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Friday 14 February 2014
Filipino Ladies Association of Guam Invites U.S. Attorney as Keynote SpeakerRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Alicia A.G. Limtiaco, Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, was invited by the Filipino Ladies Association of Guam (FLAG) to be the Keynote Speaker at their 53rd Induction of Executive Officers and Board of Directors held on January 12, 2014.
U.S. Attorney Limtiaco congratulated and commended FLAG for their commitment to fostering unity among its membership, and improving the bonds of friendship among the people of Guam. FLAG members have supported and advocated for important fundamental issues – as evidenced by the over 50 years of community service, accomplishments, and meaningful contributions, involving human rights and human dignity; cultural preservation; education; health; and international goodwill and understanding.
U.S. Attorney Limtiaco spoke about the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the importance of a community’s commitment to equality and the advancement of human rights and human dignity for all.
“On January 20, we pay tribute to the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to honor his legacy – his everlasting and steadfast contributions to the struggle and achievement of equality and freedom for human kind, and racial, social and economic justice. It is then appropriate that we come together as one community to dialogue and take action against all forms of oppression of the human spirit – to combat against human trafficking, family violence, sexual assault, and child abuse,” stated U.S. Attorney Limtiaco.She also spoke about President Barack Obama’s proclamation of January 2014 as “National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month”. “Human trafficking is a severe crime that deprives and violates victims of their fundamental human dignity, and is a global international issue. To combat human trafficking in our Pacific Region, the nation, and globally – we must all be aware of the harsh realities of trafficking and mobilize collaborative efforts to end it. All federal and local law enforcement, social services, victim advocacy groups, medical, mental and public health professionals, educational institutions, faith-based organizations, private sector, civic organizations and fellow community stakeholders, must work together to effectively prevent human trafficking, protect and be responsive to the needs of victims, and hold offenders accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Limtiaco.
U.S. Attorney Limtiaco shared the commitment of the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work collaboratively with all stakeholders to prevent human trafficking, family violence, sexual assault, and child abuse in our island communities; to protect victims and survivors; and to hold offenders accountable. She also emphasized that public education and outreach are critical to sensitizing our community and ourselves, about the importance of, and the role and responsibility each and every one of us has as individuals and in our professional and official capacities, in prevention and enforcement efforts.
Federal Grand Jury in South Bend Returns IndictmentsRead the Press Release
South Bend, IN—The United States Attorney's Office announced that a Grand Jury sitting in South Bend, Indiana, returned the following Indictments on February 13, 2014:
Robert D. Carrico, 28, of South Bend, Indiana, was charged in a six-count Indictment with two-counts of distributing ecstasy, one-count of distributing marijuana, one-count of possessing marijuana with intent to distribute, one-count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one-count of being a drug user in possession of firearms.Charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Elkhart County Immigration and Customs Enforcement Drug Unit and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald J. Schmid.
Keon Lovelady, 25, of South Bend, Indiana, was charged in a two-count Indictment with one-count of providing false statements during the attempted acquisition of a firearm and one-count of lying to federal agents.Charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald J. Schmid.
Gerardo Martinez-Quinonez, age 21, of Michigan City, Indiana, was charged in a one count Indictment with false representation of a Social Security Number not assigned to him by the Commissioner of Social Security.These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security – Immigration and Customs Enforcement.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jesse M. Barrett.
Leroy James Clark, age 22, of South Bend, Indiana, was charged in a one count Indictment with felon in possession of a firearm.These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jesse M. Barrett.
If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The United States Attorney's Office emphasized that an Indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Erie Man Indicted on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The two-count indictment named Graham K. Yahn, 26, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment presented to the court, Yahn received and possessed computer images depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of $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 Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment or information is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Durham Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Federal Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE - United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that in federal court today, Senior United States District Judge Malcolm J. Howard sentenced IRESHIA DONTE SUMMERS aka ERIC SUMMERS, 35, of Durham, North Carolina, to 360 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release.
On July 10, 2013, SUMMERS pled guilty to three federal charges: Conspiracy to possess stolen firearms and ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371; Possession of firearm in a school zone; and aiding and abetting, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(q)(2)(A),924, and 2; felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924.
According to the investigation, on May 31, 2012, SUMMERS and his co-conspirator, Jason Lemar Medlyn broke into two residences in Granville County and stole, among other things, personal property, firearms and ammunition. The defendants were discovered while still at the second residence by the homeowner. A Granville County Sheriff’s Deputy responding to the call regarding the residential break in pursued two males from Durham, NC, later identified as SUMMERS and Medlyn. SUMMERS was the passenger in the fleeing vehicle and he fired shots at the pursuing deputy. A North Carolina State Highway Patrolman picked up the chase in Wake County and SUMMERS then fired shots at the trooper.
The car sped through two school zones in Durham before crashing. Three hand guns were found near the vehicle along with a stolen television, Nooks, and jewelry.
This case was part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative which encourages federal, state, and local agencies to cooperate in a unified “team effort” against gun crime, targeting repeat offenders who continually plague their communities.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Granville County Sheriff’s Office, the Durham Police Department, and the FBI Raleigh-Durham Safe Streets Task Force comprised of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Raleigh Police Department, Durham Police Department, Durham County Sheriff’s Office, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement, Cary Police Department, and the Garner Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney, S. Katherine Burnette prosecuted the case.
Drug Defendant Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MOBILE, Ala. – Raymond Donovan Williams, 42, of Chickasaw, was sentenced today by Judge Kristi K. Dubose to a term of 84 months. The judge imposed a sentence below the advisory guideline range of 121 to 151 months following a sentencing hearing at which additional testimony was presented. Williams had been convicted in November of 2013 by a jury after a one day trial, for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. The jury also found that the amount of cocaine involved in the offenses exceeded 500 grams. The statutory range of punishment Williams faced was from five years to 40 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $2,000,000, a four-year term of supervised release and special assessments of $200. At the hearing today, the judge did not impose a fine, but she ordered that Williams serve the four-year term of supervised release when he completes his term of imprisonment, and that he pay $200 in special assessments.
The case was investigated by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney's Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Assaulting Teenage Relative-Defendant Snuck into Child’s Bedroom as She Slept Next to Her Sister-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Washington, D.C. man, 54, pled guilty today to sexually assaulting a 13-year-old relative last year at the child’s home in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
The defendant, who is not identified here to protect the victim’s identity, pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to a charge of attempted second-degree child sexual abuse. He is to be sentenced May 5, 2014 by the Honorable Rhonda Reid Winston. The defendant faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000. In addition to prison time, the defendant will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to the government’s evidence, on March 23, 2013, at about 1 a.m., the 13-year-old victim was asleep in her bedroom next to her sister. The defendant, who was visiting the residence, snuck up the stairs and into the child’s bedroom, where he molested the victim in her bed. After the victim reported the incident to her mother, a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) investigation began, leading to the defendant’s arrest on Oct. 29, 2013.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work performed by those who investigated the case from MPD’s Youth Division. He also praised those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist D’Yvonne Key and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Danny Nguyen and Mervin A. Bourne, Jr., who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
14-041Detroit Produce Business Sentenced on A Charge of BriberyRead the Press Release
A Detroit area produce business was sentenced Tuesday for bribing a Teamsters Union business agent, United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced today.
McQuade was joined in the announcement by Cincinnati Regional Director L. Joe Rivers, U.S. Department of Labor Employee Benefit Security Administration, and Special Agent in Charge James Vanderberg, Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations.
U.S. District Judge Arthur Tarnow sentenced Sam LaGrasso Produce, Inc. to a fine of $500,000, and a special assessment of $400. Additionally, the company will be required to make quarterly donations of $1,500 to a local non-profit food bank for five years. Sam LaGrosso Produce operates in the Eastern Market area of Detroit.
The evidence presented at a plea hearing established that between June 2005 and August 2008, the company made quarterly payments to a business agent of the Teamsters Union in order to ensure that no effort would be made to unionize the employees of Sam LaGrasso Produce, Inc., or any of its’ affiliated companies.
"LaGrasso Produce undercut its employees’ opportunity to organize by bribing a Teamsters official,” McQuade said. “This prosecution and sentence send an important message that the criminal justice system will protect employees’ rights to organize."The case was investigated by special agents of the Department of Labor. The case was investigated and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Chutkow and David Morris.
Criminal Complaint Filed in Investment Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.--U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Christopher F. Venti has been arrested on a Criminal Complaint charging him with wire fraud in connection with his involvement in various investment schemes. Wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney MaryEllen Kresse stated that the Criminal Complaint charges the defendant with executing schemes to defraud and to obtain money from individuals by misrepresenting the existence and success of investment opportunities in order to convince these victims to transfer funds to him or to bank accounts he controls. Between October 2011 and November 2013, Venti was involved in investment schemes which netted over $7.1 million in investor funds, of which, approximately $1.1 million went to bank accounts controlled by Venti.
The Criminal Complaint was the result of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Brian Boetig.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.Crawfordville Man Sentenced on Silencer ChargesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – United States Attorney Pamela C. Marsh announced thatAlbert Hendrik “Henk” Van Der Merwe, 46, of Crawfordville, Florida, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Robert Hinkle to serve 12 months in prison for importing merchandise under false invoice and for receiving unregistered silencers. Van Der Merwe will serve a three-year term of supervised release after his incarceration, during which he will be subject to search by his probation officer. As a consequence of this conviction, he cannot own or possess firearms. The court also entered an order forfeiting Van Der Merwe’s interest in three silencers and in an Uzi 9 millimeter carbine.
Van Der Merwe was arrested on April 10, 2013, after agents intercepted three silencers that he had ordered from South Africa under an invoice declaring them to be motorcycle parts. Messages retrieved from Van Der Merwe’s e-mail accounts reflected that he had ordered another silencer from the same supplier in the past, that he wanted these shipped “discretely,” and that he was interested in obtaining additional silencers for friends. He requested that the silencer for the Uzi be “full-auto rated.” Examination of the weapon determined that the Uzi had been converted to a machine gun.
U.S. Attorney Marsh credited the success of this prosecution to the joint efforts of the U.S. Customs Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael T. Simpson.
Crawford County Man Pleads Guilty to Collecting Millions from False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. - A man from Crawford County, Kan., pleaded guilty Friday to receiving millions of dollars in refunds based on filing false federal tax returns, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said. In addition, the defendant agreed to an order of restitution of more than $4 million.
Jerold D. Fisher, 49, Arma, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false federal tax return. In his plea, he admitted that from 2006 to 2009, while he was a registered agent for Fisher Alfalfa Farms, he prepared false federal tax returns both for himself and for his mother in order to receive tax refunds that were not owed to them.
In 2006, he started to test the tax system by filing false income tax returns claiming Fisher Alfalfa Farms had withheld taxes from his wages and paid them to the federal treasury. As a result, he fraudulently received a refund of $17,175. As he continued to fraudulently receive tax refunds without being detected, he increased the amount of his claims. By 2009, he fraudulently claimed withholding of more than $3.8 million on income of more than $8 million.
Sentencing is set for May 27. The parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of 36 months in federal prison. Grissom commended the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rich Hathaway for their work on the case.
Court Sends Convicted Identity Thief Back to Prison for 11 YearsRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE - United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that today in federal court Senior United States District Judge Malcolm J. Howard sentenced JOKWAN LAMAR HARVEY, 32, of Magnolia, to serve a total of 132 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, on charges of Aggravated Identity Theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A, and Use of Unauthorized Access Devices, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a)(2), and based on the revocation of a term of supervised release on a prior charge of Aggravated Identity Theft. HARVEY was also ordered to pay $51,250.35 to various victims of his fraud as restitution.
The evidence showed that in 2012, shortly after being released from prison on a prior charge of Aggravated Identity Theft, and while on supervised release, HARVEY engaged in a scheme to benefit from the fraudulent use of debit and credit card accounts. Evidence presented at the sentencing hearing demonstrated that HARVEY used stolen personal information to make and attempt to make applications for dozens of credit card accounts. HARVEY then had these cards mailed to various “mail drop” locations where he acquired them from associates. Evidence further showed that HARVEYused the fraudulent credit cards to make various purchases for the benefit of himself and others.
Evidence presented at the sentencing hearing showed that after being arrested and held in the Duplin County Jail, HARVEY passed an encoded message to his sister, instructing her to destroy one of the computers that he used to commit the fraud. Kitrina Diane Rhodes, previously sentenced for her role in assisting HARVEY, admitted to throwing the computer in a dumpster for her brother. When investigators eventually recovered HARVEY’s laptop, they analyzed the contents and found further stolen account numbers and other evidence of the fraud. At sentencing the court found that the total losses intended by HARVEY exceeded $200,000. The court also found that HARVEY’s crime involved more than 20 victims, including individuals and banks.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the United States Secret Service, with the assistance of the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office and the Warsaw Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney William M. Gilmore represented the United States.
Convenience Store Owner and Manager Charged in Massive Food Stamp Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Scheme Allegedly Caused at Least $1.9 Million in Losses to SNAP Program
DALLAS, Texas — Two North Texas men have been indicted on various felony offenses related to a massive food stamp fraud scheme they ran that allegedly caused at least $1.9 million in losses to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.
Kamardeen Ogunleye, 52, of Arlington, Texas, and Robert Gordon, 31, of Balch Springs, Texas, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud, five counts of food stamp fraud and aiding and abetting, and six counts of wire fraud. Ogunleye is also charged with two counts of structuring financial transactions.
Both Ogunleye and Gordon have made their initial appearances in federal court and have been released on bond. The indictment, returned by a federal grand jury in Dallas in late January 2014, was unsealed this afternoon.
The indictment alleges that beginning in March 2010 and continuing until September 2013, the defendants conspired together and with others to run a scheme to commit food stamp fraud and wire fraud, and then one of the defendants, Ogunleye, structured financial transactions to avoid reporting requirements related to the proceeds of the scheme.
Ogunleye owned and operated KSO Dollar Mart, located at 1918 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Dallas. Gordon managed the business for Ogunleye. Ogunleye’s and Gordon’s scheme was funneled through this storefront, which offered very few food and beverage items to its customers.
According to the indictment Ogunleye and Gordon conspired to purchase food stamp benefits, administered through the SNAP, from actual recipients in exchange for cash at an approximate 50 percent exchange rate, meaning Ogunleye and Gordon would pay recipients approximately one dollar in exchange for every two dollars’ worth of benefits. Recipients were then free to spend the exchanged-for cash without restrictions imposed on SNAP benefits. The full amount of SNAP benefits redeemed, in exchange for discounted cash amounts, were deposited into Ogunleye’s bank accounts.
As a result of the conspiracy and scheme, Ogunleye and Gordon obtained significant profits and caused losses of at least $1.9 million to the SNAP. Ogunleye structured financial transactions involving the scheme’s proceeds to avoid and evade reporting requirements in an effort to conceal the scheme so that he and Gordon could use the proceeds for their own personal enrichment.
An indictment is an accusation by a federal grand jury and a defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence until or unless proven guilty. However, upon conviction, the charges carry the following maximum statutory penalties: conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud - five years in prison and a $250,000 fine; each of the food stamp fraud counts - 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine; each of the wire fraud counts - 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine; and each of the structuring counts - 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney P. J. Meitl is in charge of the prosecution.
Conspirator in Multi-Million Dollar Mortgage Fraud Scheme Sentenced to 20 MonthsRead the Press Release
San Diego, CA - United States Attorney Laura E. Duffy announced that Claudia Montes was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Janis L. Sammartino to 20 months in custody for her role in a multi-million dollar mortgage fraud scheme between 2005 and 2008
. Montes and her co-conspirators obtained proceeds from approximately 80 mortgage loans by making false representations on the loan applications regarding their respective salaries and assets, among other things. The conspirators’ failure to pay back the loans resulted in defaults and the foreclosure of approximately 28 properties in San Diego and Orange Counties. At one time, the properties included approximately 25 residences in the Talmadge neighborhood of San Diego.
Montes also acknowledged that she and other straw buyers falsely claimed ownership of a co-conspirator’s bank account in order to falsely represent their assets and obtain loans for which they would not otherwise be eligible. Among the straw buyers was Montes’ sister, who she recruited to participate in the scheme. Montes admitted she also obtained home equity proceeds after securing the initial fraudulent loans, and sharing the funds among co-conspirators for personal expenses. Montes was sentenced to concurrent terms for wire fraud and conspiracy and ordered to pay over $1 million in restitution for the losses resulting from the fraudulent loans she allowed to default.
Montes worked closely with co-conspirator Kathryn Sylvester (Case No. 13CR1355-CAB), who pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on January 16, 2014. Sylvester admitted she had recruited the “straw buyers” to submit the falsified mortgage loan applications for the purchase of local properties and home equity loans. She also admitted she provided false documents to support the straw buyers’ misrepresentations regarding their income and employment. Sylvester also acknowledged that she made similar misrepresentations to obtain loans from private individuals. Although Sylvester often promised she would “flip” a number of the properties for a profit, she systematically drained equity from the properties for her own benefit, resulting in over $5 million in losses to institutional and private lenders. Sylvester is scheduled to appear before U.S. District Court Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo on April 1, 2014 for sentencing.
Other co-conspirators included Tad Lent, Roderick Michener, and Timothy Shannahan who are all residents of San Diego. Michener pleaded guilty on April 4, 2013, to conspiring with Sylvester to commit bank fraud (Case No. 13CR1130-CAB). Michener admitted that he permitted co-conspirators to claim an ownership interest in his bank account in order to include the account as an asset on their respective mortgage loan applications. He also admitted transferring fraud proceeds to Sylvester. Michener is scheduled to be sentenced before District Court Judge Cathy A. Bencivengo on March 14, 2014.
Lent pled guilty to conspiring with Sylvester to submit falsified loan applications to mortgage lenders by misrepresenting the amount of his assets (Case No. 12CR3744-L). Lent entered his guilty plea on January 28, 2013, and is scheduled to be sentenced before District Court Judge M. James Lorenz on March 3, 2014.
Shannahan admitted conspiring with Sylvester between January 2007 and May 9, 2008, to fraudulently induce lenders to fund mortgage loans (Case No. 13CR1650-L). Among other things, Shannahan falsely claimed on a mortgage loan application that he earned $50,000 per month in order to obtain mortgages for a residence in La Jolla. Shannahan entered his guilty plea on May 18, 2013 and is scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Lorenz on March 10, 2014.
United States Attorney Duffy said, “Crimes like this helped contribute to the housing crisis in 2008, from which we are only now beginning to recover. Sentences such as the one imposed today will hopefully deter others from playing games with the home loan industry and prevent further financial crises.”
DEFENDANT Case No. 13CR1313-JLSClaudia Montes
Age: 41 CHARGESCount 1: Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349 (conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud); Maximum penalty: 30 years of custody; $1,000,000 fine
Count 2: Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343 (wire fraud); Maximum penalty: 20 years of custody; $250,000 Fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCYFederal Bureau of Investigation
*Indictments and complaints are not evidence that the defendant committed the crime charged. All defendants are presumed innocent until the United States meets its burden in court of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Colorado U.S. Attorney Issues Statement Regarding Marijuana Banking GuidanceRead the Press Release
DENVER -- Colorado U.S. Attorney John Walsh issued the following statement:
“Today the Deputy Attorney General for the Department of Justice issued guidance to U.S. Attorney's Offices as to the exercise of prosecutorial discretion regarding banking and marijuana. That guidance seeks to mitigate the public safety concerns created by high-volume cash-based businesses without access to banking and the financial system, while at the same time ensuring that criminal organizations, gangs and drug cartels do not have access to the financial system to launder criminal proceeds. The Colorado U.S. Attorney's Office will follow this guidance. In addition, the Department of Treasury (FinCEN) today is issuing a guidance memo to the banking industry on this subject.”
John Walsh
U.S. Attorney, District of ColoradoClick here to view the Department of Justice's marijuana banking guidance
Christopher K. Sherrod Sentenced for Drug ViolationsRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Billings, on February 13, 2014, before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters, Christopher Kyle Sherrod was sentenced to 200 months imprisonment, 5 years supervised release, and a special assessment of $100. Sherrod was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Whittaker, the government stated that on or about May 1, 2013, in Wibaux County, in the State and District of Montana, the defendant, CHRISTOPHER KYLE SHERROD, knowingly and unlawfully possessed, with the intent to distribute, 50 grams or more of actual (pure) methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1).
On May 1, 2013, Montana Highway Patrol ("MHP") was patrolling Interstate 94 in Wibaux County, Montana. The MHP Trooper witnessed two passenger cars coming toward him
One car was passing the other car, and the passing car appeared to be speeding above the posted speed limit of 75 mph. The trooper initiated his radar unit when the passing car was past the overtaken vehicle and confirmed a speed of 82 mph in a 75 mph zone. The trooper turned on the speeding vehicle and followed it eastbound. As the trooper approached the car, he noted its rear bumper and rear quarter panel to have damage.
The trooper stopped the car and noted there was one only male occupant and that it was a rental car. He identified the driver by his Oregon driver's license as Christopher Kyle Sherrod. Sherrod told the trooper that he was a felon out of Oregon. The trooper observed that the vehicle had no luggage and was very clean. He asked Sherrod about the damage to the vehicle as it appeared to be very recent damage. Sherrod told the trooper that he was run into by a semi-truck around Bozeman, Montana, but that he did not want to report the crash until he got to his final destination.
Sherrod told the trooper that he was on the rental agreement with a friend of his who rented the car. But, when the trooper looked at the rental agreement Sherrod's name was not listed. The trooper also observed that the vehicle was rented from Portland, Oregon, on April 15, 2013, and was supposed to be returned on April 19, 2013. Furthermore, the rental agreement leased the vehicle to a John Kill, and restricted the vehicle's operation to only Washington and Oregon.
The trooper observed that Sherrod was very nervous during the traffic stop. In fact, while outside the trooper's vehicle, Sherrod became so nervous that he fainted and passed out beside the car; aid was rendered to Sherrod. Sometime thereafter, the trooper asked Sherrod for consent to search the car, but Sherrod refused.
The trooper learned that Sherrod was on parole/probation in Oregon. As such, he contacted Sherrod's Parole Officer about his trip, his presence in Montana, and his contact with law enforcement. The Parole Officer out of Oregon, requested Sherrod be taken into custody and requested a nationwide warrant for Sherrod's arrest for violating the terms of his parole by being in Montana.
Officers impounded the rental vehicle and obtained consent to search the car from the rental company so as to remove any belongings and return the car to the rental company. Upon doing so, officers found a black gym bag in the car. They also found some other suspicious items including a zip lock bag containing smaller zip lock bags in the glove box.
Officers then obtained a state search warrant for Sherrod's gym bag. A search of the bag revealed a plastic container holding approximately 1 lb. of suspected methamphetamine. Officers also found a Hi Point .40 caliber pistol in Sherrod's bag.
The DEA laboratory tested the suspected methamphetamine and determined that there was 334.1 grams of actual/pure methamphetamine which had been recovered from Sherrod's bag.
Brothers Sentenced for Selling Firearms to FelonRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Fred Alverson
Public Affairs Officer
CINCINNATI, OHIO – Shannon Bradley, 36, of Leesburg, Ohio, was sentenced to 41 months in prison and his brother, Christopher Bradley, 39, of Blanchester, Ohio was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for selling firearms to a convicted felon.
Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Michael Boxler, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Columbus Field Division (ATF), announced the sentences imposed today by U.S. District Court Judge Michael R. Barrett.
A U.S. District Court jury convicted Christopher Bradley on August 18, 2013 of selling 16 firearms to someone he believed had been convicted of a felony. Federal law prohibits convicted felons from owning or possessing firearms.
According to trial testimony, on March 2, 2012, Christopher Bradley sold seven firearms to an informant who he had reason to believe was a convicted felon and who repeatedly mentioned that he planned to resell the firearms in Cincinnati to “people that might need to use them and ditch them” and to people that were “protecting their dope houses and not getting killed.” Bradley sold six more guns and ammunition to the same informant seven days later.
During a recorded phone call with Christopher Bradley, the informant again advised Bradley that he had one felony on his record. Christopher and Shannon Bradley then sold a total of three more guns and ammunition to the informant on March 21, 2012.
Shannon Bradley pleaded guilty on October 26, 2012 to one count of selling firearms to a felon, after obtaining guns from his brother.
“The defendants’ conduct is particularly alarming in that they sold firearms to someone who they knew or thought to be a criminal in total disregard for the safety of the community,” Anthony Springer, Branch Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Cincinnati office, told the court prior to sentencing.
Stewart commended the investigation by ATF agents, along with Cincinnati Branch Chief Springer and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Stephens, who prosecuted the case.
Bilking Medicaid and Callous Treatment of Medicaid Patient Lands Cahokia Woman in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, and Gerald Roy, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, (Region 7 - Kansas City), announced today on February 14, 2014, that Lisa C. Luckett, 50, and Henry J. Billups III, 49, both from Cahokia, IL, were sentenced in the United States District Court in East St. Louis on a two-count indictment charging that they engaged in a scheme to commit health care fraud.
Luckett was sentenced to serve forty eight (48) months in prison, to serve three (3) years of supervised release, pay restitution of $78,336.96 to the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), and pay a special assessment of $200.00.
Billups was sentenced to serve six (6) months in prison, to serve three (3) years of supervised release, pay restitution of $20,965.38 to IDHS, and pay a special assessment of $100.00.
According to court records and proceedings, Luckett and Billups both admitted that they had submitted or caused to be submitted, false fraudulent bills in regard to providing personal assistant services in the Home Services Program, a Medicaid Waiver Program. The program is designed to provide a disabled individual with assistance in performing daily living activities in the home in order to allow the person to stay at home instead of entering into a nursing home.
“Payments by the State of Illinois, funded by federal dollars, are supposed to keep Medicaid recipients out of a nursing home. In this case, the consequences for the Medicaid recipient were catastrophic. A family friend, who herself was on disability, became the personal assistant for the Medicaid recipient. This friend even invited the Medicaid recipient into her own home. However, the friend (Luckett) misappropriated her daughter's name and used a neighbor's name for purposes of obtaining and receiving personal assistant payments from the State of Illinois to care for this Medicaid recipient because she did not want to lose her own benefits. Luckett ignored serious and ongoing medical issues suffered by the recipient which should have led to hospitalization. Instead, Luckett kept the recipient in the home and continued to receive personal assistant payments from the State. The recipient died in Luckett’s home as a result of malnutrition and sepsis due to neglect of medical, nutritional, and hygienic care.” noted United States Attorney Wigginton. “The death of this blameless person is shocking on every level. It should serve as the spear point in the fight to reform this program.”
On July 26, 2013, the Saint Clair County States Attorney’s Office obtained an indictment against Luckett for two felony counts of Criminal Neglect of an Elderly Person Resulting in Death.
Nationwide, one of the biggest fraud problems in the Medicaid program has been these personal assistant programs which represent the number one fraud complaint to state Medicaid fraud units. Especially vulnerable to fraud are programs, such as the one implemented in Illinois, that allows the Medicaid recipient to control the selection and payment of personal care attendants. In most cases, the personal care assistant is a relative or family friend, who often is a ghost employee. In a typical fraud scenario, the scam payments made by the State of Illinois are split between the Medicaid recipient and the ghost employee.
According to an Office of Inspector General report released in December, 2012, Medicaid costs for personal care services in 2011 totaled $12.7 billion, a thirty five percent increase since 2005. The U.S. Department of Labor projects that the employment of personal assistants and home health care workers will grow by 46 percent by 2018. U.S Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General: Personal Care Services, Trends, Vulnerabilities, and Recommendations for Improvement, OIG-12-12-01 (November 2012). Home personal care is one of the fastest growing job categories in the country. However, the OIG’s report points to numerous problems in Medicaid personal care services that leave it vulnerable to improper payments, abuse, and fraud, including lack of training standards, uneven oversight of services provided, and failure to implement prepayment controls to prevent improper or fraudulent payments.
"I have had the pleasure of meeting many deserving Illinois residents who have profoundly benefited from this program. Unconscionably, the woman who was supposedly being cared for by these two defendants was not among them. They put their own greed ahead of her welfare and the result was an absolute tragedy." said U.S. Attorney Wigginton.
“Today’s sentence should put all personal care attendants in the State of Illinois on notice that my office will aggressively investigate anyone who callously neglects our Medicaid beneficiaries and then seeks to profit from that neglect by submitting fraudulent claims to the Medicaid program. These cases remain my priority and through the strong working relationship forged among my office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Illinois State Police’s Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau, we are holding fraud perpetrators accountable,” said Gerald T. Roy, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Kansas City Division. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; the Illinois State Police’s Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau; and the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ranley R. Killian and William E. 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 call 1-800-447-8477.
Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Member <br /> Pleads Guilty to Federal Racketeering ChargesRead the Press Release
A member of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas gang (ABT) has pleaded guilty to racketeering charges related to his membership in the ABT’s criminal enterprise, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas.
Ronald Lee Prince, aka “Big Show,” 44, of Dallas, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sim Lake in the Southern District of Texas to one count of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity.
According to court documents, Prince and other ABT gang members and associates agreed to commit multiple acts of murder, robbery, arson, kidnapping and narcotics trafficking on behalf of the ABT gang. Prince and numerous ABT gang members met on a regular basis at various locations throughout Texas to report on gang-related business, collect dues, commit disciplinary assaults against fellow gang members and discuss acts of violence against rival gang members, among other activities.
By pleading guilty to racketeering charges, Prince admitted to being a member of the ABT criminal enterprise.
According to the superseding indictment, the ABT was established in the early 1980s within the Texas prison system. The gang modeled itself after and adopted many of the precepts and writings of the Aryan Brotherhood, a California-based prison gang that was formed in the California prison system during the 1960s. According to the superseding indictment, the ABT was primarily concerned with the protection of white inmates and white supremacy. Over time, the ABT expanded its criminal enterprise to include illegal activities for profit.
Court documents allege that the ABT enforced its rules and promoted discipline among its members, prospects and associates through murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to murder, arson, assault, robbery and threats against those who violate the rules or pose a threat to the enterprise. Members, and oftentimes associates, were required to follow the orders of higher-ranking members, often referred to as “direct orders.”
According to the superseding indictment, in order to be considered for ABT membership, a person must be sponsored by another gang member. Once sponsored, a prospective member must serve an unspecified term, during which he is referred to as a prospect, while his conduct is observed by the members of the ABT.
At sentencing, scheduled for Oct. 9, 2014, Prince faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Prince is one of 36 defendants charged with, among other things, conducting racketeering activity through the ABT criminal enterprise. To date, 19 defendants have pleaded guilty, including the recent plea of Stephen Tobin Mullen, aka “Scuba Steve,” 44, of Dallas, who pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity on Dec. 19, 2013.
This case is being investigated by a multi-agency task force consisting of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; FBI; U.S. Marshals Service; Federal Bureau of Prisons; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; Texas Rangers; Texas Department of Public Safety; Montgomery County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office; Houston Police Department-Gang Division; Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Office of Inspector General; Harris County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office; Atascosa County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office; Orange County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office; Waller County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office; Alvin, Texas, Police Department; Carrollton, Texas, Police Department; Mesquite, Texas, Police Department; Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office; and the Atascosa County District Attorney’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.Arizona Man Sentenced to 168 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IA – On February 14, 2014, Cesar Alexis Gonzalez, age 29, was sentenced by United States District Judge John A. Jarvey to 168 months imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and 50 grams of actual methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Gonzalez was also ordered to serve eight years of supervised release following imprisonment and to pay $100 towards the Crime Victims Fund.
Beginning in approximately November 2011 and continuing until about April 10, 2012, Gonzalez agreed, with co-defendant Tony Young, to distribute methamphetamine for profit. Gonzalez knowingly shipped “ice” (also known as “crystal”) methamphetamine from Yuma, Arizona to Young in Washington County, Iowa, in exchange for money, and Gonzalez knew that the purpose of providing the methamphetamine to Young was for Young and others to distribute it. Specifically, on March 20, 2012, Gonzalez received a parcel containing a large amount of U.S. currency that had been sent by co-defendant Young in Iowa. On March 21, 2012, Gonzalez shipped ice methamphetamine from Yuma, Arizona to Young in Iowa. The next day law enforcement in Iowa intercepted the parcel sent by Gonzalez. The parcel contained approximately 200 grams of ice methamphetamine. Portions of the ice methamphetamine sent to Young were distributed by Young, co-defendant Kurt Brookhart, and co-defendant Nahida Buchheit.
On October 16, 2012, Chief Judge James E. Gritzner sentenced Young to 135 months imprisonment and five years of supervised release following imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and 50 grams of actual methamphetamine.
On November 20, 2013, Judge Jarvey sentenced Kurt Brookhart to 110 months imprisonment and five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and 50 grams of actual methamphetamine. On the same date, Judge Jarvey sentenced Buchheit to 68 months imprisonment and four years of supervised release following imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute five grams or more of actual methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Washington-Louisa County Drug Task Force, the Iowa Department of Public Safety—Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the City of Yuma (Arizona) Police Department. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa
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Another Houston Bank Robber Heads to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Jose Vasquez Selio Jr., 23, of Houston, has been ordered to prison following his involvement in a bank robbery conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Selio pleaded guilty to the conspiracy as well as one count of bank robbery Sept. 24, 2013.
Today, U.S. District Judge Gray H. Miller handed Selio a sentence of 108 months of federal imprisonment - 60 months for the conspiracy and 108 months for the bank robbery to be served concurrently. Selio will also have to serve a term of three years of supervised release following completion of the sentence.
Co-defendant Kederly Nataly Portillo, 19, also of Houston, pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge and will be sentenced Feb. 28, 2014.
At the time of their earlier pleas, both admitted they knowingly conspired to rob the Wells Fargo Bank at 5175 West 34th street in Houston. Portillo was an employee of the bank and was on duty at the time of the robbery. On the morning of May 14, 2013, Selio opened the front door of the Wells Fargo Bank with a key Portillo had given him the prior day. Upon entry, he demanded no one push any buttons and grabbed a teller by the hair, threw her to the floor and used zip ties to restrain her before forcing her to open the vault. Portillo was also restrained. During the robbery, Selio make several threats, including “I’m not going to jail,” “If ya’ll move I swear to God I’ll kill ya’ll,” and “don’t make me do anything I will regret!” The teller stated that Selio was relaxed and even laughed during the robbery and seemed to know the layout of the bank. It was later determined Selio had also been briefly employed by the bank only a few months prior to the robbery.
At the hearing today, additional testimony was presented including that of the Wells Fargo branch manager who stated Selio had been fired because he was suspected of stealing.
Portillo admitted her involvement and that she was given part of the proceeds for her assistance in the robbery.
Selio has been and will remain in custody. Portillo has been permitted to remain on bond pending her sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Bank Robbery Task Force, which is comprised of personnel from the FBI, Houston Police Department and Harris County Sheriff's Office. Assistant United States Attorney Joe Porto is prosecuting the case.
Amarillo Man Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for Robbing Texas Plains Federal Credit UnionRead the Press Release
AMARILLO, Texas — James Aaron Sims, 23, of Amarillo, Texas has been charged by a federal grand jury with one count of bank robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.
The indictment alleges that on February 3, 2014, Sims robbed the Texas Plains Federal Credit Union, located at 804 S. Madison in Amarillo, Texas. Sims has been in custody since his arrest a few days after the robbery.
An indictment is an accusation by a federal grand jury and a defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence until or unless proven guilty. However, if convicted, the maximum statutory penalty for the offense of bank robbery, as charged, is 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI and the Amarillo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey R. Haag, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Lubbock, Texas, is in charge of the prosecution.
Alton Doctor Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud and Illegal Dispensation of Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
Viwathna Bhuthimethee, 68, a medical doctor who operated the Walk In Clinic, located at 654 East Broadway Street in Alton, Illinois, pled guilty today in federal court to the fifteen counts of an indictment which charged health care fraud against the Illinois Medicaid program and illegal distribution of Schedule III controlled substances (Hydrocodone) and Schedule IV controlled substances (Xanax) by prescribing outside the usual course of professional conduct and without legitimate medical purpose, Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced.
Health care fraud carries penalties of a maximum of 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, a maximum of three years of supervised release following prison, and a $100 special assessment. Illegal distribution of a Schedule III controlled substance (Hydrocodone) carries penalties of a maximum of 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $500,000, no less than two years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Illegal distribution of a Schedule IV controlled substance (Xanax) carries penalties of a maximum of five years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, one year of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Sentencing is set for April 3, 2014, at 10:00am, in the Federal courthouse in East St. Louis, Illinois.
The matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; the Drug Enforcement Administration; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as by the Illinois State Police, Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau, the Alton Illinois Police Department and the Madison County Coroner’s Office. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Quinley and Special Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Zander.
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 call 1-800-447-8477.
Thursday 13 February 2014
Woman Pleads Guilty to Bank Robbery Spree in Marion and Pinellas CountiesRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Renita Mount Rayner (53, St. Petersburg) today pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery of a federally-insured financial institution, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. She faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. Rayner was indicted on December 18, 2013.
According to facts presented at the hearing today, Rayner entered an Ocala branch of Alarion Bank, on November 12, 2013, and handed a teller a note that read, “Have gun. Will use it. Give me all the money.” Rayner then opened her purse and pointed to a handgun that was inside. After obtaining $1,940, Rayner dropped her demand note after a brief struggle with the teller. Rayner then fled the bank in a red Honda automobile.
Detectives subsequently identified Rayner’s thumbprint on the recovered demand note. They also confirmed that Rayner’s car matched the description of the getaway vehicle. Days after the robbery, Rayner was arrested on unrelated charges in the Tampa area. At the time of her arrest, she had $1,602 in cash still inside of her purse.
Subsequent investigation showed that Rayner had committed at least two other robberies in the previous three months. On August 7, 2013, she had walked into a Grow Financial Credit Union branch in St. Petersburg. During that robbery, Rayner produced a note that read, “Give me all your money, do not give a dye pack.” After obtaining $3,348, Rayner fled the credit union in the same red getaway car. When surveillance images of the robbery were released to the media, however, one of Rayner’s long-time friends recognized her as the robber and contacted authorities.
On September 5, 2013, Rayner also robbed a Dunedin branch of BB&T bank. In that incident, she handed a note to a bank employee that read, “Give me all your money, I have a gun and I am not afraid to use it.” After taking $2,740, Rayner fled the bank and threw away a wig and sunglasses that she had used as a disguise during the robbery. Investigators ultimately recovered the demand note and the disguise in a nearby trash can. One of Rayner’s fingerprints was located on a lens of the sunglasses. Her DNA was later confirmed on the discarded wig.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, City of St. Petersburg Police Department, and the State Attorney’s Offices for Marion and Pinellas Counties. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
Windber, Pa., Man Sentenced to Probation with Home Detention for Conspiring to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A resident of Windber, Pa., has been sentenced in federal court to five years of probation, the first six months of which must be served by conditions of home confinement, on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Peter Donato, 31.
According to information presented to the court, from November 2011 to July 18, 2012, Donato conspired to possess and distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Assistant United States Attorney John J. Valkovci, Jr., prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Safe Streets Task Force initiative comprised of the Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pa. Attorney General's Office, the Blair County Drug Task Force, the Cambria County Drug Task Force, the Somerset County Drug Task Force, the Roaring Spring Borough Police Dept. and the Paint Township Police Dept. for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Donato.
Walla Walla Man Sentenced to Probation and Ordered to Pay over $106,000 for Willfully Failing to Pay Child SupportRead the Press Release
Richland, Washington – Michael C. Ormsby, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Ty Warren Azeltine, 54, a resident of Walla Walla, was sentenced after having previously pleaded guilty in October, 2013 to Failure to Pay a Child Support Obligation, which is a misdemeanor offense. Senior United States District Court Judge Edward F. Shea sentenced Azeltine to a 30 month term of probation. Judge Shea ordered Azeltine to pay $106,725.23 in restitution, which represents the outstanding child support obligation owed. Judge Shea also ordered Azeltine to actively seek and maintain employment.
According to information disclosed during the court proceedings, Azeltine is a former resident of Alaska and is the father of an 11-year old child, who resides in Alaska. The Superior Court for the State of Alaska ordered Azeltine to make a monthly support payment of $767. Azeltine last made a child support payment in October 2005, which was a wage garnishment from his employment in Alaska. He relocated from Alaska to California, and then to Washington. Azeltine has not made any other payments in furtherance of his child support obligation.
Under federal law, a person can be charged with willfully failing to pay child support if the person resides in another state than his/her child, if the obligation has remained unpaid for more than one year, and if the outstanding obligation exceeds $5,000.
Michael C. Ormsby said, "Individuals may not avoid the obligation to support their children by relocating to a different state. It is a federal crime for a deadbeat parent to flee the jurisdiction where his or her child lives and thereafter refuse to pay child support. The deadbeat parents that do will face federal criminal charges. The law recognizes that children should not be cheated by their own parents."
"Those who refuse to pay child support are shirking their family responsibilities and are breaking federal law," said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Chris Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. "Our agency will work with the U.S. Attorney's Office as well as our state and local partners to ensure that financial support is made to those in need."
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, with the assistance from the State of Alaska, Department of Revenue, Criminal Investigations Unit and Child Support Services Division. The case was prosecuted by Mary K. Dimke, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
CR-13-6006-EFS
U.S., Canada and Mexico Antitrust Officials Participate in Trilateral <br /> Meeting in Washington to Discuss Antitrust EnforcementRead the Press Release
The heads of the antitrust agencies of the United States, Canada and Mexico – Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, Chairwoman Edith Ramirez of the Federal Trade Commission, Canadian Commissioner of Competition John Pecman and President Alejandra Palacios Prieto of the Mexican Federal Competition Commission – met today in Washington, D.C., to discuss their mutual efforts to ensure continued effective antitrust enforcement cooperation in our increasingly interconnected markets.
The discussions covered a wide range of topics, including recent enforcement developments, cooperation and mutual support, and priority setting and efficiency in resource constrained environments.“Working with our antitrust colleagues across both United States borders to ensure effectiveantitrust enforcement is good for businesses and consumers,” said Assistant Attorney General Baer. “The department values its close law enforcement relationships with Canada and Mexico, and I look forward to our continued efforts to work together to combat anticompetitive activity.”
The meetings build on the foundations laid by the 1995 antitrust cooperation agreement between the United States and Canada, the 1999 agreement between the United States and Mexico and the 2001 agreement between Canada and Mexico. The agreements commit the antitrust agencies to cooperate and coordinate with each other to make their antitrust policies and enforcement as consistent and effective as possible.
The three nations also are parties to the North American Free Trade Agreement, which includes a competition chapter that provides for cooperation among them in antitrust investigations.
U.S. Attorney, ATF, and Fresno Police Department Announce Results of Collaboration in Federal Firearms Prosecutions for 2013 in the Fresno AreaRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced today last year’s results in a continuing effort by local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to prosecute gun violence in the Fresno area. The federal firearms prosecutions are a product of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a United States Department of Justice initiative that is an effort to join law enforcement agencies together in fighting gun violence. Under the Smart on Crime Initiative announced by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in August of last year, combatting gun crime is a high priority of the U.S. Department of Justice.
In 2013, at least 100 defendants were charged with federal firearms offenses by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California. The area in and around the City of Fresno, however, has been a particular focus of firearms prosecutions, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is working closely with the Fresno Police Department, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, and other law enforcement partners to target armed and dangerous criminals in that region.
In 2013, thirty-four defendants in the City of Fresno and the surrounding Fresno County area were charged with federal firearms offenses. Two more persons from Tulare County and four more from Madera County were charged with federal firearms offenses, for a total of 40 defendants in the three-county area.
Ten of the defendants charged in 2013 have already pleaded guilty and been sentenced to prison, and five more have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. In addition, at least 30 more defendants from the City of Fresno and the surrounding Fresno County area who were charged in prior years with federal firearms offenses were sentenced since the beginning of 2013. Another two defendants from Madera County charged in prior years with federal firearms offenses were sentenced in 2013. During 2013, therefore, a total of 42 persons from Fresno, Tulare and Madera Counties were sent to federal prison on firearms convictions.
The federal firearms offenses charged in these cases are felonies; convictions often result in substantial, multiyear prison sentences. All 42 defendants from this area who were sentenced on federal firearms charges since the beginning of 2013 received prison sentences; more than half are now serving sentences of more than five years in prison. Parole has been abolished in the federal system, and defendants must serve at least 85 percent of the prison time imposed. Many convicted defendants serve their sentences at federal prisons far from the Fresno area. The firearms offenses include use of a firearm in the course of a drug trafficking offense or crime of violence; possession of a firearm by a felon; possession of an unregistered firearm such as a fully automatic assault rifle, a sawed‑off shotgun or an explosive device; or possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. Some defendants were also convicted of narcotics offenses or other federal crimes.
“In our effort to combat gun crime, we have worked closely with our law enforcement partners to target dangerous armed criminals,” said U.S. Attorney Wagner. “Thanks to an outstanding working relationship between federal and local law enforcement agencies in the Fresno area, this effort is taking large numbers of these criminals off the streets for long periods of time.”
“Through the PSN Project, ATF, along with our partners, can address those criminals who commit violent crime and who unlawfully possess the fire power that is keeping our communities under siege,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Joseph M. Riehl.
“Targeting gangs and seizing firearms from violent criminals will continue to be the number one priority of the Fresno Police Department. Our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office through Project Safe Neighborhoods has sent a strong message to gang members in our community that gun violence will not be tolerated."
A few examples of federal firearms convictions in 2013 resulting from this collaborative effort include the following:
- On November 12, 2013, Fernando Casas, 35, a Bond Street Bulldog gang member, was sentenced to seven years and eight months in prison after being convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Bond had nine felony convictions between 1998 and 2011, including firearms, controlled substance and property offenses.
- On November 12, 2013, Robert Cervantes, 35, a Fresno/Clovis gang member, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after selling methamphetamine to a confidential informant in April 2011 and then being arrested in May 2011 in possessing a revolver and an ounce of methamphetamine that he intended to sell. Cervantes had five felony drug trafficking convictions between 1997 and 2008.
- On November 18, 2013, Luis Montoy, 35, was sentenced to six years and five months in prison after being convicted of being a felon in possession of ammunition. Montoy was arrested for being a parolee at large by members of the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force. He was in possession of a black powder gun and ammunition. He had three felony convictions between 2001 and 2009 for firearms, domestic violence, and controlled substance offenses.
- On May 6, 2013, Nicholas Andronicous, 31, of Fresno, was sentenced to seven years and eight months in prison after being arrested for being a felon in possession of ammunition and possessing an unregistered short-barreled rifle. According to court documents, Andronicous was encountered in May 2012 in response to a domestic violence call, and was in possession of methamphetamine, multiple firearms and ammunition. He was then encountered in June of 2012 in a traffic stop and found in possession of another firearm and ammunition. Andronicous had three felony convictions between 2004 and 2006 for controlled substance and other offenses.
- On August 12, 2013, Eric Moore, 36, of Fresno, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of multiple firearms. As indicated in court documents, Moore and other defendants were involved in burglarizing firearms dealers in Torrance and Corona, Calif. and bringing 54 stolen rifles and handguns to Fresno to sell to gang members and others.
- On September 3, 2013, Ralph Haros, 49, of Fresno, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Haros was arrested by members of the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force on a parole warrant. He had five felony convictions between 1986 and 2003 for burglary, domestic violence, controlled substance, and firearms offenses.
- On September 23, 2013, Edward Mitchell, 33, of Fresno, was sentenced to eight years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. According to court documents, Mitchell possessed two pistols, one of which he used to shoot and kill a cocaine customer who had shot Mitchell and several others at Mitchell’s apartment. Two others at the apartment were shot, one succumbed to his injuries and died.
These cases are the product of investigations by multiple agencies, including the Fresno Police Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the FBI; DEA; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and several other sheriff’s offices and police departments in Fresno, Tulare and Madera counties. The MAGEC task force and the Fresno County District Attorney’s office also played a critical role in multiple cases. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kim Sanchez, Laurel Montoya, Kathleen Servatius, Karen Escobar, Michael Frye, Melanie Alsworth, Grant Rabenn, and Kevin Rooney.
The charges against those defendants who have not been convicted are only allegations; each defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Two Plead Guilty to Placing Skimmer on Springdale ATM to Steal Bank Card InformationRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Fred Alverson
Public Affairs OfficerCINCINNATI –Dimitar Angelov, 29, and Dimitar Kolev, 26, both of Chicago, each pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to placing a device known as a “skimmer” and a hidden camera on an ATM at a Springdale bank in an effort to steal account information of customers using the ATM.
Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Mark Porter, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service and Springdale Police Chief Michael Mathis announced the pleas entered today before U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett. Each man pleaded guilty to one count of illegal use of a scanning receiver.
According to court documents, Springdale Police officers responded to a call on September 28, 2013 that two individuals had been sitting in a car parked in a lot adjacent to a credit union ATM. The subjects were seen individually walking to the ATM and returning to the vehicle. Springdale officers later approached the men and found evidence of possible credit card fraud. Upon further investigation, law enforcement discovered the skimming device and a pinhole camera attached to the ATM.
Springdale officers and Secret Service agents arrested Angelov and Kolev on a federal complaint. They have been in custody since their arrest. The grand jury indicted them on October 16, 2013.
The plea agreement includes a sentence of one year and one day for each man. They could also face deportation to their native country, Bulgaria, after serving their prison sentences. Judge Barrett will schedule a date for sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Stewart commended the cooperative investigation by Secret Service agents and Springdale officers, as well as the prompt action of nearby business employees. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Mangan is prosecuting the case.
Two Mexican Nationals Sentenced for Trafficking Cocaine, Meth in Cole, Moniteau CountiesRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that two Mexican nationals were sentenced in federal court today for their roles in conspiracies to distribute large amounts of cocaine and methamphetamine in Cole and Moniteau Counties, Mo.
Eloy Castaneda-Gonzalez, 33, and Beroldo Almazan, 34, a permanent resident of the United States, both of California, Mo., were sentenced in separate hearings before U.S. District Judge Fernando J. Gaitan. Castaneda-Gonzalez was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison without parole. Almazan was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered them to forfeit to the government $52,928, which was derived from the offense.
Both Castaneda-Gonzalez and Almazan pleaded guilty to their role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
According to court documents, a DEA agent learned that Castaneda-Gonzalez wanted to purchase seven kilograms of cocaine from two cooperating sources. The DEA’s cooperating sources agreed to travel to Missouri and deliver the cocaine for $24,000 per kilogram. On June 21, 2012, the cooperating sources directed Castaneda-Gonzalez to meet them at a Jefferson City, Mo., motel.
Castaneda-Gonzalez was accompanied by Almazan and co-defendant Adolfo Almazan-Hernandez, 43, of California, Mo., when he arrived at the motel room. Castaneda-Gonzalez explained that he didn’t have all of the money to purchase seven kilograms of cocaine, but offered to provide the cooperating sources with five pounds of methamphetamine, along with a portion of the money, in exchange for the cocaine. They accepted the offer, and Castaneda-Gonzalez, Almazan and Hernandez left the motel room, stating they would return shortly with the methamphetamine and money.
Approximately one and a half hours later, Castaneda-Gonzalez, Almazan and Almazan-Hernandez returned to the motel room. Castaneda-Gonzalez gave the cooperating sources a package that contained nearly one pound of crystal methamphetamine. A short time later, Hernandez left the room momentarily and returned with a bag containing the remaining four pounds of crystal methamphetamine. Hernandez again left the room and returned approximately 30 minutes later with $20,000 in cash. The cooperating sources then provided Castaneda-Gonzalez with one kilogram of cocaine to inspect, and told him they were going to leave the room to obtain the remaining six kilograms.
Castaneda-Gonzalez became extremely nervous and fled from the room, followed by Almazan, but both were apprehended after a brief foot chase. Almazan-Hernandez was also taken into custody as he walked out of the motel room.
Investigators later located co-defendants Froylan Pedroza-Guadarrama, 30, Victor Hugo De La Roza-Garza, 32, and Jesus Ricardo-Amaya, 28, at a nearby McDonald’s.
Almazan-Hernandez and Ricardo-Amaya have pleaded guilty to the same two charges – conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to distribute cocaine – and await sentencing. Pedroza-Guadarrama and De La Roza-Garza have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and await sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Lynn. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mid-Missouri Drug Task Force and the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department.
Two Mexican Nationals Plead Guilty to Growing Marijuana on Public LandsRead the Press Release
BOISE — Marcos Solano-Farias, 32, and Jose Misael Ayala-Talavera, 20, both Mexican nationals, pleaded guilty today to charges of unlawful manufacture with intent to distribute more than 1,000 marijuana plants, illegal possession of a firearm, and damage to government property, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. The men appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald E. Bush at the federal courthouse in Boise.
According to the plea agreements, on September 11, 2013, law enforcement conducted enforcement actions on two outdoor marijuana growing operations in the Boise National Forest, a few miles from Highway 21 in Boise County. Solano-Farias, and Ayala-Talavera were apprehended by law enforcement at a camp located next to a marijuana grow site on Rabbit Creek, with 1,411 live plants as well as harvested marijuana. According to the plea agreements, investigators found and seized two semi-automatic handguns, an SKS or AK-47 type rifle, in the camp, and several hundred marijuana plants that had already been harvested from the growing operation. Investigators located and eradicated all live marijuana plants. Law enforcement also found a related grow site at Beaver Creek, where they removed 5,463 marijuana plants.
Solano-Farias and Ayala-Talavera, along with four co-defendants, were indicted by a federal grand jury on October 9, 2013, on charges of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and injury to federal public lands. Juan Pablo Villasenor-Villa, Gilberto Contreras, and Carlos Cerdo-Carpia are currently set for trial on March 17, 2014. Mariah Villasenor-Rodriguez, of Caldwell, Idaho, is scheduled to plead guilty on February 24, 2014, to an information charging her with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
“Vigorous prosecution of those who grow illegal drugs on federal land is a high priority of this office,” said Olson. “Those who operate marijuana grows not only traffic in illegal drugs, but they also damage wildlife and the environment and, through their possession and possible use of firearms, pose a significant danger to all Idahoans who seek to use our national forests for hiking, hunting and recreation purposes.” Olson noted that Solano-Farias and Ayala-Talavera are the sixth and seventh defendants in 2014 to plead guilty or be sentenced in Idaho on federal drug trafficking charges that also involved the unlawful use, possession or sale of firearms. “Drugs and guns are a dangerous and often violent combination,” Olson said. “Today’s guilty pleas demonstrate that federal gun laws are carefully targeted at those who use or possess firearms for unlawful purposes.”
The charge of manufacturing more than 1,000 marijuana plants with intent to distribute carries a penalty of not less than ten years up to life in prison, a maximum fine of $10 million, and up to five years of supervised release.
The charges of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person—an undocumented alien—and injury to government property are each punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
Solano-Farias and Ayala-Talavera are scheduled to be sentenced on May 14, 2014, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill.
The case is the result of a joint investigation of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which included the cooperative law enforcement efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Land Management, and United States Forest Service, with assistance from the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Boise County Sheriff’s Office, Boise Police Department, City County Narcotics Unit (Canyon County Sheriff’s Office and Caldwell Police Department), the Idaho National Guard, Meridian Police Department, Nampa Police Department, Spokane Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Washington State Police.
The OCDETF program is a federal, multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
Tulare County Man Indicted for Sales of OxycontinRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Ronald Danny Ditlevson, 33, of Exeter, charging him with distributing oxycodone, also called oxycontin, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
According to court documents, Ditlevson sold an undercover agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration a total of 355 oxycontin pills on three separate days between October and December 2013. The investigation resulted in the arrest of Ditlevson on January 30, 2014, after the undercover agent attempted to meet him for the fourth time to purchase 150 additional oxycontin pills.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen A. Servatius is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Ditlevson faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Tractor Trailer Accident in Sherman County Leads to Federal Indictment Charging Multiple Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
Largest Reported Seizure in Oregon HistoryPORTLAND, Ore. – Salvador Martinez-Perez, 53, East Wenatchee, Washington, appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Dennis J. Hubel and plead not guilty to a federal indictment charging him with four counts of conspiracy and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin. On January 17, 2014, Sherman County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) responded to a semi-tractor trailer rollover on HWY 97 in Sherman County, Oregon. Upon arriving at the accident scene, SCSO Deputies identified one sole occupant/driver of the subject vehicle who was transporting fresh produce. The driver was not injured and was released from the scene. The following day, a private tow company was dispatched to the accident scene to remove the inoperable semi-tractor trailer. While tow company employees were unloading the inside of the cargo bed, two bundles of narcotics fell from the produce pallets. SCSO were contacted and responded to the scene and located inside the trailer approximately 190 pounds of methamphetamine, 7.5 kilograms of cocaine, and 11 pounds of heroin.
Defendant remains in federal custody pending a trial date of April 22, 2014. An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant should be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Sherman County Sheriff’s Office, DEA, and Oregon State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kemp Strickland is handling the prosecution of the case.
Thornton Woman Indicted for Aiding and Assisting in the Preparation of False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
DENVER – Geraldine Juanita Sotelo, age 64, of Thornton, Colorado, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on January 28, 2014 on charges of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, the United States Attorney’s Office and IRS – Criminal Investigation announced. The indictment remained under seal until Sotelo made her initial appearance on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Denver. At that hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Craig B. Shaffer advised the defendant of her rights as well as the charges pending against her. She was also arraigned and then released on bond. A tentative trial date of April 14, 2014 has been set.
According to the indictment, from February 2008 continuing through March 2008, Geraldine Sotelo willfully aided and assisted in, procured, counseled, and advised, in the preparation and presentation of six 2007 Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns for various taxpayers. The tax returns were fraudulent and false in that they included claims for credits for child and dependent care expenses, child tax credits, personal property taxes paid, gifts to charity paid by cash or check, and unreimbursed employee expenses. This fraudulent tax returns gave certain taxpayers credits who were not entitled to receive them, did not make the described payments or did not have unreimbursed employee expenses which all fraudulently reduced the taxpayer’s income.
Sotelo continued a similar pattern in 2009 and 2010 during tax filing season by assisting or preparing ten 2008 and ten 2009 Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns for various taxpayers. The tax returns were fraudulent and false as they included expenses and credits as mentioned above and further including business losses, medical and dental expenses for which the taxpayers were not entitled to which also fraudulently reduced they taxpayer’s income.
“We all have a responsibility to file our tax returns accurately, and not to take fraudulent advantage of our fellow taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney John Walsh. “Filing false tax returns not only hurts the American taxpayer, it is also a crime with serious consequences.”
"As we approach tax filing season, this is a reminder taxpayers should choose carefully when hiring a tax preparer. In the end the taxpayer is ultimately responsible for their tax liability,” said Stephen Boyd, Special Agent in Charge for IRS Criminal Investigation, Denver Field Office. For tips on Choosing a Tax Professional go to www.irs.gov .
Sotelo was charged with 26 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, which carries a penalty of not more than 3 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $100,000 per count.
This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Support Program Available for the Families of Those Who Have Died Due to Opiate OverdosesRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announces an innovative, free, statewide support program for the families of those who have died due to opiate overdoses.
This innovative, free, statewide support program will consist of three components: a three-hour educational presentation that focuses on the complicated and prolonged grief experienced by families impacted by these sudden, unexpected deaths; individual family follow-up for those participating families who would like additional support; and the development of an informal, statewide support network among these families.
U.S. Attorney Tris Coffin described the motivation behind this initiative. “We have had way too many families suffer the death of loved ones from drug overdoses. The pain from this is something they experience every day. I hope this group provides some small measure of help to grieving survivors and creates a network of mutual support for those who have suffered these devastating losses.”
This free service is available to any family member who is interested in participating in this specialized program.
For information or to refer families, please contact Aimee Stearns at the U.S. Attorney’s Office at [email protected] or at (802) 651-8261.
Staten Island Man Charged in Manhattan Federal Court for Multimillion-Dollar Scheme Related to Purchase of Maxim MagazineRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Steven G. Hughes, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Office of the United States Secret Service, and George Venizelos, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced that CALVIN DARDEN, JR., was arrested yesterday in connection with two schemes in which he defrauded victims of more than $8 million and attempted to defraud another victim of approximately $20 million. In one scheme, DARDEN tricked several lenders into providing more than $8 million in financing for the potential acquisition of Maxim Magazine and related assets. In the other scheme, DARDEN obtained $500,000 from a Taiwan-based company by falsely claiming that he was arranging for the New York Knicks to play an exhibition game in Taiwan. DARDEN surrendered yesterday to the Secret Service, and is expected to be presented later today in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew J. Peck.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “As alleged, Calvin Darden, Jr., sought to mislead and deceive his victims at virtually every opportunity, and he used the full spectrum of fraudulent devices, including false documents, 'spoofed' emails, and outright impersonation. This Office has zero tolerance for those who allegedly engage in this type of conduct, especially when it is to the tune of millions of dollars.”
Secret Service Special Agent-in-Charge Steven Hughes said: “Partnerships fostered by the Secret Service’s Electronic Crimes Task Force have allowed our agency to focus resources and respond quickly to criminal activity such as this. The investigation and subsequent arrest in this case is another example of how the Secret Service strives to combat fraud and provide a secure cyber environment.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge George Venizelos said: “Like we’ve seen time and time again, the defendant was up to the same worn-out tricks in an elaborate scheme of fake emails, fictitious bank accounts, and fabricated statements all to rip off unwitting investors. Everyone deserves the right to make an honest living, but not by lying, cheating, or at the expense of others. Today, Mr. Darden finds himself under arrest and in trouble with the law.”
According to the allegations contained in the Criminal Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
DARDEN carried out two separate schemes in which he concocted an elaborate set of lies that included, among other things, phony emails, fabricated bank account statements, and his repeated impersonation of his father, a former corporate executive who sits on the Board of Directors of several publicly-traded corporations in the United States, during phone calls and in emails , to defraud multiple victims of more than $8 million and to attempt to defraud another victim of approximately $20 million.
The Maxim Fraud Scheme
In connection with the potential purchase of Maxim Magazine (“Maxim”) by a media company (the “Media Company”) associated with DARDEN and his father, DARDEN attempted to secure financing from various lenders, lying extensively to them to trick them into funding the Media Company’s purchase of Maxim.
As part of the scheme, in order to trick one of the lenders into believing they would receive sufficient collateral for their loan, DARDEN provided the lender with a fabricated bank account statement. The fabricated statement purported to be for an account held by his father and purported to show his father’s holdings in the stocks of at least three publicly-traded companies for which DARDEN’s father serves as a Director. His father’s alleged stock holdings in these companies were supposed to serve as collateral for the loans. In truth, however, the bank account statement was fake. In addition, DARDEN created, and sent to a lender, a phony email that purported to be from an employee of a bank verifying his father’s stock holdings.
Further, after one of the lenders put approximately $5.5 million in escrow pending the transfer of collateral, DARDEN paid a Russia-based email “spoofing” service to send an unauthorized and fraudulent email to the escrow agent to secure the release of the funds. Specifically, DARDEN had the spoofing service send an email that appeared to come from the lender’s email account and that authorized the escrow agent to release the escrow money. As DARDEN well knew, however, the lender did not send the email and did not authorize the release of the funds. Based on its receipt of the email, the escrow agent released approximately $4.9 million of the lender’s money towards the Media Company’s purchase of Maxim.
DARDEN also provided certain lenders with bogus emails purporting to be from senior executives of certain companies, including at least one publicly held corporation for which DARDEN’s father is a member of the Board of Directors. In one bogus email, the senior executive purportedly verified the stock holdings of DARDEN’s father that were supposed to be provided as collateral for the loan. Separately, when another lender conditioned its $20,000,000 loan on the creation of a cable channel based in part on Maxim, DARDEN provided the lender with a bogus email purporting to be from a senior executive of a cable television company confirming that the company was interested in creating a cable channel in connection with the Media Company’s purchase of Maxim. In fact, both emails were completely fabricated, and had not been authored or authorized by either of the executives who purportedly wrote them.
Additionally, as a part of the scheme, DARDEN repeatedly impersonated his father during phone calls and in emails, and forged his father’s signature on documents related to the potential purchase of Maxim.
The NBA Fraud Scheme
In a separate scheme, DARDEN tricked a particular company located in Taiwan into paying him $500,000 by falsely and fraudulently representing that, through a particular company purportedly operated in part by his father, he would arrange an NBA exhibition game in Asia involving the New York Knicks.
As part of that scheme, DARDEN falsely represented to the victim company that he and his father had meetings and discussions with, among others, the owners of the New York Knicks and NBA officials about an exhibition game in Asia. As he did in the Maxim fraud scheme, DARDEN also impersonated his father in multiple email communications with the victim company and forged his father’s signature on documents.
DARDEN, 39, of Staten Island, New York, is charged with two counts of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison.
Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the Secret Service and FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Pastore, Jr., is in charge of the prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Adams is handling the forfeiture aspects of the case.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. v. Calvin Darden Complaint
Sex Trafficker in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, Sentenced to over 19 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SAIPAN, CNMI – On Monday, February 10, 2014, in the U.S. District Court of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona sentenced Chang Ru Meng Backman, age 41, of the People’s Republic of China, to 235 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for sex trafficking. Chief Judge Manglona also ordered Backman to pay $9,750 in restitution to the victim.
Following the sentencing, U. S. Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, Alicia A.G. Limtiaco, stated, “The heinous crime of sex trafficking dehumanizes its victims and involves the exploitation of the vulnerable by those motivated by power and greed. This prosecution, brought through the hard work of the FBI in collaboration with local law enforcement and the CNMI Attorney General’s Office, represents law enforcement’s tireless pursuit of those responsible for the sexual exploitation of women and the commitment to attaining justice for the victims of these horrible crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Limtiaco. “The sentence imposed by the Court sends the message that sex trafficking schemes will not be tolerated. We will continue to find traffickers and hold them accountable for their crimes."
Backman was convicted of one count of sex trafficking in June 2013, following a jury trial. Backman, who was the “boss-lady” of a bar known as the Holiday Karaoke Club, coerced a vulnerable Chinese woman into having sex with customers of the club for her own financial gain. Backman preyed upon the woman who had been enticed to come to Saipan from China with promises of work as a farm laborer, cleaning person in a hotel, or wait staff in a restaurant. Once the woman arrived, Backman used her debt, lack of legal immigration status, and inability to speak English to compel her to engage in commercial sex acts at Backman’s bar. Backman drove the woman to and from the bar so that the woman could have sex with men at Backman’s direction.
The case was investigated by FBI Special Agent Jaime Prida, and the United States was represented at trial by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rami S. Badawy and Ross K. Naughton, and U.S. Attorney Limtiaco.Sentencing for February 7 - 12, 2014Read the Press Release
Matthew Scott Smith, 36, of Brighton, Colorado, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on February 12, 2014, for false statement on a loan application. Smith appeared pursuant to a summons. He received five years of supervised probation and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. Restitution will be determined within 30 days. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Brandon Arguello Lopez, 20, of Evansville, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on February 12, 2014, for conspiracy to possess stolen firearms. Lopez was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received 46 months imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $11,642.81, joint and several with other defendants, and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Juan Manuel Nava-Sanchez, aka Ernesto Rodriguez-Estrada, 30, of Mexico, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on February 10, 2014, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Nava-Sanchez was arrested in Jackson, Wyoming. He received eight months imprisonment, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Christopher Camplin, 39, of Sheridan, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on February 7, 2014, for possession of child pornography. Camplin was arrested in Sheridan, Wyoming. He received 120 months imprisonment, to be followed by a lifetime-term of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $500.00 fine and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Clifford R. Bennett, 39, of Douglas, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on February 7, 2014, for arson of building receiving federal funds. Bennett was arrested in Douglas, Wyoming. He received 60 months imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $33,164.25 and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Rusk County Woman Guilty of Embezzling Postal FundsRead the Press Release
Department of Justice
Office of Public AffairsTYLER, Texas – A 43-year-old Henderson, Texas woman has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales.
Tracy A. Bojorquez, former Postmaster Relief at the Joinerville Post Office, has pleaded guilty to misappropriation of United State postal funds today before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love.According to information presented in court, from July 2012 to May 2013, Bojorquez was the relief postmaster at the Joinerville Post Office in Rusk County, Texas. During that time, she embezzled payments she received at the Post Office for postal money orders, post office box rental fees, and the sale of U.S. postage stamps. The unreimbursed losses to the U.S. Postal Service amounted to $5,132.23. Bojorquez was indicted by a federal grand jury on Nov. 20, 2013.
Bojorquez faces up to 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen Hurst.
River Ridge Man, Rainer Wittich, and His Company Charged with Conspiring to Manufacture and Sell Counterfeit Mercedes-benz Diagnostic Equipment Worth over $15,000,000Read the Press Release
RAINER WITTICH, age 64, of River Ridge, Louisiana, and the company he owns, THE BRINSON COMPANY, of Harahan, Louisiana, were charged today in a four-count indictment by a federal grand jury for their role in creating and selling fake Mercedes-Benz diagnostic equipment containing proprietary software without authorization, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Allen Polite, Jr.
According to the Indictment, WITTICH owned THE BRINSON COMPANY, which sold replacement parts and diagnostic equipment for Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Beginning in about 2001, WITTICH and THE BRINSON COMPANY began developing, manufacturing, and selling fake versions of the Mercedes-Benz Star Diagnostic System (SDS), a hand-held computer containing proprietary, confidential software, with the assistance of a Durham, North Carolina-based company. They did so by obtaining Mercedes-Benz software without authorization, applying “cracks and fixes” to make the software work on everyday laptop computers, and making hundreds of copies of the software product. WITTICH and others then worked to override Mercedes-Benz security systems by purchasing false license keys from a United Kingdom-based individual that, combined with other modifications, would “unlock” the SDS software and make it operable on the counterfeit devices. When Mercedes-Benz notified the United Kingdom-based individual that his conduct was in violation of the law, WITTICH and others discussed plans to have him “go underground and off the radar” and continue to provide assistance and support in the production of fake SDS.
Beginning in about 2005, WITTICH entered into a conspiracy with a California-based company to manufacture and sell the SDS. On some occasions, when one of the fake SDS units sold by the North Carolina or California companies would break, WITTICH and BRINSON would repair them and return them to the customers.
Genuine SDS diagnostic devices are used by mechanics to identify problems with and assure the safety of motor vehicles employing electronic control systems; the fraudulent or unauthorized sale of such units increases the risk of Mercedes-Benz automobiles being stolen or suffering from misdiagnosed or undiagnosed problems. Genuine SDS sold for up to $22,000 each, while WITTICH’S fake SDS sold for between $5,000 and $11,000. In total, WITTICH and BRINSON sold not fewer than 700 counterfeit SDS, and the California-based company sold at least 95 devices.
If convicted, WITTICH faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years, followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. THE BRINSON COMPANY faces up to a $500,000 fine.
United States Attorney Polite reiterated that the Indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being investigated by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg.
(Download Indictment )
Procurador Federal Del Distrito Oriental De California, La Atf, El Departamento De Policia De Fresno Anuncian Los Resultados De La Colaboracion En Los Casos Federales De Armas De Fuego Procesados En El 2013 Para El Area De FresnoRead the Press Release
40 acusados de delitos federales por armas de fuego en los condados de Fresno, Tulare y Madera en el 2013; sentenciados a prisión federal en el 2013
FRESNO, Calif.: El procurador federal del distrito oriental de California, Benjamin B. Wagner, anunció hoy los resultados del año pasado del trabajo continuo de las agencias del orden público locales, estatales y federales para procesar casos de violencia con armas en el àrea de Fresno. Los casos federales por armas de fuego son producto del Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN, Proyecto de Vecindarios Seguros), que es una iniciativa del Departamento de Justicia de los EE.UU. para unir a las agencias del orden público para luchar contra la violencia armada. Bajo la iniciativa Smart on Crime (Listos ante el Crimen) que anunció el procurador general de los EE.UU., Eric Holder, en agosto del año pasado, combatir la violencia armada es una alta prioridad del Departamento de Justicia de los EE.UU.
En el 2013 la Oficina del Procurador Federal del Distrito Oriental de California enjuició a por lo menos 100 acusados por delitos relacionados con armas de fuego. Sin embargo, el àrea de Fresno y sus alrededores ha sido objeto específicamente de casos por armas de fuego, y la Oficina del Procurador Federal del Distrito Oriental de California trabaja de cerca con el Departamento de la Policía de Fresno, la Agencia de Alcohol, Tabaco, Armas de Fuego y Explosivos de los EE.UU., el FBI y otros socios del orden público para detener a los criminales armados y peligrosos de esa región.
En el 2013, treinta y cuatro acusados en la ciudad de Fresno y el àrea aledaña del condado de Fresno enfrentaron cargos por delitos federales de armas de fuego. Dos personas màs del condado de Tulare y cuatro màs del condado de Madera fueron acusados por delitos federales de armas de fuego para un total de 40 acusados en el àrea que comprende los tres condados.
Diez de los acusados que enfrentaron cargos en el 2013 ya se han declarado culpables y han sido sentenciados a prisión y cinco màs se han declarado culpables y estàn esperando sentencia. Ademàs, por lo menos 30 acusados màs de la ciudad de Fresno y el àrea aledaña del condado de Fresno que enfrentaron cargos de delitos federales por armas de fuego en años anteriores fueron sentenciados a partir del inicio del 2013. Otros dos acusados del condado de Madera que fueron acusados en años anteriores por delitos de armas de fuego fueron sentenciados en el 2013. Por lo tanto, durante el año 2013 un total de 42 personas culpables de delitos de armas de fuego en los condados de Fresno, Tulare y Madera ingresaron a prisión federal.
Los delitos federales de armas de fuego en estos casos son delitos graves cuya culpabilidad a menudo resulta en sentencias largas de muchos años. Todos los 42 acusados de esta àrea que fueron sentenciados por casos federales de armas de fuego desde principios del 2013 fueron sentenciados a prisión, y màs de la mitad està ahora cumpliendo sentencias de màs de cinco años en prisión. En el sistema federal se ha abolido la libertad condicional, y los acusados tienen que cumplir por lo menos el 85 por ciento del tiempo de prisión que se les ha impuesto. Muchos acusados condenados cumplen sus sentencias en prisiones federales lejos del àrea de Fresno. Los delitos de armas de fuego incluyen el uso de un arma de fuego en el transcurso de un delito de tràfico de drogas o crimen violento, la posesión de un arma de fuego por una persona condenada por un delito grave, la posesión de un arma de fuego sin inscribir, tal como un rifle de asalto totalmente automàtico, una escopeta recortada o un dispositivo explosivo, o la posesión de un arma de fuego por un extranjero indocumentado. Algunos acusados también fueron condenados por ofensas relacionadas con narcóticos y otros delitos federales.
“En nuestro esfuerzo por combatir el crimen armado, hemos trabajado de cerca con nuestros socios de las agencias del orden público para enfocarnos en los criminales peligrosos y armados”, dijo el procurador federal del distrito oriental de California, Wagner. “Gracias a la relación excepcional de trabajo que existe entre las agencias del orden público federales y locales en el àrea de Fresno, esta iniciativa ha logrado sacar de la calle a un gran número de estos criminales por períodos de tiempo extensos.”
“A través del proyecto PSN, la ATF, junto con nuestros socios, pueden enfrentarse a aquellos criminales que comenten delitos violentos y que poseen ilegalmente las armas que tienen bajo asedio a las comunidades”, dijo el agente especial encargado de la Agencia de Alcohol, Tabaco, Armas de Fuego y Explosivos, Joseph M. Riehl.
“La prioridad principal del Departamento de Policía de Fresno continuarà siendo el concentrarse en las gangas e incautarles armas de fuego a los criminales violentos. Nuestra colaboración con la Oficina del Procurador Federal del Distrito Oriental de California a través de la iniciativa Project Safe Neighborhoods ha enviado un mensaje contundente a los miembros de las gangas en nuestras comunidades de que no toleraremos la violencia armada.”
Algunos ejemplos de las condenas federales por armas de fuego en el 2013 producto de este esfuerzo conjunto incluyen los siguientes:
- El 12 de noviembre de 2013, Fernando Casas, de 35 años de edad, un miembro de la ganga Bond Street Bulldog, fue sentenciado a siete años y ocho meses en prisión al haber sido condenado por el delito de poseer un arma de fuego habiendo sido condenado por un delito grave. Bond tiene nueve condenas por delitos graves entre el 1998 y 2011, incluyendo por armas de fuego, sustancias controladas y delitos a la propiedad.
- El 12 de noviembre de 2013, Robert Cervantes, de 35 años, miembro de una ganga en Fresno/Clovis, fue sentenciado a 15 años en prisión por venderle metanfetamina a un informante confidencial en abril de 2011 y luego por haber sido arrestado en mayo de 2011 por poseer un revólver y una onza de metanfetamina que pretendía vender. Cervantes había sido condenado en cinco casos de tràfico de drogas entre el 1997 y 2008.
- El 18 de noviembre de 2013, Luis Montoy, de 35 años de edad, fue sentenciado a seis y cinco meses en prisión al haber sido condenado por el delito de poseer municiones habiendo sido condenado por un delito grave. Los miembros del Grupo de Trabajo con Fugitivos del Servicio del Alguacil Federal de los EE.UU. arrestó a Montoy por haber escapado mientras estaba bajo libertad condicional. Él tenía en su poder pólvora negra para armas y municiones. Él había sido condenado en tres casos de delitos graves entre el 2001 y el 2009 por armas de fuego, violencia doméstica y sustancias controladas.
- El 6 de mayo de 2013, Nicholas Andronicous, de 31 años de edad, fue sentenciado a siete años y ocho meses en prisión al haber sido arrestado por el delito de poseer municiones y un rifle de cañón corto sin inscribir. Según los documentos judiciales, el encuentro con Andronicous ocurrió en mayo de 2012 en respuesta a una llamada por violencia doméstica, y se descubrió que poseía metanfetamina, múltiples armas de fuego y municiones. En junio de 2012 él fue objeto de una investigación por infracción de tràfico y le encontraron otra arma de fuego y municiones. Andronicous había sido condenado en tres casos de delitos graves entre el 2004 y el 2006 por sustancias controladas y otros delitos.
- El 12 de agosto de 2013, Eric Moore, de 36 años, de Fresno, fue sentenciado a 10 años en prisión por poseer múltiples armas de fuego habiendo sido condenado por un delito grave. Según lo indican los documentos judiciales, Moore y otros acusados participaron en allanamientos a concesionarios de armas de fuego en Torrance y Corona, California, y de traer 54 rifles y revólveres robados a Fresno para vendérselos a miembros de gangas y a otras personas.
- El 3 de septiembre de 2013, Ralph Haros, de 49 años, de Fresno, fue sentenciado a seis y medio años en prisión por poseer un arma de fuego habiendo sido condenado por un delito grave. A Haros lo arrestaron los miembros del Grupo de Trabajo con Fugitivos del Servicio del Alguacil Federal de los EE.UU. por una orden de arresto por violar los términos de su libertad condicional. Él había sido condenado en cinco casos de delitos graves entre el 1986 y el 2003 por delitos de allanamiento, armas de fuego, violencia doméstica, sustancias controladas y armas de fuego.
- El 23 de septiembre de 2013 Edward Mitchell, de 33 años, de Fresno, fue sentenciado a ocho años en prisión por poseer un arma de fuego habiendo sido condenado por un delito grave y por la posesión con intención de distribuir cocaína. Según los documentos judiciales, Mitchell tenía dos pistolas en su poder, de las cuales una había usado para matar a un cliente de cocaína que le había disparado a Mitchell y a varios otros en el apartamento de Mitchell. Otras dos personas en el apartamento fueron heridas de bala, de las cuales una sucumbió ante sus heridas y murió.
Estos casos son producto de las investigaciones por múltiples agencias, incluyendo el Departamento de la Policía de Fresno, la Agencia de Alcohol, Tabaco, Armas de Fuego y Explosivos, el FBI, la DEA, departamento de Cumplimiento de Inmigración y Aduana (ICE, por sus siglas en inglés), Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional (HSI) y varias otras oficinas y departamentos de policía en los condados de Fresno, Tulare y Madera. El grupo de trabajo MAGEC y la oficina del Fiscal de Distrito del Condado de Fresno también tuvieron una función crucial en muchos de los casos. Los ayudantes del procurador federal del distrito oriental de California, Kim Sanchez, Laurel Montoya, Kathleen Servatius, Karen Escobar, Michael Frye, Melanie Alsworth, Grant Rabenn y Kevin Rooney estàn procesando los casos.
Los cargos en contra de los acusados que no han sido condenados solamente son alegados pues se presume que todo acusado es inocente a menos que se le pruebe culpable màs allà de duda razonable.
Poplar Bluff Man Sentenced to 50 Years on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – SAMUEL GONZALES, Poplar, Bluff, MO, was sentenced to 600 months in prison Thursday afternoon by United States District Judge Carol E. Jackson, in St. Louis.
According to court documents, between January 2011 and January 2013, Gonzales video recorded himself performing sexual acts on a 9-year-old girl. Also, between January 2011 and January 2013, Gonzales attempted to receive child pornography over his telephone by requesting a 13-year-old girl to send him naked images of herself.
Gonzales pled guilty in November to one felony count each of production and attempted receipt of child pornography.
The case was investigated by Donya Jackson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, Poplar Bluff Police Department and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Erin Granger handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.Pleasant Hill Woman Charged in Tax Refund Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Sherry L Hender made her initial appearance today in federal court on charges of theft of government property and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney Melinda Haag and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge José M. Martinez announced.
According to the indictment filed on May 21, 2013, and unsealed today, from about January 18, 2012 to February 21, 2012, Hender, of Pleasant Hill, knowingly and willfully stole federal tax refunds to which she was not entitled. For the 2011 tax year, Hender received 13 tax refunds totaling $42,989. Hender also unlawfully used the name and Social Security number of another individual to obtain that tax refund.
Hender’s next court appearance is on March 7, 2014, before the Honorable Jeffrey S. White, United State District Court Judge in San Francisco.
The maximum statutory penalty for each count of theft of government property, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C § 641, is 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The maximum penalty for aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C § 1028A, is two years in prison, consecutive to the underlying felony and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Moore is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.
(Hender indictment )
Patrick Jude Brennan, Jr. Sentenced for Distribution of Methamphetamine HydrochlorideRead the Press Release
ALICIA A.G. LIMTIACO, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that Defendant PATRICK JUDE BRENNAN, JR., age 48, was sentenced by Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood, in the District Court of Guam, to eight months home confinement for the offense of Distribution of Methamphetamine Hydrochloride. Defendant BRENNAN also received a sentence of two years probation, and will be required to perform 50 hours of community service to include public speaking, pay a $2,000 fine and forfeit his 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser. Defendant BRENNAN drove his brother to pick up drugs and as a result, he forfeited his 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser.
Defendant BRENNAN was involved in a scheme to distribute 1.6 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride to other persons from his apartment residence. The methamphetamine hydrochloride sold by BRENNAN had a purity level that was 85% purity.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rosetta San Nicolas. U.S. Attorney Limtiaco commends the hard work and investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
U.S. Attorney Limtiaco states, “Methamphetamine has been linked to an increase in violent crimes and results in devastating effects to individuals and to the community. Methamphetamine presents a public safety and a public health threat to our community warranting aggressive law enforcement action. Those who engage in the criminal importation, receipt and sale of this illegal drug will be prosecuted and face severe penalties. Persons who aid others in the distribution of drugs will also face the loss of their personal property. ”
U.S. Attorney Limtiaco noted that this prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) Initiative, a nationwide commitment to aggressively prosecute defendants who engage in drug distribution, gang involvement and violent crime.New Orleans Woman, Renata R. Foreman, Sentenced for Financial Aid FraudRead the Press Release
RENATA R. FOREMAN, age 34, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Susie Morgan, to 33 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release and a $300 special assessment, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Allen Polite, Jr. FOREMAN pleaded guilty in October 2013 to a three-count bill of information charging her with theft of government funds, mail fraud and identity theft related to her scheme to defraud the U.S. Department of Education. Judge Morgan also ordered FOREMAN to pay restitution in the amount of $191,617 to the U.S. Department of Education.
According to court records, from September 2008 through January 2012, FOREMAN fraudulently obtained financial aid funds in the amount of $191,617 from several Louisiana and online universities. As part of her scheme to defraud, FOREMAN applied for admission and financial aid in her name and in the name of nine individuals without their knowledge or consent. By falsifying high school graduation information and supplying forged transcripts, FOREMAN induced universities to admit her and others based on false information. FOREMAN also misrepresented her income and other applicant’s income in order to maximize the federal financial aid she illegally received.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Education-Office of Inspector General, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia K. Evans.
Mooringsport Man Sentenced to 240 Months in Prison for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Steven Deem, 52, of Mooringsport, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, to 240 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for distribution of child pornography. He is also required to register as a sex offender.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea on October 10, 2013, authorities discovered Deem had transmitted images of child pornography online in September 2012. Upon further investigation, they found that he had previously uploaded a video to YouTube discussing his views on children and sex. The YouTube video also contained images of nude and semi-nude children. Deem’s home was searched on November 1, 2012, and authorities discovered more than 43 images of child pornography.The Louisiana Attorney General’s High Technology Crime Unit, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell prosecuted the case.
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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp.Those concerned may also leave tips with the FBI at tips.fbi.gov. Tips may be submitted anonymously. The Shreveport FBI office number is (318) 861-1890.
Michigan Man Indicted for Embezzling More Than $2.3 Million from Vineyards Development Corp. in NaplesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida –United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Alfred W. Lenz (68, Montague, Michigan) with three counts of wire fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also notifies Lenz that the United States intends to forfeit a house in Montague, Michigan, and the contents of a Charles Schwab Retirement Account, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offenses. In addition, the United States is seeking a money judgment in the amount of $2,380,465.11, the proceeds of the wire fraud scheme.
According to the indictment, Lenz was the Controller for the Vineyards Development Corporation (VDC) in Naples, Florida, from March 31, 2005 until April 27, 2012. Between January 11, 2007 and December 9, 2010, while employed as VDC Controller, Lenz allegedly embezzled $2,380,465.11 from VDC. He used the money to buy real estate and for other personal expenses. Lenz used his position to hide eighty-seven $24,000 check payments, totaling $2,088,000, to an account which he controlled. Lenz made false entries in the VDC books and concealed the true nature of these check payments. He also caused seven wire transfers, totaling $292,465.11, to be sent from VDC’s bank account, into a bank account that he controlled.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, Economic Crimes Unit, with assistance from the Office of the State Attorney, Twentieth Judicial Circuit. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David G. Lazarus.
(Download Factual Basis )
Media AdvisoryRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama - The Humane Society of the United States will present five of its 2013 Humane Law Enforcement Awards to several Alabama officials for their participation in the second largest dog fighting case in history.
WHO:
- Clark Morris Jr., Assistant U.S. Attorney, Middle District of Alabama
- George L. Beck Jr., U.S Attorney, Middle District of Alabama
- 2 Special Agents with the FBI, Montgomery Office
- 1 Auburn Police Department Detective who is assigned to the FBI Safe Street Task
- Keith Baker, Investigator for the State of Alabama Attorney General’s Office
WHEN:
Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014; 1:30pmWHERE:
U.S Attorney’s Office
131 Clayton Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36104PRESS CONTACT: Clark Morris
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: (334) 551-1755
Fax: (334) 223-7617Loup City Man Sentenced for Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced that on February 13, 2014, Senior United States District Judge Richard G. Kopf sentenced Rodney R. Moraczewski, age 53 of Loup City, Nebraska, to 41 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Moraczewski was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $299,206.60 to the Internal Revenue Service.
In 2009 and 2010, Rodney Moraczewski filed ten false tax returns in his name and the names of other people resulting in payments from the IRS to Moraczewski totaling $299,206.60. Moraczewski pled guilty on November 20, 2013, to felony charges of filing a false federal tax return and identity theft.
“Investigating refund fraud and identity theft is a top priority,” said Sybil Smith, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation. “Stealing identities and filing false tax returns hurts innocent taxpayers and causes a monetary loss against the U.S. Treasury.”
This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service, the Nebraska Department of Revenue, and the Sherman County Sheriff’s Department.
Iowa Man Sentenced in Federal Court for Cyber-Attack on Koch Industries SubsidiaryRead the Press Release
James L. Santelle, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 12, 2014, Jacob Allen Wilkens (age: 24) of Postville, Iowa, was sentenced by Magistrate Judge James R. Sickel to 24 months’ probation and ordered to pay $110,932.71 in restitution.
Wilkens had previously pled guilty for his participation along with members of the on-line hacker group “Anonymous” in a distributed denial of service attack against the Angel Soft bathroom tissue website in February and March of 2011. Angel Soft is a subsidiary of Koch Industries, the intended target of the attack.
Wilkens and others utilized a “low orbit ion cannon” designed to flood the Angel Soft server with traffic with the intention of disrupting the website’s service. The Angel Soft server is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Koch Industries suffered several hundred-thousand dollars in loss as a result of the continuous attacks on several of its network servers over a three day span.
The case was investigated by Special Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation field offices in Iowa and Wisconsin. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble of the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
Indictment Unsealed Which Charges Former Secretary of Finance for the Mexican State of Coahuila in Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury indictment unsealed this morning in San Antonio charges Hector Javier Villarreal Hernandez, the former Secretary of Finance for the Mexican State of Coahuila, Mexico, for his alleged role in a money laundering conspiracy announced United States Attorney Robert Pitman; Drug Enforcement Administration Acting Special Agent in Charge Steven Whipple, Houston Division; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Steve McCollough and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Janice Ayala.
The indictment alleges that since January 2008, Villarreal and others conducted financial transactions involving the proceeds of unlawful activity. According to the indictment, the proceeds in question involve the importation, sale and distribution of controlled substances; bribery of a public official; embezzlement of public funds; and, wire fraud. The indictment further alleges that as part of the scheme, the defendant transferred funds in and out of the United States in order to conceal and disguise the nature, source and ownership of the criminally derived proceeds.
Upon conviction, the defendant faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
Villarreal surrendered to federal authorities in El Paso yesterday. He remains in federal custody following his Initial Appearance this afternoon in San Antonio before United States Magistrate Judge Henry Bemporad. No further court dates are scheduled at this time.
This indictment resulted from an investigation conducted by agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) together with Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the DEA’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force in San Antonio.
The United States Government is grateful for the ongoing cooperation of the Government of Mexico with regard to this investigation.
An indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.