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Tuesday 1 April 2014
Montgomery County Man Charged with Clean Air Act ViolationRead the Press Release
Anthony Biello II, 55, formerly of Ambler, Pennsylvania, was charged today by indictment with one count of violating the Clean Air Act, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. According to the indictment, Biello failed to notify the City of Philadelphia’s Air Management Services division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of the removal of asbestos-containing material from a former church located at 1133 Spring Garden Street in Philadelphia.
If convicted, defendant Biello faces a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, with assistance from the City of Philadelphia’s Air Management Services office. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Martin Harrell and Patricia C. Miller from the EPA.
Click here to view the indictment
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, EASTERN DISTRICTof PENNSYLVANIA
Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
PATTY HARTMAN, Media Contact, 215-861-8525MoneyGram/Western Union Agent Receives 15 Year Federal Prison Sentence for Telemarketing Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A corrupt MoneyGram/Western Union agent was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison today, the United Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced. Itohan Agho-Allen, of Brooklyn, New York, was convicted by a federal jury in Harrisburg of charges of laundering money paid by victims of international telemarketing fraud schemes following a six-day trial in July, 2013.
Chief U.S. Court District Judge Christopher C. Conner also ordered Agho-Allen to pay restitution of $2,371,668, and a special assessment of $2,300 and to serve a three-year term of supervised release.
Agho-Allen was convicted of criminal conspiracy, 8 counts of wire fraud and 14 counts of money laundering.
According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, Agho-Allen, age 39, was an agent of Miracle Multi-Link, a MoneyGram and Western Union outlet in Brooklyn, New York and had been recruited to process money transfers received from fraud schemes including sweepstakes, loans, employment opportunities, persons-in-need and internet purchases.
Between 2002 and November 2010, money transfers originating in locations in Pennsylvania, including York, Bloomsburg, Berwick, Hazleton, Lebanon, Chambersburg, East Stroudsburg and Montoursville, were transmitted through facilities to fraud participants in Brooklyn, Spain, Romania, Canada and Nigeria. Money in excess of $7 million was obtained from hundreds of victims throughout the United States through telemarketing schemes that falsely promised financial awards and other valuable items.
At trial the Government presented evidence that Agho-Allen entered fictitious identifying information into the Moneygram or Western Union computer systems disguising the true nature of the transaction and the identities of individuals perpetrating the frauds. For doing so, Agho-Allen was paid 10-15% of each transaction.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Fawcett, the Government trial attorney, noted that, “The money launderer is crucial to the success of the international fraud scheme because she conceals from victims and law enforcement who is behind the fraud and where the money is going.”
Agho-Allen was indicted in March 2011 and charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering and counts of wire fraud and money laundering.
To-date, approximately 33 former MoneyGram and Western Union agents have been prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office in Harrisburg. Several of them testified as Government witnesses at Agho-Allen’s trial. In addition, in November 2012, the U.S. Department of Justice reached a settlement with MoneyGram which resulted in the forfeiture of $100 million to be used to compensate thousands of victims.
This case is part of an on-going, long-term investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in coordination with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and with cooperation from Canadian law enforcement agencies.
David W. Bosch, Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service, said, “This 15-year sentence reflects the damaging impact of international mass marketing frauds against primarily U.S. citizens. It should act as a deterrent to those who would prey on the most vulnerable segments of our society.”
Prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Christy H. Fawcett.
Persons who believe they were victims of the fraud scheme should visit http://www.justice.gov/criminal/vns/caseup/ or call 1-877-282-2610 (United States Only) or 317-324-0390 (International) for instructions on how to request compensation.
Persons with information and/or complaints concerning suspected marketing fraud schemes should contact their nearest United States Post Office or 1-877-USMAIL-5.
****Media AdvisoryRead the Press Release
There will be a press conference held on Wednesday, April 9, 2014, at 2:00 p.m., at the federal courthouse located at 111 Seventh Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The press conference will be held in the United States Attorney’s second floor conference room. United States Attorney Kevin W. Techau will present awards to three individuals being honored for outstanding service to crime victims as part of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. The honorees are: Investigator Corey Peiffer, Cedar Rapids Police Department; Special Agent Darrell Simmons, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation; and Investigator Rod Fiser, Hiawatha Police Department.
Press releases and interview opportunities will be available.
United States Attorney’s Office staff will be available beginning at approximately 1:30 p.m. to escort members of the press with any camera equipment directly to the conference room upon entering the courthouse. Camera equipment will not be allowed in any other areas of the building. No mobile telephones will be allowed in the building.
Manager of Rocky Mount-Based Tax Return Preparation Business Sentenced for Filing False Tax Refund ClaimRead the Press Release
RALEIGH - United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that today in federal court today, Senior United States District Judge W. Earl Britt sentenced CRYSTAL D. DICKENS, age 25, of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, to 35 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release. DICKENS was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $652,413.00.
DICKENS was named in a Criminal Information filed on August 29, 2013, charging her with filing a false, fictitious, and fraudulent 2009 tax refund claim with the Internal Revenue Service, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 287. On September 30, 2013, DICKENS pled guilty to the charge.
According to the investigation, DICKENS was a tax return preparer and manager at the main office of the now-defunct Hill's Tax Service (HTS) in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. (HTS was owned and operated by Larry D. Hill, Jr. Hill was sentenced to 100 months imprisonment on February 4, 2014 for related tax crimes). Between 2010 and 2012, DICKENS prepared and filed hundreds of false and fraudulent federal income tax returns for HTS customers, resulting in estimated tax losses to the government of approximately $1 million. The false reporting information, which included bogus interest and household help income, was intended to trigger inflated refund claims through the manipulation of the earned income tax credit (EITC). As part of the scheme, DICKENS paid herself for her "services" by netting cash payments from the fraudulent refund proceeds.
“Crystal Dickens thought she could steal from the United States Treasury,” said Jeannine A. Hammett, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-CI “Today the defendant learned she will serve 35 months in prison for her fraud. Others involved in similar schemes should take heed.”
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam F. Hulbig.
Long Island Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal Prison for Trafficking MarijuanaRead the Press Release
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Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that OVES ST. ORBIN WRIGHT, 56, of Massapequa, N.Y., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 37 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking marijuana.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 19, 2013, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CPB) agents in western Texas conducted a search of a tractor trailer and discovered approximately 315 pounds of marijuana secreted in a shipping crate. CBP agents contacted DEA agents in El Paso who determined that the crate was destined for a shipping facility in Enfield, Conn. On May 29, 2013, Connecticut DEA agents established surveillance at the Enfield shipping facility and observed WRIGHT and Kevin J. Dunbar unpack the crate, load the contents into a van and travel to a storage facility in East Hartford where they were arrested.
On October 22, 2013, WRIGHT pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana. Dunbar, of Manchester, Conn., pleaded guilty to the same charge on October 23, 2013, and awaits sentencing.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Ahearn.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Leader of Drug Organization Sentenced to Twenty-Five YearsRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Christopher Devon Barrett, 28, of Hampton, Va., was sentenced today to twenty-five years in prison, and given five years of supervised release, following his convictions for participating in a continuing criminal enterprise and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Dana J. Boente, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Leslie Caldwell, Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice, Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge for Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; Richard W. Myers, Chief of Newport News Police, and Terry L. Sult Hampton Police Chief, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.
According to court documents Barrett was a leader and organizer of a drug trafficking organization that obtained cocaine and heroin from local and out of state suppliers for distribution to mid- level distributors on the Virginia peninsula and elsewhere in the Eastern District of Virginia. The drug trafficking organization supplied 150 kilograms or more of cocaine during the conspiracy. Barrett arranging for suppliers and ran the day-to-day affairs of the conspiracy from the Colonial Landing Apartment complex in Hampton, Va., and other locations. He was the eighteenth defendant convicted and sentenced in connection with this investigation.
The investigative team included the DEA Hampton Post of Duty, Newport News Police Department, the Newport News Sheriff’s Department, the Virginia State Police, and the Hampton Police Division. Assistant United States Attorney Howard Zlotnick and Trial Attorney Rebecca A. Staton of the Organized Crime and Gang Section in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.Jury Convicts KC Men of Heroin Trafficking, Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that two Kansas City, Mo., men were convicted in federal court today for their roles in a 10-year long drug-trafficking conspiracy that resulted in the death of one individual and the distribution of more than three kilograms of heroin in the Kansas City area.
Timothy L. Kirlin, also known as “Jim Curlon,” 33, and Matthew Davis, 48, both of Kansas City, were found guilty of all nine counts contained in an Oct. 16, 2013, federal indictment.
Kirlin and Davis were each found guilty of participating in a conspiracy to distribute 1,000 grams or more of heroin, as well as cocaine, from Jan. 1, 2002, to Feb. 3, 2012. Kirlin traveled to Dallas, Texas, to procure wholesale amounts of heroin and other drugs for resale in the Kansas City area. Davis was among the conspirators who received heroin and cocaine from Kirlin and distributed it to others. Ten co-defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
On March 5, 2002, Kirlin distributed heroin to Joshua Webb, and the use of this heroin by Webb resulted in his death.
Kirlin traveled to Dallas at least once a month to purchase heroin. The usual amount that Kirlin would purchase in Dallas was four ounces of heroin, although he bought more on occasion. He sometimes transported the heroin back to Kansas City by hiding it in his rectum.
Co-defendant Patrick Holmes, 33, of Dallas, was Kirlin’s source for six years. Holmes, who pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy, admitted that Kirlin purchased more than three kilograms of cocaine from him for resale in the Kansas City area during the time he was involved in the conspiracy.
Because Kirlin had been shot in the head, he was unable to drive himself, and would ride the bus to Texas and frequently enlist the aid of others in the conspiracy to drive him from place to place.
In addition to the conspiracy, Kirlin was found guilty of being a felon in possession of explosives. Kirlin, who has two prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance, was in possession of four sticks of explosives (along with manuals on how to build explosive devices) on Feb. 2, 2012.
Kirlin was also convicted of six counts of distributing heroin and one count of possessing heroin with the intent to distribute. Kirlin must also forfeit to the government $200,000, which represents the proceeds of his illegal drug trafficking, and $1,425 that was seized by law enforcement officers.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for three hours before returning the guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner, ending a trial that began March 24, 2014.
Under federal statutes, Kirlin is subject to a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison without parole. Davis is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles E. Ambrose, Jr., and Patrick Edwards. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.Joplin Man Indicted for Child PornRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Joplin, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet.
Vincent Hay, 24, of Joplin, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield. The indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Hay on Feb. 26, 2014.
Today’s indictment alleges that Hay received and distributed child pornography over the Internet between Jan. 10 and Feb. 25, 2014. Hay is also charged with possessing child pornography on Feb. 25, 2014.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, a law enforcement officer was conducting an undercover investigation concerning the distribution of child pornography by using peer-to-peer, file-sharing software. Hay’s computer allegedly was identified as sharing videos of child pornography over the Internet. Officers executed a search warrant at Hay’s residence, which is a block away from an elementary school, and seized two computer towers.
Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force and the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."Information: Federal Court ArraignmentsRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney's Office and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today announced that the person and corporations listed below were arraigned before the U.S. Magistrate on the Information filed in U.S. District Court.
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lynch in Missoula on April 1, 2014 and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- rtin Romano, President and Registered Agent of MR Asphalt, Inc. located in Victor, MT, appeared on charges of violation of safety standard causing death of an employee. If convicted of the charge contained in the Information, ROMANO faces up to 6 months imprisonment, and a $10,000 fine. PACER Case Reference: 14-05
- Asphalt, Inc. appeared through its registered agent on charges of violation of safety standard causing death of an employee. If convicted of the charge contained in the Information, MR Asphalt, Inc. faces a maximum penalty of a $500,000 fine. PACER Case Reference: 14-05
The Information is merely a formal charging document. It is not proof of guilt and all persons indicted are presumed to be innocent of any crime until proof of guilt is established by trial or guilty plea.
The U.S. Attorney's Office is currently transitioning its media program to new media contacts. Resources and this transition may affect the amount of information the office can process and
Therefore, if any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system so that you stay current and not miss any important developments in the case.
To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html.
To access the district court's calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
Indictment: Wichita Man Robbed Same StoreTwo Times in Eight DaysRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - A federal grand jury in Wichita today returned an indictment charging a Wichita man with three robberies, including two only eight days apart at a Valero gas station, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Ricky Price, Jr., 20, Wichita, Kan., is charged with five counts, including:
- Robbing the Valero gas station at 851 S. Meridian on Jan. 11, 2014.
- Robbing the Valero gas station at 851 S. Meridian on Jan. 19, 2014.
- Brandishing a firearm during the Jan. 19 robbery.
- Robbing the Harry Grocery and Smoke Shop at 324 W. Harry on Feb. 27, 2014.
- Discharging a firearm during the Feb. 27 robbery.
Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:
Robbery: A maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.
Brandishing a firearm: Not less than seven years and a fine up to $250,000.
Discharging a firearm: Not less than 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.The FBI and the Wichita Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett is prosecuting.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Oscar R. Alvardo, 35, Downey, Calif.; Brayan A. Osuna-Gutierrez, 21; and Julio Sanchez, Jr., 19, Downey, Calif., are charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute approximately four kilograms of methamphetamine and one count of interstate travel in furtherance of drug trafficking. The crime is alleged to have occurred March 17, 2014, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
An affidavit filed in the case alleges a Sedgwick County Sheriff Deputy stopped the men’s car on I-35. The drugs were discovered hidden beneath molding in the back of the vehicle.
If convicted, they face a penalty of not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $4 million on the possession charge, and a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the other count. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst is prosecuting.
Silvia Clemente-Rojo, 41, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with two counts of using false documents to be employed, seven counts of aggravated identity theft, two counts of misusing a Social Security number, three counts of making false statements to the U.S. government, one count of aiding the fraudulent production of an identification document, and one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. She was found Feb. 27, 2014, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:
Using false documents: A maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.
Aggravated identity theft: A mandatory consecutive two-year sentence and a fine up to $250,000.
Misusing a Social Security number, making a false statement to the U.S. government: A maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000.
Aiding the fraudulent production of an identification document: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.
Unlawfully re-entering the United States; A maximum penalty of two years and a fine up to $250,000.The Kansas Department of Revenue and Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
Micha A. Scott, 25, Wichita, Kan., is charged with two counts of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition after a felony conviction, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The crimes are alleged to have occurred March 12, 2014, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count of unlawful possession of a firearm after a felony conviction, and a penalty of not less than five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the other count. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett is prosecuting.
Colton Schalk, 24, Arkansas City, Kan., is charged with two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and three counts of unlawful possession of a firearm or ammunition after a felony conviction. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in December 2013 and February 2014, in Cowley County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $1 million on each drug count and a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each firearm charge. The Arkansas City, Kan., Police Department investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs is prosecuting.
Alvin Harris, 55, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of possessing a stolen firearm, and one count of stealing a firearm from a federally licensed dealer. The crimes are alleged to have occurred March 25, 2014, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the possession charge, and a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the theft charge. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett is prosecuting.
Jose Amador-Bonilla, 27, a citizen of Nicaragua, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony and deported. He was found March 14, 2014, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
Jesus Guereque-Lozoya, 50, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony and deported. He was found March 10, 2014, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
Aaron Ramirez-Saucedo, 28, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully entering the United States. He was found March 26, 2014, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Indictment Charges Philadelphia Man with Armed CarjackingRead the Press Release
Michael Green, 31, of Philadelphia, PA, was charged today by indictment with carjacking and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. The indictment charges that the defendant committed these offenses on or about December 5, 2012.
If convicted of all charges, the defendant faces a maximum of life imprisonment, with a consecutive mandatory minimum sentence of seven years imprisonment. The defendant also faces five years of supervised release, a $500,000 fine, and a $200 special assessment.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney V. Paige Pratter.
Click here to view the indictment
An Indictment 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, 215-861-8525Indiana Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of Destructive DevicesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Fred Alverson
Public Affairs Officer
COLUMBUS –Andrew Scott Boguslawski, 44, of Moores Hill, Indiana pled guilty in U.S. District Court to illegally possessing 13 unregistered destructive devices when he was stopped by an Ohio State trooper on January 1, 2014 on Interstate 70 in Madison County, Ohio.
Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Michael Boxler, Special Agent in Charge, Columbus Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Ohio Fire Marshal Larry Flowers, Ohio State Highway Patrol Superintendent Paul Pride and Madison County Prosecuting Attorney Stephen J. Pronai announced the plea entered today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King.
Boguslawski pled guilty to possession of nine fully-assembled unregistered destructive devices and four unregistered destructive devices consisting of component parts, designed and intended for use in conversion into bombs, and from which bombs could be readily assembled.
According to court documents, Boguslawski has agreed to forfeit all destructive devices and bomb making materials seized by the government.
A destructive device is an explosive device that is capable of causing property damage and personal injury and/or death to persons near the explosion. Federal law requires that destructive devices be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
Troopers arrested Boguslawski at the scene. He was charged in Madison County on state charges. Those charges have been dismissed. Boguslawski was charged by a federal complaint on March 3, 2014.
U.S. Attorney Stewart and Madison County Prosecuting attorney Pronai commended the cooperative investigation by ATF, the State Fire Marshal, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Columbus Bomb Squad, as well as the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, which participated in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dana Peters and Salvador Dominguez are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.Hudson County Trio Indicted for Robberies of Sovereign Bank in Secaucus, N.J., and TD Bank in Fairview, N.J.Read the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two men and a woman from Hudson County, N.J., were indicted today in connection with their roles in two bank robberies that took place last summer, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Gary Bohanan, 44, Angel Feliu, 20, and Josephine Chenet, 45, all of North Bergen, N.J., are each charged by indictment with two counts of bank robbery. The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury sitting in Newark.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Bohanan, Feliu, and Chenet allegedly robbed the Sovereign Bank (now Santander Bank), in Secaucus, N.J., on July 22, 2013. Bohanan and Feliu entered the bank at 10:11 a.m. Both wore latex gloves on their hands and masks over their face. Once inside, Bohanan brandished a black handgun, jumped over the counter and proceeded to empty two drawers of money into a black bag, while pointing the handgun at bank tellers. As Bohanan emptied the drawers, Feliu stood guard. Bohanan and Feliu then fled the bank into a car driven by Chenet.
Bohanan, Feliu, and Chenet also allegedly robbed the TD Bank, in Fairview, N.J., on July 26, 2013. Bohanan and Feliu, both wearing latex gloves and masks, entered the bank at 9:48 a.m. Feliu was recorded by the Bank’s video surveillance system before he pulled the mask over his face. Once inside the TD Bank, Feliu brandished a knife at employees and customers. Bohanan brandished what appeared to be a black handgun, but was later identified as an air pistol. Bohanan jumped over the counter and proceeded to empty two drawers of money into a black bag, while pointing the air pistol at bank tellers. As Bohanan emptied the drawers, Feliu stood guard and held bystanders back by brandishing the knife.
Bohanan and Feliu fled on foot and were followed by concerned citizens and victims of the bank robbery. Bohanan encountered a white GMC Savana van, pointed the air pistol at the driver and ordered the driver out of the van. Bohanan then took control of the van and attempted to flee the area by driving away in the van, drove a short distance and crashed. He exited the van and attempted to flee on foot. Law enforcement and concerned citizens located Bohanan hiding under a truck, which was parked a short distance away. Bohanan was found with a black bag containing, among other things, a black air pistol and money covered with red dye.
Feliu separated from Bohanan after the bank robbery and was seen getting into the passenger’s seat of a waiting vehicle that was driven by Chenet. Citizens followed the vehicle as it drove away at a high rate of speed and observed Feliu exit the vehicle and run into a cemetery in North Bergen, where he was located by law enforcement.
The counts of bank robbery with which Bohanan, Feliu, and Chenet are each charged each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Bohanan and Feliu have been detained pending trial.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford, with the investigation. He also thanked the Fairview, North Bergen, and Secaucus police departments for their contributions to the case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Navarro of the U.S. Attorney’s Office General Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
14-114
Defense counsel:
Feliu: Kevin F. Carlucci Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
Bohanan: Carl Herman Esq., West Orange, N.J.
Chenet: Michael Gilberti, Esq., Little Silver, N.J.Bohanan et al. Indictment
Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing and Selling Crack Cocaine in Cross Lanes AreaRead the Press Release
Charleston, W.Va. – U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that Kenneth Rush, 30, of Georgia, plead guilty today in federal court in Charleston to possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, also known as “crack,” a Schedule II controlled substance. On Wednesday, May 23, 2012, Rush was found in an apartment in Cross Lanes, West Virginia, after agents of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) received a tip that drugs were being sold from that location. During a subsequent search of the apartment, MDENT agents seized a substance from a kitchen cabinet that was later tested and proved to be crack. Rush admitted that the crack was his, that he obtained it from a source in Columbus, Ohio, and that he transported it to the Cross Lanes apartment with the intent of selling it in the local community. Rush further admitted to having already sold some of the crack prior to the agents’ arrival.
Rush faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a $1,000,000.00 fine when he is sentenced on July 30, 2014.
Fremont County Man Sentenced for Interstate Transportation of A Minor for Criminal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
On March 25, 2014, Tony Lee Stogdill, age 46, of Imogene, Iowa, was sentenced in the United States District Court in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on the charge of interstate transportation of a person under 18 years of age for the purpose of engaging in criminal sexual activity, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. United States District Court Judge John A. Jarvey sentenced Stogdill to 210 months imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release to follow the prison term. Stogdill was ordered to register on the sex offender registry, pay restitution (in an amount yet to be determined) and pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victim Fund. Stogdill remains in the custody of the United States Marshal pending his designation to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
Stogdill pled guilty on November 7, 2013, to a United States Attorney’s Information charging one count of transportation of a minor in interstate commerce with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. The Information alleged that Stogdill transported a 15 year-old female from Iowa to Nebraska, Missouri, and Illinois, then back to Iowa and during the trip, Stogdill forcibly and against the will of the child, engaged in sexual intercourse with the minor. During the change of plea proceeding, Stogdill admitted he was an over-the-road trucker and from June 4 – 6, 2009, he took a 15 year-old female with him on a trucking trip and engaged in sex acts with the child. Stogdill admitted his actions were a historical pattern of conduct with the minor female.
Tony Stogdill’s wife, Jennifer, in an agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office, pled guilty in the Iowa District Court for Fremont County to compounding a felony regarding her “cover-up” of Tony Stogdill’s sexual abuse of a minor child in late 2009. Jennifer Stogdill was sentenced by the state court to a term of probation.
Tony Stogdill has been convicted of sex related crimes twice, prior to the instant offense. Stogdill was convicted on March 13, 1989, in Fremont County, Iowa, of false imprisonment and assault with intent to commit sexual abuse. Stogdill was also convicted in Fremont County, Iowa, on October 21, 1991, of third degree sexual abuse.
The criminal investigation was carried out by the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, the Fremont County Attorney’s Office, the South West Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, the Council Bluffs, Iowa, Police Department, the Omaha, Nebraska, Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
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Fort Dodge Landlord Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Use Fire to Commit Wire FraudRead the Press Release
A woman who collected over $78,000 from State Farm Insurance for losses stemming from the arson of a rental dwelling she owned in Fort Dodge, Iowa, pled guilty today in federal court in Sioux City.
Shirley Weimer, age, 67 a Fort Dodge, Iowa, landlord pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to knowingly use fire to commit wire fraud in violation of federal law.
At the plea hearing, the evidence revealed Weimer had recruited a tenant of hers, Lisa Young, to burn down the home that Weimer owned and rented to Young. Weimer promised Young $10,000 of the insurance money for her role in the crime. Eventually, Weimer recruited Ashley and Gerald Straight and others into her scheme to defraud the insurance company. The scheme was executed, and the rental dwelling was intentionally (and completely) destroyed by fire.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Weimer remains free on bond previously set pending sentencing. Weimer faces a 120 month sentence, a $250,000 fine, $100 in special assessments, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment. Lisa Young will be sentenced for her role in the crime on April 22, 2014. Ashley Straight will be sentenced for her role in the crime on April 22, 2014, and Gerald Straight will be sentenced for his role in the crime on April 29, 2014.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 13-3035.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Otho Volunteer Fire Department, the Iowa Department of Public Safety -- State Fire Marshal's Division, the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, and the Fort Dodge Police Department. The case was prosecuted Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild
Former Washington Park Trustee and St. Clair County Probation Officer Sentenced on Health Care Fraud ChargeRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsStephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on April 1, 2014, Darron A. Suggs, 39, of Washington Park, Illinois, was sentenced on the one-count indictment charging that he engaged in a scheme to commit health care fraud in the United States District Court in East St. Louis, Illinois. The district court sentenced Suggs to serve five (5) years of probation. The district court also ordered Suggs to pay $64,867.00 in restitution to the Illinois Department of Human Services and pay a special assessment of $100.00.
Suggs admitted that he had submitted false and fraudulent bills in relation to his alleged performance of personal assistant services in the Home Services Program, a Medicaid Waiver Program designed to allow individuals to stay in their homes instead of entering a nursing home. Suggs admitted to falsely billing the program between June 30, 2006 and April 16, 2013, when he purportedly rendered personal assistant services to two individuals when he, in fact, did not. As a result, Suggs stole $64,867.00 in payments for services not performed.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services -Office of Inspector General and the Illinois State Police - Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Liam Coonan.
If you suspect or know of an individual or company that is not complying with healthcare laws or public aid programs, you may report this activity to the local office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, or you may call 800.447.8477.
Former Taylor County, Kentucky Deputy Sheriff Guilty of Distribution of Anabolic SteroidsRead the Press Release
– Wore Taylor County Sheriff’s Department uniform and drove law enforcement vehicle during distribution
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A former Taylor County, Kentucky deputy sheriff pleaded guilty today, before Chief Judge Joseph H. McKinley Jr., to charges of distributing anabolic steroids, a Schedule III controlled substance, announced David J. Hale, United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky.
William Allen Rice, age 38, of Campbellsville, pleaded guilty to all charges in a three-count federal indictment. According to the plea agreement, Rice sold Schedule III controlled substances on three separate occasions, between May 17, 2013 and August 10, 2013. On May 17, 2013, the defendant sold a bottle of Boldenone Undecylenate, a Schedule III non-narcotic, to another individual for $150. On August 8, 2013, the defendant sold a bottle of Nandrolone Decanoate, a Schedule III non-narcotic, to another individual for $150. On August 22, 2013, the defendant sold ten bottles of Testosterone Enanthate from Lightning Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge, Massachusetts, an anabolic steroid and a Schedule III non-narcotic, to another individual for $950.
Rice was observed driving his assigned Taylor County Sheriff’s Office vehicle to prearranged meeting locations and wore his Taylor County Sheriff’s Office uniform and a pistol on his hip during one transaction with a confidential human source.
Rice was charged in a criminal complaint on October 1, 2013 and subsequently charged by federal grand jury indictment on October 16, 2013. The charges exposed Rice to a combined maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years, a combined maximum fine of $1,500,000, and a 2-year term of supervised release.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda E. Gregory and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Kentucky State Police.
Former Police Officer Convicted of Excessive Force and Obstruction ChargesRead the Press Release
Today, a federal jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota sitting in Bismarck, N.D., convicted Lindrith Tsoodle, 58, of one felony count and one misdemeanor count of using excessive force on persons in his custody in November and December of 2010. Tsoodle was also convicted of making false statements to a federal law enforcement officer, and was acquitted of tampering with a witness.
Tsoodle, a former police officer with the Three Affiliated Tribes Police Department in New Town, N.D., on the Fort Berthold Reservation, was found guilty of violating the rights of two people in his custody by using excessive force. Specifically, he was convicted of twisting the neck of a handcuffed suspect, throwing him to the ground and kneeing him in the abdomen. He was also convicted of, on a separate occasion, excessively tightening the handcuffs of an arrestee, slamming him against the wall, using pepper spray on the arrestee and striking him with his hands and a baton. Both assaults occurred while the suspects were restrained and were not posing a physical threat to the defendant.
Additionally, Tsoodle was found guilty of making various false statements to a U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs Special Agent, who interviewed the defendant following one of the assaults.
“Our constitutional system of government requires police officers to abide by the laws they enforce, and to protect the constitutional rights of all persons in their custody,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels of the Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice and the Civil Rights Division will vigorously prosecute law enforcement officers who use excessive force.”
Tsoodle faces a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years for the federal excessive force count, a statutory maximum sentence of one year for the misdemeanor and faces a statutory maximum penalty of five years for the false statements count.
This case was investigated by the Minot Resident Agency of the Minneapolis Division of the FBI and was prosecuted by Special Litigation Counsel Gerard Hogan and Trial Attorney Nicholas Durham of the Civil Rights Division.
Former Owner of New Jersey Private Detective Firm Sentenced to Prison for Social Security Disability FraudRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. - A Hunterdon County, N.J., man was sentenced today to 23 months in prison for fraudulently collecting Social Security disability payments while continuing to do work he claimed he was unable to do for his private detective firm, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
David Disney, 46, of Alexandria Township and Saddle Brook Township, N.J. – and the former owner of DM Disney & Associates – previously pleaded guilty after one day of trial to one count of theft of government funds contained in the indictment against him. He entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Faith S. Hochberg, who also imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Disney applied for disability insurance payments in the fall of 2003 as a result of a head injury he suffered in January of that year. In his application, Disney claimed an inability to work, take care of himself or his finances, or even to concentrate for more than five minutes. Based on that application, Disney and his two dependent children were deemed eligible for monthly disability benefit payments to replace his lost income. By signing the application, Disney agreed to notify the Social Security Administration if there was any improvement in his medical condition or if he regained the ability to work and earn income.
During the time that Disney was receiving disability benefits, he continued to perform surveillance for clients of DM Disney & Associates, marketed his business through personal appearances on The Maury Povich Show, testified before the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board on behalf of clients and even applied to renew his New Jersey Private Detective License and purchase a handgun.
Between 2003 and 2008, Disney collected more than $144,000 in monthly disability payments to which he was not entitled by continuing to make false statements to the Social Security Administration and underreporting the income he was earning.
Disney admitted he took the benefits knowing he was not entitled to them.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Hochberg sentenced Disney to serve two years of supervised release and ordered him to pay a $5,000 fine and $144,000 in restitution to the Social Security Administration.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Ryan of the New York Field Division, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Danielle Alfonzo Walsman and Osmar J. Benvenuto of the U.S. Attorney’s Criminal Division in Newark.14-115
Defense counsel: James Patton Esq., Livingston, N.J.
Former Mutual Benefits Corporation Trustee Sentenced to Ten Years for His Role in $1 Billion MBC SchemeRead the Press Release
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, announce that Anthony Livoti, Jr., 65, of Fort Lauderdale, was sentenced today in Miami by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola, Jr. to ten years in prison. Livoti was also ordered to pay over $800 million in restitution to fraud victims.
Livoti was convicted after nearly a three-month trial by a Miami federal jury of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. ' 1349, 1956(h), and 1341, respectively. The verdict was the result of Livoti’s participation in a scheme to defraud approximately 30,000 victims who invested in the viatical and life settlement company Mutual Benefits Corp. (MBC). According to the indictment, Livoti and others, including Joel Steinger, a/k/a “Joel Steiner,” Steven Steiner a/k/a Steven Steinger, and Michael McNerney, raised more than $1.25 billion from these investor-victims before being shut down by federal regulators in May 2004. Steven Steiner received a fifteen-year sentence and Joel Steinger, who recently pled guilty, is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Scola on June 6, 2014.
According to the evidence presented at trial, from approximately 1994 to May 2004, MBC purchased life insurance policies from the elderly, as well as persons suffering from AIDS and other chronic illnesses. Thereafter, MBC sold fractionalized interests in insurance policy death benefits, known as “viatical settlements,” to approximately 30,000 investor-victims. MBC told investors that its viatical settlements offered a fixed rate of return with low risk, and that investors’ principal and returns were paid by the insurance companies. Evidence presented at trial established that MBC misrepresented many important facts relating to its viatical settlements, including, for example, the estimated life expectancies of the insured persons, MBC’s fraudulent methods used to acquire life insurance policies, the risks associated with certain policies, the payment of premiums, and the source of funds used to pay investors.
Anthony Livoti, Jr., an attorney licensed by the State of Florida, was MBC’s premium trustee, and as a result was entrusted with millions of dollars of investor money placed in bank accounts under his control. Livoti was also the designated “trustee” of thousands of the insurance policies sold by MBC. Evidence showed that Livoti assisted MBC with the marketing of its fraudulent investment by meeting with investors in his Fort Lauderdale law office and encouraging them to purchase MBC investments.
Witnesses testified that new investor money was regularly used to pay premiums on life insurance policies purchased by earlier investors and to pay investors who requested their money back. In Ponzi-like fashion, Livoti and his co-conspirators were using new investor money to pay for earlier investor obligations. As the fraud continued, eventually investor money was required to prevent the MBC Ponzi from collapsing. Ultimately, investors lost more than $800 million.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and the Miami Regional Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission, which previously brought a civil action against MBC and its principals. This case was tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Rochlin and Roger Cruz.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Former L&I Deputy Commissioner Indicted on Fraud and Extortion ChargesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA - Dominic Verdi, 58, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was charged today by indictment with Hobbs Act Conspiracy, Hobbs Act Extortion, and Honest Services Fraud, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger.
The indictment alleges that Verdi, a former deputy commissioner of the Department of Licenses and Inspections for the City of Philadelphia and a member of the Philadelphia Public Nuisance Task Force, also had an ownership interest in a beer distributor named “Chappy’s Beer, Butts, and Bets.” The indictment further alleges that Verdi used his official position to coerce Philadelphia bar and restaurant owners to purchase beer from Chappy’s in exchange for favorable treatment from Verdi. The indictment also alleges that Verdi lied to employees of Philadelphia’s Inspector General’s office to conceal his ownership in Chappy’s.
If convicted the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 140 years in prison, three years supervised release, a maximum fine of $1.75 million, and a $700 special assessment.
The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the City of Philadelphia Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Axelrod.
Click here to view the indictment
An Indictment, Information or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, EASTERN DISTRICTof PENNSYLVANIA
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PATTY HARTMAN, Media Contact, 215-861-8525Former East Carroll Parish Sheriff Pleads Guilty to Aiding A Felon in Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that former East Carroll Parish Sheriff Mark Wayne Shumate, 52, of Lake Providence, La., pleaded guilty Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. Hayes, to aiding and abetting a felon in the possession of a firearm.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Shumate and a convicted felon went hunting January 8, 2014. Shumate knew the person accompanying him was barred from possessing and firing a firearm because of the companion’s status as a convicted felon.
Shumate faces up to 10 years in prison, one to three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine for one count of aiding and abetting a felon in possession of a firearm. Sentencing is set for July 7, 2014.
The FBI and ATF conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph G. Jarzabek is prosecuting the case.
Former Correctional Officer Sentenced for Murder-for-hire SchemeRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a former correctional officer at the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Mo., has been sentenced in federal court for hiring someone to kill his wife’s ex-husband.
Robert W. Jones, 43, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips on Monday, March 31, 2014, to six years in federal prison without parole.
On Nov. 13, 2013, Jones pleaded guilty to using a telephone with the intent that a murder be committed for payment. According to court documents, Jones contacted an inmate at the federal medical center while he was employed as a correctional officer. Jones asked him to assist in hiring a hit man to murder his wife’s ex-husband (referred to as “John Doe” in public court documents). Jones was aware that the inmate had been in a leadership position in a drug-trafficking organization, an affidavit says, and had connections to individuals who could carry out such a request.
The inmate, who was cooperating with investigators, met with Jones for 10 to 15 private conversations in March and April 2012. Jones offered to give the inmate a cell phone to call a hit man, avoiding the possibility of the conversation being recorded if the call were placed on a landline at the prison.
As a part of a routine quarterly personnel shift at the medical center, Jones was moved to a different unit and was therefore unable to meet with the inmate for a period of time. The inmate later reestablished contact with Jones after being moved to a cell in the same unit that Jones was assigned. They met again on June 21, 2012, the first day they were in the unit at the same time. They had multiple meetings during July 2012, with Jones standing outside the inmate’s jail cell and speaking to him through an opening in the door. All the meetings were captured on the unit’s surveillance system. During one of those meetings, Jones told the inmate that his wife had left him and took all their belongings except the couch, television and bills, and he blamed John Doe for his wife’s departure.
An undercover FBI agent posed as a hit man named Chuey, and the inmate gave Jones a telephone number to contact Chuey. Jones contacted Chuey and made arrangements to meet in the food court located inside the Battlefield Mall in Springfield. At that meeting, Jones told the undercover agent he would pay him $1,500 to murder John Doe and provided the undercover agent with a photograph of John Doe, his home address, and $1,500 in cash. At the conclusion of the meeting, Jones was arrested.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners Special Investigative Support, the FBI and the Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General.Former Belen Police Department Detective Pleads Guilty to Using Excessive Force Against ArresteeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – John Lytle, 41, a former detective with the Belen Police Department in Belen, N.M., pleaded guilty in federal court today to violating an arrestee’s civil rights by assaulting him during the course of an investigative stop and arrest.
During his guilty plea, Lytle admitted that on March 15, 2012, while working in his capacity as a Belen Police Department detective, he repeatedly struck the victim, identified by the initials R.A., who was handcuffed and compliant during the entire course of the stop. Lytle further admitted that, at one point during the stop, he pulled the handcuffed victim from the back of a police squad car, threw him to the ground, and struck him again. The victim suffered injuries to his face and torso as a result of Lytle’s assault.
Under the terms of his plea agreement, Lytle will be sentenced to five years of probation. He also will be precluded from working or seeking future employment as a law enforcement officer in any capacity, and he must forfeit his law enforcement certification. Additionally, the Court may impose a fine, or order Lytle to pay restitution to the victim.
“The defendant has admitted that he, in his capacity as a law enforcement officer, violated a person’s constitutional rights,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels for the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute those who use the trust and authority of their official position to engage in acts of criminal misconduct.”
Today’s plea resulted from the investigative work of the Albuquerque Division of the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico Mark T. Baker and Trial Attorney Julia Gegenheimer of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.
Fayetteville Woman Sentenced for Involuntary Manslaugter in Death of Fort Bragg SoldierRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that today in federal court, SARAH ASHLEY ROGERS, 22was sentenced by Senior United States District Judge W. Earl Britt to 96 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,388,145.29. On September 19, 2013, ROGERS pled guilty to one count of Involuntary Manslaughter in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1112, and one count of Driving While Impaired in violation of Title 18, United States Code section 13, assimilating North Carolina General Statute 20-138.1.
The investigation revealed that in the early morning hours of December 8, 2012 ROGERS was stopped at an impaired driving checkpoint on Bragg Boulevard operated by Fort Bragg Law Enforcement. The officers immediately noticed extensive front end damage to the car, including what appeared to be blood and brain matter embedded in the shattered windshield. As they approached ROGERS, police noticed that both airbags in the car had recently deployed. When they approached the car, ROGERS stated that she “may” have hit something. A breathalyzer test was administered to ROGERS and the intoximeter calculated her blood alcohol concentration at .25%. The body of Private Richard Bradley Powell was found approximately 1.4 miles from the checkpoint and he was declared dead at the scene. Private Powell had recently finished basic training and had arrived at Fort Bragg only a few days prior. At the time he was struck by ROGERS, he was wearing his Army-issue physical training jacket, which had a reflective strip. That night, Private Powell had left his barracks room, walked to a convenience store on Fort Bragg, purchased groceries, and walked back towards his barracks. As he crossed over Bragg Boulevard at Gruber Road, he was struck by ROGERS who was traveling north at approximately 75 mph in a 50 mph zone and did not apply her brakes. He was in the well-lit intersection. Private Powell did not have any drugs or alcohol in his system.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Fort Bragg Military Police, Fort Bragg Criminal Investigative Detachment, Fort Bragg Department of the Army Uniformed Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Leslie Cooley and former Special Assistant United States Attorney David Coleman prosecuted the case of the government.
Employee Charged with Defrauding Gatto Cycle Shop in TarentumRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – An Allegheny County resident has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of mail fraud, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The 10-count indictment named Brandon Bucinski, 33, of Brackenridge, Pa., as the sole defendant.
According to indictment, Bucinski defrauded Gatto Cycle Shop of the proceeds from the sale of certain of its merchandise on eBay. Bucinski was employed by Gatto to sell certain Gatto merchandise on eBay and to have the buyer remit the proceeds of sale to Gatto’s Paypal accounts. Bucinski sold the Gatto merchandise using his personal eBay and Paypal accounts and kept the proceeds from the sales for himself.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 200 years in prison, a fine of $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 Attorney Paul E. Hull is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Secret Service along with the Tarentum Police Department and detectives from the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office 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.
Dubuque Man Sentenced in Federal Court for Unlawful Possession of PseudoephedrineRead the Press Release
A man who started a fire in his home while cooking methamphetamine was sentenced on April 1, 2014, to more than fourteen years in federal prison.
Christopher Mayne, 34, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 18, 2013, guilty plea to one count of possession of pseudoephedrine knowing or having reasonable cause to believe it would be used to manufacture methamphetamine.
According to information disclosed during the prosecution, during a March 23, 2013, traffic stop, police seized 180 pills of pseudoephedrine from Mayne as well as items used to manufacture methamphetamine. At the time of the traffic stop, police were investigating Mayne in connection with a fire at his residence on December 4, 2012. The fire started in Mayne’s basement, where he was manufacturing methamphetamine, and spread to other areas of the house. Three minor children were present in the home at the time of the fire. The fire ultimately consumed the entire home.
Mayne was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. Mayne was sentenced to 169 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Mayne is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force, the Dubuque Police Department and the Dubuque Fire Department.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 13-CR-1017.
Denver Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DENVER – Jesse Evans, age 33, of Denver, Colorado, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge William J. Martinez to serve 252 months (21 years) in federal prison for production of child pornography, U.S. Attorney John Walsh, FBI Denver Division Special Agent in Charge Thomas Ravenelle and Denver Police Department Chief Robert White announced. Following his prison sentence, Evans was ordered to serve 25 years on supervised release. He will also have to register as a sex offender. The defendant, who appeared at the sentencing hearing in custody, was remanded at its conclusion.
Evans was first charged by Criminal Complaint on June 29, 2012. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 26, 2012. He was later charged by Information on June 12, 2013. He pled guilty before Judge Martinez to the sole count of the Information, production of child pornography, on that same date. He was sentenced today, April 1, 2014.
According to the facts contained in public court documents, on January 3, 2012, a Denver Police Department (DPD) detective initiated a child exploitation investigation. The DPD detective, acting in an undercover capacity, downloaded child pornography from another computer that was using peer-to-peer software to share files. The IP address the detective was downloading the files from had file names indicative of child pornography.
As the investigation continued, a search warrant was obtained and executed by the DPD on February 8, 2012 for Evans' residence. There were multiple computers in the residence, including two laptops. The DPD detective conducted a preview of one of the laptops, and located the downloaded file he obtained at the beginning of the investigation. It was later determined that Evans had access to three prepubescent minors.
On June 28, 2012, an FBI Special Agent who is an expert in child exploitation crimes spoke with the DPD detective. The FBI agent obtained a copy of the investigative file, which included all information obtained during the course of the investigation. The agent conducted review of the computers and located a total of nearly 100 images and videos of child pornography that the defendant produced of the three minors.
“Sexually assaulting children and recording that assault in photos or video, is an unspeakable crime that deserves severe and swift justice,” said U.S. Attorney John Walsh. “Our hearts go out to the victims in this case and their families. The defendant in this case was brought to justice by the hard work of the Denver Police Department and the FBI, working alongside a determined and able Assistant U.S. Attorney from this office. Their unflagging commitment to protecting children from predators like Evans deserves our profound thanks.”
“The work on this case is representative of the high priority the FBI places on finding those who exploit and perpetrate crimes against children,” said FBI Denver Division Special Agent in Charge Thomas Ravenelle. “The FBI will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute individuals who prey on our most vulnerable victims.”
Denver Police Chief Robert C. White said: “We have to continue to conduct operations of this nature to protect the most vulnerable members of our community – our children. We cannot allow an adult to ever exploit or take advantage of a child.”
This case was investigated by the Denver Police Department (DPD) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The Denver District Attorney’s Office filed state charges, and referred potential federal charges to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Judith Smith.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Defendants Plead Guilty to Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Jose A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announce that Scarlet Veres, and Steven M. Veres, III, both of Clermont, formerly of Broward County, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola, Jr. for their participation in a scheme to evade paying taxes on income received through their construction company following the 2004 and 2005 hurricanes.
Scarlet and Steven Veres each pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. At sentencing, the defendants face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
According to court documents, Scarlet Veres and Steven M. Veres III, who was then a licensed general contractor, were the sole shareholders of Superior Contracting, Inc., a Broward County-based construction company. In 2005, Superior Contracting, Inc. received millions of dollars from contracts to make hurricane-related repairs, including a contract to make repairs at a condominium development in Fort Pierce. During 2005, the defendants diverted corporate receipts of Superior Contracting, Inc. for their own use. In order to conceal their diversion of corporate funds, the defendants falsified the profit and loss statement of Superior Contracting, Inc. by characterizing personal expenses, including the purchase of property in Parkland, the construction of their personal residence on the Parkland property, the purchase of a residence in Osceola County, and a $550,000 personal real estate investment as business expenses. The defendants further falsified the profit and loss statement by claiming that a $400,000 personal real estate investment was a repayment of a fictitious loan previously made to Superior Construction, Inc. Pursuant to their plea agreements, the defendants agreed to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of $600,000.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the IRS-CI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Evans.
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.
Cupertino Businessman Pleads Guilty to High-Tech Worker Visa FraudRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE, CA - A Cupertino businessman pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday afternoon to 19 counts of Visa Fraud, U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag announced.
In pleading guilty, Balakrishnan Patwardhan admitted that between July 2008 and October 2010 he knowingly submitted to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services false immigration forms and supporting documentation in I-129 applications seeking to obtain H-1B visas for 19 applicants. I-129 petitions relate to the H-1B high-technology worker visa program which requires, among other things, that an American employer certify it has high-technology jobs that cannot be filled by Americans. Patwardhan submitted 19 fraudulent I-129 petitions in which he falsely represented that the applicants had high technology job offers with Gilead Sciences in Foster City, California, an American employer, when in reality he knew that he did not have jobs for the applicants. Patwardhan also admitted that he had included altered contracts and false Statements of Work that he had created in connection with the fraudulent I-129 applications.
Patwardhan, 53, of Cupertino, CA, was indicted on March 27, 2013 on 19 counts of Visa Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1546(a). As part of his plea agreement, Patwardhan pleaded guilty to all 19 counts of the indictment. Patwardhan also agreed to pay a $100,000 forfeiture money judgment constituting proceeds he obtained as a result of his Visa Fraud. Patwardhan has been out of custody since his March 29, 2013 arrest on a $50,000 bond with one of the conditions of his pretrial release being that he not provide consulting services for technology companies or provide any visa services.
Patwardhan’s sentencing is scheduled for August 18, 2014 at 1:30 p.m. before United States District Judge Edward J. Davila in San Jose, CA. The maximum statutory penalty for Visa Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1546(a) is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Joseph Fazioli and Jeff Nedrow are the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who are prosecuting the case with the aid of Legal Assistants Laurie Worthen and Susan Kreider. The prosecution is the result of an investigation led by the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service’s representative to the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF) overseen by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations. The DBFTF is a multi-agency task force that coordinates investigations into fraudulent immigration documents. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s Office of Fraud Detection and National Security also assisted with the investigation.
(Patwardhan indictment )
Columbia County Man Sentenced to More Than 6 Years for Receiving Child Pornography over the InternetRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard today sentenced John George Sessine (59, Lake City) to 6 years and 3 months in federal prison for receiving images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of minor children over the Internet. He was also sentenced to a 10-year term of supervision and ordered to register as a sex offender, following his incarceration. Sessine has been in custody since his arrest in Lake City on June 5, 2013.
According to court documents, on June 5, 2013, FBI agents and other law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at a residence occupied by Sessine, in Lake City, Florida. The FBI had previously learned that at least one computer using an Internet Protocol (IP) address that resolved to this residence was sharing videos of child pornography over the Internet. Sessine was at the residence and was interviewed by the agents. During an interview, Sessine stated that he used a particular file sharing program to download images and videos, and that the youngest child depicted on his computer was 10 or 12 years old. A forensic analysis of Sessine’s computer media revealed that he had collected 107 images and 104 videos of minor children being sexually abused.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another 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.
Collin County Man Guilty in Plano ISD Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
Department of Justice
Office of Public AffairsPLANO, Texas – A 59-year-old Princeton, Texas man has pleaded guilty in connection with his role in a conspiracy to embezzle over $2.5 million from the Plano Independent School District, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today.
Kris Wilson Gentz pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with conspiracy to commit federal program fraud today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Don Bush.
According to information presented in court, from August 2001 to December 2013, Gentz was employed by the Plano ISD as a Manager and Security and Fire Systems Security Support Specialist. Gentz was responsible for ensuring that Plano ISD schools were equipped with fire and security alarms that were properly maintained. Between 2004 and December 2013, Gentz and two other individuals set up two companies called Fire System Specialists (FSS) and Digital Security Solutions (DSS) that were allegedly in the business of maintaining fire safety systems and security systems. Gentz and his co-conspirators generated fraudulent FSS and DSS invoices and submitted them to Plano ISD for payment. Gentz, in his Plano ISD management role, corruptly approved these invoices; however the services and products referenced on the invoices were never provided or delivered. When payment was made to FSS and DSS, Gentz and his co-conspirators would split the profits between themselves. Over the course of the scheme, Gentz and his co-conspirators obtained over $2.5 million from Plano ISD. Gentz acknowledged that he had abused the position of trust that Plano ISD had given him.
“Public corruption always involves the breach of a position of trust,” said U.S. Attorney Bales, “and, even apart from the financial impact, erodes the trust of taxpayers and the community. We commend Plano ISD for discovering the corrupt conduct and reporting it to the authorities, and we recognize our law enforcement partners for their quick action in addressing this case. We intend this case to be a message that we will not tolerate public corruption in the Eastern District of Texas or anywhere else.”
"The FBI, Department of Education, Plano Police Department and Plano Independent School District should be commended for their collaborative investigative efforts which led to a quick resolution in this matter," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Diego Rodriguez.
“Today’s action shows that this individual not only knowingly and willfully abused his position of trust for personal gain, but he did so at the expense of the educational development of children. That is unacceptable," said Marcus Culpepper, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Southwest Regional Office. “As the law enforcement arm of the U.S. Department of Education, I’m proud of the work of OIG special agents and our law enforcement colleagues for holding this man accountable for his criminal actions and for cheating Plano’s students.”
Gentz faces up to five years in federal prison. A date for sentencing has not yet been set.
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The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General and the Plano Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shamoil T. Shipchandler.Chief Executive Officer of ACI Capital Group Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Using Investment Advisory Firm to Steal Clients’ Money and Lying to the SECRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY – Fredrick Douglas Scott, 29, the Chief Executive Officer of ACI Capital Group LLC (“ACI”), an investment adviser registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), was sentenced today in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, to 63 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. As part of the sentence, Scott was ordered to pay more than $1,388,190 in restitution to the defrauded victims. In September 2013, Scott waived indictment and pleaded guilty to engaging in a wire fraud conspiracy to steal over a million dollars from investors, and lying to officials from the SEC who were conducting a regulatory examination of ACI.
The sentence was announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and George Venizelos, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Filed Office (“FBI”).
“Fredrick Douglas Scott claimed to be a part of history. In reality he was a con man and a thief who fleeced unsuspecting retail investors, his so-called clients, out of more than a million dollars. Rather than help his clients invest their hard earned money, Scott stole their money for his own personal use to buy expensive dinners, clothes, and other goods and services. Scott then lied to SEC examiners who were investigating his firm. Instead of a place in the history books, Scott’s crimes bought him a room with the Bureau of Prisons for 63 months. We remain committed to protecting the retail investor from the effects of fraudsters like Scott,” stated United States Attorney Lynch. Ms. Lynch thanked the FBI, the agency responsible for leading the government’s investigation, and the SEC, Division of Enforcement in New York, for their assistance in this case.
ACI was founded by Scott in 2009 and purported to be an investment banking and advisory firm with an office located at 477 Madison Avenue, New York, New York. ACI registered as an Investment Adviser with the SEC in July 2011 and, pursuant to its most recent regulatory filing, claimed to manage $3.7 billion in assets. While Scott touted his bona fides as an investor to potential clients, including distributing the May 2010 issue of Ebony magazine, which described him as “the youngest African American hedge fund founder in history,” in reality, Scott used ACI to execute his fraudulent scheme, causing over a million dollars in losses.
In connection with his scheme, Scott worked with intermediaries or finders to locate potential victims. Once a potential victim was identified, Scott promised a high rate of return for providing short-term financing to businesses purportedly associated with ACI. Once victims wired money to ACI, Scott stole the funds for his personal use. Scott used client funds to purchase personal items at Louis Vuitton, the Apple Store, Starbucks, Fair Bail Bonds, True Religion Jeans, Tao Restaurant, the Hampton Inn SoHo, and Dizzy’s Coca-Cola Club, among others. Scott also wired stolen client funds to his personal checking account.
The sentencing proceeding was held before U.S. District Judge Roslynn R. Mauskopf.
This case was brought in coordination with President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. President Obama established the interagency task force to wage an aggressive, coordinated, and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. The task force includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general, and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources. The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch, and with state and local partners, to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets, and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James P. Loonam.
The Defendant:
FREDRICK DOUGLAS SCOTT
Age: 29
Chicago Man Admits Stealing More Than $1 Million Worth of Iphones and IpadsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. - A Chicago man today admitted he stole more than $1 million worth of iPhones and iPads from Verizon Wireless through an elaborate scheme that involved misappropriating corporate purchasing accounts and then diverting the shipments by bribing Federal Express drivers, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Stephen Gunn, 36, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi in Newark federal court to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Gunn accessed the online accounts of dozens of Verizon’s customers, including several customers located in New Jersey, and used those accounts to place unauthorized orders for electronics products, primarily, smart phones and accessories. He directed the fraudulently ordered products be shipped to addresses in Texas, including several addresses that did not exist, via Federal Express.
At Gunn’s direction, two Federal Express drivers intercepted the shipments, removed the contents, and re-shipped the contents to addresses in Illinois provided by Gunn. In exchange, Gunn paid the drivers each thousands of dollars. Gunn fraudulently obtained approximately 1,700 items—including several hundred Apple iPhones and iPads, Blackberry devices, and Motorola phones—worth more than $1 million.
The conspiracy to commit wire fraud count to which Gunn pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for July 15, 2014.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark, for the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel V. Shapiro of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Crimes Section of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: David Holman Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, NewarkGunn, Stephen Indictment
Cheektowaga Man Sentenced on Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.--U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Kevin Zimmerman, 24, of Cheektowaga, N.Y., who was convicted of being an armed career criminal in possession of a firearm, was sentenced to 180 months by Chief U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney George C. Burgasser, who handled the case, the defendant was previously convicted in State Court in 2010 of four counts of Attempted Burglary. Zimmerman then stole two firearms during the commission of burglaries in 2012 making him a felon in possession of firearms which he then sold to Gander Mountain and the Buffalo Gun Center.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Cannon, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda, the U.S. Marshal’s Violent Felony Fugitive Task Force, under the direction of Marshal Charles Salina and the New York State Parole Division, under the direction of Commissioner Jeffrey Fischer.Caribbean Corridor Strike Force Dismantles Drug Trafficking Organization Responsible for Transporting Drugs and Money Between Puerto Rico-Culebra-St ThomasRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, PR – This morning, the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force (CCSF) dismantled a drug trafficking organization responsible for the importation of multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine into Puerto Rico and the transportation of drug money between Puerto Rico-Culebra-St. Thomas announced United States Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez today.
On March 27, 2014, a federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment charging David Pina-Lico, aka El Negro; Alexis Acosta-Monell, aka Pulpo; Johnathan Saldaña-Garcia; Victor Cruz-Resto, aka Pulga, Charlie Martinez-Pimentel, aka Pajarito; Noel Rodriguez-Lopez, aka Gordo, aka Gordo Gurabo; Israel Adorno-Perez, aka Rafita, Aka Gafita with participating in a conspiracy to import controlled substances, conspiracy to possess controlled substances, namely cocaine, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, and money laundering.
The investigation leading to today’s arrests uncovered that members of this organization would take orders from individuals in Puerto Rico interested in purchasing kilogram quantities of cocaine in St. Thomas. The organization would receive the money for the payment of the narcotics from the buyers in Puerto Rico and would coordinate the delivery of the money to the sellers in St. Thomas. Once the money arrived to St Thomas, the organization would arrange for the smuggling of the narcotics into Puerto Rico. The organization coordinated the movement of drugs and money in phases: The money was first moved from the east coast of Puerto Rico to Culebra, either in motor vessels or via the ferry; once the money arrived to Culebra, it was then transported to St. Thomas in motor vessels. The drugs were smuggled into Puerto Rico using the same system, from St Thomas to Culebra, and then to Puerto Rico.
The indictment includes a forfeiture allegation for the proceeds obtained as a result of the organization’s illegal activities, the motor vessels that were used during the smuggling operations, and a vehicle.
“These arrests are a clear indication of the success of the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force in the fight against drug trafficking. Today’s arrests dismantles an organization that coordinated not only the traffic of drugs within the eastern Caribbean, but also the movement of drug money, essential to the success of these illegal activities,” said Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “We will continue maximizing all of our combined resources to investigate and prosecute those who disregard our laws and try to smuggle illegal contraband into our jurisdiction.”“The DEA Caribbean Division will continue its effort to fight the drug trafficking organizations who continue to utilize the eastern Caribbean Corridor between Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, using the Islands of Culebra and Vieques as transshipment points,” said Vito Salvatore Guarino, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Caribbean Division. “These arrests are one more example that the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force continues to prove its value as an effective tool to coordinate multi-agency efforts to disrupt and stop the flow of drugs between Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands via Culebra and Vieques.”
“These arrests are proof that Homeland Security Investigations remains vigilant and that along with our partners in the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force will continue using our robust investigative authorities to identify, investigate and apprehend those involved in drug trafficking,” said Angel M. Melendez, special agent in charge of HSI San Juan. “HSI and our CCSF partners will not tolerate the importation of illegal drugs into the United States through Puerto Rico.”
The case was investigated by agents from the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force (CCSF). The CCSF is an initiative of the U.S. Attorney's Office created to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations operating in the Caribbean. CCSF is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) that investigates South American-based drug trafficking organizations responsible for the movement of multi-kilogram quantities of narcotics using the Caribbean as a transshipment point for further distribution to the United States. The initiative is composed of DEA, HSI, FBI, US Coast Guard, US Attorney Office for the District of Puerto Rico, and PRPD's Joint Forces for Rapid Action.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlos R. Cardona.The defendants are facing terms of imprisonment from 10 years to life for the narcotics violations and up to 20 years for the money laundering violations. Criminal indictments are only charges and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Carbon County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a Carbon County man was sentenced yesterday, in federal court in Scranton by Senior United States District Judge Edwin M. Kosik, to serve 30 months in prison on the charge of being an unlawful user of controlled substances in possession of firearms.
According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, Jordan Bachert, age 29, of Lansford, Carbon County, previously admitted to being an unlawful user of controlled substances in 2011 and 2012, a time period in which he purchased and possessed several firearms in Carbon County. Bachert pled guilty on October 9, 2013 to a criminal information filed on September 16, 2013.
In addition to the prison term, Senior Judge Kosik also ordered that Bachert be supervised by a probation officer for two years following his release from prison.
The case resulted from an investigation concerning drug and firearms trafficking in Carbon and Schuylkill Counties conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Nesquehoning and Lansford Police Departments in Carbon County.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara.
Brothers Charged in Fraud on Pennsylvania BusinessRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA - An indictment was unsealed yesterday charging Owen Moore, 50, of Pottstown, PA, and Larry Moore, 52, of East Hampton, Connecticut, in a scheme to defraud a Pennsylvania corporation, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. The indictment charges the brothers with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and mail fraud for conspiring to defraud Siemens Corporation of $263,739.84. Owen Moore is also charged with wire fraud.
The alleged scheme was carried out between February 2008 and May 2010, while Owen Moore was employed as finance manager at Siemens’ Malvern, Pennsylvania office. Larry Moore owned and operated Benchmark Solutions, LLC, out of East Hampton, Connecticut. The indictment alleges that Owen Moore directed his brother to submit fraudulent invoices to Siemens from Benchmark Solutions. Larry Moore deposited 19 checks from Siemens and forwarded half of the proceeds to his brother.
It is further alleged that Owen Moore defrauded Siemens of an additional $42,291.28 which was used for tuition and other expenses not authorized by the company. Moore allegedly had some of his employees charge the expenses on their company-issued credit cards which he then approved.
If convicted, Owen Moore faces an advisory sentencing guideline range of approximately 46 to 57 months in prison plus restitution; Larry Moore faces an advisory sentencing guideline range of approximately 30 to 37 months in prison plus restitution.
The case was investigated by the Secret Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Diviny.
Click here to view the indictment
An Indictment or 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, 215-861-8525Bronx Man Pleads Guilty to Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr., announced today that Tyrus Harris, 36, of the Bronx, N.Y., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr., to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum 40 years, a fine of $5,000,000.00, or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank H. Sherman, who handled the case, stated that the defendant participated in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine from 2005 until August 2012. During the time period of the conspiracy, in New York City, Harris arranged for the distribution of quantities of cocaine with others to individuals who were transporting the drugs to Rochester and distributing them. The defendant admitted that at least 3.5 kilograms of cocaine was involved in this conduct.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division, investigators with the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Ciminelli, and Special Agents of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Shantelle P. Kitchen, Acting Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Office.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 30, 2014, at 4:00 p.m. before Judge Geraci.Branson Man Indicted for Clean Water Act Violations, Falsified Reports of Pollution DischargeRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Branson, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for making false statements.
Earl Patrick Kearney, 60, of Branson, was charged in a 12-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo.
Kearney was employed by the Overlook subdivision and the Morningside development in Stone County, Mo., to operate their wastewater treatment facilities from May 2010 to August 2011. Kearney was responsible for conducting wastewater sampling at the facilities and submitting those results to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
Today’s indictment alleges that Kearney altered the reports he submitted to the state so that it appeared the Overlook subdivision and the Morningside development were in compliance with their wastewater discharge permits.
Kearney submitted quarterly Wastewater Discharge Monitoring Reports that reported sampling results for total phosphorous, one of the pollutants that is required to be reported for both facilities. All of the reports represented that the Overlook subdivision and Morningside development wastewater treatment facilities were in compliance with their permits. However, the actual laboratory testing data that Kearney received, following his submission of samples for testing, placed both wastewater treatment facilities in violation of their permits during every quarter for which samples were analyzed. After Kearney received the laboratory testing data, he allegedly caused the numbers to be altered on the reports that were subsequently submitted to the state.
The Overlook subdivision wastewater treatment facility discharged to Table Rock Lake. The Morningside development wastewater treatment facility discharged to an unnamed tributary to Brush Creek, a tributary of Table Rock Lake.
Kearney is charged with five counts of making false statements in regard to the Overlook subdivision reports and seven counts of making false statements in regard to the Morningside development reports.
Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Mohlhenrich. It was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.Bowling Green Man Guilty of Growing Marijuana in Mammoth Cave National Park and Warren CountyRead the Press Release
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - A Bowling Green, Kentucky man pleaded guilty today, in United States District Court to conspiracy to manufacture marijuana inside Mammoth Cave National Park and inside a residence located in Warren County, Kentucky announced David J. Hale, United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky.
Robert Williams, age 28, pleaded guilty to a four-count federal indictment admitting that between May 4, 2011, and continuing to on or about October 8, 2011, he and co-defendant Ryan Pitcock, of Bowling Green, knowingly and intentionally conspired and agreed together and with each other to manufacture less than 50 Kilograms of marijuana, a schedule I controlled substance inside Mammoth Cave National Park. Williams also admitted to manufacturing marijuana and mushrooms containing psilocin and psilocybin within their residence in Warren County.
According to the plea agreement, search warrants obtained by Kentucky State Police for Williams’ and Pitcock’s apartment in Warren County revealed an extensive marijuana growing operation, processed marijuana for distribution, mushrooms containing psilocin and psilocybin being grown and packaged for distribution, and several stun guns.
Pitcock pleaded guilty to the charges on August 21, 2012 and was sentenced by Chief Judge Joseph H. McKinley, Jr. to 12 months and one day in prison followed by a two year period of supervised release.
If convicted at trial, Williams faces a combined maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,5000,000 and a two year period of supervised release.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Judd, and it was investigated by the National Park Service Rangers and the Kentucky State Police.
Billings Bank President Sentenced for $413,000 Bank Fraud, Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that the former president of the Bank of Billings in Billings, Mo., was sentenced in federal court today for a $413,000 bank fraud and money laundering scheme.
Matthew D. Spillman, 35, of Nixa, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 30 months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Spillman to pay $179,952 in restitution to the Bank of Billings and $233,952 in restitution to BancInsure.
Spillman was the president of Bank of Billings until he was terminated for misappropriating bank funds. Spillman engaged in a scheme to defraud and embezzle from the Bank of Billings from May 20, 2011, until he was suspended from his position on April 13, 2012.
On Oct. 11, 2013, Spillman pleaded guilty to bank fraud and money laundering. As a part of the fraud scheme, Spillman caused the bank to grant loans in nominee names, and kept the loan proceeds for himself. Spillman also added debt to loans without the borrowers’ knowledge, and converted the additional funds to his own use. He advanced funds on bank customers’ lines of credit, and converted those funds to his own use. Spillman used a bank credit card for personal expenses. He embezzled and converted to his own use loan payments made by bank customers. Spillman also caused the bank to issue cashier’s checks without depositing funds to cover those checks.
By pleading guilty, Spillman acknowledged that the total financial harm he caused the Bank of Billings as a result of his scheme to defraud was $413,905.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Mohlhenrich. It was investigated by the FBI, the FDIC-Office of Inspector General and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Beaver Falls Teen Charged in Shooters Place BurglaryRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A Beaver County resident has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of conspiracy, stealing firearms from the inventory of a Federally Licensed Firearms Dealer, and possession of stolen firearms, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The three-count indictment named Kyle Jones, 19, formerly of Beaver Falls, Pa., as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, in or around February of 2014, Jones, along with another individual known to the grand jury as JS, conspired to burglarize Shooters Place, a Federally Licensed Firearms Dealer, located at 416-F Constitution Boulevard in New Brighton, Pa. The Indictment further charges that on or about Feb. 7, 2014, Jones and JS stole and illegally possessed 14 firearms from Shooters Place.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 25 years in prison, a fine of $750,000 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 Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, in conjunction with the Patterson Township Police Department, the Beaver County Sheriff’s Office, the Beaver County Detective Bureau, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Beaver Falls Police Department, and the New Brighton 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.
Baltimore Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison in Armed Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
Co-Conspirators Admitted to Committing up to 22 Armed Robberies of Stores and Businesses
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Marvin J. Garbis sentenced Dion Mitchell Doram, age 23, of Baltimore, Maryland today to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for commercial robbery and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Commissioner Anthony W. Batts of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Anne Arundel County Police Chief Kevin Davis.
According to his plea agreement and court documents, Doram, Quindell Gardner, Tavon McPhaul and others robbed stores in the Baltimore area. After deciding which place to rob, the conspirators would steal a car to use during the robbery. They also used a gun during the robberies to steal cash and cigarettes.
Doram admitted that he participated in at least four armed robberies of convenience stores. On June 21 and June 30, 2012, Doram entered stores on West 41st Street, and on Washington Boulevard, respectively, in Baltimore, brandishing a sawed-off shotgun. Money and cigarettes were taken from employees in each robbery.
On July 4, 2012, Doram entered a store on North Dundalk Avenue in Dundalk, Maryland, carrying a sawed-off shotgun. Gardner entered the store with Doram and stole money and cigarettes from an employee. Doram and Gardner left the store and escaped in a stolen vehicle driven by McPhaul. Witnesses saw the getaway car and provided a description to police.
Shortly thereafter, while Doram waited in the get-away car, Gardner entered a convenience store on Eastern Avenue in Baltimore brandishing the same sawed-off shotgun Doram had used earlier that day. After stealing cash from an employee, Gardner and Doram escaped in the car driven by McPhaul. Police responding to the scene spotted the car and a chase ensued. Doram and Gardner jumped out the car during the chase and were arrested by Baltimore Police officers. McPhaul abandoned the car and escaped on foot, carrying the sawed-off shotgun, but was subsequently arrested.
Quindell Ryeshawn Gardner, and Tavon McPhaul, both age 22, and both of Baltimore, previously pleaded guilty to their roles in committing robberies. Gardner admitted to participating in 22 armed robberies and McPhaul admitted to participating in 12 armed robberies, with Gardner going into the store to commit the robbery and McPhaul driving the getaway vehicle. Judge Garbis sentenced McPhaul to 145 months in prison. Gardner is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5, 2014. Gardner and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts his plea agreement, he will be sentenced to between 15 and 25 years in prison.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the FBI, the Baltimore City and Baltimore County Police Departments and Anne Arundel County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin M. Block, who prosecuted the case.
Atlanta, Ga. Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Prison for Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Tommie Lee Williams, 43, of Atlanta, Ga. was sentenced on Monday, March 30, 2014 to serve 184 months in prison for federal firearms violations, announced Anne M. Tompkins, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Chief U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney also sentenced Williams to serve five years under court supervision following his prison term.
Wayne L. Dixie, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division joins U.S. Attorney Tompkins in making today’s announcement.
Williams pleaded guilty in January 2013 to one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and yesterday’s sentencing proceedings, in October 2011 Williams brandished a firearm during a drug transaction with an undercover officer. In November 2011, while conducting a traffic stop of the vehicle in which Williams was a passenger, law enforcement recovered an Uzi .45 caliber assault rifle and ammunition from a backpack that belonged to Williams. At the time of the offenses, Williams was a convicted felon and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Williams has been in federal custody since February 2012. He will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.
The investigation was handled by ATF. The prosecution for the government was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Claire Phillips of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.
Allen County, Kentucky, Resident Guilty of Stealing Hydrocodone Pills from Her Employer – A Scottsville, Kentucky, PharmacyRead the Press Release
– Former pharmacy employee further admits to conspiring with others to sell and distribute the stolen hydrocodone pills worth $29,808
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A former employee of Stovall’s Prescription Shop, located in Scottsville, Kentucky, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court, to conspiracy to distribute the pain killer, hydrocodone, that was stolen from her employer, and conspiring to sell over $5,000 of stolen hydrocodone that had not been made available to consumers for retail purchase, announced David J. Hale, United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky.
Lynn Harper Denton, age 46, of Allen County, Kentucky pleaded guilty before Chief Judge Joseph H. McKinley Jr., to two charges in a seven count indictment. According to the plea agreement, between May 2012, and continuing to October 16, 2012, in Allen County, Kentucky, Denton, a former employee of Stovall’s Prescription Shop, conspired with Jeffrey Clay Stinson and Katherine Virginia Rookstool, to knowingly possess and distribute hydrocodone. Denton admitted to stealing over 10,000 hydrocodone pills from Stovall’s Prescription Shop and selling them to Rookstool, who then sold the pills to Stinson. Stinson sold the pills to others. Stinson pleaded guilty to federal charges and is awaiting sentencing. Rookstool has an April 21, 2014 trial date.
Further, Denton admitted that while employed at Stovall’s Prescription Shop, between May 2012, and continuing through October 16, 2012, that she and Rookstool conspired to sell and distribute over $5,000 of stolen hydrocodone that had not been made available to consumers for retail purchase. This is a violation of 18 USC § 670 (theft of medical products) and is the first such prosecution in the Western District of Kentucky. The retail value of the stolen hydrocodone was $29,808.
The charges against Denton expose her to a maximum sentence of no more than 30 years in prison, a $750,000 fine, and a period of five years of supervised release.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Weiser and is being investigated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Office of Criminal Investigations, Owensboro domicile, the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, and the Scottsville, Kentucky Police Department.
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Commercial Armed Robbery, Firearms and Carjacking ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Joel Meeks, 20, of Albuquerque, N.M., pleaded guilty this morning to violating the Hobbs Act by interfering with a business involved in interstate commerce by robbery and the federal carjacking and firearms laws. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Meeks will be sentenced to prison for 20 to 25 years followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Meeks and his co-defendant Raul Ortega, 21, also of Albuquerque, were arrested in April 2013, on an eight-count indictment charging the pair with offenses stemming from a series of armed robberies of commercial businesses and home invasions, including armed robbery and carjacking, occurring in Bernalillo County, N.M., from Dec. 6, 2012 to Jan. 17, 2013.
According to the indictment, Meeks robbed a business called “Up in Smoke” at gunpoint on Dec. 6, 2012. Meeks also was charged with robbing a business called “PDQ” at gunpoint on Dec. 7, 2012, and with discharging his firearm while committing the offense. Meeks and Ortega were jointly charged with committing carjackings on Jan. 13, 2013 and Jan. 17, 2013. The two men allegedly brandished firearms while committing the carjackings.
Today, Meeks pled guilty to Counts 3 and 4 of the indictment, which charged him with robbing the PDQ store on Dec. 7, 2012 and with discharging a firearm while robbing the store. In his plea agreement, Meeks admitted robbing the PDQ store by pointing a pistol at the store clerk and demanding cash. Meeks discharged the pistol in the direction of the store clerk as he fled from the store.
Meeks also pled guilty to Count 5, which charged him with the Jan. 13, 2013 carjacking, and admitted that Ortega and he forcibly entered a home and robbed the homeowner of his credit cards, identification and other objects. Meeks and Ortega assaulted the homeowner to obtain the PIN number for his ATM car, his car keys and his car. They also threatened to harm the homeowner and his family if he contacted the police, and left him face-down in a bathtub full of water to facilitate their escape.
In entering his guilty plea to Count 7, charging him with the Jan. 17, 2013 carjacking, Meeks admitted that Ortega and he forcibly entered another home by knocking the homeowner down, beating him and tying him up when the homeowner answered the door. Meeks and Ortega robbed the homeowner of his credit cards, ATM card and other items, and forced the homeowner to provide the PIN number for his ATM card. Meeks and Ortega also robbed the homeowner of his car keys and car, and threatened to kill him if he screamed or called the police.
Meeks remains in custody pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
On Feb. 19, 2014, Ortega entered guilty pleas to Counts 5 and 7 of the indictment, which charged him with the Jan 13, 2013 and Jan. 27, 2013 carjackings. Ortega also pled guilty to Count 6, which charged him with using a firearm during the Jan 13, 2013 carjacking. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Ortega will be sentenced to prison for 12 to 20 years followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court. His sentencing hearing also has not been scheduled.
This case was brought as part of a law enforcement initiative launched in July 2012, by the FBI’s Violent Crimes and Major Offender Squad and the Albuquerque Police Department’s Armed Robbery Unit that targets suspects implicated in commercial armed robberies. This initiative is part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under the worst of the worst anti-violence initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from our communities for as long as possible.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the Albuquerque Police Department, with assistance from the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon K. Stanford.
Alabama Man Pleads Guilty to Stolen Identity Refund Fraud and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Deundra Milhouse, an Alabama resident, pleaded guilty today to several charges involving stolen identity refund fraud (SIRF) and firearms offenses, announced Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department's Tax Division and U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. for the Middle District of Alabama. Milhouse pleaded guilty to one count of access device fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was indicted in December 2013 and has been detained since his arrest in late January 2014.
According to the plea agreement, Milhouse was involved in SIRF crimes—the use of stolen identities to steal money from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by filing fraudulent tax returns claiming refunds in the victims’ names—from spring 2011 through late 2013. In 2011 and 2012, he received over $80,000 in fraudulently obtained tax refunds in a bank account he controlled. By 2013, he switched to using prepaid debit cards to receive the refunds.
Milhouse also admitted in his plea agreement that his car was stopped while he was driving on Oct. 8, 2013, in Elmore County, Ala. He managed to flee on foot and threw away a handgun that he had been carrying, which he was prohibited from owning as a convicted felon. Numerous prepaid debit cards and documents with personal identifying information were found in the car. Milhouse also admitted that a later search of his house uncovered more documents with personal identifying information of victims, as well as over 200 prepaid debit cards, a computer used to file tax returns and a magazine and ammunition for the discarded handgun. As part of his plea, Milhouse detailed that his conduct involved an attempted fraud loss of over $400,000 and more than 250 victims, and that he had at least one felony conviction for a crime of violence prior to owning the handgun.
At sentencing, Milhouse faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison on the access device fraud count and a maximum sentence of 10 years on the felon in possession of a firearm count, plus a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence for aggravated identity theft.
This case was investigated by special agents of the IRS - Criminal Investigation and by the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office. Trial Attorneys Jason Poole and Michael Boteler of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Brown and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found at the division website.
Monday 31 March 2014
Winnebago Man Sentenced for Assault on A Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
United States District Court Judge Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Milton James LaRose, age 26 of Winnebago, Nebraska, for his conviction of assaulting a federal officer. LaRose was sentenced to time served (seven months) and was further ordered to serve 6 months at the Dismas Charities residential reentry center in Sioux City, Iowa.
LaRose was encountered on the Winnebago Indian Reservation by a BIA officer on July 11, 2013. The officer had been called due to a report of a disturbance. When the officer attempted to arrest LaRose and place him in handcuffs, LaRose pulled away and punched the officer in the eye. LaRose continued to struggle and resist arrest until the officer was able to gain control of him.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.