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Thursday 21 November 2013
Eagle Butte Woman Sentenced for Possession of A Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Nicole Condon, a/k/a Nicole Garreau, age 35, of Eagle Butte, South Dakota, has pled guilty to Possession of a Controlled Substance and was sentenced on November 19, 2013, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno.
Condon was sentenced to 2 years of probation, a $1,000 fine, and a $25 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Condon was indicted on August 21, 2013.
The conviction stems from an incident occurring on October 23, 2012, when Condon was in a vehicle that was stopped for a traffic violation. Condon was transported to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Adult Detention Center and searched. Officers found 0.68 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine on her person in addition to several syringes, a straw, and empty plastic bags. Condon admitted to consuming methamphetamine.
The investigation was conducted by the Northern Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case.
Durable Medical Equipment Clinic Owner Pleads Guilty in Miami for Role in $11 Million Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
The former owner of a defunct durable medical equipment (DME) clinic based in Miami pleaded guilty today for his role in an $11 million Medicare fraud scheme.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Steinbach of the FBI’s Miami Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Christopher B. Dennis of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Office of Investigations’ Miami Office made the announcement.
Francisco Enrique Chavez, 36, of Miami, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Seitz in the Southern District of Florida to one count of health care fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on Feb. 11, 2014.
According to court records, Chavez served as the president and sole corporate officer of World Class Medical Clinic Corp. (World Class) . From March 27, 2006, through Aug. 22, 2006, Chavez submitted or caused to be submitted approximately $11,303,494 in fraudulent claims to the Medicare program on behalf of World Class for DME that was neither prescribed by a physician nor medically necessary. Medicare paid more than $1,713,959 on these fraudulent claims. The proceeds of the World Class fraud scheme were deposited into corporate bank accounts that were controlled by Chavez, and he made numerous cash withdrawals and deposits into personal and shell entity bank accounts to conceal the nature of the scheme.
Chavez was a fugitive who was extradited from Spain to Miami on Aug. 30, 2013.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. This case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Allan J. Medina and Sarah M. Hall of the Fraud Section . The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in the extradition.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,700 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $5.5 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), go to: www.stopmedicarefraud.govDrug Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Participated in the Shipment of Almost 10,000 Kilograms of Marijuana
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III sentenced Thurston Lindsey, whose true name is Daniel Mitchell Williams, Jr., age 43, of Phoenix, Arizona, today to 10 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Gary Tuggle of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Colonel Michael Kundrat, Chief of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police.
According to Lindsey’s plea agreement, in December of 2011, Lindsey agreed to work with several co-conspirators, including Jerome Adolfo Castle, in the distribution of large quantities of cocaine and marijuana. Lindsey relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, where from early 2012 until the time of his arrest on April 22, 2013, he worked directly with two of his co-conspirators, who provided Lindsey with housing and paid him for his services. Lindsey assisted in the packaging and shipment of large quantities of marijuana and cocaine to Baltimore and other cities on the east coast. Lindsey’s duties also included inspecting the quality of shipments of the drugs acquired by his co-conspirators, weighing the drugs (primarily the marijuana), and once the drugs were packaged for shipment, delivering the drugs to the shipping agent, who was responsible for shipping the marijuana and cocaine to locations in Baltimore and elsewhere. Jerome Castle was in charge of the distribution of the drugs once they arrived in Baltimore. Lindsey admits that he participated in the shipment of close to 10,000 kilograms of marijuana and also admits that cocaine was also shipped to Maryland during this period of time.Jerome Adolfo Castle, age 35, a Jamaican national residing in Pikesville, Maryland, pleaded guilty on November 19, 2013, to illegal re-entry of a removed alien, conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, and conspiracy to launder money. According to his plea agreement, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Castle’s residence and recovered almost $58,000 in cash; jewelry appraised at over $411,000; a money counter; a scale used to measure quantities of drugs; over 200 grams of marijuana; and seven handguns. In addition, Castle admitted that between 2010 and April 2013, he deposited approximately $300,000 in cash to bank accounts under the name of Dontwon Burris. These deposits were made with proceeds from the sale of cocaine and marijuana, and are, therefore, criminally derived property.
As part of his plea agreement, Castle will be required to forfeit the cash, jewelry and firearms seized from his home during the search, as well as all interest he maintained in seven properties located in Baltimore; six vehicles, including three Ford F-150’s and a Jaguar XF Premium; two laptop computers and an Apple I-Pad; and 98 pairs of assorted men’s shoes.
Castle and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement Castle will be sentenced to 14 years in prison. Castle has agreed that he will consent to removal from the United States upon completion of his sentence. Judge Russell has scheduled sentencing for February 28, 2014 at 2:00 p.m.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the DEA, Baltimore County Police Department and Maryland Transportation Authority Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys James G. Warwick and Kenneth S. Clark, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.Delaware Doctor Charged with Illegally Selling Controlled Substances on the Silk Road Drug MarketplaceRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with Special Agent in Charge Mark R. Trouville, (DEA) Miami Field Division, and Special Agent in Charge David Dongilli, (DEA) Philadelphia Field division announce the arrest and unsealing of a criminal complaint charging Dr. Olivia Bolles, a/k/a “MDPro,” (32, Newark, Delaware) with the illegal distribution of controlled substances. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Bolles was arrested at her Delaware residence today. She will make an initial appearance in U.S. Federal Court later today, in the District of Delaware.
According to the criminal complaint, between March 2013 and October 2, 2013, Bolles, a licensed medical doctor in Delaware, operated as the vendor “MDPro” on the underground website known as Silk Road, a sophisticated Internet marketplace. Silk Road operated as an online criminal marketplace designed to enable its users to buy and sell drugs and other illegal goods and services anonymously, outside the reach of law enforcement. The website provided a sales platform for vendors and buyers to conduct transactions online.
Between June 13, 2013, and August 20, 2013, DEA purchased Oxycodone, Diazepam, Xanax, Adderall, Hash Oil, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and Vyvanse from “MDPro,” on the Silk Road website. The investigation determined that Bolles shipped the controlled substances, which were purchased from “MDPro,” from Delaware to Central Florida. The investigation also found that Bolles used her personal bank accounts to purchase items which were used to further her illegal drug dealing business, including packaging and laboratory materials. More than 600 sales of controlled substances are alleged to have been mailed, by Bolles, to individuals in more than 17 different countries.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (Orlando, Florida and Wilmington, Delaware Offices), with the assistance of the United States Postal Inspection Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haas.
Crozet Man Indicted on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA – A federal grand jury sitting in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Harrisonburg has indicted a local man on a series of charges related to the distribution and possession of child pornography.
Michael G. Morris, a.k.a. “funshooter2006,” was charged today by a federal grand jury in an indictment returned this afternoon. The grand jury has charged Morris, age 50, of Crozet, Va., with two counts of distributing or receiving images of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
The indictment alleges that Morris distributed or received images of child pornography on January 6, 2012 and March 19, 2013. The possession charges alleges that on November 6, 2013, Morris possessed images or videos of a minor whom the defendant knew was a prepubescent teen who had not attained 12 years of age.
If convicted, Morris faces a sentence of between five and 20 years in prison on counts one and two and up to 20 years in prison on count three.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Nancy Healey and Herbrina Sanders, a Trial Attorney with the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, will prosecute the case for the United States.
A Grand Jury Indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial with the burden on the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Coventry Man Arrested for Making Threats Against the PresidentRead the Press Release
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Deirdre M. Daly, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Robert L. Barrett, Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, today announced that JOSHUA PHILLIP KLIMAS, 32, of Coventry, was arrested yesterday on a federal criminal complaint charging him with making threats against the President of the United States and the President’s family.
KLIMAS was arrested by the U.S. Secret Service at his residence. He appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna F. Martinez in Hartford and was ordered to be admitted to a local hospital for psychiatric evaluation.
As alleged in the criminal complaint, on June 1, 2013, KLIMAS sent a message to the whitehouse.gov website that contained several threatening statements against President Obama and his family, including “If you do not resign by the end of the year I will kill you!”
The complaint further alleges that KLIMAS has also threatened other individuals.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, with the assistance of the UConn Police Department and the Coventry Police Department.
Acting U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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[email protected]Correctional Officer Indicted for Accepting BribesRead the Press Release
ABILENE, Texas — Matthew Castaneda, 23, of Big Spring, Texas, was arrested yesterday on a federal indictment, returned by a grand jury last week and unsealed today, charging him with one count of bribery of public officials. Castaneda made his initial appearance in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge E. Scott Frost, and entered a not guilty plea to the charge. He was released on his own recognizance. Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.
The indictment alleges that from September 14, 2013, to approximately December 13, 2012, Castaneda, who at the time was employed as a Correctional Officer at the Big Spring Correctional Center, brought contraband to an inmate, in the form of cell phones, in exchange for money from that inmate.
An indictment is an accusation by a federal grand jury, and a defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty. If convicted, however, Castaneda faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
The investigation was conducted by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulina Jacobo is in charge of the prosecution.
Clackamas Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Filing False Claims for $1.9 Million in Fraudulent Federal Income Tax RefundsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore. – U.S. District Judge Michael H. Simon sentenced defendant Miles J. Julison to four years in federal prison and three years of post-release supervision for two counts of filing false claims against the United States. The sentencing hearing on Wednesday, November 19th followed a five-day trial in August when a Portland jury convicted Julison of the charges. The evidence at trial established that Julison, a 41-year-old former real estate investor, had filed tax returns for the years 2007 and 2008 fraudulently claiming that he was due refunds for tax overpayments totaling nearly $2 million. In fact, he had paid no federal income taxes at all in those years. Julison had also helped another man file his own fraudulent claim for more than $480,000.
U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall commended the sentence, “It is a serious sentence for a serious crime. As Judge Simon noted, Miles Julison stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from his neighbors, honest and hardworking taxpayers. He tried to steal even more and helped others do the same; the severity of the sentence properly reflects the extent of his criminal conduct.”
The evidence at trial established that Julison falsely reported on his 2007 tax return that he had earned more than half a million dollars that year and that almost all of it had been withheld for taxes. He then fraudulently claimed he was due a tax refund of $411,773.00. The IRS issued him a check for that amount two weeks later. In January 2009, Julison falsely reported on his tax return that he had earned more than $2.3 million in 2008, and that all but $815 of that total had been withheld for taxes. He fraudulently claimed a tax refund of more than $1.5 million. By then, however, Julison was already under criminal investigation, and the refund was never issued.
Julison used the refund he obtained from his 2007 return to purchase, among other things, a $60,000 Mercedes-Benz sedan, to pay off his home mortgage, and to make payments on a 23-foot ski boat, a Toyota Sequoia SUV , two Kawasaki wave runners, and two Polaris snowmobiles. Judge Simon ordered Julison to pay $411,773 in restitution to the IRS for that refund.
This case was investigated by IRS, Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth D. Uram and Ryan W. Bounds prosecuted the case.
Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to over 17 Years on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
A man who downloaded and possessed child pornography was sentenced today to over seventeen years in federal prison.
Brian Lynch, age 47, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the sentence after an August 1, 2013, guilty plea to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. At the guilty plea, Lynch admitted that, between March 2010 and March 2013, he used the Internet to download child pornography. He also admitted that, between November 2004 and April 2013, he possessed child pornography. In a plea agreement, Lynch admitted that he possessed over 350 videos and over 175 images of child pornography, including depictions of prepubescent children.
Lynch was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. Lynch was sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $200 was imposed, and Lynch must also serve a ten-year term of supervised release. He must comply with all sex offender registration and public notification requirements.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the DeWitt Police Department, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the United States Marshals Service.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 13-29.
Caribbean Narcotics Traffickers Found Guilty by A Federal JuryRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury today found Yugool Persaud (61, Guyana) and Desmond Wilson (54, Guyana) guilty of two counts of violating the U.S. Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act. Persaud and Wilson face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Their sentencing is scheduled for February 20, 2014.
Persaud and Wilson were indicted on September 5, 2013.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, a U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement detachment on board the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship WAVE KNIGHT observed a suspicious fishing vessel, the MISS TIFFANY, transiting a known drug trafficking corridor in the Caribbean Sea. When the WAVE KNIGHT called over the radio, the MISS TIFFANY began evasive maneuvers, while jettisoning white bales overboard. U.S. Coast Guard boarding teams recovered 1,265 kilograms of marijuana from the jettison fields, boarded the MISS TIFFANY, and detained Persaud and Wilson. Both men were turned over to special agents from Panama Express Strike Force.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Meyer and Assistant United States Attorney Shauna Hale.
Panama Express Strike Force (PANEX) is a federally approved Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) consisting of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Coast Guard, Internal Revenue Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Operation Panama Express currently targets South American-based drug trafficking organizations responsible for smuggling drugs to the United States and elsewhere for distribution.
Canadian Man Convicted of Attempting to Enter the United States IllegallyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Victor Osa Ohanmu, 54, of Pickering, Ontario, was convicted of attempting to enter the United States after deportation, subsequent to a conviction for an aggravated felony, and making a material false statement to Customs and Border Protection officers, following a jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen A. Lynch and Paul J. Campana, who handled the prosecution of the case, the defendant drove a vehicle to the Lewiston Bridge Port of Entry on March 14, 2013 and presented a Canadian passport under a different identity. When questioned, the defendant told the officers he was driving to Boston, Massachusetts for a funeral.
Ohanmu falsely told the officers that he had not been in the U.S. before 1992, when, in fact, he had been convicted of an aggravated felony in 1990. The defendant was deported from the U.S. on two previous occasions, January 15, 1992 and February 12, 2003.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 13, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
The conviction is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Randy Howe, Acting Director of Field Operations.California Woman Pleads Guilty to Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Myra Hight, 52, of Lake Tahoe, CA, pleaded guilty to marijuana conspiracy before Chief U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Alsup, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant was arrested on February 20, 2012 by Hamburg Police in the parking lot of a store in the Town of Hamburg. During a search of the car Hight was driving, officers recovered $77,000 in U.S. Currency, money the defendant admitted was proceeds of her marijuana trafficking conspiracy.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation by the Hamburg Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Williams and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian R. Crowell, New York Field Division.Caldwell Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Obscene Visual Representations of the Sexual Abuse of ChildrenRead the Press Release
BOISE — Patrick S. Baker, 50, of Caldwell, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court to possessing obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
According to the plea agreement, officers from the Nampa Police Department responded to the Hilton Inn in Nampa, Idaho, on March 14, 2013, in response to a request from hotel management to remove a guest who had overstayed the contracted time. Officers discovered Baker in the room. He had checked in the previous night and used the hotel’s wireless Internet service to download child erotica and at least 36 realistic-looking animated images depicting prepubescent minor females engaged in various sexual acts with adults, according to the plea agreement. Investigators also found several images of minor females, most approximately ages 3 to 12 years, in various kinds of dress, posing in ways to bring attention to their genital or pubic area. Baker admitted that he had downloaded the images and that he had an addiction to pornography, including adults and children.
The charge is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
Baker is set for sentencing on February 3, 2014, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.
The case was investigated by the Nampa Police Department, an affiliate of the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC). The ICAC is a statewide coalition of local, state and federal law enforcement and prosecution agencies, focused on apprehending and prosecuting individuals who use the Internet to criminally exploit children. For more information about the Idaho ICAC Task Force and a list of all the participating agencies, visit www.icacidaho.org.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Butler County Man ChargedWith Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - An Augusta, Kan., man has been indicted on charges of producing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today. The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kan.
Kristopher K. Sims, 30, Augusta, Kan., is charged with two counts of production of child pornography. The crimes are alleged to have occurred July 20, 2012, and Nov. 5, 2012, in Butler County, Kan.
Sims initially was charged in a criminal complaint filed Nov. 15 in U.S. District Court in Wichita. An investigator’s affidavit in support of the complaint alleges that a Wichita police detective initiated the investigation after receiving information from Omegle, an online chat service that encourages users to communicate anonymously with strangers. Investigators learned that during a chat on Omegle users exchanged an image of an adult male engaged in sexual activity with a female child who appeared to be under the age of four. They followed an electronic trail to Sims’ home in Augusta. They learned that Sims had used the Internet to pose as a 14-year-old boy in order to contact girls and to entice them to send him photos of themselves engaged in sexual activities.
If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 15 years and not more than 30 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Wichita Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting.OTHER INDICTMENTS
Nicolas P. Juszcyk, 24, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in relation to drug trafficking, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm after a felony conviction. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Oct. 9, 2013, in Kansas City, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 40 years and fine up to $5 million on the methamphetamine charge, not less than five years and not more than life and a fine up to $250,000 on the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the other firearm charge. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Tomasic is prosecuting.
Anthony R. Barajas, 22, Kansas City, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm after a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred Oct. 31, 2013, in Kansas City, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting.
Brian Garner, 37, who is an inmate of the U.S. Penitentiary at Leavenworth, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and one count of possession of a prohibited object in the penitentiary. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Jan. 13, 2013, in Leavenworth, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting.
Leonard Frank Bagdol, 71, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm after a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred Nov. 13, 2013, in Lawrence, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas Highway Patrol investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Hough is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.Bergen County, N.J., Couple Convicted of Bank Fraud, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, in Connection with Mortgage SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. — A husband and wife from Bergen County, N.J., were both convicted today of one count each of bank fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Linda Yarleque, 44, and her husband, Fabio Moreno Vargas, 46, of Westwood, N.J., were convicted following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls in Newark federal court. The jury deliberated two hours before returning the guilty verdicts.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
Yarleque and Moreno obtained 10 fraudulent loans over a period of three years. They falsified their employment and income, failed to disclose their debts and other properties that they owned, and lied about where they lived. They fraudulently obtained a total of $3.4 million in mortgages this way and personally pocketed approximately $269,000, through “cash out” refinancings that they directed to their own bank accounts. They then spent that money on vacations, cars, and to buy more properties.
The defendants made up a phony business where Moreno was supposedly employed (My Limousine). They then obtained a phone line in the name of My Limousine and had it forwarded to their personal cell phones. When mortgage lenders called to verify Moreno’s employment, the defendants lied, posing as fictitious employees, using names such as “Janet Alvarez” and “Casandra Sterling.”
Each count upon which the defendants were convicted is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for March 11, 2014.U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark, with the investigation leading to today=s convictions. He also thanked IRS-Criminal Investigation for its role in the case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Jamari Buxton of the general crimes unit and Rachael A. Honig, counsel to the U.S. Attorney.13-448
Defense counsel:
Yarleque: Peter Willis Esq., of Jersey City, N.J.,
Moreno: Chester Keller Esq. and Carol Gillen Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defenders, NewarkYarleque, Linda and Moreno, Fabio Indictment
Arkansas Woman Pleads Guilty to Million-Dollar Health Care Fraud, Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN –Rebecca Christain, 57, of Mountain Home, AR, pleaded guilty on November 20, 2013, to a two-count federal information charging her with one count of health care fraud and one count of money laundering in relation to a Medicare fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.
According to the facts alleged in the information and statements made during her guilty plea, Christain was the owner of Sleep Analysts, Inc. and a subsidiary company, Pulmonary Solutions. Pulmonary Solutions had offices in Michie, TN; Brownsville, TN; Savannah, TN; Waynesboro, TN; and Jackson, TN, and was in the business of providing respiratory therapy services to Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare program patients.
From October 2008 to December 2009, Christain devised a scheme to defraud the Medicare program by hiring unlicensed individuals to perform services that were billed to Medicare as respiratory therapy services, and by instructing her staff to falsify records setting forth the amount of time during which services were provided. She also instructed employees to designate certain services for billing under physical therapy codes, which resulted in payments approximately double those of respiratory codes, and instructed employees to designate certain services to be double or triple billed using both physical therapy and respiratory therapy codes, even though Pulmonary Solutions never employed any physical therapists.
In total, Christain caused fraudulent claims in excess of $1,000,000 to be paid by Medicare and Medicaid for fraudulently billed respiratory therapy services. Christain is scheduled to be sentenced on February 20, 2014, in Jackson, TN, before U.S. District Judge J. Daniel Breen.
This investigation was conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; IRS-Criminal Investigation; the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Fabian represented the government.Antigo Man Charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and MarijuanaRead the Press Release
James L. Santelle, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on November 19, 2013, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against John M. Hunter (age: 35) of Antigo, Wisconsin, charging him with a single count of Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances in violation of 21 U.S.C. Sections 846 and 841(b)(1)(B), and 18 U.S.C. Section 2. If convicted of the offense, the defendant faces between five and forty years’ imprisonment, up to a five million dollar fine, and four years to life of Supervised Release.
According to the indictment, Hunter conspired with others known and unknown to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine and over 50 kilograms of marijuana between May 2009 and August 2011.
Mr. Hunter is scheduled for arraignment in United States District Court in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on December 11, 2013.The case was investigated by the Langlade County Sheriff’s Office and the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
ABT Amended Settlement Agreement Granted Final Approval; Implementation to Begin by December 3, 2013Read the Press Release
On November 4, 2013 the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington granted final approval to the amended ABT Settlement Agreement (Agreement). The Agreement provides that individuals who file or intend to file asylum applications with either the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) or the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) are entitled to new procedures relating to the crediting of time toward eligibility for employment authorization.
The original Agreement was amended in September 2013 to clarify two points. First, a clarification was added to the Agreement, stating that when an asylum case is remanded to an immigration judge from the Board of Immigration Appeals (Board) for adjudication of an asylum claim (including Board remands to an immigration judge following an appeal to a U.S. Court of Appeals), the applicant will not only be credited with the total number of days between the immigration judge's decision and the date of the Board's remand order for employment eligibility purposes, but the time going forward from the date of the Board remand order will also be credited to the applicant, excluding any delays requested or caused by the applicant. Second, the agreement was amended to clarify that Remand Claim relief would be implemented pursuant to the six month timeframe provided for most other provisions of the agreement.
Due to the government shutdown, the six month implementation timeframe was extended by several weeks, so that implementation will now begin by December 3, 2013.
Additional information on the ABT Settlement Agreement is available on www.justice.gov/eoir.
19 New Defendants, Including 14 Correctional Officers, Indicted for Federal Racketeering in Baltimore City Jail InvestigationRead the Press Release
Superseding Indictment Focuses on Conduct Prior to April 2013
Baltimore, Maryland - United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Secretary Gary D. Maynard of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services; Baltimore City State’s Attorney Gregg Bernstein; Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts; and Prince George’s County Police Chief Mark A. Magaw announced that a federal superseding indictment was unsealed today charging 19 additional defendants, including 14 former and current correctional officers with the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, with conspiring to operate the Black Guerilla Family (BGF) gang inside correctional facilities. All 19 defendants also are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute drugs; and six are charged with money laundering conspiracy.
This brings to 44 the total number of alleged BGF gang members and associates charged in the case, including 27 correctional officers. Sixteen of the 25 defendants in the original indictment in April 2013 have pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, including nine correctional officers, four inmates and three drug suppliers. One defendant is deceased. Eight defendants charged with racketeering in April 2013 remain in the superseding indictment.
This case was developed as a result of the efforts of the Maryland Prison Task Force, formed in 2011 with the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, and prosecutors. The Task Force has met regularly for almost three years, generating recommendations to reform prison procedures and producing leads that have been pursued by state, local and federal criminal investigators.
“The new charges focus on criminal conduct that occurred prior to April 2013, adding 19 new defendants as a result of additional evidence that came to light during the ongoing investigation,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “I want to thank Secretary Maynard and the many law-abiding employees of the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services who have assisted in this investigation and are working to eliminate corruption in state correctional facilities.”
“We are grateful to our federal law enforcement partners for their responsiveness, their good work, and their ongoing willingness to work with us as we root out corruption, improve security, and promote integrity at Maryland correctional institutions,” DPSCS Secretary Gary Maynard said. “While our work continues, those indicted out of the Taskforce’s efforts do not represent the overwhelming majority of honest and hardworking correctional officers working every day to keep our institutions safe.”
The superseding indictment and a search warrant affidavit were unsealed today upon the arrests of the defendants and the execution of 15 search warrants. Approximately 150 agents and officers assisted in the arrests and search warrants. The superseding indictment was returned on November 5, 2013, and remained under seal until after the warrants were executed this morning.
The defendants charged in the superseding indictment are alleged to be members or associates of the BGF, a gang active in prisons throughout the United States. According to the indictment, BGF has been the dominant gang at the Baltimore City Detention Center (BCDC), and in several connected facilities, especially the Baltimore Central Booking Intake Center, the Women’s Detention Center, which houses many men, and in the Jail Industries Building.
According to the affidavit, the BGF inmates and correctional officers operated a criminal organization within the prison facility, enabling them to make large amounts of money through drug trafficking, robbery, assault, extortion, bribery, witness retaliation, money laundering and obstruction of justice. “Green Dot” cash cards routinely were used to transfer money. BGF members and associates used the money to bribe correctional officers and other employees at BCDC and related prison facilities to smuggle drugs, cell phones and other contraband. Correctional officers arranged favored treatment and privileges for imprisoned BGF gang members, thwarted interdiction and law enforcement efforts against BGF inmates, and facilitated attacks on inmates in furtherance of BGF objectives. Gang members and associates extorted protection money from inmates who were non-members, often paid by relatives outside the jail.
The correctional officers allegedly hid drugs and other contraband beneath clothing and inside body cavities when they entered the prison. The correctional officers also smuggled items in their shoes, or in sandwiches they brought into the prison. BGF leaders used contraband cell phones to order drugs and other contraband and to coordinate gang activities.
Court documents allege that BGF members recruited correctional officers through personal and often sexual relationships as well as bribes, and that some officers traded sex for money. Officers believed it was unlikely that they would be fired or face significant discipline even if they were caught smuggling contraband or fraternizing with inmates.
The defendants face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on the racketeering and drug conspiracies. Thirteen of the defendants face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison as well for conspiracy to commit money laundering. James Yarborough also faces five years in prison for possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
Most of the defendants are expected to have initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Baltimore this afternoon.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.The U.S. Attorney praised the FBI, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, the Baltimore Police Department, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Maryland Prison Task Force, and the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’ Office for their work on the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert R. Harding and Ayn B. Ducao, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
The U.S. Attorney also thanked the leaders of other agencies that have assisted the Maryland Prison Task Force, including Colonel Marcus L. Brown, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; United States Marshal Johnny Hughes; Special Agent in Charge Karl C. Colder of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Field Division; Tom Carr, Director of the Washington-Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area; and Dave Engel, Executive Director of the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center.
ATTACHMENT A
The following 19 defendants are newly charged in the superseding indictment unsealed today.
Inmates:
Russell Carrington, a/k/ Rutt, age 33; and
Frederick Morrison, a/k/a Fry, age 29.
Current and former correctional officers:
Kevin Armstrong, age 26, of Gwynn Oak, Maryland;
Clarissa Clayton, age 24, of Brooklyn Park, Maryland;
Tanierdra Finch, age 26, of Baltimore;
Danielle Forrest, age 26;
Aisha Fraction, age 25, Brooklyn;
Sean Graves, age 47, of Windsor Mill, Maryland;
Ricolle Hall, age 26, of Glen Burnie, Maryland;
Angela Johnson, age 34, of Baltimore;
Derrick Jones, age 41, of Aberdeen, Maryland;
Javonne Lunkin, age 28, of Baltimore;
Ashley Newton, age 30, Baltimore;
Travis Paylor, age 26, Baltimore;
Milshenna Peoples, age 29, of Baltimore; and
Michelle Ricks, age 43, Edgewood, Maryland.Other DPSCS employee:
Michelle McNair, age 22, Baltimore.
Outside supplier:
Raylanair Reese, age 31; and
Linnard Wortham, a/k/a Stu, age 29, of Glen Burnie, Maryland.The following eight defendants were charged in the original indictment and remain in the superseding indictment.
Inmates:
Jamar Anderson, a/k/a Hammer and Hamma Head, age 24, of Baltimore;
Derius Duncan, a/k/a D or Lil D, age 24, of Baltimore; and
Joseph Young, a/k/a Monster, age 30, of Baltimore.
Current and former correctional officers:
Antonia Allison, age 27; of Baltimore;
Ebonee Braswell, age 27; of Baltimore;
Chania Brooks, age 28, of Baltimore; and
Tiffany Linder, age 27, of Baltimore.
Outside suppliers:
James Yarborough, a/k/a J.Y., age 27, of Baltimore.The following 16 defendants were charged in the original indictment unsealed in April 2013 and have pleaded guilty to their participation in the racketeering conspiracy.
Inmates:
Tavon White, age 36, of Baltimore;
Steven Loney, age 24, of Baltimore;
Kenneth Parham, age 24, of Baltimore; and
Jermaine McFadden, age 25, of Baltimore.Correctional officers:
Kimberly Dennis, age 26, of Baltimore;
Jasmin Jones, a/k/a/ J.J., age 25, of Baltimore;
Taryn Kirkland, age 23, of Baltimore;
Katrina Laprade, a/k/a Katrina Lyons, age 31, of Baltimore;
Vivian Matthews, age 26, of Essex, Maryland;
Jennifer Owens, a/k/a/ O and J.O., age 31, of Randallstown;
Adrena Rice, age 25, of Baltimore;
Katera Stevenson, a/k/a KK, age 25, of Baltimore; and
Jasmine Thornton, a/k/a J.T., age 26, of Glen Burnie.Outside suppliers:
Tyesha Mayo, age 30; of Baltimore;
Tyrone Thompson, age 36, of Baltimore; and
Teshawn Pinder, age 24, of Baltimore.Ralph Timmons, Jr., age 35, of Baltimore, was also charged in the original indictment and is deceased.
Wednesday 20 November 2013
Wentzville, Missouri, Man Indicted for Multiple Armed Bank Robberies and Shooting Missouri State Highway Patrol TrooperRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – A joint, cooperative investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and multiple local law enforcement agencies has resulted in the federal grand jury returning am indictment against WARREN J. GLADDERS, Wentzville, Missouri, for multiple armed bank robberies committed by Gladders between October 2012 and September 2013. Following Gladders’ final armed bank robbery on September 20, 2013, Gladders was pursued and captured by a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper. During the course of the capture, Gladders fired four rounds at the trooper. One round struck the trooper in his protective ballistic vest. The trooper returned fire, disabling Gladders and effectuating his arrest.
"The FBI and our local and state law enforcement partners have a close working relationship, especially when bank robberies involve physical violence," said Dean C. Bryant, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI St. Louis Division. "As a result of the partnerships, 90% of the bank robberies last year in the entire Eastern Missouri have been solved."
If convicted, each charge of armed bank robbery carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. For his use and discharge of the firearm, Gladders is facing a maximum possible penalty of life in prison. Gladders also faces an additional maximum possible penalty of up to 10 years in prison for his possession of an unregistered "sawed-off" shotgun on September 20, 2013, as well. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
In addition to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, this case is being investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Warren County Sheriff’s Department, the St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department, the Creve Coeur Police Department, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department, the Jonesburg Police Department and the Wright City Police Department, along with coordination by the Warren County, St. Charles County and St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorneys’ Offices.
As is always the case, charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Waterloo Tax Return Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Preparing and Filing Fraudulent Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A woman who formerly operated her own tax return preparation business and prepared and filed fraudulent federal tax returns was sentenced November 19, 2013, to over a year in federal prison.
Victoria Jones, 49, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 16, 2013, guilty plea to one count of aiding and assisting the preparation and filing of a false and fraudulent tax return.
In a plea agreement, Jones, who owned and operated a tax return preparation business in Waterloo, admitted she prepared and filed a false tax return on behalf of a client, fraudulently increasing the amount of the client’s refund by falsely claiming inflated business expenses and itemized deductions and falsely claiming the client was entitled to a tax credit. Jones further admitted she filed multiple other similarly false tax returns between 2007 and 2010. Finally, Jones admitted that the false and fraudulent tax returns she prepared and filed resulted in at least $30,000 in unwarranted refunds for her clients.
Jones was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. Jones was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment and fined $15,000. A special assessment of $100 was imposed, and she was ordered to make $4,833 in restitution the Internal Revenue Service. She must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
"Tax return preparers have a duty to their clients to prepare tax returns that comply with the law and are accurate," said Sybil Smith, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge. "Taxpayers should not pay good money for bad advice."
Jones was released on conditions previously set by the United States District Court and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on December 16, 2013.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/. The case file number is 13-CR-02015.
Washington County Man and Woman Sentenced to Imprisonment for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IA – On November 20, 2013, Kurt James Brookhart, age 46, was sentenced by United States District Judge John A. Jarvey to 110 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and 50 grams of actual methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Brookhart was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release following the imprisonment, and to pay $100 towards the Crime Victims Fund.
In a related case, Nahida Amira Buchheit, age 38, was also sentenced on November 20, 2013, by United States District Judge John A. Jarvey to 68 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute five grams or more of actual methamphetamine. Buchheit was also ordered to serve four years of supervised release following the imprisonment, and to pay $100 towards the Crime Victims Fund.
Beginning in approximately November 2011 and continuing until about April 10, 2012, Brookhart and Buchheit conspired with Tony Henry Young, Cesar Alexis Gonzalez, and others to distribute methamphetamine in the Washington County, Iowa, area. During this time period Brookhart and Young received “ice” (also known as “crystal”) methamphetamine from Young’s nephew, Gonzalez. Gonzalez obtained the methamphetamine from a source in Arizona, and then shipped the methamphetamine via parcel services to Brookhart’s residence in Wellman, Iowa, where Brookhart resided with Young and Buchheit. Brookhart received a portion of the methamphetamine from each package as did Young. Brookhart distributed some amount of that methamphetamine to other individuals. On March 22, 2012, law enforcement intercepted a parcel sent by Gonzalez to the Wellman residence. That parcel contained approximately 200 grams of ice methamphetamine.
On October 16, 2012, Chief Judge James E. Gritzner sentenced Tony Henry Young to 135 months imprisonment and five years of supervised release following imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and 50 grams of actual methamphetamine. Cesar Alexis Gonzalez has pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and 50 grams of actual methamphetamine, and is pending sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Washington-Louisa County Drug Task Force and the Iowa Department of Public Safety - Division of Narcotics Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
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U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy to Host Screening of “Out of Reach,” A Short Film About Prescription Drug Abuse Created by A Teen FilmmakerRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy will host a special screening of “Out of Reach,” a short documentary about prescription drug abuse created by a teen filmmaker, on Wednesday evening, November 20, at Junipero Serra High School.
This is the first “Out of Reach” screening to take place on the West Coast. Cyrus Stowe, a 17-year-old high school student, interviews friends, classmates, community members and others about prescription drug abuse and their views of what it means to abuse prescription drugs. It was created in collaboration with director Tucker Capps (of A&E’s “Intervention”) and The Partnership at Drugfree.org's Medicine Abuse Project.
The film screening will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by U.S. Attorney Duffy. Local experts will examine the scope of the problem and what’s being done in San Diego County to reduce prescription drug abuse.
In an effort to raise awareness of the disturbing trends, U.S. Attorney Duffy has joined The Partnership at Drugfree.org in The Medicine Abuse Project, a five-year action campaign that aims to prevent half a million teens from abusing medicine by the year 2017 and advises parents and others to take a pledge to take control of their medicine cabinets.
WHAT: Screening of “Out of Reach,” a teen-made documentary on prescription drug abuse
WHO: MODERATOR: Laura Duffy, United States Attorney for the Southern District of California
PANELISTS: Tom Lenox, Supervisory Special Agent Tactical Diversion Squad, Drug Enforcement Administration San Diego
Dr. Roneet Lev, Director of Operations, Scripps Mercy Hospital Emergency Department, San Diego County Prescription Drug Abuse Medical Task Force
Sherrie Rubin, Director, The Hope2Gether Foundation, Prescription Medication, Drug and Alcohol Education and Awareness
WHEN: Wednesday, November 20th, 2013
WHERE: Junipero Serra High School, 5156 Santo Road, San Diego, 92124.
WHY: One out of five high school juniors in San Diego County say they’ve misused prescription drugs. In the last five years, unintentional deaths caused by prescription drugs rose by 22 percent in San Diego County, according to the latest Report Card issued by the Prescription Drug Abuse Task Force earlier this month.
Two Virgin Islands Residents Indicted on Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Ronald W. Sharpe, United States Attorney for the District of the Virgin Islands, Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, Vito S. Guarino, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Caribbean Division, and Angel M. Melendez, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), San Juan and U.S. Virgin Islands, announce the indictment of Dwight Iva Durant, 44, a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Supervisor, and Shawn Dowe, 29, both of the Virgin Islands, for their alleged participation in a drug trafficking conspiracy. Defendant Durant was arrested yesterday in St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands, where he made his initial appearance in federal court today. Dowe was arrested in California and will make his initial appearance in federal court tomorrow. The indictment was returned in Miami, Florida, where the defendants will stand trial.
The indictment, filed on November 14, 2013, and unsealed yesterday, charges Dwight Iva Durant and Shawn Dowe, each, with conspiracy to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine and aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 846. If convicted, the defendants each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a possible statutory maximum sentence of life.
This case is a result of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the DEA West Palm Beach Task Force which is comprised of the following agencies: Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, West Palm Beach Police Department, Jupiter Police Department, Delray Beach Police Department, Boynton Beach Police Department, and North Bay Village Police Department. In addition, Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of DEA Miami, DEA San Juan, ICE-HSI, Sunrise Police Department, and U.S. Transportation and Security Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin M. Davis.
An indictment is only an accusation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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.
Two Virgin Islands Residents Indicted on Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Ronald W. Sharpe, United States Attorney for the District of the Virgin Islands, Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, Vito S. Guarino, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Caribbean Division, and Angel M. Melendez, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), San Juan and U.S. Virgin Islands, announce the indictment of Dwight Iva Durant, 44, a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Supervisor, and Shawn Dowe, 29, both of the Virgin Islands, for their alleged participation in a drug trafficking conspiracy. Defendant Durant was arrested yesterday in St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands, where he made his initial appearance in federal court today. Dowe was arrested in California and will make his initial appearance in federal court tomorrow. The indictment was returned in Miami, Florida, where the defendants will stand trial.
The indictment, filed on November 14, 2013, and unsealed yesterday, charges Dwight Iva Durant and Shawn Dowe, each, with conspiracy to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine and aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 846. If convicted, the defendants each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a possible statutory maximum sentence of life.
This case is a result of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the DEA West Palm Beach Task Force which is comprised of the following agencies: Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, West Palm Beach Police Department, Jupiter Police Department, Delray Beach Police Department, Boynton Beach Police Department, and North Bay Village Police Department. In addition, Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of DEA Miami, DEA San Juan, ICE-HSI, Sunrise Police Department, and U.S. Transportation and Security Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin M. Davis.
An indictment is only an accusation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Treasurer for Road District, Fire District Pleads Guilty to Embezzling $1.5 MillionRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that the former treasurer of both the Wellington Napoleon Fire Protection District and Special Road District pleaded guilty in federal court today to a fraud scheme in which he embezzled more than $1.5 million from the two districts.
Leland Ray Kolkmeyer, 58, of Wellington, Mo., waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to a federal information that charges him with two counts of mail fraud.
Kolkmeyer was appointed as treasurer of the road district in 1996. Kolkmeyer was first elected treasurer of the fire district in 1997. He resigned from both positions on Feb. 25, 2013. The offices of both the fire district and the road district are located in Wellington.
Road District Fraud Scheme
Kolkmeyer admitted that he stole approximately $900,000 from the road district from August 1998 to Feb. 12, 2013. Kolkmeyer made checks payable from the road district’s bank account to himself and others for his own benefit without the knowledge, authorization or consent of the road district. The government alleges that Kolkmeyer fraudulently transferred $939,485 from the road district’s bank account to his own bank account or to pay bills on his behalf.
Kolkmeyer, in his position as treasurer of the road district, made false statements and material omissions to the Special Road District Board concerning the checks that were made payable to himself and to others on his behalf.
Fire District Fraud Scheme
Kolkmeyer also admitted that he stole more than $500,000 from the fire district from August 1998 to Feb. 17, 2013. The government alleges that Kolkmeyer fraudulently transferred $590,674 from the fire district bank accounts to his own bank account or to pay bills on his behalf.
Kolkmeyer, in his position as treasurer of the fire district, made false statements and material omissions to the Fire Protection District Board concerning the checks that were made payable to himself and to others on his behalf.
The federal information requires Kolkmeyer to forfeit to the government $1,530,159, which represents the total amount he embezzled from the two districts.
Under federal statutes, Kolkmeyer is subject to a sentence of up to 40 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $500,000 and an order of restitution. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by the FBI.
Three Investment Advisors Sentenced in California <br /> for $1 Billion High-yield Investment FraudRead the Press Release
Three former investment advisers were sentenced on Nov. 19, 2013 for their roles in attempting to defraud a wealthy investor of $1 billion through a high-yield investment fraud scheme.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte Jr. of the Central District of California made the announcement.
William J. Ferry, a former stock broker and investment advisor; Dennis J. Clinton, a former real estate investment manager; and Paul R. Martin, a former senior vice president and managing director of Bankers Trust, were convicted on July 31, 2012, of conspiracy, mail fraud and wire fraud. The investor they attempted to defraud was, in reality, part of an undercover FBI team that posed as wealthy investors and investment managers to stop fraudsters before they actually harmed victims.
Ferry, 71, of Newport Beach, Calif., was sentenced to serve 15 months in prison. Clinton, 65, of San Diego, Calif., was sentenced to serve 30 months in prison. Martin, 64, of New Jersey, was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
Evidence at trial established that from February to December 2006, Ferry, Clinton, Martin and others conspired to promote a high-yield investment fraud scheme that promised an extremely high return at little or no risk to principal. The defendants claimed their investment program was a “Fed Trade Program” that was regulated by the Federal Reserve Bank, that they had to follow strict Fed guidelines, and that a Fed trade administrator administered their program, with compliance duties handled by a Fed compliance officer.
Investors also were told that once the investment program passed compliance, it would become registered in Washington, D.C., with the Fed. The defendants falsely represented to FBI undercover agents that they would arrange for them to meet a Federal Reserve official and/or the chairman of the board of a major U.S. bank to confirm the existence of the defendants’ investment program. The defendants falsely claimed that these Fed investment programs existed primarily to generate funds for project funding and humanitarian purposes, such as Hurricane Katrina relief. The promised profits from investing in a Fed program had to be divided in equal amounts, with one portion going to some humanitarian purpose, another portion to some kind of project financing and the remainder to the investor. The defendants represented to the undercover agents that the agents’ offshore bank account would be managed by a Swiss banker who was already managing billions of dollars for the defendants.
Throughout the scheme, Ferry acted as an underwriter and member of the compliance team; Martin acted as a banking expert; and Clinton acted as a trouble shooter during the compliance phase and transfer of funds to the Swiss banker.
Another conspirator, Brad Keith Lee, of California, who acted as the contact with the Swiss banker, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and wire fraud on April 13, 2009, and was sentenced to 24 months in prison on Jan. 11, 2010. Oregon resident John Brent Leiske, who acted as a trader during the scheme, pleaded guilty in the District of Oregon to conspiracy, mail fraud and wire fraud on Jan. 24, 2012, and was sentenced to 120 months in prison on Feb. 14, 2013.
This continuing investigation is being conducted by the FBI. This case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel David Bybee and Trial Attorney Fred Medick of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.Tampa Man Sentenced for Stealing Government MoneyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced Tampa resident Thomas Crouch (66) to one year, and one month in federal prison for theft of government funds. The court also entered a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $124,944.00, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.
Crouch pleaded guilty to a one-count indictment on August 28, 2013.
According to court documents, Crouch’s Aunt (Naomi Page) had been a recipient of U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (“VA”) Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (“DIC”) benefits, which she received based upon her husband's military service, up until her death on January 25, 2010. The VA periodically sought to verify Page’s continued right to receive benefit payments and, in the process of doing so, sent marital status questionnaires to Page to determine her continued eligibility, attempting to verify that she had not remarried. The VA did not receive a response from Page, which prompted a suspension of her benefits. After finally receiving a response from Page, shortly before her death, the VA subsequently reinstated Page's benefits. Page died on January 25, 2010.
On January 26, 2010, when reinstating Page's benefits, the VA mistakenly sent Page a check in the amount of $122,636.00. Upon discovering the error, the VA promptly sent out a letter on February 12, 2010, asking for the check to be returned or that a personal check be sent back to the VA. The VA investigated the matter and determined that the VA check had already been negotiated, purportedly with Page’s signature on the back of the check. Further investigation revealed that Page had died before the check had been issued, thus could not have contained her signature. Additionally, not having received notice of Page's death, the VA also sent Page two other checks, in the amount of $1,154.00 each. These checks, which also appeared to contain Page's signature, were negotiated after her death.
A VA investigation revealed that Crouch, Page’s Power of Attorney, had forged Page's signature after her death and negotiated the $124,944.00 check, to which neither he nor Page was entitled. When questioned by law enforcement, Crouch initially denied that Page had ever received paper checks from the VA, but later admitted that he had forged Page's signature on the checks and spent the money on a boat, a van, a motorcycle and a truck, and had given family members some money. Crouch also acknowledged that he received letters from the VA about the overpayment, but had ignored the letters and spent the money.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda C. Kaiser.
Tacoma pimp sentenced to 25 years for sex-Trafficking two VictimsRead the Press Release
Under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1591PORTLAND, Ore. – U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown sentenced Christopher Cool Wilmer, 30, of Tacoma, to 25 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for four counts of sex trafficking involving a 16-year-old and an 18-year-old. In May 2013, just weeks before trial, Wilmer pled guilty to the indictment.
According to court documents filed for the sentencing hearing, the investigation began on February 22, 2012, when police responded to a call for help from the 18-year-old victim at a Motel 6. She reported that her pimp “Cool” had locked her out of a room where he was also pimping another young woman. Portland Police officers learned that the registered guest to that room was Christopher Cool Wilmer who had previous arrests for promoting prostitution. Officers went to the room where they found the 16-year-old victim and a john. Although the victim initially denied knowing Wilmer, Officers later observed pictures on her cell phone showing Wilmer, including pictures of him flexing under the caption “Daddy Cool,” and in a bubble bath. Wilmer manipulated the 16 year old victim into performing numerous commercial sex acts. Text messages sent to Wilmer described her pain and humiliation at having been manipulated and coerced by the defendant into performing these acts.
Further investigation uncovered records of Wilmer’s travel with the victims on Amtrak and Greyhound between Oregon and Washington. Agents also located 30 postings to the escort section of Backpage.com advertising the services of the 16-year-old minor between January and February 2012. Ads featured the minor in provocative poses and set prices for these “services” for $60 to $125 per hour. Witness testimony established Wilmer placed new sex-trafficking recruits on 90-day probation periods to evaluate their performance. He also established certain “rules” to gain compliance such as prohibiting the minor victim from eating food until she earned her daily quota from walking the “track” (Southeast 82nd) performing commercial sex acts. Wilmer demanded that the minor always answer his phone calls, stay ready to work at all times, and never look another man in the eyes.
The defendant argued against labeling him as a “pimp,” and called witness Anthony Marcus, an anthropologist, who testified that a more accurate term for Wilmer’s role was “market facilitator.” The government countered that Wilmer branded himself a pimp with arm tattoos that read: “Hoe Hard [or] Hoe Home.” “Federal law prohibits buying or selling children for sex. Safeguarding minors from commercial sexual exploitation is one of the top priorities of my office and the Department of Justice,” stated U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall. “Contrary to defendant’s assertions that this problem is merely mythical and exaggerated by ‘panicked’ social workers, a recent research study conducted by Portland State University identified at least 469 children who were victims of commercial sexual exploitation in the Portland Metro area between 2009 and 2013. Such data reflects a serious and real problem that my office will continue to combat through aggressive prosecution.”
In crafting an appropriate sentence, Judge Brown noted the terrible nature of the offense and addressed the negative impact it has on victims and our community. She also described as an aggravating factor defendant’s history of devaluing the women around him.
“No child deserves to endure the violence that these girls face every day. They don’t deserve the rape and drug abuse and control that these pimps exert. These kids are not throwaways… they are not somebody else’s problem,” said Greg Fowler, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon. “The Child Exploitation Task Force is doing everything it can to recover these girls and get them connected with a support system. But, this is not just a law enforcement problem or a social service problem. This is a community-wide problem, and we need a whole community response to really be effective.”
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force (CETF), led by two task force detectives from the Tigard Police Department and Portland Police Bureau (PPB). The FBI-sponsored CETF partners with local law enforcement agencies to combat the commercial sexual exploitation of children in the area. Partners include the Portland Police Bureau, Tigard Police Department, Beaverton Police Department, Vancouver Police Department, who work closely with prosecutors from both the U.S. Attorney’s office and Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah K. Bolstad.
Swansea Man Pleads to Stealing Funds from Railroad Retirement BoardRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today that Mark A. Lewis, 30, of Swansea, pled guilty in the federal district court in East St. Louis to the charge that he stole unemployment benefits from the United States Railroad Retirement Board.
Court proceedings revealed that from January 2013 through May 2013, Lewis fraudulently obtained monies belonging to the Railroad Retirement Board, an agency of the United States, by concealing his employment status in order to receive unemployment benefits.
Lewis is scheduled for sentencing on March 20, 2014, when he faces maximum penalties of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by agents of the Railroad Retirement Board, Office of Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Liam Coonan.
If you suspect or know of an individual or company that is committing fraud against any U.S. Railroad Retirement Board program, you may report this to the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board’s Office of Inspector General by calling 800.772.4258 or by e-mailing a complaint or information to: [email protected].
St. Louis Man Pleads Guilty to Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Was Wearing Polka Dot Dress and Wig During Robbery
On November 19, 2013, Arnell L. Edwards, a fifty-year old St. Louis, Missouri, man pled guilty in federal district court, in East St. Louis, to bank robbery, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Edwards is scheduled for sentencing on April 7, 2014, at which time he faces a potential sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, not more than 5 years of supervised release after his prison term, a mandatory special assessment of $100 and restitution.
Court proceedings revealed that on September 6, 2013, Edwards entered the US Bank in New Athens, Illinois wearing a polka dot dress, wig and sunglasses. He then placed a rag over his mouth, approached a bank teller showing her a hand written note on a small piece of red paper, reading, “STICK UP ALL MONEY,” and stated, “Give me all the money.” The frightened teller removed money from her drawer and placed it on the counter. Edwards picked up the cash and exited the bank. As he ran away, he removed and discarded clothing in a bush and shed near a wooded area, before entering an apartment nearby. Officers used a PA system to contact Edwards, who emerged from his apartment shortly thereafter. A search of the apartment resulted in the discovery of a pad of red Post-It-Notes. The pad found in his apartment matched in size, shape and color the note given to the bank teller.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Daniel T. Kapsak for prosecution.
Springfield Man Sentenced for Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a homeless Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for the armed robbery of Great Southern Bank.
Dale C. Barkfelt, 35, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to nine years and seven months in federal prison without parole.
On May 8, 2013, Barkfelt pleaded guilty to using a handgun to rob Great Southern Bank, 1615 W. Sunshine St., Springfield.
According to court documents, Barkfelt entered the bank at approximately 2 p.m. on April 9, 2012, and placed a white plastic grocery bag on a teller counter. Barkfelt pointed a semi-automatic handgun at the teller and told her to “Put it in there.” The teller handed Barkfelt $966 and he left the bank.
Approximately three hours after the robbery, a Springfield police officer recognized Barkfelt in a bank surveillance photo. The officer was familiar with Barkfelt from previous police-related contacts and had been in contact with Barkfelt within the previous week. Barkfelt, who is homeless, was staying at an outdoor camp site near Kansas Expressway and West Sunshine Street, which is in the vicinity of the bank. Barkfelt was arrested the following day.
This case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver and Assistant U.S. Attorney Abram McGull II. It was investigated by the FBI and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.South Dakota Man Sentenced for Bank Robbery in New EnglandRead the Press Release
BISMARCK – U.S. Attorney Timothy Q. Purdon announced that on Nov. 20, 2013, Colt D. Schneider, 20, Rapid City, S.D., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland on a charge of bank robbery and a charge of use and carry of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Schneider was found guilty of the charges by a federal jury on Aug. 22, 2013.
On the charge of bank robbery, Judge Hovland sentenced Schneider to serve one day with the Bureau of Prisons. On the charge of use and carry of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, Judge Hovland sentenced Schneider to seven years with the Bureau of Prisons, which will run consecutively to the bank robbery sentence, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Schneider was sentenced to pay a $200 special assessment to the Crime Victim’s Fund and restitution of $4,053.35.
On Oct. 18, 2012, at approximately 8:20 a.m., two men wearing black ski masks and carrying guns entered American Bank Center in New England, N.D. After obtaining money from a bank employee, the men fled the scene.
During the investigation it was discovered that shortly before the robbery, a man who matched the physical characteristics of one of the bank robbers had stopped at a gas station in New England and had purchased gas. Law enforcement obtained the video from the gas station and distributed a picture of the suspect. A detective with the Rapid City (S.D.) Police Department recognized the man as Colt Schneider. Further investigation led to the identity of the other man – Johnner Joe Ward, Jr. The police found that Schneider and Ward worked for a construction company in Rapid City and that they had worked on a construction job in New England a few months before the robbery.On Nov. 2, 2012, Ward was arrested in Midland, Texas. On Feb. 22, 2013, Ward pleaded guilty to charges of bank robbery and use and carry of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Ward was sentenced on Aug. 26, 2013, to a total of 11 years in federal prison on the charges of bank robbery and use and carry of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
On Nov. 10, 2012, Schneider was arrested in Sarasota, Fla. He was returned to North Dakota and stood trial on August 20-22, 2013.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Hettinger County Sheriff’s Department, North Dakota Highway Patrol, Dickinson Police Department, Bismarck Police Department, Rapid City Police Department, Midland (Texas) Police Department, Bradenton (Florida) Police Department, and Florida Game & Fish.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Hagler prosecuted the case.
Roswell Man Sentenced to Prison for Unlawful Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Harley Harkness, 41, of Roswell, N.M., was sentenced today to 30 months in federal prison for his unlawful possession of firearms. Harkness will be on supervised release for two years after he completes his prison sentence.
Harkness was arrested in March 2013, on a criminal complaint charging him with unlawful possession of firearms and possession of a stolen firearm. According to the criminal complaint, Harkness committed these offenses on Jan. 13, 2013. At the time, Harkness was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of the following offenses in the 5th Judicial District Court for the State of New Mexico: residential burglary and tampering with evidence in Oct. 2001 and battery against a household member in Oct. 2003.
Court filings reflect that the federal charges against Harkness arose out of a domestic violence incident on Jan. 13, 2013. On that day, Roswell Police Department officers responded to a domestic violence call from Harkness’s wife who reported that Harkness hit her and pointed a firearm at her. When the officers executed a search warrant at the Harkness residence in Roswell, they found a .22 caliber rifle, two loaded pistols and ammunition.
In June 2013, Harkness pled guilty to a felony information charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and admitted that he unlawfully possessed the rifle and two pistols on Jan. 13, 2013, in Chaves County, N.M.
This case was investigated by the Roswell office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Roswell Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.Rochester Woman Charged with Stolen Identity and Refund Fraud CrimesRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Kelly N. Borger, 31, of Rochester, N.Y. and West Hollywood, California, was charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to submit false claims, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Field, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, Borger conspired with Michael Carney to prepare and file false income tax returns. The defendant sold Carney stolen personal identity information – including names and social security numbers – that Carney used to create fake W-2s and false income tax returns totaling over $500,000. Carney then paid the defendant for the stolen identity information with a portion of the fraudulently obtained refunds by depositing money into bank accounts that Borger controlled, including the bank account of her business, Alpha Females, Inc.
Michael Carney was convicted in California for his role in the crimes.
Borger made an initial appearance this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson. The defendant was released on bail and is due back in court on January 9, 2014 at 9:00 a.m.
The criminal complaint is the culmination of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Toni M. Weirauch, Special Agent in Charge.
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.Ringleader in Two Credit Card Fraud Schemes Sentenced to over 17 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Over 250 Victims Impacted by the Schemes
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte sentenced ringleader, Oluwaseun Sanya, age 28, of Beltsville, Maryland late on November 19, 2012, to 212 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for two separate credit card fraud schemes, one of which he committed while awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to the first scheme. Judge Messitte also ordered Sanya to pay restitution of $251,712.87 and entered a forfeiture order for the same amount. Sanya also forfeited a Range Rover and Maserati luxury sports car as part of this case.
The sentences were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Kathy A. Michalko of the United States Secret Service – Washington Field Office; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department.
On July 31, 2012, Sanya pled guilty in federal court in Maryland to conspiring to commit access device fraud. Sanya admitted that, at least beginning in 2010, he oversaw a credit card skimming operation in which he recruited employees at restaurants and businesses to steal customer credit card information. The stolen data was then loaded onto gift cards, or encoded onto other credit or debit cards. These cards were used to buy merchandise at area businesses, and the merchandise was later returned in exchange for cash. Sanya’s actions in this scheme impacted 250 or more victims. Upon pleading guilty, Sanya was released from custody pending sentencing upon condition that he not commit any crimes.However, Sanya admitted that while on release pending sentencing, he again committed credit card fraud and aggravated identity theft. Beginning in at least September 2012, Sanya drove Latasha Bufford, Chazokam Okoye and Shanese Crawford to stores along the east coast and directed them to use stolen credit card account numbers which were re-encoded onto counterfeit gift cards, to purchase legitimate gift cards. Security officials at the Wegman’s grocery store chain detected the fraudulent activity and internally circulated store security video of the women using the stolen credit card information to purchase gift cards.
On September 15, 2012, the women entered a Wegman’s store in Abingdon, Maryland, where they attempted to buy gift cards using several counterfeit credit cards at different registers throughout the store. A store theft prevention employee recognized the women and alerted law enforcement. The women traveled in a vehicle driven by Sanya to another Wegman’s store in the area, and upon leaving that store, were stopped by local law enforcement. Sanya encouraged the women to lie about their criminal activity, and falsely claimed to officers that he was in the midst of an undercover operation on behalf of federal law enforcement. Inside the vehicle, police officers seized roughly $11,000 worth of legitimate gift cards that the women had purchased at Sanya’s direction using 33 counterfeit credit cards, which were also seized. During the previous two weeks alone, at Sanya’s direction, the women had used counterfeit credit cards to make over $30,000 in additional fraudulent purchases. In addition, on September 15, 2012, Sanya possessed at least one stolen credit card number. Sanya was arrested and has been detained since that time.
Dimitria Limnios, age 22, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, and Monet Griffin, age 24, of Baltimore, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to their participation in the first fraud scheme. Limnios and Griffin face a maximum penalty of seven and a half years for conspiracy to commit access device fraud. Limnios has agreed to pay at least $148,191.04 in restitution and forfeiture. Griffin has agreed to pay at least $27,409.57 in restitution and forfeiture. Sentencing dates for Limnios and Griffin are yet to be determined.
Chazokam Okoye, age 22, of Silver Spring, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to her participation in the second fraud scheme and was sentenced to four months in prison, followed by four months of home detention. Okoye was also ordered to perform 50 hours of community service and to forfeit $30,000. Latasha Bufford, age 25, of Haymarket, Virginia, and Shanese Crawford, age 24, of Accokeek, Maryland, also pleaded guilty. Judge Messitte has scheduled Crawford’s sentencing for January 9, 2014 at 9:30 a.m. No date has been set for Bufford’s sentencing.
Today’s announcement is part of efforts underway by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,700 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, visit www.stopfraud.gov.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the U.S. Secret Service and the Montgomery County and Baltimore County Police Departments for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein praised Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sujit Raman and Thomas Windom, who prosecuted these cases.
Renton Man who Sold Fake Dale Chihuly Art Online Sentenced to Five Months in Prison for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
A 35-year-old Renton, Washington man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to five months in prison, three years of supervised release, including five months in a halfway house, and $75,389 in restitution for wire fraud in connection with his scheme to advertise and sell fake Chihuly artwork, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. MICHAEL LITTLE bought various pieces of generic glasswork and artwork over the internet and falsely claimed to buyers that it was authentic Dale Chihuly work. LITTLE continued his sales scheme even after eBay removed some of the postings, and PayPal reversed one of the purchases after being alerted to the fraud. U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik imposed the sentence.
“This defendant was persistent and creative in his fraud that recycled ordinary glass into costly works of art,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “Fraud schemes like this one target all artists and damage confidence in the online marketplace.”
According to records in the case, between 2011 and April 2013, LITTLE offered for sale or sold various pieces of glass art and paintings that he represented were the original work of Dale Chihuly. LITTLE marketed the works via eBay. The artworks bore a signature that appeared to be Chihuly’s and LITTLE provided paperwork that he said authenticated the pieces as the work of Dale Chihuly. However, an expert in Chihuly’s work examined the pieces at the request of a number of the purchasers and determined they were fakes. The papers that were supposed to authenticate the works were forged. LITTLE told various stories to potential buyers about how he had acquired the Chihuly work, including that his family had purchased the pieces after winning the lottery. As early as 2011, PayPal had reversed one purchase, and eBay had removed some of LITTLE’s postings after being alerted to the fraud. Despite the warning, LITTLE persisted in posting and selling the art in person, online and through a Renton auction house.
The case was investigated by Seattle-Tacoma Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST Seattle), led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). BEST Seattle is comprised of members from HSI; U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations; the U.S. Secret Service; the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service; the FBI; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the Port of Seattle Police Department. BEST Seattle investigates smuggling and related crimes and combats criminal organizations seeking to exploit vulnerabilities at the Seattle and Tacoma seaports and adjacent waterways.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Diggs.
Prominent Tri-State Cardiologist Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Record, $19 Million Billing Fraud Scheme, Exposing Patients to Unnecessary Medical TreatmentRead the Press Release
Dr. Jose Katz Also Ordered to Pay $19 Million in Restitution
NEWARK, N.J. – A well-known cardiologist and the founder, CEO and sole owner of two large medical services companies in New Jersey and New York was sentenced today to 78 months in prison and ordered to pay $19 million in restitutionfor conspiring in a multimillion-dollar health care fraud scheme that subjected thousands of patients to unnecessary tests and potentially life-threatening, unneeded treatment, as well as treatment by unlicensed or untrained personnel. The sentence was announced today by New Jersey U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman.
Jose Katz, 69, of Closter, N.J., previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of Social Security fraud arising from a separate scheme to give his wife a “no show” job and make her eligible for Social Security benefits. Judge Linares imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
“Katz prized illegal profits over patients to a staggering degree, committing record-breaking fraud and compromising care,” said U.S. Attorney Fishman. “Prison is an appropriate consequence for ripping off the government and insurance companies through the shocking exposure of patients to unneeded or untrained treatment.”
As part of his plea agreement with the government, Katz agreed that the loss amount sustained by Medicare, Medicaid and other insurers victimized by the fraudulent billings was $19 million. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and FBI records indicate the loss amount suffered by the victims is the largest recorded in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut for an individual practitioner convicted of health care fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Katz was the founder, CEO and sole equity-holder of Cardio-Med Services LLC (Cardio-Med), and Comprehensive Healthcare & Medical Services LLC (Comprehensive Healthcare). From 2004 through 2012, Cardio-Med had offices in Union City, Paterson and West New York, N.J., and Comprehensive Healthcare had offices in Manhattan and Queens, N.Y. Both Cardio-Med and Comprehensive Healthcare provided cardiology, internal medicine and other medical services to individual patients. During that time period, Katz conspired to bill Medicare Part B, Medicaid, Empire BCBS, Aetna and others for unnecessary tests and unnecessary procedures based on false diagnoses and for medical services rendered by unlicensed practitioners.
Between July 2006 and February, 2009, Katz spent more than $6 million for advertising on Spanish-language television and radio stations. The ads attracted hundreds of patients to Cardio-Med and Comprehensive Healthcare every day. Overall, Katz was able to bill Medicare and Medicaid more than $75 million for his services from 2005 through 2012.
Over the course of the conspiracy, Katz ordered and performed essentially the same battery of diagnostic tests for nearly all the patients he treated, regardless of their symptoms. Katz also instructed his non-physician employees to order and perform diagnostic tests for patients of other doctors working at his offices, even though he had not examined those patients and the other physicians had not ordered the tests.
Most significantly, Katz admitted that he falsified patient charts with fictitious and boilerplate symptoms and falsely diagnosed a majority of his Medicare and Medicaid patients with coronary artery disease and debilitating and inoperable angina. He also admitted to making the diagnoses to justify prescribing and administering an unnecessary treatment for those patients called enhanced external counter pulsation, or EECP. Katz even prescribed EECP treatments for some patients with contraindications for the treatment, therefore subjecting those patients to a substantial risk of serious injury or death.
From 2005 through 2012, Medicare and Medicaid paid Katz more than $15.6 million just for his EECP treatments, most of which were fraudulent.
In addition, Katz ordered conspirator Mario Roncal, 62, of Woodland Park, N.J. – who had a medical degree from San Juan Bautista School of Medicine in San Juan, Puerto Rico, but did not have a license to practice medicine in any of the 50 states – to treat patients, knowing he was not licensed. At Katz’s direction, Roncal held himself out to fellow employees and to patients as “Dr. Roncal,” examined new patients as well as Katz’s follow-up patients, ordered diagnostic tests, diagnosed patients with medical conditions and diseases and recommended and prescribed courses of treatment and surgery – including falsely diagnosing patients with angina and prescribing EECP treatments for those patients.
To conceal this illegal and unlicensed practice of medicine, Roncal forged Katz’s signature on paperwork associated with Roncal’s unlawful medical services, including on patient charts. During the conspiracy, Katz used his own billing numbers to bill Medicare Part B and Medicaid for the illegal services Roncal provided as though they were provided by Katz.
Roncal was indicted on March 2, 2012, for conspiracy to commit health care fraud. He entered a guilty plea on Jan. 4, 2013 and awaits sentencing.
Katz also admitted to a Social Security fraud scheme in which, from 2005 through 2012, he kept his wife on Cardio-Med’s payroll though she performed little or no work. During the course of the scheme, Katz sent false W-2 forms for calendar years 2005 through 2011 to the U.S. Social Security Administration purportedly reflecting $1,251,604 in earnings for his wife, making her eligible for an estimated $263,000 in Social Security benefits to which she was not entitled.
In addition to the prison term and restitution, Judge Linares sentenced Katz to serve three years of supervised release.U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas O’Donnell; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Maria Kelokates; the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Ryan; IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Shantelle P. Kitchen; and criminal and civil investigators with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the investigation leading to today’s sentence. He also thanked the Medicaid Fraud Division of the Office of the New Jersey State Comptroller for its assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott B. McBride of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Health Care and Government Fraud Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Blair R. Zwillman Esq., Parsippany, N.J.Combatting Health Care Fraud in NJ
Previously Convicted Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Serve A Total of 258 Months in Federal Prison on Firearms ConvictionsRead the Press Release
DALLAS— Erik Willis, 31 of Purdon, Texas, was sentenced this afternoon by U.S. District Judge Jorge A. Solis to serve a total of 258 months in federal prison following his conviction at trial in July 2013 on three felony firearms offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.
Specifically,Willis, who represented himself at trial, was convicted on two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possessing an unregistered firearm. Judge Solis sentenced him to 120 months on each count of conviction, for a total of 360 months, but two of the three sentences will run concurrently. In addition, when Willis was convicted, he was on federal supervised release, so he received an additional 18-month sentence for this violation.
At trial, the government presented evidence that on April 27, 2011, Willis, who had been previously convicted in 2005 of possession with intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, fled after choking a Garrett Police officer during a traffic stop. A subsequent search of his truck yielded two guns and marijuana.
Then, on May 6, 2011, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Texas Rangers and the Navarro County Sherriff’s Office searched Willis’s property in Purdon after receiving information he had stockpiled weapons and drugs. During the search, officers located three and a half pounds of marijuana, $150,000 in cash and 13 firearms, including a “street sweeper” destructive device. Willis’s house was heavily fortified, containing a hidden room, steel curtains, money counters, industrial door locks and surveillance equipment.
The case was investigated by ATF, the Texas Rangers, the Navarro County Sheriff’s Office and the Garrett Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cara Foos Pierce and Taly Haffar prosecuted.
Phillip Dennis Keith Found Guilty in U.S. Federal CourtRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney(s Office announced that on November 20, 2013, in Billings, after a federal district court trial before District of Wyoming U.S. District Judge Scott W. Skavdahl, PHILLIP DENNIS KEITH, a 66-year-old resident of Billings, was found guilty of false statements to a federally insured banking institution. A sentencing date will be set at a later time. He is currently released on special conditions.
At trial, the following evidence and testimony was presented to the jury:
Representatives of Wells Fargo Bank, Rocky Mountain Bank, and First Citizen's Bank (now Western Security Bank) explained that KEITH pledged one of his liquor licenses as collateral for loans at all three banks, falsely telling each bank that the liquor license was free and clear of liens. KEITH needed the loans to complete his development of the 12th Planet Nightclub at the Rimrock Mall.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kris A. McLean and Brendan P. McCarthy prosecuted the case for the United States.
KEITH faces possible penalties of 30 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine and 5 years supervised release.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Philadelphia Man Charged for Role in Multi-Million Dollar Mortgage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA - David Anthony Holman, 46, of Philadelphia, was charged today by Information with one count of conspiracy to commit loan and wire fraud and one count of loan fraud for his participation in an alleged mortgage fraud ring, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. Holman is the 13th defendant charged in the alleged scheme involving a real estate company known as “KREW” in Philadelphia. The information also seeks the criminal forfeiture of over $225,000 from Holman.
According to the information, between May 2004 and February 2009, primarily in the West Philadelphia section of the city of Philadelphia, the defendants and KREW Settlement Services handled more than 100 fraudulent mortgage loans, obtaining more than $20 million in fraudulent loan proceeds. Holman is alleged to have directly participated in helping to secure a $225,250 mortgage loan from First Tennessee Bank (via its subsidiary, First Horizon Home Loan Corporation) on 29 W. Pomona Street in Philadelphia by recruiting another person to serve as the “straw buyer” for that property. It is further alleged that Holman directed the straw buyer to make false statements in the loan application and in verbal statements to the lender.
The other 12 co-conspirators charged in this district with participating in the same mortgage fraud ring include: Kevin Joseph Franklin, Roderick L. Foxworth, Sr., Eric Sijohn Brown, and Walter Alston Brown, Jr., who owned and operated KREW; Cynthia Evette Brown, Francine Shanique Cross, Willie G. Manley Jr., Eric Ponder, Rashika J. Moon, Dontaya S. Devore, Mark Murphy, and Gregory Christopher Thornton, who worked with or for KREW.
If convicted, Holman faces a maximum possible sentence of 35 years in prison, five years of supervised release, a fine of $1.25 million or twice the value of the property involved in the transactions, and a $200 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael S. Lowe.
Click here to view the indictment
An Indictment or Information is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.KREW is an acronym of the first names of these four owner/operators.
A 14th co-conspirator, John William Polosky, a mortgage broker who is alleged to have knowingly brokered fraudulent loan packages for the KREW co-conspirators, has been charged in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, EASTERN DISTRICTof PENNSYLVANIA
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PATTY HARTMAN, Media Contact, 215-861-8525Panama City Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal Prison for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Anthony Q. Atkinson, 31, of Panama City, Florida, was sentenced today to serve 37 months in federal prison for filing fraudulent tax returns using the personal identifying information of other individuals. The sentence imposed by the court was announced by United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, Pamela C. Marsh.
Atkinson and others were involved in a tax scheme whereby they conspired to file false federal income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service claiming refunds to which the defendants knew they were not entitled. As part of the scheme, conspirators would provide the personal identifying information of other individuals to Atkinson, who would then file false tax returns for each of those individuals. The returns transmitted in this scheme have notable similarities, including fabricated taxable interest income and names of financial institutions, false amounts of Social Security income, and fabricated amounts of tax withholdings. As a result of the scheme, Atkinson and others caused the United States Treasury to pay approximately $23,496 in fraudulent income tax refunds, which Atkinson was ordered to pay back to the Internal Revenue Service as restitution.
Atkinson was also sentenced to serve a 3-year term of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $900 special monetary assessment.
This conviction results from an investigation by agents of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn Risinger.New Hampshire Man Indicted for Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New Hampshire man was charged yesterday with robbing a bank in Methuen.
Rafael Beamud, Jr, 32, of Salem, NH was indicted with armed robbery and possession of a firearm in furtherance of his crime.
On Feb. 21, 2013, Beamud walked into TD Bank and approached the teller while holding a firearm. Beamud threw plastic bags on the counter, ordered the teller to empty the cash drawers and to “make sure there’s no dye pack.” He also ordered the teller not to trip the alarm or he would shoot. The teller placed the money from the drawers into one of the plastic bags, and Beamud left the bank, leaving one of the plastic bags behind. The bag was processed for fingerprints which lead to Beamud’s identification. In April 2013, Beamud was arrested.
If convicted, on the charge of armed robbery, Beamud faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine; on the charge of possession a firearm during the commission of his crime, Beamud faces a mandatory minimum term of seven years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison, five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Chief Joseph Solomon of the Methuen Police Department, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Eve A. Piemonte Stacey of Ortiz’s Major Crimes Unit.
The details in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Navajo Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Sexual Abuse ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Ronald Martinez, 40, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Borrego Pass, N.M., entered guilty pleas this afternoon to two aggravated child sex abuse charges. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Martinez will be sentenced to 42 months in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court. Martinez will be required to register as a sex offender after he completes his prison sentence.
Martinez was arrested in April 2013, on an indictment charging him with two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and two counts of abusive sexual contact. According to the indictment, between 1996 and 2002, Martinez aided and abetted sexual contact and abuse with two child victims who had not attained the age of 12 years on the Navajo Indian Reservation.
Today, Martinez pleaded guilty to the two aggravated child sexual abuse charges. According to Martinez’s plea agreement, in Sept. 2011, a 17-year-old reported being sexually abused by Martinez when the victim was five or six years old. The victim also reported that Martinez also abused another child during that same period in time. Martinez admitted abusing the two child victims by directing another child to sexually abuse and to sexually assault the two child victims. Martinez also admitted threatening the two child victims so that they would not reveal the abuse. Martinez also admitted that the child who abused the child victims did so after being threatened by Martinez.
Martinez has been in federal custody since his arrest and remains detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Gallup office of the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine Y. Ramirez. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Mingo Child Molester Gets 30-year Federal Prison Sentence for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Defendant Paul Jenkins sexually assaulted at least three minor children
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Mingo County pedophile who sexually assaulted a minor child, videotaped the abuse and copied the video onto a recordable DVD that was later discovered inside of a rental computer in July 2012 was sentenced today to the statutory maximum of 30 years in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin. Paul Silas Jenkins, 33, of Williamson, previously pleaded guilty in August to production of child pornography. Jenkins’ sentence was handed down by United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. in Charleston.
U.S. Attorney Goodwin said, “Pedophiles like Mr. Jenkins who victimize children and steal their innocence are downright sickening, plain and simple.” Goodwin continued, “Today’s sentence assures that this child molester will spend a very long time in prison, where he belongs.”
Between some time in 2010 and December 2011, Jenkins established a relationship with a minor between the age of 12 and 16 years old. During that time, Jenkins made the minor perform sexual acts with him and then produced a video of the conduct. Jenkins copied the video containing child pornography onto a recordable DVD. The DVD was discovered inside a rented computer that was returned to a Rent-A-Center located in Pike County, Kentucky in July 2012.
United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. said at sentencing that Jenkins “ravaged and raped” the young victim in this case. Judge Copenhaver further stated that the defendant was a “danger to the community.”
The Court ordered that Jenkins’ 360-month prison term to be served concurrently with his state conviction on two counts of second degree sexual assault of two other minor children.
The FBI and the West Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada handled the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of U.S. Attorney Goodwin’s ongoing initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse in the Southern District of West Virginia. Since January 2012, twenty-six defendants have been sentenced to a total of more than 156 years in federal prison.
Martinsburg Woman Charged with Bankruptcy ViolationsRead the Press Release
1125 Chapline Street, Federal Building, Suite 3000 ● Wheeling, WV 26003
(304) 234-7725 ● Contact: Chris Zumpetta-Parr, Public Affairs SpecialistFollow us on Twitter @NDWVnews
MARTINSBURG, WV – A Martinsburg, West Virginia woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly making misrepresentations in bankruptcy proceedings, and for causing others to provide false testimony, according to United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II.
SANDRA KUHNS, age 60, of Martinsburg, was named in a five-count Indictment charging her with one count of “Willfully Causing False Testimony in Bankruptcy” and four counts of “False Bankruptcy Declaration.” KUHNS faces up to 5 years in prison on each charge. This case will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Cogar and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In addition, the following indictments were also returned:
MARVIN JUNIOR THOMPSON, age 58, of Burlington, West Virginia, was named in a one-count Indictment charging him with “Felon in Possession of a Firearm.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office is seeking to forfeit the Howa Model Vanguard, .300 caliber Bolt Action rifle possessed by THOMPSON, who faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. This case will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul T. Camilletti and was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
DENNIS LYNN SMITH, age 55, of Upper Tract, West Virginia, was named in a four-count Indictment charging him with “Attempted Manufacture of Methamphetamine,” “Possession of Material Used to Manufacture Methamphetamine,” “Possession of Pseudoephedrine to be Used in the Manufacture of Methamphetamine,” and, “Maintaining Drug-Involved Premise.” SMITH faces up to 20 years in prison. This case will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Cogar and was investigated by the West Virginia State Police.
JOSE GARCIA DELGADO, age 22, of York, Pennsylvania, was named in a one-count count Indictment charging him with entering the United States, after having been previously deported, without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General of the United States to reapply for admission to the United States. DELGADO faces up to 2 years in prison and deportation. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul T. Camilletti and was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.All of the charges contained in the above-referenced indictments are merely accusations and not evidence of guilt, and each defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Charges 16 Defendants with Defrauding Federal Program for Low-Income Pregnant Women, Mothers, and Young ChildrenRead the Press Release
In Parallel State Prosecution, New York State Attorney General Charges 10 Additional Defendants
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, James T. Hayes, Jr., the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (“ICE”) Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Nirav Shah, the Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health (“NYS DOH”), and Eric T. Schneiderman, the New York State Attorney General, today announced charges against 16 defendants for defrauding the federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (“WIC”) out of millions of dollars. All of the defendants, who were owners or employees of nine different grocery stores in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn, New York, were charged with participating in fraud schemes from 2011 to the present in which they exchanged WIC vouchers for cash while keeping a portion of that cash for themselves. Ten of the defendants charged today are married couples or family members. Twelve defendants were arrested this morning and are expected to be presented in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Nathaniel Fox this afternoon. An additional defendant was also arrested and will be presented at a later date. Defendants QIGUANG ZHANG, HUILAN LIU, and LAN LU JIANG are still at large. In a parallel state prosecution, today the New York State Attorney General’s Office arrested 10 additional individuals who were owners and employees of stores located in Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan.
A civil forfeiture complaint was also filed this morning in the Southern District of New York against 19 businesses in the New York City area, real property located at 6101 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, and 19 bank accounts. The 19 bank accounts were seized by law enforcement, as they contained proceeds of the WIC fraud described herein and were used to promote and conceal the WIC fraud.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “As alleged in the complaints unsealed today, the defendants defrauded a vital federal program that provides a lifeline to women, mothers, and young children in need throughout New York. This Office will continue its work to prosecute corruption and protect taxpayer-funded programs, particularly at this time of scarce government resources and where it involves vulnerable victims.”
ICE HSI Special Agent-in-Charge James T. Hayes, Jr. said: “Business owners and their employees arrested today allegedly committed a series of fraud against the American taxpayer. We will continue to work hard to ensure that social programs meet the needs of their intended beneficiaries.”
New York State Department of Health Commissioner Nirav Shah said: "New York State takes an aggressive stance against any and all fraud. This case is a testament to the effectiveness of the collaborative investigation by the State Health Department, the NYS Office of the Attorney General, the US Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office – Southern District of New York. We are committed to protecting public funds through fraud prevention, detection and prosecution to support this critical program which serves 500,000 women, infants and children throughout New York State.”
New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said: “These crimes are a betrayal of the trust of the people of New York and those who rely on the WIC program to ensure the health and well-being of their children. This joint investigation by my office in conjunction with the New York State Department of Health, the United States Department of Homeland Security and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York sends a clear message that fraud against New York State benefits programs will not be tolerated. The conduct charged here is particularly egregious in light of the fact that the defendants stole monies intended to provide nutrition for infants, young children and pregnant mothers. My office is dedicated to seeking justice against perpetrators who defraud the public and to preserving the integrity of important benefits programs such as WIC.”
The following allegations are based on the Complaints unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
The “WIC” Program and the Defendants’ Scheme to Defraud
WIC is a federally funded program through which the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides grants to states for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant women, mothers of young children, and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk. Grants are administered in New York by the New York State Department of Health, Division of Nutrition (the “NYS DOH”). Participants in the WIC program receive vouchers which may only be used to purchase certain specified food items such as infant formula, milk or juice. Participants can exchange these vouchers for food items specified on the vouchers at grocery stores run by licensed vendors.
Only vendors who are licensed by the state may accept WIC vouchers. Because the purpose of the program is to provide food to low-income women, mothers, and children at nutritional risk, WIC vendors are prohibited from exchanging WIC vouchers for cash, but instead must provide specified food items in exchange for WIC vouchers.
The 16 defendants named in the three Complaints unsealed today are the owners, operators, or employees of nine grocery stores located in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn, New York. The schemes to defraud charged in these Complaints involve store owners and employees purchasing WIC vouchers for cash—typically paying 80-85 percent of the face value of the WIC vouchers—and then redeeming those WIC vouchers from the NYS DOH for their full face value. Grocery stores involved in these schemes accepted WIC vouchers regardless of whether they were licensed by the state. In the aggregate, the corrupt owners, operators, and employees of these nine grocery stores have redeemed approximately $30 million worth of WIC vouchers.
The “Six-Store Network” Complaint
TUNG CHA YO, SUNG MAN CHAN, YING ZHENG, QIGUANG ZHANG, FENG ZHENG, SAU WA YEUNG, SAU CHAN, ZHAOJUN LIN, HUILAN LIU, and YU WANG were the owners, operators, or employees of six grocery stores located in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, New York, only two of which had WIC licenses that were active and in use in 2013. YO and SAU CHAN are married to one another. YEUNG is the mother of SAU CHAN and SUNG MAN CHAN. SUNG MAN CHAN is married to FENG ZHENG, whose sister is YING ZHENG.
Owners or employees at each of those six grocery stores purchased WIC vouchers for cash from confidential informants on numerous occasions between March and November 2013. All of those checks were funneled to one of the stores that had a WIC license, which redeemed them, received payment from the WIC program, and then distributed the proceeds to the other members of this network of stores.
Since 2009, these defendants have opened and closed grocery stores in different names at the same locations. In many instances, the defendants obtained WIC licenses, redeemed significant volumes of WIC checks using those licenses, and then terminated those licenses only to use a different store to obtain a WIC license and repeat this pattern. Based on figures obtained from the NYS DOH, it is estimated that these six stores and their predecessors redeemed more than $19 million from the WIC program since 2009.
All of these defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit theft of government funds, which carries a maximum term of five years in prison. TUNG CHA YO, SAU WA YEUNG, and ZHAOJUN LIN are charged with theft of government funds, which carries a maximum term of 10 years in prison. TUNG CHA YO, SUNG MAN CHAN, YING ZHENG, and QIGUANG ZHANG are also charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering, which both carry a maximum term of 20 years in prison.
The “Two-Store” Network Complaint
GIGI DONG, SHUMIN DONG, LAN LU JIANG, and ANIY LI were the owners, operators, or employees of two grocery stores located in Brooklyn, one of which had a WIC license that was active and in use after March 2013. SHUMIN DONG and GIGI DONG are married to one another. Owners or employees at both of those stores purchased WIC vouchers for cash from confidential informants on numerous occasions between March and November 2013. All of those checks were funneled to the store that had a WIC license, which redeemed them and received payment from the WIC program.
These defendants engaged in a fraudulent scheme similar to the scheme described in the first Complaint, only this time alternating their WIC license between stores at two locations. Based on figures obtained from the NYS DOH, it is estimated that these two stores and their predecessors redeemed more than $9 million from the WIC program since 2009.
All of these defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit theft of government funds, which carries a maximum term of five years in prison.
B & B Grocery Commits WIC Fraud
YONG LIN and QIAO FANG ZHENG operate a grocery store located in Brooklyn, New York. LIN and ZHENG are married to one another. LIN obtained a WIC license in February 2010, and over $1.3 million worth of WIC vouchers were redeemed through that store until the license was terminated in February 2012. ZHENG then obtained a new WIC license in the name of a different store at the same location, and redeemed over $540,000 worth of WIC vouchers. ZHENG purchased WIC vouchers for cash from confidential informants on numerous occasions between April and September 2013.
Both of these defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit theft of government funds, which carries a maximum term of five years in prison.
A chart listing the age, place of residence, and charges for each of the 16 charged defendants is attached.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Bharara praised the investigative work of ICE HSI, the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General, the New York State Department of Health, Division of Nutrition, as well as the New York State Attorney General’s Office.
The Office’s General Crimes Unit is handling the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Wong and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Egan and Richard Cooper are in charge of the prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolina A. Fornos of the Office’s Asset Forfeiture Unit is responsible for the forfeiture aspects of the case.
The charges contained in the Complaints are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Click here to view chart(s)
WIC Fraud Complaints
WIC Fraud Civil Forfeiture ComplaintManhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Arrests of Five Defendants for Conspiring to Import 100 Kilograms of North Korean Methamphetamine into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michele M. Leonhart, Administrator of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), today announced the arrests of five defendants – SCOTT STAMMERS and PHILIP SHACKELS, citizens of the United Kingdom; YE TIONG TAN LIM, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China; KELLY ALLAN REYES PERALTA, a citizen of the Philippines; and ALEXANDER LNU, a/k/a “Alexander Checov,” a/k/a “Alexander Semencov,” a resident of Thailand (“ALEXANDER”). STAMMERS, SHACKELS, LIM, REYES PERALTA, and ALEXANDER are each charged with conspiring to import 100 kilograms of North Korean-produced methamphetamine into the United States.
Each of the defendants was arrested in Thailand in September. The five defendants were extradited from Thailand, arrived in the Southern District of New York yesterday evening, and are expected to be presented in U.S. Magistrate Court later today.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Methamphetamine is a dangerous, potentially deadly drug, whatever its origin. If it ends up in our neighborhoods, the threat it poses to public health is grave whether it is produced in New York, elsewhere in the U.S., or in North Korea. This investigation shows our determination to close a potential floodgate of supply.”
DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart said: “Like many international criminal networks, these drug traffickers have no respect for borders, and no regard for either the rule of law or who they harm as a result of their criminal endeavors. This investigation continued to highlight the emergence of North Korea as a significant source of methamphetamine in the global drug trade. I wish to thank the Thai Government for their outstanding efforts and partnership in completely dismantling this sophisticated and dangerous international criminal enterprise.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment against STAMMERS, SHACKELS, LIM, REYES PERALTA, and ALEXANDER:
In 2012, LIM and REYES PERALTA – members of a Hong Kong-based criminal organization – sold over 30 kilograms of methamphetamine that had been produced in North Korea. STAMMERS and SHACKELS were responsible for storing the methamphetamine after it had been sold by LIM and REYES PERALTA. This North Korean methamphetamine was later seized by law enforcement agents in Thailand and in the Philippines. The North Korean methamphetamine tested at more than 99% pure.
In 2013, LIM and REYES PERALTA again agreed to provide North Korean methamphetamine, this time agreeing to supply 100 kilograms of the methamphetamine to confidential sources working at the direction of the DEA (the “CSes”) for importation to the United States. As LIM explained, his criminal organization is the only one currently able to obtain methamphetamine from North Korea: “Because before, there were eight [other organizations]. But now only us, we have the NK product. . . . [I]t’s only us who can get from NK.” LIM further explained that, because of recent international tensions, the North Korean government had destroyed some methamphetamine labs, leaving behind only the labs of LIM’s organization: “And all the, the NK government already burned all the labs. Only our labs are not closed. . . . To show Americans that they [the North Korean government] are not selling it any more, they burned it. Then they transfer to another base.” LIM explained that his organization had stockpiled one ton of North Korean methamphetamine in the Philippines for storage, “[b]ecause we already anticipated this thing would happen . . . [whereby] we cannot bring out our goods right now.”
As a prelude to the 2013 100-kilogram methamphetamine deal described above, LIM and REYES PERALTA arranged to have a sample of the methamphetamine delivered to SHACKLES, who sent that sample (along with a second sample from another supplier) to an address from which the methamphetamine samples would be sent to the United States. These two methamphetamine samples tested at more than 98% and more than 96% pure.
LIM and REYES PERALTA agreed to deliver the 100 kilograms of North Korean methamphetamine in Thailand, from where they understood it would be shipped to the United States by boat. LIM and REYES PERALTA arranged for a “dry run,” sending a shipping container of tea leaves from the Philippines to Thailand in order to test delivery channels that would later be used for the shipment of methamphetamine.
STAMMERS, SHACKELS, and ALEXANDER agreed to provide security, transportation, and storage for the 100 kilograms of methamphetamine once it arrived in Thailand. ALEXANDER, the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Outlaw Motorcycle Club (“OMC”) in Thailand, was to be the “ground commander,” supervising an armed crew of OMC members providing security for the methamphetamine. STAMMERS and SHACKELS were to arrange for the 100 kilograms to be taken to a warehouse, counted, re-packaged, and delivered to a marina in Thailand, to be transferred to a boat that would deliver the methamphetamine to the United States.
In September 2013, LIM and REYES PERALTA traveled to Thailand in order to receive payment for the 100 kilogram methamphetamine deal. STAMMERS, LIM, PERALTA REYES, SHACKELS, and ALEXANDER were each arrested by Thai law enforcement on September 25, 2013.
STAMMERS, 44, LIM, 53, REYES PERALTA, 41, SHACKELS, 30, and ALEXANDER, 43, have each been charged with conspiracy to import methamphetamine into the United States. The case is assigned to United States District Judge Andrew L. Carter, Jr.
If convicted, each of the defendants faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment and a maximum term of life imprisonment.
Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding work of the Special Operations Division of the DEA. Mr. Bharara also thanked DEA’s Bangkok, Manila, Ghana, Pretoria, Bucharest, Nassau, and Copenhagen Country Offices; the Thai Police Narcotics Suppression Bureau and Crime Suppression Division; the Royal Thai Immigration Bureau; the Royal Thai Attorney General's Office; the Republic of Liberia’s National Security Agency; the Republic of Liberia’s Attorney General's Office; the Romanian National Police; Interpol; and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of International Affairs
This prosecution is being handled by the Office's Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael D. Lockard, Aimee Hector and Anna M. Skotko are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
US v Stammers et al S8 13 Cr 579 Indictment
Man Who Arranged Sham Marriages Between Nigerians and U.S. Citizens Found Guilty of Immigration FraudRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles man was found guilty today of six felony immigration-related offenses for illegally arranging sham marriages that allowed Nigerian nationals to fraudulently obtain legal permanent residency in the United States.
Alake “Terry” Ilegbameh, 46, a resident of the Baldwin Hills district of Los Angeles, was found guilty of six counts of conspiracy to violate immigration laws.
Ilegbameh was convicted by a federal jury following a six-day trial before United States District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald, who is scheduled to sentence the defendant on February 24. At sentencing, Ilegbameh faces a statutory maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison.
Prosecutors proved at trial that Ilegbameh arranged sham marriages for the purpose of obtaining permanent resident status for six Nigerian immigrants. Ilegbameh recruited American citizens who agreed to marry an African immigrant for money – typically offering the U.S. citizens $1,000 or more – and Ilegbameh actively participated in schemes to make the resulting marriages appear legitimate to immigration officials.
As part of the scheme, Ilegbameh instructed the Nigerians and the Americans in the sham marriages how to make their relationships appear genuine by opening joint bank accounts or other accounts, obtaining identification with matching addresses, and taking photographs together. Ilegbameh made arrangements for the couples to see immigrations attorneys, who would file visa petitions and applications for adjustment of status containing false statements to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). After Ilegbameh concluded that federal agents were conducting an investigation, he instructed some of the Americans involved in the marriages to lie to investigators and he threatened them that they would go to jail if they withdrew from the sham marriages.
“Hollywood likes to glamorize marriage fraud, but as this defendant discovered, in real life these schemes don’t have happy endings,” said Claude Arnold, special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles. “Immigration benefit fraud is a serious crime. Not only do these activities undermine the integrity of our nation’s legal immigration system, they also pose a significant security vulnerability.”
The investigation into Ilegbameh’s activities was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Release No. 13-134
Man Charged with Armed Robberies in Belleville and East St. LouisRead the Press Release
Cases Are Part of United States Attorney’s Initiative Against Armed Robberies
A federal grand jury sitting in East St. Louis has indicted Timothy R. Collier, 47, with two counts of Interference with Commerce by Robbery, which is a violation of the Hobbs Act, and two counts of Use of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, in connection with the armed robbery of East St. Louis Jewelry and Loan that occurred on April 25, 2013, and the armed robbery that occurred at Arena Liquor in Belleville on July 12, 2013, Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois announced today.
The offenses in the indictment allege that on April 25, 2013, Collier took numerous items of jewelry and a firearm from the presence of the owner of East St. Louis Jewelry and Loan, by means of actual and threatened force, by brandishing and discharging a firearm and shooting the owner of East St. Louis Jewelry and Loan in the chest and head. The indictment also alleges that on July 12, 2013, Collier took United States Currency from the presence of an employee of Arena Liquor, by means of actual and threatened force, by brandishing a firearm.
If convicted of a violation of the Hobbs Act, Collier faces a term in prison of up to 20 years on each count, a fine of up to $250,000, or both, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. If convicted of the offense of Use of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence for the armed robbery of the East St. Louis Jewelry and Loan, Collier faces a minimum term in prison of 10 years up to a maximum term of Life, consecutive to, meaning in addition to, any term of imprisonment imposed on the Hobbs Act violations, as well as a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release of up to 5 years. Additionally, if convicted of a second offense of Use of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence for the armed robbery of Arena Liquor, Collier faces a term in prison of 25 years up to a maximum term of life in prison, again, consecutive, that is, in addition to the term of imprisonment imposed on the counts of conviction.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant that is comprised of the essential facts constituting the offense charged. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
This case is being investigated by the Illinois State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Belleville Police Department, and the East St. Louis Police Department as part of the Metro East Armed Robbery Initiative. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Ali Summers for prosecution.