Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
6 March 2014
Marlboro Man Sentenced for Defrauding AirlinesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Marlboro man was sentenced today for charges stemming from his scheme to defraud various airlines.
Pedro Igor Duarte, 28, was sentenced to two years in prison, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $28,210 in restitution. In September 2013, Duarte pleaded guilty to three counts of mail fraud.
Beginning October 2007 and continuing through April 2009, Duarte flew on various airlines, including Continental Airlines, American Airlines, and Air Tran Airways (now Southwest Airlines), for the purpose of submitting and obtaining payment on lost baggage claims, when in fact he had not lost any baggage on those flights.
Prior to a flight Duarte checked his baggage with the airline. Upon arrival, he picked up his checked baggage, but then submitted a lost baggage claim form, falsely stating that the airline had lost his baggage. Duarte would slightly alter the spelling of his name on the baggage claim form so that the airline would not know that the same person was filing numerous lost baggage claims. He also would provide a Massachusetts address or, alternatively, an address outside of Massachusetts, but would later contact the airline and change his address to a Massachusetts location. In support of his lost baggage claim, Duarte would provide the airline with receipts purporting to document the value of his lost baggage. Upon receipt of that information, the airline would mail him a check to compensate for the value of his purportedly lost baggage.
In September 2013, Duarte pleaded guilty to the offenses. Subsequently, the government learned that on April 24, 2013, after Duarte was indicted and while on his pretrial release, he flew from Boston to Palm Beach, Fla., under a false identity and without first obtaining authorization of the Court to do so, thus violating conditions of his pretrial release. On April 26, 2013, Duarte opened a mailbox and a Citibank account in Florida, using a fraudulent Brazilian passport and driver’s license before flying back to Boston the following day. The Citibank account opened in Florida was used to facilitate the purchase and negotiation of fraudulent U.S. Postal money orders, some of which were fraudulent money orders that were ultimately deposited into Duarte’s wife’s bank account. In November 2013, Duarte made false statements to federal agents by denying that he had opened the mailbox and Citibank accounts in Florida under the false identity. Duarte acknowledged depositing some of the money orders in question into his wife’s bank account but denied facilitating fraud.
The sentencing hearing was initially scheduled for Jan. 17, 2014. Duarte appeared in the courthouse, but then absconded before the sentencing hearing commenced. A bench warrant issued and Duarte turned himself into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service on Feb. 24, 2014.United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Anthony DiPaolo, Chief of Investigations of the Massachusetts Insurance Fraud Bureau; and Shelly Binkowski, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, investigated the matter and made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maxim Grinberg.
Man Sentenced for Misuse of Passport and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.– U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Bakusa Dukuray, 38, of Gambia, who was convicted of misusing a passport and aggravated identity theft, was sentenced to 24 months in prison by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William M. Skretny. The defendant will be deported following the completion of his sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie P. Grisanti, who handled the case, stated that in May of 2013, Dukuray attempted to enter the United States at the Lewiston Bridge Port of Entry in Lewiston, New York using a Canadian passport issued in the name of a friend.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of United States Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Randy Howe, Acting Director of Field Operations.Local Attorney, His Father and 17 Others Sentenced for Trafficking Cocaine Through Starr CountyRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A total of 19 people have been handed federal prison sentences for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy originating out of Starr County involving more than 10,000 kilograms of marijuana in 2012 and 2013, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson along with Janice Ayala, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in San Antonio.
“This HSI Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, worked in collaboration with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and our other law enforcement partners, dealt a major blow to the Delfino Bazan Drug Trafficking Organization as 19 of its members were sentenced,” said Ayala. “HSI, in collaboration with the DEA, seized approximately 12,247 kilograms of marijuana, 19 weapons, along with U.S. currency and other personal property purchased with illicit proceeds.”
U.S. District Judge Crane sentenced South Texas attorney Jose Luis Palacios Jr., 38, of Mission, and his father, Jose Luis Palacios Sr., 64, a legal permanent resident of Edinburg and owner of J&J Auto Sales in McAllen to 144 and 60 months in federal prison, respectively. Elee Camargo, 37, of McAllen, an oil field service’s entrepreneur, received a sentence of 84 months. They were all convicted for their roles in the attempt to coordinate the transportation of 428 kilograms of marijuana to the primary target of the investigation, Delfino Bazan.
Bazan, 44, of Houston, would receive shipments of marijuana from various co-conspirators in Houston to sell to others. Today, he was sentenced to a total of 324 months in prison. It is estimated that over the course of the conspiracy, Bazan was receiving at least 1,000 kilograms of marijuana each month to distribute to others in the spring of 2012. Bazan was also sentenced to 324 months for cocaine trafficking in a case originating out of the Eastern District of Texas. The sentences will be served concurrently. As part of the plea agreement in that case, he has agreed to a monetary judgment of more than $10 million.
Bazan’s common law wife Alejandrina Martinez, 43, of Houston, received a sentence of 30 months for her role in laundering drug proceeds through bank accounts on behalf of Bazan.
Also sentenced today were Sostenes Ferreira-Garcia, 50, Enrique Montalvo, 40, and Jose Felipe Ramon, 33, all of Rio Grande City; and Samuel Espino-Morales, 59, Jorge Luis Martinez-Moreno, 28, and Homero Daniel Gutierrez-Aguilar, 24, all of Camargo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. All were each sentenced for their respective roles in smuggling marijuana from Mexico into the United States near La Casita for further distribution within the United States. They assisted in the smuggling of at least 10,000 kilograms of marijuana during the spring of 2013, all of which was intercepted by law enforcement during the course of the investigation. Ferreira-Garcia, who coordinated the smuggling and further distribution was sentenced to 240 months. Enrique Montalvo scouted for the group and received a sentence of 108 months. Load driver Espino-Morales was sentenced to 51 months, while Martinez-Moreno and Gutierrez-Aguilar, who assisted with the loading and unloading of the marijuana were sentenced, respectively, to 140 and 112 months in prison. Ramon allowed his residence to be used as a stash location and received a sentence of 135 months in prison.
Eight others - Ivan Del Jesus Campos-Landa, 31, David Muniz, 54, Jose Luis Lozano, 41, Mario Alberto Martinez, 44, and David Ulloa Correa, 48, all of Rio Grande City; Thomas Garcia, 53, of Garciasville; Edmundo Canales, 23, of Edinburg; and Rosendo Benitez, 45, of McAllen - were all convicted of attempting to transport varying amounts of marijuana at varying times throughout the conspiracy. Campos-Landa was sentenced to 57 months, while Muniz, Lozano, Martinez, Correa, Garcia and Canales were ordered to serve 60, 41, 72, 24, 120 and 46 months in prison, respectively. Benitez will serve a 87-month-term of imprisonment.
The OCDETF investigation dubbed “Operation Casanova” was conducted by HSI, DEA Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Starr County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Juan F. Alanis is prosecuting the case.
Leon County Businessman Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Bobby Edward Tubb, 31-year-old owner of Tubb Collision in Centerville, TX, will spend 51 months in federal prison for his involvement in the falsification and removal of vehicle identification numbers (VINs), announced United States Attorney Robert Pitman, Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director Steven McCraw and Leon County Sheriff Kevin Ellis.
In addition to the prison term handed down late yesterday afternoon in Waco, U.S. District Judge Walter S. Smith, Jr., ordered that Tubb pay a $1,000 fine and be placed under supervised release for a period of three years after completing his prison term.
On January 9, 2014, Tubb pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting the falsification and removal of VINs. According to court documents, since 2010, Tubb directed his half-brother and employee, 24-year-old Johnathan Harvey Nicholas, to remove or alter identification numbers from vehicles at Tubb Collision.
During the investigation, authorities executed a search warrant at a storage unit in Flynn, TX, being rented by Nicholas using an alias. The unit contained a stolen vehicle, which had previously been in the possession of Tubb, as well as numerous vehicle parts from new vehicles, such as dashes, door panels and steering columns. Many of these component parts had their VIN and/or vehicle traceability numbers removed or altered. Subsequently, authorities executed several other search warrants at various locations within Leon County which resulted in the discovery of approximately six (6) stolen vehicles and various vehicle component parts.
On January 8, 2014, Judge Smith sentenced Nicholas to one year and one day in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered that he pay a $500 fine for his role in the scheme.
This case was investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Mary Kucera prosecuted this case on behalf of the Government.Lancaster Pair Charged in Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
An Indictment was filed today charging Kyle Costello, 27, and Matthew Hill, 29, both of Lancaster, PA, with conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery, armed bank robbery, carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and aiding and abetting, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. Hill is also charged with attempted bank robbery.
According to the indictment, on November 7, 2013, the defendants robbed the National Penn Bank, on Lancaster Pike in Shillington, Pennsylvania, at gunpoint. It is further alleged that on December 6, 2013, Hill tried to rob the Susquehanna Bank, on E. Market Street in York, Pennsylvania.
If convicted the defendants face a maximum possible sentence of life in prison, with a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years consecutive to any other sentence imposed, and a fine of up to $1million.
The case was investigated by the FBI, York City Police Department, Cumru Township Police Department, Lancaster City Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Salvatore L. Astolfi.
Click here to view the indictment
An Indictment, Information or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, EASTERN DISTRICTof PENNSYLVANIA
Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
PATTY HARTMAN, Media Contact, 215-861-8525Kyle Man Indicted for Assault and BurglaryRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Kyle, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Burglary.
Makes Good was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. A trial date has not been set.
Vinnie Sonny Makes Good, age 26, was indicted on February 19, 2014. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on February 27, 2014, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 25 years’ imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment charges that Makes Good and another person broke into a home near Kyle and assaulted a man.
The charges are merely accusations and Makes Good is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins is prosecuting the case.
Ketchikan Man Convicted of Assault on a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced that on March 6, 2014, a jury of eight men and four women found Jon William Munhoven guilty of assault on a federal officer.
Munhoven, 56, was tried before U.S. District Court Judge Timothy M. Burgess in Juneau, Alaska.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack S. Schmidt and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lieutenant Commander Stanley P. Fields, who jointly prosecuted the case, the evidence presented at trial established that on September 2, 2013, the United States Coast Guard at Coast Guard Station Ketchikan dispatched six personnel in a 25-foot Response Boat Small (RBS) in response to a call for help from a mariner who had been assaulted on his vessel. After travelling through thick fog, the RBS crew arrived at the vessel and contacted the mariner who had called for help, as well as a female passenger and Jon William Munhoven. The mariner had a bloody nose and described being hit by Munhoven. Munhoven was irate and hostile when the Coast Guard Boarding Team initially contacted him and they ordered him to disembark the mariner’s vessel.Munhoven was placed in handcuffs and sat on the aft deck box of the RBS. Munhoven refused to listen to directions from the U.S. Coast Guard Boarding Team, and then started to actively resist the Coast Guard personnel. The Boarding Team placed Munhoven on the back deck in order to control his movements and for his own safety and the safety of the crew. During this time, Munhoven intentionally kicked one of the U.S. Coast Guard Boarding Team members in the face with a shod foot, using it as a dangerous weapon and causing bodily injury to the Coast Guard crew member.
Judge Burgess scheduled sentencing for June 23, 2013, at 3:30 p.m. in Juneau. The law provides for a sentence of up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and three years of supervised release.
Ms. Loeffler commended the United States Coast Guard 17th District Legal Office, United States Coast Guard Investigative Service (USCGIS), and the Ketchikan Police Department for the investigation leading to the prosecution of Munhoven.
Kern County Man Charged with "Sextortion" of Minors Using Social MediaRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Brian Caputo, 25, of Arvin, charging him with sexual exploitation of a minor and receipt and distribution of child pornography, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
According to court documents, Caputo for the past eight years has used social media accounts with Facebook, Kik Messenger, Text Me! as well as Yahoo! and Dropbox accounts to communicate with dozens of minor females throughout the United States while posing as a minor female. Soon after establishing communication with the minor females, Caputo would threaten to reveal sexually explicit images of their friends unless the minor females created and sent to him images of themselves nude or engaging in sexually explicit conduct. In June 2013, Caputo contacted a 12-year-old girl in El Paso, Texas and threatened to distribute sexually explicit pictures of her 11-year-old friend unless she sent nude images of herself to Caputo. She told a family member who contacted the El Paso Police Department, and they started an investigation.
When law enforcement investigators traced the threatening communications to Caputo, they discovered that he had been victimizing many other minor females across the United States. For example, Caputo convinced one minor female to take and then upload more than 660 sexually explicit images of herself to a Dropbox account controlled by Caputo. When agents executed a search warrant at his residence in Arvin, on February 28, 2014, Caputo's cell phone contained hundreds of images of girls ages 11-15 undressing, nude, or engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Caputo then traded the images with other Internet users.
To date, at least eight minor females have been identified, although law enforcement is attempting to confirm the identity of many other victims. Caputo established Facebook accounts, and contacted minor females, using the names Giavanna Derann, Catness Love, Melissa Harpson, Cristal Dafnie, and Britt Any. Anyone who believes that they might have been a victim of Caputo's offenses is encouraged to contact the FBI's Bakersfield office at (661) 323-9665.
The investigation of this case is ongoing and has been done by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Offices in El Paso, Texas and Bakersfield, Calif., with assistance from the El Paso Police Department and the FBI's Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney David Gappa is prosecuting the case. Caputo is scheduled to appear before United States Magistrate Judge Sheila K. Oberto on Monday, March 10, 2014, at 1:30 p.m. for arraignment and to determine whether he should remain detained or be released on bond.
If convicted, Caputo faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a minor and 20 years in prison for receipt or distribution of child pornography and a $250,000 fine for each count. 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.
This case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. Click on the "resources" tab for information about Internet safety education.Justice Department Enters Consent Decree with National Tax Preparer H&R Block Requiring Accessibility of Websites and Mobile Apps Under Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels of the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz of the District of Massachusetts announced today that they have entered into a consent decree with HRB Digital LLC and HRB Tax Group Inc., subsidiaries of H&R Block Inc., to remedy alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The decree resolves the department’s allegations that individuals with disabilities are denied full and equal enjoyment of largely tax-preparation focused goods and services that are provided through H&R Block’s website and mobile applications. The decree has been filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts for the court’s approval.
On Dec. 11, 2013, the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts filed a complaint in intervention in the lawsuit National Federal of the Blind (NFB) et al. v. HRB Digital LLC et al. to enforce Title III of the ADA. The decree resolves the complaints by the NFB, two individual plaintiffs and the United States filed in the District of Massachusetts.
H&R Block is one of the largest tax return preparers in the United States. It offers a wide range of services through its website, www.hrblock.com, and its mobile apps, including professional and do-it-yourself tax preparation, instructional videos, office location information, interactive live video conference and chat with tax professionals, online and in-store services and electronic tax-return filing.
The complaint alleged that H&R Block failed to code its website in a manner that would make it accessible to individuals who have vision, hearing and physical disabilities. As described in the complaint, individuals with disabilities use various assistive technologies to access the Internet, including screen reader software, refreshable Braille displays, keyboard navigation and captioning, among others that are not currently compatible with H&R Block’s website. These technologies have been widely used for decades. The recognized international industry standards for web accessibility, known as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, can be found online and are freely available to help companies ensure that individuals with disabilities can fully and equally enjoy their web-based goods and services.
“This landmark decree ensures that individuals with disabilities will have an equal opportunity to independently and conveniently obtain information and complete taxes as others do,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Samuels. “H&R Block is to be commended for working with the NFB and the Justice Department in resolving to take such steps.”
“For those with disabilities, an inaccessible website puts them at a great disadvantage and further perpetuates a feeling of dependence and reliance on others,” said U.S. Attorney Ortiz. “With thoughtful and proper web design, businesses and organizations can have a great impact on the daily lives of people with disabilities who, like everyone else, seek to enjoy the benefits of technology.”
Under the terms of the five year decree, H&R Block’s website, tax filing utility and mobile apps will conform to the Level AA Success Criteria of the WCAG 2.0. According to the decree, the H&R Block website will be accessible for the start of the next tax filing term on Jan. 1, 2015, with additional accessibility deadlines over the following years of the decree. Additionally, HRB Digital and HRB Tax Group have agreed to: appoint a skilled web accessibility coordinator who will report to H&R Block’s enterprise Chief Information Officer; adopt a web accessibility policy; initiate training on accessible design for its web content personnel; evaluate employee and contractor performance based on successful web access programming; conduct regular automated and user group testing; and hire an approved outside consultant to prepare annual independent evaluations of Block’s online accessibility. H&R Block will also pay $45,000 to the two individual plaintiffs, and a $55,000 civil penalty.
An accessible version of the consent decree is available on the ADA website.
Justice Department Enters Consent Decree with National Tax Preparer H&R Block Requiring Accessibility of Websites and Mobile Apps Under Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels of the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz of the District of Massachusetts announced today that they have entered into a consent decree with HRB Digital LLC and HRB Tax Group Inc., subsidiaries of H&R Block Inc., to remedy alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The decree resolves the department’s allegations that individuals with disabilities are denied full and equal enjoyment of largely tax-preparation focused goods and services that are provided through H&R Block’s website and mobile applications. The decree has been filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts for the court’s approval.
On Dec. 11, 2013, the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts filed a complaint in intervention in the lawsuit National Federal of the Blind (NFB) et al. v. HRB Digital LLC et al. to enforce Title III of the ADA. The decree resolves the complaints by the NFB, two individual plaintiffs and the United States filed in the District of Massachusetts.
H&R Block is one of the largest tax return preparers in the United States. It offers a wide range of services through its website, www.hrblock.com, and its mobile apps, including professional and do-it-yourself tax preparation, instructional videos, office location information, interactive live video conference and chat with tax professionals, online and in-store services and electronic tax-return filing.
The complaint alleged that H&R Block failed to code its website in a manner that would make it accessible to individuals who have vision, hearing and physical disabilities. As described in the complaint, individuals with disabilities use various assistive technologies to access the Internet, including screen reader software, refreshable Braille displays, keyboard navigation and captioning, among others that are not currently compatible with H&R Block’s website. These technologies have been widely used for decades. The recognized international industry standards for web accessibility, known as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, can be found online and are freely available to help companies ensure that individuals with disabilities can fully and equally enjoy their web-based goods and services.
“This landmark decree ensures that individuals with disabilities will have an equal opportunity to independently and conveniently obtain information and complete taxes as others do,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Samuels. “H&R Block is to be commended for working with the NFB and the Justice Department in resolving to take such steps.”
“For those with disabilities, an inaccessible website puts them at a great disadvantage and further perpetuates a feeling of dependence and reliance on others,” said U.S. Attorney Ortiz. “With thoughtful and proper web design, businesses and organizations can have a great impact on the daily lives of people with disabilities who, like everyone else, seek to enjoy the benefits of technology.”Under the terms of the five year decree, H&R Block’s website, tax filing utility and mobile apps will conform to the Level AA Success Criteria of the WCAG 2.0. According to the decree, the H&R Block website will be accessible for the start of the next tax filing term on Jan. 1, 2015, with additional accessibility deadlines over the following years of the decree. Additionally, HRB Digital and HRB Tax Group have agreed to: appoint a skilled web accessibility coordinator who will report to H&R Block’s enterprise Chief Information Officer; adopt a web accessibility policy; initiate training on accessible design for its web content personnel; evaluate employee and contractor performance based on successful web access programming; conduct regular automated and user group testing; and hire an approved outside consultant to prepare annual independent evaluations of Block’s online accessibility. H&R Block will also pay $45,000 to the two individual plaintiffs, and a $55,000 civil penalty.
Jury Convicts Leader of Houston Hostage Taking OrganizationRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A federal jury in Houston has convicted Mexican national Samuel Castro-Flores, aka “Chame” or “Chamuco,” 41, on 18 counts to include conspiracy to commit hostage taking, hostage taking and other charges involving smuggling aliens and firearms, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson. The verdict was returned this afternoon following a two-week trial and approximately an hour of deliberation.
The charges in the case stem from an investigation that began in mid-August 2012. Two illegal aliens had been smuggled into the country and their family members began to receive extortion calls demanding money for their release.
On Sept. 7, 2012, agents executed a search warrant at a residence on Amblewood Drive in Houston and encountered 26 illegal aliens, at least two of whom were juveniles, being held hostage inside the residence. According to the victim aliens, upon arrival in Houston they were forced to undress and informed they had been “sold” and would not be released until family members paid for their release. Victims reported they were held in their underwear, in locked rooms with boarded up windows and in deplorable conditions. The victims also indicated they were guarded by men constantly armed with a handgun. Some victims said they were threatened with harm or death if payment was not received.
The evidence at trial showed Castro-Flores was the leader of the organization which held these aliens hostage and extorted their families for thousands of dollars before their release. The evidence demonstrated Castro-Flores took extensive steps to avoid being detected by law enforcement. For example, he asked witnesses to help him present a false story that he was simply a repairman who happened to be at the Amblewood residence on one occasion to fix the air-conditioning.
An air-conditioning repair company owner in Houston reported that he once employed Castro-Flores as a helper in his business but fired him after learning he was involved in smuggling aliens. He also testified Castro-Flores later tried to use him to present a false impression to law enforcement that he was only involved in the air-conditioning business.
Prior to committing the offenses in this case, Castro-Flores was convicted of conspiracy to harbor aliens in the Southern District of Texas in July 2009 and subsequently deported in January 2011. He re-entered the United States after his deportation and was arrested in this case on Dec. 5, 2012, in Houston. Before trial, Castro-Flores pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry, one of the charges from the indictment in the current case.He was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit hostage taking, five counts of hostage taking, one count of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, five counts of harboring illegal aliens, one count of being an alien illegally present in the U.S., one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, two counts of transportation of illegal aliens, as well as using and carrying a firearm in furtherance of a crime and brandishing that firearm.
U.S. District Judge Gray Miller, who presided over the trial, has set sentencing for June 28, 2014. At that time, he faces up to life in prison for each of the hostage taking counts. He also faces up to 20 years for the illegal entry after deportation and up to 10 years for each of the alien harboring and transporting counts. For the firearms charges, he will also face another seven years to life in prison, which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed. All the convictions also carry as possible punishment a $250,000 fine.
Already on supervised release for the 2009 alien harboring case, he faces possible revocation of that term and up to another 10 years additional imprisonment.
The investigation leading to the charges in this case was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations in Houston, Washington, D.C., and Virginia along with the Houston Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Arthur R. Jones prosecuted the case.
Jackson Woman Pleads Guilty to Stolen Identity Refund FraudRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss – Marietta Harris, 38, of Jackson, pled guilty on March 5, 2014 to conspiring to defraud the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis. She will be sentenced on May 15, 2014 by U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate and faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Harris and her co-conspirators defrauded the government by using personal identifying information, including names and social security numbers, which had been stolen from the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility located in Rankin County, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and other locations. The information was then used to file false tax returns with the IRS which claimed the tax payers were owed a refund. The refunds were then electronically deposited into various bank accounts in Mississippi belonging to Harris and her co-conspirators.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation with assistance from the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, the Mississippi Department of Corrections and the Mississippi Department of Revenue. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Lemon.If you believe you have been a victim of fraud from a person or an organization soliciting relief funds on behalf of storm victims, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud toll free at:
(866) 720-5721
You can also fax information to:
(225) 334-4707
or e-mail it to:
Making sure that victims of federal crimes are treated with compassion, fairness and respect.
Training and seminars for Federal, State, and Local Law Enforcement Agencies.
Help us combat the proliferation of sexual exploitation crimes against children.
Our nation-wide commitment to reducing gun crime in America.
Honduran National Sentenced for Conspiring to File False Tax Refund Claims and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that today in federal court, United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced SALVADOR SERRANO PORTILLO , 45, a non-resident Honduran national, most recently of Clinton, NC, to 51 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. PORTILLO was also ordered to pay $156,107 in restitution.
PORTILLO was named in a Criminal Information filed on August 26, 2013, charging him with conspiring to defraud the United States through the filing of fraudulent federal tax refund claims, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 286, and aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A. On October 4, 2013, PORTILLO pled guilty to the charges.
According to the investigation, PORTILLO illegally entered the United States from Honduras in 2001 and settled in the Clinton, NC area. Shortly after his arrival, PORTILLO purchased stolen identifying papers, including a Social Security card and a birth certificate, for an individual PORTILLO knew to be an actual person residing in North Carolina at the time. PORTILLO assumed this individual’s identity to, among other things, obtain employment and health insurance, open bank accounts, and make international wire transfers.
Between 2011 and 2013, the investigation further revealed that PORTILLO and others conspired to file false federal income tax returns by exploiting the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) program administered by the Internal Revenue Service. An ITIN is a nine-digit number that enables resident and nonresident alien taxpayers who are ineligible for a Social Security number to file federal income tax returns. As part of the conspiracy, PORTILLO and others used fraudulent identifying papers, such as Honduran passports, birth certificates, and school records, to apply for and obtain ITINs for individuals who did not reside or work in the United States. The false ITIN information was used, in turn, to file federal income tax returns reporting bogus tax refund claims.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. The case was prosecuted by former Assistant United States Attorney Gaston B. Williams and Assistant United States Attorney Adam F. Hulbig.
High Speed Chase in Glenn County Leads to Oregon Man Pleading Guilty to Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Joshua Anthony Bond, 25, of Grants Pass, Ore., pleaded guilty today to illicit trafficking in controlled substances and being a felon in possession of firearms, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Willows office of the California Highway Patrol, and the Glenn County Sheriff's Department. Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rodriguez is prosecuting the case.
According to court documents, on July 11, 2013, a CHP officer observed Bond speeding on Interstate 5 near County Road 57 in Glenn County. The CHP officer followed Bond at high speeds as Bond turned off the highway and through residential neighborhoods in Willows. During his flight, Bond threw a loaded .380-caliber handgun onto a residential street. Bond eventually lost control in a residential cul-de-sac; he was then taken into custody.
Law enforcement officers seized a 9 mm sub-machine gun, a 12 gauge pump shotgun, various types of ammunition, 210 grams of methamphetamine, and two body armor plates.
Bond is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on May 22, 2014. The charges to which Bond pleaded guilty carry a possible sentence of up to life in prison. The plea agreement contemplates a sentence of 15 to 17.5 years in prison. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court at the hearing.
Hartford Crack Dealer Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that RAKENT BUNKLEY, also known as “Kent” and “Kent Street,” 25, of Hartford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 80 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine.
This matter stems from “Operation Vinefield,” a joint law enforcement investigation headed by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force targeting narcotics trafficking and gang violence in Hartford’s North End. As a result of the nine-month investigation, 38 individuals were charged with various offenses related to the distribution of crack cocaine and the unlawful possession and dealing of firearms in and around Hartford.
According to court documents and statements made in court, one of the main targets of the investigation was Dementrius Nave, a member of the AVE street gang with a lengthy criminal history. Court-authorized wiretaps of Nave’s phones, coordinated motor vehicle stops and seizures, and physical surveillance, confirmed that Nave and his associates, including BUNKLEY, conspired to distribute crack cocaine and other narcotics in Hartford’s Northeast neighborhood. BUNKLEY is a member of the “Forty Deuce” set of the AVE.
BUNKLEY’s criminal history includes a state felony conviction stemming from a carjacking robbery. In September 2009, he was sentenced to three years of imprisonment for that offense. Approximately four months after he was released in October 2011, he was intercepted on Nave’s phone conspiring to sell crack cocaine.
BUNKLEY has been detained since his arrest on February 13, 2012. On November 5, 2013, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack cocaine”).
Nave has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, the Connecticut State Police, the Hartford Police Department, and the Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722 [email protected]Greenville Drug Trafficker Sentenced in Operation “No Quarter”Read the Press Release
RALEIGH - United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that in federal court today United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced MICHAEL ANTONIO HARRIS, 38, of Greenville, North Carolina, to 180 months of imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release. HARRIS previously pled guilty to possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.
The Greenville Police Department used a confidential informant to buy crack cocaine from HARRIS on April 10, April 13 and May 3, 2012. The Greenville Police Department also arrested HARRIS when he was found with crack cocaine on October 9, 2012 and March 16, 2013. HARRIS resisted arrest on both occasions. Finally, the Greenville Police Department arrested HARRIS on June 3, 2013, when he was found in possession of 35 grams of cocaine. HARRIS received an enhanced sentenced based on his status as a career offender due to multiple previous convictions for drug and robbery offenses.
The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation "No Quarter" was designed to attack the infrastructure of Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTO), including those of the Los Zetas, La Familia, Gulf and Sinaloa drug cartels, operating not only in the Eastern District of North Carolina, but throughout North Carolina, the United States and Mexico. These DTO's are responsible for the importation of large quantities of cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and methamphetamine into the United States, as well as the related remittance of illegal drug proceeds back into Mexico.
The investigation spanned ten years and five North Carolina counties. As part of the investigation, over 100 individuals have been charged by indictment or criminal information in the Eastern District of North Carolina and state courts. Law enforcement officials seized drugs with a street value $4.6 million, including 127 kilograms of cocaine, 53 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, 160 pounds of marijuana, and 32 grams of heroin. Additionally, $2.2 million in U.S. Currency, 35 firearms and 35 real properties valued at $1.5 million were seized by law enforcement authorities.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) - Raleigh and Greensboro Resident Offices, the New York Field Division and numerous other DEA offices in the United States and Mexico; the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) - Raleigh and Wilmington offices; the United States Marshals Service; the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) - Raleigh and Tampa, Florida offices; the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation; the North Carolina National Guard; the North Carolina State Highway Patrol; the Greenville Police Department; the Pitt County Sheriff's Office; the Pamlico County Sheriff's Office; the Lenoir County Sheriff's Office; the Craven County Sheriff's Office; the Carteret County Sheriff's Office; the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office; the New Bern Police Department, the Wayne County Sheriff's Office; the Person County Sheriff's Office; the Farmville Police Department; the Goldsboro Police Department; the Rocky Mount Police Department; the Burlington Police Department, the Alamance County Sheriff's Office, and the Wilson Police Department.
The federal prosecutions were handled by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Glenn Perry and Augustus Willis, IV. Mr. Perry is a prosecutor with the Pitt County District Attorney’s Office. Mr. Willis is a prosecutor with the Carteret, Craven and Pamlico Counties District Attorney’s Office. District Attorneys Kimberly Robb and Scott Thomas have assigned Mr. Perry and Mr. Willis to the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force criminal matters. Their assignments to the United States Attorney’s Office have been made possible by grants funded by the Governor’s Crime Commission.
Fulton County Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Michael Winfield has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for using a firearm in the commission of an armed bank robbery.
“Winfield’s persistence in pursuing a life of crime is matched by law enforcement’s commitment to requiring him to face justice for those crimes,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “The sentence imposed should serve as notice to others that if you choose to participate in violent crimes, you will be subject to severe penalties.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: Winfield was identified and arrested by agents from the FBI after they received an anonymous tip and confirmed Winfield’s identity by bank surveillance videos. The FBI was able to confirm that Winfield had committed three different robberies of two banks and one grocery store. On February 4, 2013, Winfield robbed a Kroger Grocery Store located in Smyrna Ga.; on February 11, 2013, he robbed a BB&T Bank, located in Alpharetta, Ga.; and on February 19, 2013, Winfield robbed a Wells Fargo Bank, located in Tucker, Ga. On December 4, 2013, Winfield pleaded guilty to carrying a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.
Mr. Winfield had previously been convicted in federal court of armed bank robbery and was sentenced to prison. In 2013, he began to repeat his pattern of committing armed bank robberies. A second federal conviction of carrying a firearm during the commission of a violent crime carries a 25-year mandatory minimum sentence.
Based upon the charge to which he pleaded guilty and his criminal history, Winfield, 42, of Atlanta, Ga., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Stephen C. Jones, to a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison, to be followed by ten years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $8,136.00. Winfield pleaded guilty on December 4, 2013.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Perry Meador.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Smith prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the home page for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Fort Polk Man Sentenced for Burglary on Military BaseRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Dakota Cole Yarbrough, 20, of Fort Polk, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik, to serve 12 months in prison and two years of supervised release for one count of simple burglary. Haik also ordered Yarbrough to pay $164.10 in restitution.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea on July 17, 2013, Yarbrough entered a home on the Fort Polk military base without permission and removed a laptop computer and a wallet containing credit cards and bank cards. He also entered a vehicle outside another residence on the military base without permission and removed $60 and a debit card. He used the debit card from the vehicle to make two purchases in Deridder, La., totaling $100.21 and used the debit cards from the home to make two purchases totaling $164.10.The Fort Polk Directorate of Emergency Services conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward L. Westfall and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett L. Grayson prosecuted the case.
Former Waterbury Detective Sentenced to Prison for Obstructing Tax InvestigationRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROBERT LIQUINDOLI, 42, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to five months of imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, the first five months of which LIQUINDOLI must serve in home confinement. On November 20, 2013, LIQUINDOLI pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of the administration of the Internal Revenue laws.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in December 2011, the Internal Revenue Service was conducting an investigation of Thomas Thorndike, a Waterbury tax preparer. In connection with that investigation, the IRS requested to interview LIQUINDOLI, whose 2007 and 2008 tax returns had been prepared by Thorndike. After being contacted by the IRS, LIQUINDOLI sought to obstruct the IRS’s investigation by obtaining false documents that he intended to present to the IRS in support of deductions he claimed on his tax returns in 2007 and 2008. Between December 2011 and February 2012, LIQUINDOLI engaged in an effort to obtain false documents in support of false items on these tax returns, and lied to the IRS concerning the extent to which he possessed original and legitimate documents to support the deductions on his tax returns. LIQUINDOLI also falsely denied that he had attempted to obtain false documents to support those deductions.
LIQUINDOLI, who was formerly employed as a detective with the Waterbury Police Department, was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $4,489.56.
Thorndike pleaded guilty to tax offenses in October 2012 and, on March 12, 2013, was sentenced to 72 months of imprisonment.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Mattei and Eric Glover.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722 [email protected]Former VA Employee Sentenced to Prison for Theft of Veterans’ Personal InformationRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez-Covington today sentenced David F. Lewis to 6 years in federal prison for access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. As part of his sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $105,271.00, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. Lewis pleaded guilty on December 10, 2013.
According to court documents and testimony presented in court, Lewis was an employee at the Tampa VA Medical Center. On at least five different dates in 2012, Lewis accessed and printed the personal information, including names, social security numbers, and medical information, of over 100 veterans who were in-patients at the Tampa VA Medical Center. Lewis then gave these documents to someone else in exchange for crack cocaine, knowing that the veterans’ information would be used by others to file fraudulent tax returns in order to fraudulently obtain tax refunds, and in at least one instance, to apply for lines of credit in the veteran’s name. The Department of Veterans Affairs is paying for credit monitoring for those victims known to be affected by Lewis’ theft.
“David Lewis’s sentence today of 72 months holds Lewis accountable for his criminal actions,” says James Robnett, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-CI. “Lewis misused his position of trust as an employee of the James A. Haley Veteran’s Hospital and stole the identities of veterans and war heroes. These identities were used to file false income tax returns. Members of the Tampa Bay Alliance including as the Veterans Administration-Office of Inspector General, the Tampa Police Department together with IRS-CI will continue to aggressively investigate these cases and hold those who commit these crimes accountable for their actions.”
After today's sentencing, Special Agent in Charge Monty Stokes, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, said "This case is the collective work of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to aggressively pursue those that commit identity theft. The fact that a person who was charged to care for veterans used that position to steal their identity is reprehensible."
“Stealing and selling the identity of a war hero is as low as it gets. Thankfully, the work of the Tax Fraud Alliance in the Tampa Bay Area is making it very difficult to target veterans,” said Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor.
This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service -- Criminal Investigation, and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney.
Former TD Bank Employee and Co-Defendant Plead Guilty in Identity Theft Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Paula Reid, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service (USSS), announce that Tenisha Nkesha Francis, 32, of Lake Worth, and Ryan Michael Francis, 27, of Riviera Beach, pled guilty today for their participation in a stolen identity tax refund scheme. Sentencing is scheduled for September 11, 2014 at 1:30 p.m. before Senior U.S. District Judge Kenneth L. Ryskamp.
Specifically, the defendants each pled guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1028A(a)(1) and 2, and one count of theft of government funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 641 and 2. At sentencing, the defendants each face a mandatory term of two years in prison for the aggravated identity theft charge, to run consecutively to any other sentence, and a maximum term of ten years in prison for the theft of government funds charge.
According to court documents, Tenisha Francis worked as a Financial Services Representative at TD Bank. Tenisha Francis opened seven fraudulent accounts at the bank with stolen identification information obtained from co-defendant Ryan Francis. She was paid between $200 and $500 to open each fraudulent account. After opening the accounts, Tenisha Francis performed maintenance on these accounts and changed certain identifiers associated with the accounts, such as customers’ dates of birth, addresses and telephone numbers. Stolen U.S. Treasury checks were deposited into the accounts, and funds were withdrawn via check card purchases, ATM withdrawals and checks payable to third parties including Ryan Francis and his wife, Vanessa Brown, and Ryan Francis’ company, J.A. Kingz Automotive, LLC.
The amount of loss attributable to Tenisha Francis’ relevant conduct is between $120,000 and $200,000. The amount of loss attributable to Ryan Francis’ relevant conduct will be determined at his sentencing hearing.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI and the USSS. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rinku Tribuiani.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Former Owner of Florida Airline Fuel Supply Company Pleads Guilty <br /> in Scheme to Defraud Illinois-Based Ryan International AirlinesRead the Press Release
A former owner and operator of a Florida-based airline fuel supply service company pleaded guilty today to participating in a kickback scheme to defraud Illinois-based Ryan International Airlines, a charter airline company located in Rockford, Ill., the Department of Justice announced.
Sean E. Wagner, the former owner and operator of Aviation Fuel International Inc. (AFI), pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in West Palm Beach to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud. On Aug. 13, 2013, a grand jury returned an indictment against Wagner and AFI, charging them for their roles in a conspiracy to defraud Ryan International Airlines. According to the indictment, Wagner and AFI made kickback payments to Wayne Kepple, a former vice president of ground operations for Ryan, in exchange for awarding business to AFI. According to court documents, from at least as early as December 2005 through at least August 2009, Wagner and others at AFI made kickback payments to Kepple totaling more than $200,000 in the form of checks, wire transfers, cash and gift cards. The charges against AFI were dismissed on Feb. 21, 2014.Ryan provided air passenger and cargo services for corporations, private individuals and the U.S. government – including the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
“These types of kickback schemes subvert the competitive process and increase costs to American consumers,” said Bill Baer, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division will vigorously prosecute individuals who defraud American taxpayers and businesses.”Wagner pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud. The count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 criminal fine for individuals. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime, if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fine.
As a result of the ongoing investigation, four other individuals have pleaded guilty and have been ordered to serve sentences ranging from 16 to 87 months in prison and to pay more than $580,000 in restitution.
The investigation is being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s National Criminal Enforcement Section and the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Southeast Field Office, headed by Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. Anyone with information concerning anticompetitive conduct in the airline charter services industry is urged to call the Antitrust Division’s National Criminal Enforcement Section at 202-307-6694 or visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.htm.Former Hilliard Resident Sentenced 5-year Prison Term for Running A $1.5 Million Investment FraudRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Fred Alverson
Public Affairs Officer
COLUMBUS – Jeffrey G. Kelly, 45, formerly of Hilliard, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 60 months imprisonment for defrauding investors out of $1.5 million through a scheme he conducted between 2006 and 2011.
Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio and Kevin R. Cornelius, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr.
Kelly owned and operated several businesses in the Columbus area named Superior Financial Resources, LLC, J.G. Kelly Financial Group, LLC, J.G. Kelly Equities Group, LLC, and JGK Group, LLC. He solicited clients and potential clients to invest in his businesses, promising that their money would be deposited in investment funds that included stocks, real estate investment trusts, bonds and other investments.
Kelly received approximately $1,523,710 from investor clients. Kelly never invested the clients’ money, but instead used the investors’ funds to pay his personal and business expenses as well as to repay earlier investors. The victims Kelly’s investment scheme included family friends, relatives, fellow church members, parents of his children’s schoolmates, and a groomsman from his wedding.
A federal grand jury indicted Kelly in December 2012. Kelly pleaded guilty on May 30, 2013 to offenses involving wire fraud and interstate transportation of a security taken by fraud. As part of the sentence imposed today, Kelly was ordered to pay more than $1.1 million in restitution to the victims of his crimes, in addition to serving three years on supervised release following his prison term. Kelly was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshal at the conclusion of today’s hearing to immediately begin serving his prison sentence.
U.S. Attorney Stewart commended the FBI agents who investigated the case with the assistance of the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Securities, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dale E. Williams Jr., who prosecuted the case.
# # #Former English Tutor Sentenced for Sexually Exploiting Children in China and the United StatesRead the Press Release
Hector Orjuela Jr., 47, was sentenced today to serve 30 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for molesting children under the age of 12 and producing child pornography, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director in Charge Valerie Parlave of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security Gregory B. Starr.
Orjuela pleaded guilty on Oct. 3, 2013, before U.S. District Court Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle in the District of Columbia, to two counts of engaging in and attempting to engage in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and one count of producing child pornography.
According to court documents, Orjuela is a U.S. citizen who worked as an English teacher and tutor in Shanghai, China. In July 2012, Orjuela traveled to Maryland and molested a girl under the age of 12 and produced child pornography of the sexual abuse. In August 2012, Orjuela traveled to China and molested one girl and attempted to molest another, both of whom were under the age of 12 and residing in China at that time. Orjuela traveled back to the United States in early November 2012 and then returned to China later that month where he continued to molest the same two young girls.
This case is a result of investigative efforts led by the FBI Washington Field Office, with assistance from the FBI Beijing Legat Office; the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security’s Regional Security Office in Shanghai; the Shanghai Public Security Bureau’s International Cooperation Division; the Shanghai Criminal Investigation Division and the Shanghai Exit and Entry Bureau. This case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Sarah Chang and Mi Yung Park of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Columbia and the District of Maryland.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s 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.Former El Paso Law Enforcement Officer Sentenced to Two Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
In El Paso today, 32-year-old former El Paso Police officer and El Paso County Constable Billy Jack Barrow was sentenced to two years in federal prison on a drug conspiracy charge announced United States Attorney Robert Pitman and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Douglas E. Lindquist.
In addition to the prison term, Senior U.S. District Judge David Briones ordered that Barrow pay a $500 fine and be placed under supervised release for a period of two years after completing his prison term. Judge Briones also ordered that Barrow surrender to federal authorities on or before May 9, 2014, to begin serving his prison term.
On October 31, 2013, Barrow pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. By pleading guilty, Barrow admitted to tipping off co-conspirators about bar checks and other law enforcement operations while serving as an El Paso County Constable from January 2010 through September 2012.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration together with the El Paso Police Department and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney John Gibson prosecuted this case on behalf of the Government.
Former Army Corps of Engineers Employee Charged with Bribery of a Public OfficialRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama - A former employee of the United States Army Corps of Engineers made his initial appearance in federal court Wednesday, March 5, 2014, after being indicted by a grand jury for bribery of a public official, announced George L. Beck, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama.
According to the indictment, Dennis Fails, Jr., 55, of Mobile, Ala., solicited a bribe from Kenneth Hornsby, the President and Chief Executive Officer of HCS Group P.C., a firm located in Montgomery, Ala. HCS Group was contracted with the United States Army Corps of Engineers to perform work in Peru. It is alleged that Fails instructed Hornsby to submit billing for nearly $25,000 worth of work that had not been performed. Fails would then ensure the bill was approved for payment and they would split the money between them. After being approached by Fails, Hornsby contacted law enforcement. At their direction, Hornsby submitted the billing which was certified by Fails. Fails later met Hornsby at a rest stop and received $12,000 in cash. Fails was then arrested.
An indictment merely alleges that a crime has been committed and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum potential sentence of 15 years in prison. He will also be subject to a fine of up to $250,000.00 and mandatory restitution if convicted. A trial date for Mr. Fails has not yet been scheduled.
This case was investigated by Special Agents with the United States Army Criminal Investigative Command and the Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Davidson is prosecuting the case.
PRESS CONTACT: Clark Morris
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: (334) 551-1755
Fax: (334) 223-7617Former Air Force Official Sentenced for Receiving Gratuities from Defense ContractorRead the Press Release
Follow @SDILNewsThe United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today that Dennis Charles Toenjes, Sr., 66, was sentenced on the charge of receiving gratuities in connection with his former role as an official with the United States Air Force. Toenjes had previously pled guilty to the charge. Toenjes was sentenced to serve three years of probation, with the first six months to be in home confinement. The district court also ordered Toenjes to pay a fine of $500.00 and pay a special assessment of $100.00.
Evidence revealed in court records shows that on February 3, 2009, Toenjes received and accepted gratuities from Stephen Keith Sweet, an owner of an asbestos abatement company which performed work on Scott Air Force Base. Sweet would not have given such gratuities to Toenjes but for his position as a contracting official with the United States Air Force. Gratuities included Sweet paying for Toenjes’ car repairs and for his home heating and cooling repairs. All payments made by Sweet to Toenjes totaled $9,382.01. Sweet is serving an 18-month sentence of imprisonment for tax fraud and paying gratuities to a government official.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations and the United States Air Force’s Office of Special Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Liam Coonan and Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hallock.
Florida Man Charged in Tax SchemeRead the Press Release
Marc Celestin, 34, of Miami, Florida, was charged today by Indictment with eight counts of wire fraud and eight counts of making a false claim against the United States, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. The indictment alleges that from January 2011 to May 2012, Celestin used the stolen identities of a number of people to fraudulently prepare tax returns directing that the tax refund checks be direct deposited to bank accounts opened and controlled by Marc Celestin.
If convicted the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 200 years of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, a $4,000,000 fine, and a special assessment of $1,600.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laurie Magid.
Click here to view the indictment
An Indictment, Information or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, EASTERN DISTRICTof PENNSYLVANIA
Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
PATTY HARTMAN, Media Contact, 215-861-8525Federal Jury Convicts Junction City ManOn Murder, Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
TOPEKA KAN. – A federal jury today returned a verdict convicting a Junction City man of murdering a woman to keep her from giving information to federal law enforcement officers about his involvement in drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom.
Marcus D. Roberson, 32, Junction City, Kan., was convicted on the following charges:
- One count of murder in the March 3, 2010, shooting of Crystal K. Fisher.
- One count of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine.
- One count of conspiracy to distribute powder cocaine.
During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Roberson lured the 25-year-old Fisher to a location near an alley in central Junction City where he shot her four times at close range. Her body was found seated in the driver’s side of her vehicle in the 700 block of West 11th Street in Junction City. She had been shot four times. The murder weapon, a .40 caliber pistol, was found in a pond behind a Walmart in Junction City.
Prosecutors also presented evidence of Roberson’s involvement in a drug trafficking organization that distributed powder and crack cocaine in and throughout the Junction City area.
Sentencing will be set for a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment on the murder count as well as the drug counts, and a fine of up to $10 million on each of the drug counts.
Co-defendants include: Kennin Dewberry, who was sentenced to 240 months in prison.
Grissom commended the Junction City Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Warner for their work on the case. Also assisting in the investigation were the Riley County Police Department, the Grandview Plaza Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Command at Ft. Riley, the Dickinson County Drug Enforcement Unit, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Tourism and the Park City Police Department.
Virok D. Webb, who is awaiting trial.
Jamaica L. Chism, who is set for sentencing April 14.
Alisha A. Escobedo, who is set for sentencing April 21.
Megan N. Fuller, who is set for sentencing April 21.
Caress Jackson, who is set for sentencing April 21.
Keishana Johnson, who is set for sentencing April 21.Federal Judge Sentences Milwaukee Pimp to Additional 77 Months ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
United States Attorney James L. Santelle announced today that Federal District Court Judge Rudolph T. Randa sentenced Milwaukee resident Tyrone McMillian (age: 32) to 77 months imprisonment to follow his 30 year sex-trafficking sentence handed down by Federal District Court Judge Charles N. Clevert, Jr. on November 6, 2013. Today’s sentence followed McMillian’s February 5, 2014 conviction in federal court for, as a convicted felon, being in unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
The current case arose from the results of a July 6, 2011 search warrant executed by the Milwaukee Police Department at McMillian’s residence in Brown Deer, Wisconsin. Officers recovered a loaded handgun, an assault rifle, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition for those and other weapons in the search. That search also turned up evidence of McMillian’s involvement in a February 2011 theft of more than $325,000 in protein supplements from a warehouse in Dallas, Texas. An affidavit filed by an agent from the Criminal Division of the Internal Revenue Service detailed McMillian’s receipt and expenditure of funds obtained from the subsequent sale of those protein supplements. McMillian used the proceeds to purchase, among other things, a Bentley automobile for $79,500 and more than $40,000 of custom-made jewelry. In addition to the vehicle and jewelry, Milwaukee Police Department officers seized $94,600 in cash during that search. The cash, automobile, and jewelry were all forfeited to the United States.
The case was investigated by detectives from the Milwaukee Police Department, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation working through the Human Trafficking Task Force. This case and the sex-trafficking case, were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph R. Wall.
Federal Agent Charged in Insurance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas - Reynaldo Gonzalez, 37, has been arrested following the return of a 13-count federal indictment charging wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and making false statements to federal agents, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Gonzalez is a deputy U.S. Marshal in San Antonio.
The sealed indictment was returned yesterday and unsealed today upon his arrest. He is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge John Primimo at 3:00 p.m. today in San Antonio.
The indictment alleges Gonzalez purchased an accident-only insurance plan from the American Family Life Assurance Company (AFLAC) in May 2005. From Feb. 4, 2008, through March 24, 2009, Gonzalez allegedly engaged in a scheme to defraud AFLAC by submitting fraudulent claims alleging he had received medical treatment for various injuries. To accomplish the fraud, Gonzalez used a physician’s signature and tax identification number without the physician’s knowledge or consent, according to the charges. AFLAC, in turn, allegedly sent several benefit checks to Gonzalez as payment for these fraudulent claims.
The indictment further alleges Gonzalez stated to federal agents that the claims legitimately reflected his injuries and resulting examination by the physician. However, the physician had not treated Gonzalez since 2007, according to the allegations.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the six wire fraud counts as well as another five years on each of the six counts of making false statements. Aggravated identity theft carries as possible punishment another mandatory two-year-term which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed. Each count could also include a fine of up to $250,000.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI with assistance from the Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorneys Grady J. Leupold and Linda Requénez are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Fargo Man Sentenced in Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
FARGO - U.S. Attorney Timothy Q. Purdon announced that on March 6, 2014, Abraham Clifford Wilson, 47, of Fargo N.D., was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Erickson to 105 months in prison for bank robbery.
In January of 2013 Wilson entered Cornerstone Bank brandishing a handgun and demanding money from the bank teller. Wilson escaped with $2500 in cash and the stolen vehicle he used in the robbery was located in Glyndon Minn. Wilson led law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase before exiting the damaged vehicle and proceeded to flee on foot before his eventual capture.
Judge Erickson also sentenced Wilson to three years supervised release, and that he repays the $2500 to Cornerstone Bank. Wilson was also ordered to pay $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims Fund in addition to his sentence.
The case involved law enforcement officers from the Moorhead, Dilworth, Glyndon and Fargo Police Departments as well as Cass and Clay County Sheriff’s Departments.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Reisenauer Prosecuted the Case.
El Paso Sex Offender Sentenced to Federal Prison for Failure to RegisterRead the Press Release
In El Paso today, 41-year-old Christopher Morris was sentenced to 71 months in federal prison followed by 20 years of supervised release for failure to register as a sex offender announced United States Attorney Robert Pitman and United States Marshal Robert Almonte.
According to court records, Morris was convicted of Sexual Assault in the Second Degree in Arkansas in 2004. As a result, he was sentenced to serve twenty years incarceration with all but five years suspended. In May 2009, Morris relocated to El Paso, but failed to register with the El Paso Police Department or El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.
On December 9, 2013, Morris pleaded guilty to one count of failure to register as a sex offender. In August 2010, Morris was arrested based on a state aggravated sexual assault charge. He was subsequently convicted and sentenced to 30 years incarceration for that offense. Today, U.S. District Judge Philip R. Martinez ordered that five years of Morris’ federal sentence run consecutive to his 30-year state sentence.
This investigation was conducted by the United States Marshals Service together with the El Paso Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Kerry Blackburn and Robert Almonte, II, prosecuted this case on behalf of the Government.
Eagle Butte Man Sentenced for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury was sentenced on March 3, 2014, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Joseph Anthony Little Star, age 19, was sentenced to 40 months in custody, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Little Star was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 17, 2013, and pled guilty to Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury on November 6, 2013.
The conviction arose from a July 10, 2013, incident when Little Star, his wife, the victim, and others were celebrating Little Star’s recent marriage. During the party, a verbal altercation occurred between Little Star and the victim, who apparently perceived that Little Star was mistreating his new wife. After the verbal argument, the victim went home. Sometime later, he went back to the residence where the party had been held and used a metal bar to break a window. Little Star went outside to confront the victim and another verbal argument ensued. This verbal argument escalated into a physical confrontation and Little Star got the upper hand and rendered the victim unconscious. At this point, Little Star continued to assault the victim by hitting and beating him.
As a result of Little Star’s unlawful assault, the victim was seriously injured and was taken by air ambulance to Rapid City Regional Hospital, where emergency surgery was performed to relieve the pressure on his brain caused by bleeding. The victim is still being provided medical care for his closed head injuries.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikal Hanson.
Little Star was remanded to the custody of the U.S Marshals Service to begin serving his sentence.
Eagle Butte Man Sentenced for Aggravated Sexual Contact with A ChildRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Aggravated Sexual Contact with a Child was sentenced on March 4, 2014, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Austin Wade Bissonette, age 25, was sentenced to 144 months in custody, 5 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Bissonette was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 17, 2013, and pled guilty to Aggravated Sexual Contact with a Child on December 11, 2013.
The conviction arose from an incident that occurred in Eagle Butte between August 2009 and August 2010, when Bissonette would babysit the victim and her two brothers at his mother’s residence. While the victim was in Bissonette’s care and custody, he sexually abused and had sexual contact with the 7-year old child victim.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikal Hanson.
Bissonette was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his sentence.
Eagle Butte Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting, Resisting and Impeding Federal Officers and Discharge of A Firearm During A Crime of ViolenceRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Jason Garreau, age 27, of Eagle Butte, South Dakota, appeared before U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange on March 5, 2014, and pled guilty to two counts of a Superseding Indictment that charged him with Assaulting, Resisting and Impeding Federal Officers and Discharge of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence.
The maximum penalty upon conviction on the Assault a Federal Officer charge is 20 years of custody and/or a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release. The maximum penalty on the Discharge of a Firearm charge is a mandatory minimum of 10 years in custody up to life in prison, consecutive to the sentence imposed on the Assault charge, and/or a $250,000 fine, and 5 years of supervised release. There will be a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The conviction stems from a standoff Garreau had with law enforcement on October 31, 2013, at a Pierre residence. The standoff followed a high speed chase that ensued on October 30, 2013, when law enforcement attempted to serve an arrest warrant on an individual. When the individual’s car was located, police discovered it was being driven by Garreau. Police attempted to execute a traffic stop on the vehicle, but Garreau then led police on a high speed chase, which was aborted on east Highway 34. The Bureau of Indian Affairs soon discovered the vehicle on the Crow Creek Reservation, and a new pursuit ensued. While in pursuit, Garreau made multiple phone calls to his cousin, who came to aid Garreau in the pursuit and the cousin opened fire on law enforcement, which allowed Garreau to flee the scene. The next day, Garreau was located at a residence in Pierre, and a SWAT team was called in to assist in the apprehension. When the SWAT team entered the residence, Garreau fired multiple shots from a Benelli shotgun and a Hi-Point handgun, injuring two police officers. Garreau surrendered and was taken into custody.
Following his plea in Federal court Garreau will also be pleading guilty to one count of Attempted Murder in State Court. The parties have agreed that the sentence imposed in State court will be consecutive to the sentence imposed in Federal court.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, Hughes County Sheriff’s Office and the Pierre Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges. A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for June 2, 2014. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.
District Man Sentenced to 18-Month Prison Term for Tax Fraud Related to Embezzlement from Indonesian Airline- Defendant Admitted Failure to Report over $448,000 in Income -Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Jon C. Cooper, 64, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to an 18-month prison term for one count of tax evasion related to his failure to report over $448,000 in income that he received in 2006.
The sentencing, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Thomas J. Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Cooper pled guilty to the charge in October 2013. As part of his guilty plea, Cooper admitted that, in December 2006, he and a second defendant, Alan Messner, induced an Indonesian airline company to pay them a $1 million security deposit to lease two aircraft using various false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises – including forged and fraudulent documents. Cooper admitted that, after he received the $1 million security deposit, he transferred $284,500 to Messner in December 2006 and January 2007. Cooper spent the balance of the security deposit for his own personal benefit. Cooper and Messner did not provide the promised aircraft and did not return any funds to the Indonesian airline company.
Cooper admitted that he did not report at least $448,727 of those proceeds on his federal income tax return for 2006. Cooper further admitted that income he failed to report was the proceeds of criminal activity. By under-reporting his income, Cooper claimed a tax refund that year. As a result of Cooper’s tax evasion, Cooper caused a tax loss of at least $140,109 to the United States.
Cooper was sentenced by the Honorable Amy Berman Jackson. As part of his guilty plea, Cooper agreed to pay $140,109 owed to the United States. Cooper further agreed to make restitution of $1 million to the victimized Indonesian airline company. Upon completion of his prison term, Judge Jackson ordered that Cooper be placed on three years of supervised release.
In a related case, Messner, 41, of Rolling Meadows, Ill., pled guilty in August 2013 to one count of tax evasion, admitting that he failed to report any portion of the $284,500 that he received on his federal income tax returns, and admitting that the income came from criminal activity. Messner was sentenced by Judge Jackson on Feb. 21, 2014. She sentenced him to a year and a day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The judge also ordered him to pay $62,231 in restitution to the United States.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director Parlave, and Special Agent in Charge Kelly expressed appreciation for the work done by those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office the Washington Field Office of the IRS-CI. They also acknowledged the efforts of Trial Attorney Jessica Moran, of the Department of Justice’s Tax Division. Finally, they commended the work of those who handled the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Krishawn Graham and Donna Galindo, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard DiZinno and Jonathan Hooks, who investigated and indicted the case.
14-056Commonwealth Health & Rehab Center Agrees to Settle Claim That It Failed to Provide Effective Communication Services to Deaf IndividualsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The United States Attorney’s Office announced today a $162,500 settlement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) with Commonwealth Health & Rehab Center (“CHRC”), which is located in Fairfax County, Va. and is part of the Commonwealth Care of Roanoke’s network of skilled nursing facilities, to ensure effective communication with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing in the provision of medical services.
The United States Attorney’s investigation began with a complaint from the public alleging that CHRC violated the ADA by failing to provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services, including sign language interpreter services, to three individuals who are deaf (a resident of CHRC and two members of his family) during critical interactions relating to the patient’s medical care. The complainants alleged that because of CHRC’s failure to provide sign language interpreter services, these three individuals were denied the benefit of effective communication with the skilled nursing facility’s clinical staff and the opportunity to effectively participate in treatment decisions.
“This settlement exemplifies our unwavering commitment to protect the rights of those who are deaf or hard of hearing and to ensure that they are able to communicate with health care professionals, especially when patients and their companions have critical interactions with medical providers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Boente.
The settlement agreement requires that CHRC pay $160,000 to the three aggrieved individuals and a $2,500 penalty to the United States; provide training to the skilled nursing facility’s staff on the requirements of the ADA; and adopt specific policies and procedures to ensure that auxiliary aids and services are provided promptly to patients and companions who are deaf or hard of hearing.
This matter was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Steven Gordon, who coordinates the Civil Rights Initiative for the United States Attorney’s Office.
This case is a part of the Department of Justice’s Barrier-Free Health Care Initiative, which seeks to enforce the ADA’s prohibition of discrimination against disabled individuals by health care providers, including hospitals. Through the Barrier-Free Health Care Initiative, U.S. Attorneys’ offices across the nation and the Department’s Civil Rights Division target their enforcement efforts on a critical area for individuals with disabilities—access to medical services and facilities. The Barrier-Free Health Care Initiative is a multi-phase initiative that includes effective communication for people who are deaf or have hearing loss, physical access to medical care for people with mobility disabilities, and equal access to treatment for people who have HIV/AIDS.
The Department of Justice has a number of publications available to assist entities in complying with the ADA, including a Business Brief on Communicating with People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in Hospital Settings, at www.ada.gov/hospcombr.htm. For more information on the ADA and to access these publications, visit http://www.ada.gov or call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD). ADA complaints may be filed by email to [email protected].
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.Collin County, Texas, Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Federal Prison for Embezzling Approximately $1 Million from Employer, Hudson Advisors, LLC, in Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Steven Chen Yu, 40, of Allen, Texas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle to 51 months in federal prison, following his guilty plea in July 2013 to an information charging wire fraud in connection with his attempt to embezzle approximately $1 million from his employer, Hudson Advisors, LLC and its global subsidiaries (Hudson). Judge Boyle also ordered that Yu pay approximately $365,000 in restitution and surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on April 9, 2014. U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas made the announcement today.
Hudson was a globally integrated asset management company that performed due diligence and analysis, asset management and other support services for Lone Star Funds, a leading private equity firm that invested globally in distressed assets. Hudson employed approximately 800 professionals in the U.S. and had affiliate offices in Europe, Canada and Japan. Hudson’s main offices were in Dallas.
Hudson maintained a private client department that employed several private client managers. It was responsible for providing accounting and bill payment services for Hudson owner J.G. As part of his duties, Yu was authorized by Hudson to access all of J.G.’s personal financial information.
From September 2009 through March 2012, Yu engaged in several fraudulent acts which enabled him to embezzle substantial funds belonging to J.G. For example, from September through October 2009, Yu fraudulently re-submitted duplicate invoices for legitimate repair work that had been done on J.G.’s boat, knowing that the invoices had already been paid. Yu substituted his own personal bank account information, and in this manner, was able to fraudulently divert and embezzle $150,572 from J.G.’s accounts.
In another scheme, and in a similar manner, on December 1, 2009, Yu defrauded J.G. by also using duplicate invoices for landscaping work that had previously been done on J.G.’s personal residence in Massachusetts. Yu was able to fraudulently divert and embezzle more than $69,000 in funds from one of J.G.’s trust accounts for duplicate payment on the landscaping work. However, later in December 2009, Yu fraudulently caused the more than $69,000 to be deposited back into the account from which they had been diverted prior to Hudson becoming aware of any of Yu’s unlawful activities in connection with the fraudulent diversion or embezzlement of funds.
As part of a larger scheme, beginning in 2009 and continuing through March 2012, Yu fraudulently used and diverted J.G.’s funds which Yu used to make advance “estimated tax payments” for Yu’s benefit in connection with his own future state income taxes due in Massachusetts. When Yu filed his personal income tax returns with Massachusetts, he claimed that he owed no taxes and requested Massachusetts pay him a complete refund of all the estimated tax payments he had made to the state with funds he had stolen from J.G.
During the period from about 2009 through March 2012, as part of his scheme to defraud, Yu attempted to steal and embezzle a total of approximately $1,292,000 from Hudson owner J.G.
The FBI conducted the investigation; Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Jarvis prosecuted.
Choctaw Nation Executive Director of Construction Administration Arraigned on Charges of Theft, Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
Muskogee, Oklahoma - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, announced that JASON BRETT MERIDA, age 41, of Rattan, Oklahoma was arraigned in federal court on March 6, 2014.
The defendant is charged with CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT THEFT OR BRIBERY OF PROGRAMS RECEIVING FEDERAL FUNDS, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371; THEFT BY AN EMPLOYEE OR OFFICER OF A TRIBAL GOVERNMENT RECEIVING FEDERAL FUNDS, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 666(a)(1)(A) and 2; CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT MONEY LAUNDERING, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1957 and TAX FRAUD, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(1).
The charges are a result from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigative Services.
The Honorable Steven P. Shreder, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. The defendant was released on a $10,000.00 unsecure bond.
The statutory range of punishment for Conspiracy is up to 5 years imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine. Theft By An Employee Or Officer Of A Tribal Government Receiving Federal Funds and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering are both punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment and/or up to a $250,000 fine and Tax Fraud is punishable by up to 3 years imprisonment and/or up to a $250,000 fine.
First Assistant United States Attorney Douglas Horn and Assistant United States Attorney Chris Wilson represented the United States.
“The above named individuals have been charged with a federal crime or crimes by the return of an indictment by the Grand Jury. A grand jury Indictment does not constitute evidence of guilt. A grand jury Indictment is a method of bringing formal charges against the defendant. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and may not be found guilty unless evidence establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. United States Sentencing Guidelines may be considered, upon conviction, by the sentencing court. Federal prison sentences are non-parolable.”
Chinese National Convicted of Attempted International Parental KidnappingRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Wenjing Liu, 32, of Tianjin, China, was convicted today by a federal jury on charges of international parental kidnapping.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Andrew G. McCabe, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after the verdict was accepted by U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton.
Liu was indicted on November 6, 2014. According to court records and evidence at trial, on September 4, 2014, Liu accompanied her four-year-old son on a United Airlines direct flight to China. Liu and her husband, the child’s father, were separated but had joint legal custody of the child. Less than 90 minutes before the flight was scheduled to depart Dulles International Airport, Liu sent an email to her estranged husband to advise that she and their son were flying to China that day. The father, who had court-ordered visitation every weekend, emailed Liu back and expressed his opposition to the child going to China. The child’s father then traveled to Dulles International Airport in hopes of stopping Liu from taking their son onto the plane.
Upon arriving at the airport, the father approached officers with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), advised them of his estranged wife’s email, and provided a copy of the court order that provided him with weekend visitation. That court order also prohibited either parent from taking their child out of the United States without first obtaining express written notarized consent from the other parent. The MWAA officers contacted United Airlines, who advised that Liu and the child were on board Flight 897, and that the plane had already departed Dulles International Airport on its way to Beijing, China.
After consulting with MWAA and the FBI and when Flight 897 was in Canadian airspace, United Airlines ordered Flight 897 to return to Dulles International Airport. The plane returned approximately 4 hours after it had taken off, and Ms. Liu was arrested for attempted international kidnapping as soon as she got off the plane.
Liu faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison when sentenced on June 5, 2015. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebeca H. Bellows and Carina A. Cuellar are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:14-cr-372.
Tweet
Bucks County Couple Sentenced for Foreclosure Rescue Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Scam involved lawyers, mortgage brokers and more than $14.6 million in propertyPHILADELPHIA - Edward G. McCusker, 49, of Chesterbrook, PA, was sentenced today to five years in prison for a massive mortgage fraud scheme that resulted in at least 35 fraudulent mortgage loans worth more than $10 million. His wife Jacqueline, 49, of New Hope, PA, was sentenced to one year of home confinement followed by three years of probation for her role in the crime. A federal jury convicted the couple on June 22, 2011 of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, wire fraud and mail fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Mary McLaughlin handed down the sentence. In addition to the prison terms, the McCuskers were ordered to forfeit $400,000; Edward McCusker was order to pay a fine of $12,500, a special assessment of $1,000, and complete three years of supervised release; Jacqueline McCusker was ordered to pay a special assessment of $900.
The McCuskers operated Axxium Mortgage, Inc., along with co-defendant John Bariana who pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. Co-defendants Jeffrey A. Bennett and Stephen G. Doherty, owners of the Doylestown law firm Bennett & Doherty, P.C., also pleaded guilty. Doherty was sentenced, yesterday, to one year and one day in prison; Bennett’s sentencing is scheduled for March 7, 2014.
The defendants targeted financially distressed homeowners facing foreclosure, falsely promised them help in saving their homes, engaged in real estate transactions with straw purchasers, and obtained dozens of fraudulent mortgages. The defendants took whatever equity the homeowner had left, funneled it through shell corporations they controlled, used some of it to pay the new mortgages, and put the rest of the equity into their own bank accounts.
The defendants promised financially distressed homeowners that they would find an "investor" who would help them save their home. The defendants would then either purchase the home themselves or arrange for a straw purchaser to obtain a fraudulent mortgage and then transfer of the title of the homeowner's residence to the straw purchaser. The McCuskers, along with Bariana, obtained the fraudulent mortgages by submitting false documents to mortgage lenders and making false claims about the purchasers’ finances. The defendants also concealed from the lender the fact that the homeowner was going to continue to reside in the home and that the mortgage payments were going to continue to be made, in part, by the distressed homeowner and funneled through the straw purchaser. Bariana and Jacqueline McCusker each acted as straw purchasers for ten homes. The defendants also recruited at least seven other persons to act as straw owners in order to obtain additional fraudulent mortgages.
Doherty solicited and referred distressed homeowners to Edward McCusker, and used fraudulent bankruptcy filings for some of the distressed homeowners to delay foreclosure until McCusker had obtained an investor and a mortgage. Bennett handled the closings for the real estate transfers, falsifying the settlement statements and manipulating the information provided to the lender in order to hide the nature of the scheme until after the loan was funded.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania Department of Banking. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nancy Rue.
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, EASTERN DISTRICTof PENNSYLVANIA
Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
PATTY HARTMAN, Media Contact, 215-861-8525Brooklyn, N.Y., Man Admits Traveling to New Jersey to Violently Extort Divorce Consent from Reluctant HusbandRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. - A Brooklyn, N.Y., man admitted today in Trenton federal court to traveling to New Jersey in order to coerce a Jewish man to give his wife a religious divorce – referred to as a “get” – through threats of violence, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
David Hellman, 31, a personal trainer, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson to an information charging him with traveling in interstate commerce to commit extortion. His bail conditions include a $500,000 bond and GPS monitoring.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Oct. 9, 2013, Hellman and a group of conspirators – including Jay Goldstein, 59, Moshe Goldstein, 31, Avrohom Goldstein, 34, Simcha Bulmash, 30, Ariel Potash, 40, Binyamin Stimler, 38, and Sholom Shuchat, 29 – traveled from New York to a warehouse in Edison, N.J., with the intent of forcing a Jewish man to give his wife a “get,” a divorce document which, according to Jewish Law, must be presented by a husband to his wife to effect their divorce.
Hellman admitted that when he arrived at the warehouse, the group met with an individual who, unbeknownst to them, was an undercover FBI agent posing as the husband’s brother in law. Hellman admitted that they discussed a plan and prepared to confine, restrain and threaten the victim.
The group was then arrested by a team of FBI agents and charged by criminal complaint – along with rabbis Mendel Epstein, 68, and Martin Wolmark, 55 – in connection with the scheme. Hellman is the first defendant to plead guilty; the charges against the alleged conspirators remain pending. All of the defendants reside in Brooklyn, except Potash and Wolmark, who live in Monsey, N.Y.
During his guilty plea proceeding, Hellman also admitted that on Aug. 22, 2011, he and others went to a residence in Brooklyn where they restrained, assaulted and injured a man in an attempt to extort a divorce from him. That conduct will be considered by the court during sentencing, currently scheduled for June 12, 2014.
Hellman faces a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark, for the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Lakewood, N.J., Police Department for their role.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys R. Joseph Gribko and Sarah Wolfe of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Trenton.
The pending charges and allegations against related defendants are merely allegations, and they are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
14-077
Defense counsel: Michael Bachner Esq., New York
Hellman, David Information
Auburn Woman Sentenced to Prison for Fraud: Claimed Cancer Diagnosis to Steal more than $400,000 from Elderly VictimRead the Press Release
A 52-year old Auburn, Washington woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to two years in prison and three years of supervised release for a fraud scheme in which she claimed to be a cancer patient, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. Between May 2009 and September 2012, JULIE ANN DAHLQUIST convinced an elderly Auburn resident to support her financially by claiming the money he gave her would pay for her cancer treatment. In fact, DAHLQUIST had no cancer diagnosis and used more than $400,000 to support her gambling addiction. DAHLQUIST pleaded guilty November 15, 2013, to Social Security fraud. At sentencing U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez ordered her to pay $417,382 in restitution and said the crime was “no less than elder abuse – taking advantage of the victim’s good nature to steal his money.”
According to records filed in the case, DAHLQUIST told the elderly victim that she had been diagnosed with cancer and had no medical insurance or any money for treatment. The victim, concerned for DAHLQUIST’s welfare, wrote her checks to pay for the non-existent treatment. The victim wrote checks for as much as $9,000 about three times a month. In all, the victim wrote 190 checks to DAHLQUIST for more than $400,000. DAHLQUIST used the money for gambling and other expenses. DAHLQUIST also defrauded the Social Security Administration disability program. DAHLQUIST concealed the $400,000 in proceeds from her fraud scheme so that she could collect $8,000 in Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits from the Social Security Administration. DAHLQUIST also fraudulently collected more than $8,000 in food and medical benefits from the State of Washington.
Writing to the court prosecutors noted that: “This is a truly outrageous fraud that involved exploiting an elderly retiree’s trust and generous intentions. Julie Dahlquist recognized that (the victim) was a trusting and generous person, and because of those qualities she chose to prey on him. Furthermore, defendant invoked the serious disease of cancer as part of her fraud. The psychological harm to the victim is acute: his family reports that he is “devastated to think that someone he was trying to help would take such extreme advantage of him.”
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG) and was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson as part of a partnership venture between the Social Security Administration Office of General Counsel and the United States Attorney’s Office.
Amherst Man Indicted for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a five count Indictment charging Cameron Stroke, 32, of Amherst, N.Y., with possession of child pornography. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, in February of 2011, the defendant possessed child pornography which contained graphic depictions of the sexual abuse of prepubescent children and children performing sexual acts on animals. The images were found following online postings made by the defendant soliciting minors for sexual purposes.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The Indictment is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Investigators with the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Michael Cerretto, and Detectives with the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Zack.
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.Allenwood Inmate Charged with Possession of A WeaponRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that it has filed a criminal information charging possession of a weapon by an inmate today in federal court in Williamsport.
According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, Paul Hernandez, age 42, an inmate at the United States Penitentiary-Allenwood, was charged with possession of a weapon. The weapon was discovered by corrections’ officers during a routine search of Hernandez on December 2, 2013.
At the same time the criminal Information was filed, the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a plea agreement which is subject to the approval of the court.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Simmers.
Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
In this case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute is 5 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
****
5 March 2014
Woonsocket Resident Detained for Allegedly Trafficking Fentanyl and HeroinRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Alfredo Balestier-Sanchez, aka Negro, 32, of Woonsocket, was ordered detained today by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan on federal charges of possessing and trafficking fentanyl and heroin. Sanchez was arrested Tuesday evening by members of the Woonsocket Police Department and the RI DEA Drug Task Force following a one month investigation during which time Sanchez allegedly sold fentanyl on at least three occasions to a person cooperating with law enforcement.
The investigation and arrest of Sanchez was announced by United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Woonsocket Police Chief Thomas S. Carey and John J. Arvanitis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England field division.
According to an affidavit in support of an arrest warrant and criminal complaint charging Sanchez with three counts of distributing fentanyl, one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of distribution of heroin, between February 12 and February 20, 2014, at the direction and under the supervision of the Woonsocket Police Department’s Vice/Narcotics Unit and the DEA Drug Task Force, a person cooperating with law enforcement allegedly made three purchases of varying amounts of fentanyl from Sanchez. One of the packets allegedly purchased from Sanchez also tested positive for the presence of heroin.
According to the affidavit filed with court, Woonsocket Police and members of the DEA Drug Task Force executed a court authorized federal search warrant at Sanchez’s Woonsocket residence on Tuesday evening where they seized four packets of fentanyl stashed inside a deodorant tube and items used in the packaging and distribution of fentanyl and heroin.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, Sanchez faces a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison followed by between 3 years and lifetime supervised release, and a fine of up to $1,000,000 on each charge of distribution of fentanyl, distribution of heroin and possession with the intent to deliver fentanyl.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela E. Chin.
The DEA Drug Task Force is comprised of law enforcement agents and officers from the DEA, Rhode Island State Police, and the Cranston, East Providence, Newport, Pawtucket, Providence, South Kingstown, Warwick and Woonsocket Police Departments.
###
To assist the media and the public, a glossary of federal judicial terms and procedures is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/justice101/
Contact: 401-709-5357
[email protected]West Seneca Man Indicted for Transportation and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a five count indictment charging Joseph S. Heleniak, 69, of West Seneca, N.Y., with transportation and possession of child pornography. Due to a prior conviction, the transportation charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 40 years and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant was arrested today, January 24, 2014, following the execution of a search warrant at his residence. According to the indictment, on August 30, 2013, Heleniak sent an e-mail containing three image files of child pornography. The images depicted female children under the age of 16 engaging in sexual activities with adult males.
The indictment was the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detectives with the Cheektowaga Police Department under the direction of Chief David Zack, and Investigators with the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Michael Cerretto.
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.Waterbury Woman Pleads Guilty to Failing to Register as A Sex Offender, Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Follow @USAO_CT
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GUITANA JONES, 42, formerly of Waterbury, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to one count of failing to register as a sex offender. JONES also admitted to violating the conditions of her supervised release from a previous federal conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2003, JONES was sentenced in federal court to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy and use of an interstate facility to transmit information about a minor. Also, in June 2007, she was given a concurrent sentence in state court of risk of injury to a minor and conspiracy to commit risk of injury to a minor. JONES was released from federal prison in May 2010.
As a convicted sex offender, JONES was told that she was required to register and update her registration under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”). Convicted sex offenders must update their address within five days of any move, re-registering in any state to which they move, and verifying their current address with local law enforcement every 90 days. Prior to her release on federal supervision, JONES was told that crossing state lines without registering in the new state or notifying Connecticut of her change of address could result in federal prosecution for failure to register.
In September 2011, JONES requested the Court’s permission to move from Connecticut to Florida. In March 2012, her request was denied and JONES was told that she was not permitted to move to Florida while on federal supervised release.
In May 2013, the U.S. Probation Office learned that JONES had moved to Florida and, at times, had traveled back to Connecticut to avoid detection of her supervised release violation. JONES also tested positive for cocaine use. On June 10, 2013, U.S. Marshals arrested JONES for violating her supervised release. She has been detained since her arrest.
The investigation revealed that, in September 2012, JONES obtained a Florida identification card after providing an address in Miramar, Fla. She also possessed and used a cellular telephone with a Florida area code while residing in Florida between February and April 2013. The Florida Sex Registry has no record of JONES ever applying to register as a sex offender.
When she is sentenced, JONES faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years for failing to register and update a registration as required by SORNA, and a maximum term of imprisonment of two years for violating her supervised release.
This matter was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter S. Jongbloed.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722 [email protected]Vancouver, Washington, Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Federal Prison for Mailing 100 Threatening Letters with White PowderRead the Press Release
Letters Went to U.S. Senators, Representatives, and Members of the MediaPORTLAND, Ore.—U. S. District Judge Michael H. Simon sentenced Christopher Lee Carlson to 24 months in prison today on a charge of conveying false information and a hoax containing a purported biological toxin. Carlson, 41, of Vancouver, Washington, pleaded guilty to mailing approximately 100 threatening letters with white powder to U.S. Senators, Representatives and media personalities in February 2012.
About 24 of the letters were received and opened by staff members before law enforcement was able to intercept the remainder. The letters were sent to Congressional offices in Washington, D.C., and their field offices across the country. Results included evacuated offices, responses by hazardous materials units, decontamination procedures for affected persons, and interrupted workdays. Dozens of law enforcement and emergency response teams responded in 24 federal districts. Examination of the powder revealed it to be celery salt and cornstarch.
The threatening letters expressed frustration with politicians, corporations, and lobbyists. Promising a new American Revolution, some included the warning:
“Oh yeah, the powder. 50 Senators were randomly selected to receive this letter as opposed to the other one. Since I put the bug in ten of these letters, again randomly selected, there’s a 20% chance that you’ve just been exposed. If you aren’t wearing a biohazard suit, anyway.”
In addition to serving 24 months in custody, Carlson must pay $36,311.07 in restitution to state and local law enforcement agencies for expenses incurred in the emergency responses. After serving his prison sentence, Carlson will be on three years of supervised release and must comply with mental health treatment and medication requirements.
U. S. Attorney, Amanda Marshall, noted, “These types of hoaxes threaten the health and safety of the American people. They instill fear in the public, overburden the resources of law enforcement and emergency responders, and harm the nation’s morale and economy.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the nationwide investigation from its Portland office. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
“Anthrax hoaxes are no joke,” said Kevin Rickett, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon. “They cause fear for those who receive these letters, and they cost taxpayers a great deal of money during the resulting investigation. We must treat these events as real threats, and that, in turn, forces agents and staff to spend significant time and resources investigating and resolving these crimes,” he added.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorneys Stephen F. Peifer and David L. Atkinson.