.S. law to legally purchase weapons from a federally licensed firearms dealer.
Agents of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) determined Mohammed was engaged in the international export business and that he frequently traveled to Nigeria, which raised further questions about the unusual number of purchases.
In December 2012, HSI agents further discovered that Mohammed was shipping a vehicle to Nigeria via ocean container through Valencia, Spain and suspected at least some of the weapons were hidden inside.
HSI agents contacted Spanish law enforcement officers in Madrid who halted the shipment, inspected the vehicle and discovered seven 9 mm, and one .22 caliber handguns hidden within the vehicle. The firearms were seized by Spanish authorities and later turned over to U.S. authorities for use in Mohammed’s criminal proceedings.
Mohammed faces a potential maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. Judge Nelson will determine his sentence at a future hearing, yet to be scheduled.
This conviction is the result of a joint investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Calhoun-Lopez.Mesa County Man Connected to Raided Massage Parlor Arrested for False Use of A Social Security NumberRead the Press Release
Four massage parlors were raided yesterday as part of an ongoing investigation
DENVER – A Mesa County man, Wei Li, age unknown, a resident of Clifton, was arrested without incident at the Balanced Healing Massage and Spa for false use of a Social Security Number, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, Grand Junction Police Department and the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office announced. The defendant appeared this afternoon before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Grand Junction where he was advised of his rights, and the charges pending against him. Li is due back in court tomorrow at 2:30 p.m.
According to the affidavit in support of the Criminal Complaint, on November 15, 2013, Bank of the West provided information regarding banking activity in accounts held by Balanced Healing, which included defendant Wei Li as a co-signer. According to the investigation, when the Balanced Healing account was opened at the bank by Li and another person, Li presented a signature card, including information that Li stated he resided in Clifton, Colorado. Li also presented a Washington driver’s license and provided a Social Security Number. Li represented himself to be an unemployed truck driver and a non-resident alien.
Further investigation determined that Balanced Healing was in the client massage business and advertised erotic full body massages. Starting in November 2012 through March 13, 2014, large amounts of cash was deposited in the Balanced Healing’s bank accounts and was used for the defendant and another person’s personal expenses.
During the course of the investigation into possible human trafficking, it was determined from the Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of Inspector General that Li’s Social Security Number/ITIN is not a valid number and has never been issued. Further, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation determined the ITIN number was also not valid.
Yesterday Li was present at Balanced Healing Massage and Day Spa in Grand Junction during the execution of a federal search warrant. Li provided a Social Security Card dated 02/19/2014 with a different number, with “Valid for work only with DHS Authorization” written upon it.
If convicted of false use of a Social Security Number, the defendant faces not more than 5 years imprisonment, and up to a $250,000 fine.
This case is being investigated by the FBI, Grand Junction Police Department, the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
The defendant is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Heldmyer.A criminal complaint is a probable cause charging document. Anyone accused of committing a federal felony crime has a Constitutional right to be indicted by a grand jury.
The charges contained in the Criminal Complaint are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Member of Multi-State Theft Scheme Admits Selling Stolen PharmaceuticalsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Miami man today admitted his role in a multi-state conspiracy to possess and sell prescription medication taken from a stolen tractor trailer, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Martin Lopez, a/k/a “El Negro,” 47, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini in Newark federal court to an information charging him with conspiracy to possess stolen prescription medicine.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Dec. 2, 2009, a full shipment of prescription respiratory medicine manufactured by Dey LLP in Allen, Texas, was stolen on its way to Sandoz Inc. in Mechanicsburg, Pa. Lopez admitted that from December 2009 through March 2010, he conspired with others to acquire and sell medicine stolen from the shipment.
In early 2010, Lopez spoke with Ernesto Romero-Vidal, a/k/a “Bemba,” 48, of Hallandale, Fla., to identify a potential buyer for the stolen medicine. On March 2, 2010, Lopez arranged to have the medicine delivered to a buyer in New Jersey. Two days later, two other conspirators delivered the stolen goods to the buyer in return for $64,000 in cash, which they split with Lopez.
The conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 24, 2014.
On Dec. 18, 2013, Romero-Vidal was sentenced by Judge Martini to 80 months in prison for his role in the scheme and other federal charges.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford; special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen; and detectives of the North Bergen Police Department, under the direction of Chief Robert J. Dowd, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.The government is represented by Senior Litigation Counsel Leslie Faye Schwartz and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane H. Yoon of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Kathleen M. Theurer Esq., Jersey City, N.J.
Lopez, Martin Information
Medical Equipment Saleswoman Pleads Guilty to Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A Sewickley resident pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of health care fraud, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Mary Monica Wilson-Lefler, 63, pleaded guilty yesterday to one count before United States District Judge Mark Hornak.
According to the information presented to the court, Wilson-Lefler was a salesperson who offered two durable medical equipment companies in the Pittsburgh area a business arrangement involving special air mattresses, known as powered pressure reducing mattresses or PPRAMS. PPRAMS are designed to reduce serious skin ulcers on patients who are essentially bedridden. She visited long term care facilities (LTC) to find patients, and handled all of the paperwork necessary to enable the Durable Medical Equipment (DME) companies to bill Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield's Security Blue Medicare Program (Security Blue). In order to qualify for Medicare coverage for these PPRAMS, a doctor must order the item in writing. In this case, Wilson-Lefler prepared and sent by fax to attending physicians requests for orders for the PPRAMS. The faxed information included patient skin condition reports that falsely reported that the patients all had serious skin ulcers. Some of these patient skin condition reports contained forged signatures of the LTC staff and some had forged signatures of physicians. In reality, none of the patients had serious skin ulcers or any other qualifying conditions that would meet the Medicare coverage requirements. There were about 83 patients from four facilities in whose names the false claims were made. The total billed was approximately $400,000, and the total paid to the two DME companies was about $200,000.
Judge Hornak scheduled the sentencing for Oct. 10, 2014. The law provides for a maximum sentence of 10 years of incarceration and a $250,000 fine or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant United States Attorney Nelson P. Cohen is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Food and Drug Administration-Office of Criminal Investigations, conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Mary Monica Wilson-Lefler.
Man Who Enticed A Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity Is Sentenced to 300 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
DALLAS — A man who travelled from the Pacific-Northwest to Dallas to engage in sexual activity with a minor, was sentenced today in federal court in Dallas, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.
Phillip Amisano-Camillo, 43, a resident of Canada, was sentenced to 300 months (25 years) in federal prison, to be followed by a 10-year term of supervised release, by U.S. District Judge Jorge A. Solis. Amisano-Camillo pleaded guilty on Friday, August 16, 2013, to one count of enticement of a minor. His trial, on a two-count indictment charging not only enticement, but also one count of traveling with intent to engage in sexual acts with a minor, was scheduled to begin the following Monday. Today, per the plea agreement, the Court dismissed the traveling count.
According to documents filed in the case, Camillo admitted he met “John Doe” in an Internet chat room in April 2012. In the days and weeks after he met John Doe, whom he knew was a 14-year-old minor, Camillo “chatted” online with him via Skype. Camillo admitted that in May 2012, he traveled from Washington State to Dallas to meet John Doe for a sexual encounter. Camillo also admits that before and during his time in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, he enticed and persuaded John Doe to sneak out of his home and meet him to engage in unlawful sexual activity. Camillo admits that he took John Doe to a local hotel and engaged in sexual activity with him.
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.”
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Irving Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa J. Miller and Aisha Saleem prosecuted.
Luzerne County Man Charged Federally with Nine Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that a criminal information has been filed in U.S. District Court in Scranton against Jeffrey Townsley, age 42, of Luzerne County, charging him with two counts of bank robbery and seven counts of robbery of businesses engaged in interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery).
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Townsley allegedly engaged in an 18-day crime spree in December 2013, and January 2014. The charges included two robberies of the First National Community Bank (branches in Kingston and Hanover Township), and seven robberies of local businesses. Townsley allegedly used a black pellet gun that mirrored the look of a 9mm handgun to threaten his victims. Townsley was arrested on January 13, 2014, and remains in custody in the Lackawanna County Prison.
The charges are the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of local police departments including Kingston, Kingston Township, Larksville, Hanover Township, Wilkes-Barre, Plains, and Ashley, and Luzerne County detectives. The maximum penalties in this case include 25 years’ incarceration for bank robbery and 20 years’ incarceration for Hobbs Act robbery, and fines totaling $2.25 million. The government also filed a plea agreement in the case which is subject to approval by the Court.
Prosecution is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
Lebanon County Landlord Charged with Housing Assistance FraudRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that it has filed a criminal information in U.S. District Court in Harrisburg charging Israel Acevedo, 52, of Lebanon with defrauding the Lebanon County Housing Authority out of more than $23,000 in federal funds provided by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
According to U.S. Attorney Peter Smith, Acevedo allegedly was a landlord who participated in HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) that was administered by the Housing Authority. Acevedo’s spouse received federal funds in the form of rental subsidies under HUD’s housing assistance program.
Allegedly, Acevedo concealed from the Housing Authority that he lived with his wife and children in a house he owned and received the federal rental subsidies that were provided to his spouse to pay rent. Acevedo was allegedly prohibited from renting to a spouse or other family members who were receiving rent subsidies. By concealing the relationship Acevedo’s income from his employment was not factored into how much his spouse was entitled to in rent subsidies, allegedly resulting in Acevedo receiving $23,362 in federal funds that Acevedo was not entitled to.
The United States Attorney’s Office also filed a plea agreement in which Acevedo agreed to plead guilty to the charge. Acevedo has already made restitution.
Acevedo faces a maximum term of imprisonment of one year, a $100,000 fine and a period of supervised release, plus restitution.
The case was investigated by HUD’s Office of Inspector General with the assistance of the Lebanon County Housing Authority. Prosecution of the case is assigned to Assistant U.S. Attorney William A. Behe.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
In this case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute is one year imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
Lawrence Man Pleads GuiltyTo Filing A False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. A Lawrence man pleaded guilty Tuesday to filing a false tax return, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Bradley Stoneking, 30, Lawrence, Kan., pleaded guilty to making false statements in his income tax return for 2010. He falsely claimed federal tax withholdings on gambling winnings in the amount of approximately $330,000. In fact, the federal tax withholding on his gambling winnings was $300.
Sentencing is set for Sept. 8. He faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Grissom commended the Internal Revenue Service and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask for their work on the case.
Las Vegas Woman Sentenced for False Statement on Home LoanRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Alessandra Valencia Toscanelli, also known as Sarah Kate Henecke, 36, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced today in United States District Court to three years of probation, with 60 days of home detention for making false statements in a mortgage application on a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) guaranteed loan, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Toscanelli to serve 80 hours of community service and pay $42,905 in restitution.
According to the plea agreement, in March 2009, Toscanelli obtained a home loan to finance the purchase of a residence in Eagle, Idaho. The loan application submitted in support of the loan contained the false statement that Toscanelli had employment income of $2,400 per month, when she actually had no income. Toscanelli also submitted false payroll checks and payroll stubs, a false letter regarding her employment, a false employment contract, and a false employee confidentiality agreement. Shortly after the loan was funded, Toscanelli defaulted on the loan and HUD incurred a loss.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General.
Jewelry Store Owner Pleads Guilty in International $200 Million Credit Card Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A New Jersey jewelry store owner who used his business to further one of the largest credit card fraud schemes ever charged by the Justice Department today admitted his role in the scheme, the 17th conspirator to do so, New Jersey U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Vinod Dadlani, 51, of Lyndhurst, N.J., pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:Dadlani was indicted in October 2013 as part of a conspiracy to fabricate more than 7,000 false identities to obtain tens of thousands of credit cards. Members of the conspiracy doctored credit reports to pump up the spending and borrowing power associated with the cards. They then borrowed or spent as much as they could, based on the phony credit history, but did not repay the debts – causing more than $200 million in confirmed losses to businesses and financial institutions. These debts were incurred at Dadlani’s jewelry store, among many other locations, where Dadlani would allow fraudulently obtained credit cards to be swiped in phony transactions.
The scheme involved a three-step process in which the defendants would make up a false identity by creating fraudulent identification documents and a fraudulent credit profile with the major credit bureaus; pump up the credit of the false identity by providing false information about that identity’s creditworthiness to those credit bureaus; then run up large charges.
The scope of the criminal fraud enterprise required Dadlani’s conspirators to construct an elaborate network of false identities. Across the country, the conspirators maintained more than 1,800 “drop addresses,” including houses, apartments and post office boxes, which they used as the mailing addresses for the false identities.
During his guilty plea proceeding, Dadlani admitted he worked with other conspirators, who came to his Jersey City, N.J., store and allowed them to swipe cards he knew did not legitimately belong to them. Dadlani would then split the proceeds of the phony transactions with the conspirators.
The count to which Dadlani pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine, or twice the gain or loss caused by the offense.
Dadlani is scheduled for sentencing by JudgeThompson on Sept. 24, 2014.
U.S. Attorney Fishman praised special agents of the FBI’s Cyber Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford, for the investigation; as well as postal inspectors from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Postal Inspector in Charge Maria L. Kelokates; and special agents of the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James Mottola. He also thanked the U.S. Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations in New Jersey for assisting in the investigation.The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zach Intrater and Daniel V. Shapiro of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit and Barbara Ward of the office’s Asset Forfeiture Unit in Newark.
This case is part of efforts underway by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorney’s offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed 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, visit www.stopfraud.gov.
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Defense counsel: Vincent Sarubbi Esq., Haddonfield, N.J.Dadlani, Vinod Information
Jacksonville Attorney and Her Former Client Sentenced for Investment SchemeRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard sentenced Amy Elizabeth Newby (42, Jacksonville) to 15 months in federal prison for mail fraud. As part of her sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $85,050, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. Newby’s co-conspirator and former client, Donald Mitchell (37, Orlando), was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud, as well as a separate charge of wire fraud. As part of Mitchell’s sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $96,050, representing the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. Mitchell pleaded guilty on September 11, 2013. Newby entered her guilty plea on November 26, 2013. The sentencing hearing was on June 16, 2014.
According to court documents, between June 2010 and March 2011, Newby and Mitchell devised a scheme to defraud whereby victims were lured into believing that Mitchell was a legitimate investor, when in reality, he was not. Mitchell told investors that he invested in either hedge funds or leveraged buyouts. When convincing individuals to invest money with him, Mitchell often used an alias and made various misrepresentations concerning his career, including that he worked for Merrill Lynch, the Blackstone Group, or as an economics professor at the University of Florida. During the course of the scheme, with the help of Newby, Mitchell also fraudulently obtained luxury cars to substantiate his claim that he was a wealthy investor.
According to court documents, in one instance, Newby made multiple misrepresentations to a victim-investor and convinced the victim that Mitchell was out of the country and had lost an investment check that the victim had previously mailed to Mitchell. In reality, Mitchell was in jail on state charges and unable to gain access to the check. After speaking to Newby, the victim agreed to mail a new check. The new check was made payable to Mitchell and sent to Newby’s law office.
The testimony and evidence presented during the sentencing hearing showed that Newby’s Florida Bar license is currently suspended for an unrelated forgery, which occurred prior to the investment scheme. As to Mitchell, the evidence presented revealed that while detained awaiting his sentencing, Mitchell continued to attempt to commit fraud.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diidri W. Robinson.
Italian Citizen Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging an illegal alien from Italy with unlawful re-entry into the United States.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Luigi Coppola, age 46, a native and citizen of Italy, in the United States illegally, was charged in a one-count indictment by a federal grand jury in Harrisburg today.
The indictment alleges that Coppola, an alien who was convicted on September 21, 2006, of Terroristic Threats in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and had been previously arrested and deported from the United States on December 27, 2007, did knowingly and unlawfully reenter the United States. He was located by federal immigration agents in Franklin County, Pennsylvania.
If convicted, Coppola faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
This investigation was conducted by the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Philadelphia. Prosecution is assigned to Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian G. McDonnell.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
In this case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute is 10 years imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
Inmate Convicted of Murder at Terre Haute Federal Correctional FacilityRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney’s Office successfully prosecutes two inmates for their role in the murder of fellow inmate
TERRE HAUTE – Joseph H. Hogsett, United States Attorney, announced today the conviction of two men for their roles in the death of an inmate at the Terre Haute Federal Correctional Institute. William J. Bell, 38, was convicted of one count of first degree murder and Lenard Dixon, 35, was convicted of one count of accessory after the fact, following a three-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson.
“Protecting all citizens from senseless violence is important. We owe it to the employees of our federal prisons to do what we can to keep their work places as safe and secure as possible,” said Hogsett.
According to evidence presented at trial, Bell entered the cell of a fellow inmate on June 18, 2011 and stabbed him to death. Bell’s cellmate, Dixon, concealed evidence of the crime, including the murder weapon.
Both Bell and Dixon had extensive criminal histories. Bell had nine prior convictions accumulated across Illinois, Arkansas, and Kansas. At the time of the murder, he was serving a nearly 8-year sentence for carjacking. Dixon had several convictions in Kansas and, at the time of the murder, was serving a 35-year sentence for robbery.
“A goal of our office is to prosecute those who have already been acquainted with the American justice system and still do not obey the law,” said Hogsett. “One person’s refusal to obey the law should not result in the end of another person’s life.”
According to Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Brookman and Will McCoskey, who prosecuted the case for the government, Bell faces up to life in prison and Dixon faces up to 15 years, in addition to the time he is already serving.
Illegal Alien Charged with Possession of False DocumentationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - An alien found in Pittsburgh has been indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of possession of a fraudulent alien document, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The one-count indictment returned on June 17 named Francisco Aguilar-Moreno, 40, of Mexico, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, on May 28, 2014, Aguilar-Moreno possessed a fraudulent Permanent Resident Alien Card (Form I-551), which he knew to be forged, counterfeited, altered and falsely made.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Mary McKeen Houghton is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Hartford Man Indicted for Illegally Possessing Sawed-off Firearm and Bullet Proof VestRead the Press Release
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Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury sitting in Hartford has returned an indictment charging KIEJUAN HAUGABOOK, 35, of Hartford, with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, one count of possession of a sawed-off firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of possession of body armor by a violent felon. The indictment was returned on June 11 and was unsealed today during HAUGABOOK’s arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joan G. Margolis in New Haven.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, HAUGABOOK escaped from a halfway house in Hartford. On February 3, 2014, a parole officer found him in an apartment in Hartford. Upon entering the apartment, the parole officer noticed a firearm in plain view and contacted the Hartford Police Department. Hartford Police arrived on the scene and seized a Harrington & Richardson, Model Topper 158, firearm with a sawed-off barrel, as well as ammunition, a Point Blank ballistic vest and a stun gun.
The indictment alleges that HAUGABOOK has previous state convictions for first and third degree robbery, possession of narcotics and carrying a pistol without permit. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. It is also a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a violent felony offense to possess body armor that has moved in interstate commerce.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ndidi Moses and Brian Leaming.
U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722 [email protected]Grove City Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A Mercer County resident pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Joseph L. Bryer, 53, of Grove City, Pa., pleaded guilty yesterday to one count before United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Bryer, on Aug. 23, 2011, possessed photographs and videos in computer graphics files, the production of which involved the use of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The videos and still images were downloaded and shared using peer-to-peer software installed on Bryer’s computer. The videos included those depicting prepubescent females engaging in sex acts with adults.
Judge Hornak scheduled sentencing for Oct. 9, 2014, at 2 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court permitted Bryer to remain on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Homeland Security Investigations - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with assistance from the United States Secret Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Bryer.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Gabriel Gabella Pleads Guilty to Hiding Swiss Bank AccountRead the Press Release
Gabriel Gabella, a former client of the Swiss bank UBS AG, pleaded guilty today at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, to a felony information charging him with concealing ownership of his Swiss UBS AG bank account from the United States by willfully failing to file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR). When sentenced, Gabella faces a statutory maximum of five years’ incarceration for his crime. In the plea agreement he entered today, Gabella agreed to pay a civil penalty of $3,140,346, which is half the value of his unreported Swiss bank account in 2007, for the willful failure to file the FBAR. Gabella also agreed to make restitution of $239,012 to the Internal Revenue Service for federal income taxes he failed to pay for 2005, 2006 and 2007 by hiding his ownership of his UBS account.
The guilty plea was announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Tamara W. Ashford, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and Shantelle P. Kitchen, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, New York.
As described in the information, United States citizens or residents with a financial interest in, or signatory authority over, a foreign financial account worth more than $10,000 in a particular year, must file a FBAR report with the Department of the Treasury disclosing such an account by June 30 of the following year.
“Those who willfully conceal assets abroad will be investigated and prosecuted, and those convicted of such conduct will not only face imprisonment but significant financial penalties as well,” stated United States Attorney Lynch.
IRS Special Agent-in-Charge Kitchen stated, “Offshore tax enforcement remains a top priority for the Internal Revenue Service and we continue to gain access to more and more information about individuals who hide money in bank accounts outside of the United States. Individuals who choose to conceal assets offshore expose themselves to a variety of criminal charges and severe penalties when they fail to notify the government about their foreign bank accounts or report the income from them.”
The guilty plea proceedings were held before United States Magistrate Judge James Orenstein.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Warren and
Senior Litigation Counsel Mark Daly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
The Defendant:
GABRIEL GABELLA
Age: 73
Residence: Manhattan
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 14-CR-207 (JBW)
Former U.S. Customs & Border Protection Supervisor Convicted of FraudRead the Press Release
1125 Chapline Street, Federal Building, Suite 3000 ● Wheeling, WV 26003
(304) 234-0100 ● Contact: Chris Zumpetta-Parr, Public Affairs Specialist
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – The former Acting Director of the Tactical Operations Division for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection pleaded guilty to misusing his government-issued credit card at a West Virginia casino.
United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced that GENE PROTOGIANNIS, 55 years old of Lovettsville, Virginia, entered a plea of guilty to “Wire Fraud” in Federal court in Martinsburg. PROTOGIANNIS admitted that he used his official government credit card to obtain cash advances at the Hollywood Casino in Charles Town, West Virginia. The total amount of cash withdrawn by PROTOGIANNIS at the casino was $115,853.55.
PROTOGIANNIS faces up to twenty years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence imposed will be based upon the Federal Sentencing Guidelines and the criminal history of the defendant, if any.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul T. Camilletti handled the matter on behalf of the government and the case was investigated by the West Virginia State Police. U.S. District Court Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld urges anyone with information regarding public corruption in their community to call the West Virginia Public Corruption Hotline at 855-WVA-FEDS (1-855-982-3337), or to send an email to [email protected].Former Immigration Officer, Postal Worker Charged in Takedown of 14-Member Interstate Methamphetamine Distribution RingRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. - Fourteen people – including a former U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer and a U.S. Postal Service worker – have been arrested and charged for their alleged roles in a multi-state drug trafficking ring supplying large quantities of methamphetamine to the Jersey City area, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced today.
Nine alleged members of the ring were arrested June 16 to 18, 2014, by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as well as state and local law enforcement following a one-year investigation led by the DEA. They were charged by complaint with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. The New Jersey defendants made their initial court appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court.
Among the 14 people charged today are defendants from Las Vegas, Nev., Los Angeles, Calif., and Phoenix, Ariz.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Since July 2013 law enforcement has been investigating a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in Jersey City. The DTO coordinated shipments of methamphetamine from suppliers in Arizona, California, and Nevada through the mail to locations in northern New Jersey. Suppliers concealed the methamphetamine inside parcels that were shipped to addresses provided by the New Jersey-based conspirators, who would repackage the drugs for sale to lower level distributors.
John Freehauf, 36, a/k/a “Johnnie Rocket,” a/k/a “Agent,” of Jersey City, a former officer with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), allegedly coordinated the acquisition of the methamphetamine, ordering several pounds per month from various interstate suppliers. Freehauf negotiated the price and provided New Jersey addresses for his suppliers. He and Benjamin Navarro, 44, a/k/a “Kristie,” of Jersey City, repackaged the drugs for distribution to lower level suppliers and retailers.
Maria Lisa Pascual, 36, of North Bergen, N.J., used her position with the U.S. Postal Service to track and oversee the shipment of parcels. Pascual, Arnold Balagtas, 54, of Jersey City, and other conspirators redistributed smaller quantities of methamphetamine to lower level dealers and retailers. Pascual and Freehauf agreed to use the same sources of supply and to work together to set a common “market price” for methamphetamine in the northern New Jersey area. Pascual and Freehauf also assisted each other in distributing methamphetamine to lower level dealers. Pascual has recently been terminated by the U.S. Postal Service. The defendants are:Name
Age
Residence
36
Jersey City
Benjamin Navarro*
44
Jersey City
Maria Lisa Pascual
36
North Bergen, N.J.
Arnold Balagtas
54
Jersey City
Margaret Tiangco*
38
Jersey City
Javier Diaz
30
Los Angeles, Calif.
Candace Healy
21
Fresh Meadows, N.Y.
Ricce Anciado Jr.
44
Union, N.J.
Stephanie Luna*
36
Bergenfield, N.J.
Benedict Cipriano
51
Jersey City
Ricky Tulud
43
Belleville, N.J.
Janice Vidallon
31
Belleville
Ryan Bontempi
34
Phoenix, Ariz.
Howard Taylor
49
Phoenix
*Denotes fugitive
Freehauf, Pascual, Balagtas, Anciado, Tulud, Healy and Vidallon all appeared June 17, 2014, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Waldor in Newark federal court. Diaz appeared in federal court in Los Angeles June 17, 2014, and is scheduled to appear in Newark federal court on June 30, 2014. Cipriano appeared before Judge Waldor today. Navarro, Luna and Tiangco remains at large.
Bontempi, a/k/a “Rooster;” and Taylor were both arrested on May 12, 2014, in Phoenix, Arizona. Both were detained and transported to New Jersey, where they made their initial appearances today before Judge Waldor.
The count with which each of the defendants is charged carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Carl J. Kotowski; U.S. Postal Inspectors under the direction of Inspector in Charge Maria L. Kelokates; law enforcement officers from the N.J. National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, under the direction of the Adjutant General, Brig. Gen. Michael L. Cunniff; the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Rick Fuentes; the Edison Police Department, under the direction of Chief Thomas Bryan; and the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Chief Robert Cowan, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam N. Subervi and Charlton Rugg of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Narcotics Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaints are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
14-223
Defense counsel:Freehauf: Joseph Rubino Esq., West Orange, N.J.
Navarro: Pascual: Gregory Tomczak Esq., Montclair, N.J.
Balagtas: Angelo Servidio Esq., Nutley, N.J.
Tiangco: Diaz: TBD
Healy: Elizabeth Smith Esq., Mendham, N.J.
Anciado Jr.: Bruce Rosen Esq., Florham Park, N.J.
Luna: Cipriano: Zahid Quaraishi Esq., Morristown, N.J.
Tulud: Candace Hom Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
Vidallon: Stephen Truano Esq., Newark
Bontempi: David Ruhnke Esq., Montclair
Taylor: Kathleen Theurer Esq., Jersey CityFreehauf, John et al., Complaint
Bontempi - Taylor ComplaintFormer Head of Lynrocten Federal Credit Union IndictedRead the Press Release
LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA – A federal grand jury sitting in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke has charged the former manager of the Lynrocten Federal Credit Union in Lynchburg [LFCU] with embezzlement, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charges.
In and indictment returned under seal on June 5, 2014 and unsealed today following the defendant’s initial court appearance, the grand jury has charged Linda Sue Newcomb, 62, of Madison Heights, Va., with one count of embezzlement of funds from a federal credit union, four counts of bank fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft.
In January 2014, the former head teller of LFCU, Teresa Wieringo Humphries, 58, of Madison Heights, Va., waived her right to be indicted and pled guilty to an Information charging her with one count of embezzlement by an employee of a federal credit union.
The indictment alleges that in or about 2000, Ms. Newcomb, who was hired by the LFCU in the mid-1980s, and the former head teller at the bank, Teresa Humphries, carried out a scheme to defraud, embezzle and steal funds from LFCU’s deposits and accounts.
It was part of the scheme that Newcomb and Humphries originated loans in the names of LFCU members without those members’ knowledge or consent. Newcomb and Humphries drafted fictitious loan documentation and approved the fictitious loans in order to make false loans look legitimate.
In addition, the indictment alleges that from on or about October 22, 2009 and continuing to on or about October 6, 2011, Newcomb entered into Loan Participation Agreements with another federal credit union. In furtherance of the Loan Participation scheme, Newcomb, on behalf of LFCU, sold various fraudulent loans. In order to persuade the partner credit union to enter into the Loan Participation Agreement, Newcomb made various false statements to make the loans involved appear to be authentic and legitimate. The value of the fraudulent loans involved in the loan participation scheme was in excess of $1 million.
The indictment also alleges that Newcomb and Humphries transferred funds and wrote checks on certain LFCU members’ accounts without their knowledge or consent. At least three different accounts are alleged to have been used by the two defendants. Certain proceeds from the schemes were deposited to the LFCU bank accounts of Newcomb, Humphries, and their family members or were used by the two defendants to make “payments” to other fraudulent loans.
In order to conceal the unauthorized use of LFCU member accounts, and in furtherance of the scheme, Newcomb and Humphries altered and withheld LFCU member statements.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the United States Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lynchburg City Police Department and the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Giorno and Daniel Bubar are prosecuting the case for the United States.
A Grand Jury Indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial with the burden on the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Former Greenbush Resident Pleads Guilty to Bath Salt Distribution Conspiracy and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
Contact: Joel B. Casey
Assistant United States Attorney
Tel: (207) 945-0373Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Ryan
Ellis, 33, formerly of Greenbush, Maine pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in
Bangor to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute MDPV, a chemical compound commonly referred to as “bath salts” or “monkey dust” and to possession of firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense.According to court records, between April and December 2011, the members of the conspiracy illegally distributed large quantities of MDPV in Penobscot, Aroostook and Knox counties. The defendant obtained MDPV from other conspirators, processed and repackaged it, and distributed it to other conspirators for sale to drug addicts. On November 22, 2011, he was found in possession of two handguns and a shotgun and nearly 400 grams of MDPV.
On the drug count, the defendant faces up to 20 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, or both. On the firearms count, he faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison which must be served consecutive to the drug sentence and a $250,000 fine. The defendant will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation
Office.
Co-defendants Elizabeth Mikotowicz, a/k/a “Beth,” Steven Orosco, a/k/a “Pablo,” Alan
Alan Ketchen, a/k/a “AJ,” Daniel Hines, Adam Hathorn, and Tina Keaton, a/k/a “Fumble,” all of
Bangor; Jessica Bryden, of Greenbush, Maine; Matthew Tardiff and Michael Tardiff, a/k/a
“Bub,” of Old Town, Maine; and Gina Nelson, of Bradley, Maine; previously pled guilty to the conspiracy charge and await sentencing.
The case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency with assistance from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Brewer and Bangor Police Departments.Former Government Contractor Settles False Claims Act CaseRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.--U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Randy S. Mays, Sr., 58, of Rochester, N.Y., the former president and sole owner of Lynx Machine Tool Corporation, will pay $70,405 to the United States to resolve civil claims brought against him by the United States under the False Claims Act. The settlement represents a compromise of disputed claims and is not an admission of liability by Mays.
Assistant U.S. Attorney MaryEllen Kresse, who handled the case, stated that from December 2005 through October 2006, Mays, through Lynx, a now defunct company that contracted to provide various metal parts to the Department of Defense, entered into five government contracts for the provision of various metal parts to the military. Under the contracts, Lynx was required to test 100% of the parts prior to shipment, and to submit a Certificate of Compliance with each shipment. In fact, the requisite testing was not performed, and Mays submitted and caused to be submitted false Certificates of Compliance and falsified test reports.
In 2011, a former Lynx employee, Denis Converse, was convicted and sentenced to five years probation for making false statements to federal agencies and agents in connection with the falsifying and alteration of the Certificates of Compliance and test reports.
The settlement is the result of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), under the direction of Craig Rupert, Special Agent in Charge of the DCIS Northeast Field Office; the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division Command, Major Procurement Fraud Unit (MPFU), under the direction of L. Scott Moreland; and the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA), under the direction of Donna Peltomaki.Former Deputy Sheriff Pleads Guilty to Seizing and Distributing Gambling MachinesRead the Press Release
Contac Persont: Carrie Fisher (864) 282-2100
Columbia, South Carolina ----- United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that Michael Todd Parker (37) of Cherokee County, South Carolina, pled guilty to one count of violating 18 U.S.C. § 666. Parker is a former deputy sheriff of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office (“CCSO”). Between 2010 and 2012, Parker corruptly seized a number of illegal poker machines from local businesses and then redistributed the same illegal poker machines from which he personally benefitted financially. Parker was terminated from the CCSO in 2012. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, and the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Carrie Fisher Sherard.# # #
Federal Grand Jury Returns IndictmentsRead the Press Release
1125 Chapline Street, Federal Building, Suite 3000 ● Wheeling, WV 26003
(304) 234-0100 ● Contact: Chris Zumpetta-Parr, Public Affairs SpecialistELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA — A Federal grand jury in Elkins returned indictments in six new cases yesterday, according to United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II.
Beth Harman OURS, age 46, of Petersburg, West Virginia, was named in a five-count Indictment charging her with one count of distribution of ecstasy, two counts of distribution of oxycodone, one count of distribution of diazepam and one count of distribution of hydrocodone. If convicted, OURS faces up to 20 years in prison on the ecstasy and oxycodone charges, 5 years in prison on the diazepam charge, and 10 years in prison on the hydrocodone charge.
George William BARBER, age 47 of Upper Tract, West Virginia, was named in a two-count Indictment charging him with the distribution of Percocet pills. If convicted, BARBER faces up to 20 years in prison on each count.
These cases were investigated by the Potomac Highlands Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, consisting of officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the West Virginia State Police - Bureau of Criminal Investigations.
Dorothy Ellen METZ, age 61, of Athens, Georgia, was named in a one-count Indictment charging her with the possession with intent to distribute oxycodone. If convicted, METZ faces up to 20 years in prison. This case was investigated by the Law Enforcement and Investigations Division of the United States Forest Service.
The OURS, BARBER and METZ cases will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner.
Roberto SOTO, age 51; Gregory PARDO, age 58; Antonio MARTINEZ-PORTA, age 38; and Ahmed JOHNSON, age 42, inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution at Gilmer, were named in a two-count Indictment charging them with conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm. Each face up to 5 years in prison. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower and was investigated by the Special Investigative Services Unit at FCI Gilmer.
Joseph A. GARRETT, age 49, of Haywood, West Virginia, was charged with failure to register as a sex offender. GARRETT faces up to 10 years in prison. GARRETT, who has a prior conviction in Marion County is alleged to have failed to register as a sex offender. This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.
Clarence THOMPSON, age 35, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. THOMPSON, who has prior convictions for delivery of a controlled substance, uttering and burglary, is prohibited from possessing a firearm. THOMPSON faces up to 10 years in prison. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The GARRETT and THOMPSON cases will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn A. Morgan.
An indictment is merely an accusation each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Federal Charges Filed Against Twin Brothers in Topeka RobberyRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. - Federal charges were filed Tuesday against twin brothers accused of a robbery in Topeka, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Charles Lamar Steele, 23, Topeka, Kan., and Lamar Ray Steele, 23, Topeka, are charged with one count of robbery. A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Topeka alleges that on June 4, 2014, they robbed the Check Into Cash store at 3711 S.W. Plaza Drive in Topeka.
In court papers, it is alleged that Charles Lamar Steele entered the store brandishing a handgun. He grabbed a clerk by the wrist and forced her to the cash drawers. He demanded money and threatened to kill her if she did not comply. He struck her in the head with the gun, forced her to front door and told her to stay on the ground and keep her head down until he was gone.
Surveillance photos from the robbery showed another man talking on a cell phone while holding the front door open at the time Steele entered the store. Investigators identified the man with the phone and used phone records to determine that at the time of the robbery he was connected to Charles Lamar Steele’s phone number. Investigators also learned that Lamar Ray Steele had helped plan the robbery.
If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Grissom commend the Topeka Police Department and the FBI for their work on the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.Eugene Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore. – On June 18, 2014, Dean Allen Fleury, 52, of Eugene, Oregon, was sentenced by U.S. District Chief Judge Ann Aiken to 15 years in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm. Upon his release from prison, Fleury will be on supervised release for five years.
On April 8, 2013, officers with the Lane County Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team (“INET”) caught Fleury with a large, distributable amount of methamphetamine. Fleury admitted he had been selling methamphetamine for the last few decades and officers thereafter found a 12-gauge shotgun that he possessed and a large quantity of cash. Fleury has a criminal history spanning 30 years, with numerous felony convictions for unlawful delivery and possession of methamphetamine. Under federal law, any person who possesses a firearm or ammunition after being previously convicted of three violent felonies or felony drug trafficking crimes is an Armed Career Criminal and faces a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence.
This case was investigated by INET, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan J. Lichvarcik.
Dunbar Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Heroin from His ApartmentRead the Press Release
Charleston, W.Va. – United States Attorney Booth Goodwin announced today that Donald Covington, 44, of Dunbar, West Virginia entered a guilty plea to distribution of heroin on Tuesday, June 17, 2014. On December 5, 2013, detectives with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department STOP team used a confidential informant (“CI”) to buy heroin from Covington from his apartment at 405 11th Street in Dunbar. Covington also sold heroin to the CI from his apartment on December 3, 2013, and on December 12, 2013. Following the December 12, 2013 drug deal, police searched Covington’s apartment where they found three firearms, additional heroin, crack cocaine, and cocaine.
Covington faces up to 20 years imprisonment when he is sentenced by Judge Thomas J. Johnston on October 1, 2014.
The case was investigated by the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department STOP Team. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman is in charge of the prosecution.
This case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The United States Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal heroin and pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of prescription pills and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
Dubuque Man Sentenced to over 12 Years for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who possessed child pornography was sentenced today to over twelve years in federal prison.
Robert Baumhover, age 48, of Dubuque, Iowa, received the sentence after a March 31, 2014, guilty plea to one count of possession of child pornography. At the guilty plea hearing, Baumhover admitted that he knowingly possessed child pornography. In a plea agreement, Baumhover admitted he received child pornography between 2001 and 2013; he also admitted he possessed over 15,000 images of child pornography.
Baumhover was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. Baumhover was sentenced to 148 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed, and Baumhover must also serve a ten-year term of supervised release. He must comply with all sex offender registration and public notification requirements.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Iowa Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
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.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 14-1004.
Dog Fighting Operation Results in Prison for W.Va. ManRead the Press Release
1125 Chapline Street, Federal Building, Suite 3000 ● Wheeling, WV 26003
(304) 234-0100 ● Contact: Chris Zumpetta-Parr, Public Affairs Specialist
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A West Virginia man who operated a dog fighting venture has been sentenced to twenty years in Federal prison.
United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced that TIMOTHY PAUL STEWART, age 35, of Piedmont, was sentenced to serve 240 months in prison as a result of his convictions earlier this year for “Possession of Dogs for Dog Fighting”, “Conspiracy to Distribute Crack Cocaine,” and “Felon in Possession of a Firearm.” U.S. District Court Judge Gina M. Groh presided.According to U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld, in October of 2013 agents served a federal drug trafficking indictment upon STEWART at his Mineral County home as well as multiple search warrants. While in the basement of STEWART’s residence agents observed evidence of an animal fighting venture including dogs, dog pelts, cages, and training equipment for the dogs. Officers also observed and seized approximately 25 grams of cocaine base, seven firearms and $3,968.00 in U.S. Currency. The cash recovered was forfeited to the United States as part of the plea agreement.
STEWART’s girlfriend, Shannon Marie BROADWATER, 33 years old and also of Piedmont, was sentenced by Judge Groh to 36 months in prison for her role in the sale of crack cocaine. She had previously been convicted of “Illegal Use of the Internet to Facilitate the Distribution of Crack Cocaine.”This case was investigated by the Potomac Highlands Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, consisting of officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the West Virginia State Police - Bureau of Criminal Investigations.
Diamondhead Man Sentenced for Oil Spill FraudRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Luom Van Ngo, 44, of Diamondhead, Mississippi, was sentenced on June 17, 2014, to three years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for oil spill fraud, U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis announced today. Ngo was also ordered by U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola to pay a $6,000 fine and $18,575.00 in restitution.
Luom Van Ngo knowingly devised a scheme to defraud the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (“GCCF”) which was established by BP Exploration and Production, Inc., to administer, process, and settle certain claims of individuals and businesses that had been impacted by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Ngo made fraudulent representations to the GCCF claiming that he lost earnings and profits from a shrimping and fishing business as a result of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. As a result of his scheme, Ngo received a check in the amount of $18,000.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones. It was brought as part of this District’s partnership with the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF), a nationwide initiative to protect available funds and assistance for those victims of both natural and man-made disasters such as hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and the recent Gulf oil spill.
If you have knowledge of fraud, waste, abuse, or allegations of mismanagement involving disaster relief operations, you can contact the NCDF by either calling the hotline at (866) 720-5721, faxing (225) 334-4707, emailing at [email protected] or in writing to National Center for Disaster Fraud, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4909.If you believe you have been a victim of fraud from a person or an organization soliciting relief funds on behalf of storm victims, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud toll free at:
(866) 720-5721
You can also fax information to:
(225) 334-4707
or e-mail it to:
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Defendant Extradited to Face Charges in Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry Murder CaseRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO, CA – Lionel Portillo-Meza, who is charged with the first degree murder of United States Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, was extradited to the United States from Mexico on June 17, 2014, announced Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy of the Southern District of California.
Agent Terry was fatally shot on Dec. 14, 2010, when he and other Border Patrol agents encountered Portillo-Meza and four others in a rural area north of Nogales, Arizona.
“This marks a major step forward in our aggressive pursuit of those responsible for the murder of Agent Brian Terry, who made the ultimate service while serving his country,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “By securing the extradition of this suspect, the Department of Justice has ensured that he will stand trial and face justice here in the United States. And we will never waver in our commitment to ensure that those who commit acts of violence against our best and bravest can be caught and held accountable – to the fullest extent of the law.”
“This development brings us one step closer to achieving justice for a beloved agent who paid the highest price in protecting this country,” U.S. Attorney Duffy said. “While there is nothing that can be done to bring Agent Terry home again, we hope this news will bring some level of comfort to the family knowing that our team of prosecutors and investigators within the Department of Justice will not stop until the case is resolved.”
Portillo-Meza was arraigned in federal district court in Tucson, Arizona, on June 18, 2014. He entered a not-guilty plea and was detained without bond. The indictment charges Portillo-Meza and others with first degree murder, second degree murder, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, attempted interference with commerce by robbery, use and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer. In addition to the murder of Agent Terry, the indictment alleges that the defendants assaulted Border Patrol Agents William Castano, Gabriel Fragoza, and Timothy Keller, who were with Agent Terry during the firefight.
On July 20, 2012, in order to seek the public’s assistance, Department of Justice officials announced a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to the arrest of four fugitives: Jesus Rosario Favela-Astorga, Ivan Soto-Barraza, Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes, and Portillo-Meza. Portillo-Meza was captured in Mexico in September 2012. Soto-Barraza was captured in Mexico in September 2013.
A fifth defendant, Manuel Osorio-Arellanes, pleaded guilty to first degree murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison in February 2014. A sixth defendant, Rito Osorio-Arellanes, who was in custody at the time of Agent Terry’s murder, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and was sentenced to eight years in prison in January 2013.
This case is being prosecuted in federal court in Tucson by attorneys from the Southern District of California, Special Attorneys Todd W. Robinson, David D. Leshner, and Fred Sheppard. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is recused. This case is being investigated by the FBI. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance with the extradition.
The public is reminded that an indictment is a formal charging document and defendants are presumed innocent until the government meets its burden in court of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
DEA and New Kensington Police Investigation Leads to Charges Against Local ManRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Michael Jones, a former resident of New Kensington, Pa., has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh for crack cocaine trafficking and firearms crimes, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The three-count indictment returned on June 17 names Jones, 33, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, on Feb. 26, 2014, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Jones possessed crack cocaine with intent to distribute it, he possessed a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and he possessed five firearms after having been convicted of a felony drug- trafficking crime.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of at least five years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $2,500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine A. King and Craig W. Haller are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Kensington Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.