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Tuesday 27 August 2013
Former Omaha Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Improperly Accessing a Protected ComputerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced that on August 27, 2013, Kevin Cave, age 37 of Bellevue, appeared before United States District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon and entered a plea of guilty to one count of Exceeding Authorized Access to a Protected Computer for Private Financial Gain. The charge carries a possible penalty of up to five years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine or both and can be followed by up to three years of supervised release.
Cave was employed as an officer with the Omaha Police Department. In that capacity he had access to the NCJIS, (Nebraska Criminal Justice Information System), database maintained by the Nebraska Crime Commission. NCJIS is linked to numerous other databases within the State of Nebraska and other states and can provide officers with information on suspects or witnesses to include criminal history information, drivers’ license information, employment information, and parole and probation information. Commencing in 2010 and continuing until August of 2012, Cave conducted unauthorized NCJIS searches on behalf of car dealerships seeking to repossess cars. He conducted the searches because he was being paid up to $200.00 for each lead that led to a successful repossession. Between on or about March 2, 2010, and August 21, 2012, Cave received at least $16,050.00 from the dealerships for having done so.
Sentencing is set for November 15, 2013. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Former Inmate Sentenced in Prison False Tax Return SchemeRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. — United States Attorney Danny C. Williams Sr. announced today that Donald Lee Grayson, 61, of Tulsa, was sentenced in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma by U.S. District Judge Claire Eagan.
Grayson was charged with three counts of filing false 2008 federal income tax refund claims in the names of three different fellow prison inmates. As a trustee serving a state sentence at a Tulsa-area prison, he gained access to a laptop computer, and bank accounts in the names of the fellow inmates. With that, Grayson was able to electronically file the false tax returns from his prison cell. That also proved to be his undoing, for a guard noticed the power card of the computer which then led to a search of Grayson’s cell; ending the scheme.
The three false income tax returns were filed in late 2009 and claimed fraudulent refunds totaling $21,276, however, the IRS detected the falsity of one of the returns only paying $14,226 in false refunds.
Grayson was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, per count with each sentence running concurrent with the others, three (3) years of supervised release to follow the prison term and restitution of $14,226.
The charges resulted from an investigation by Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, which has emphasized enforcement in the area of false income tax refunds and identity theft. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles M. McLoughlin.
Former Chinese Restaurant Owner Pleads Guilty to Harboring Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Wan Qin Lu, of Cheektowaga, N.Y., pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny, to harboring illegal aliens for commercial advantage and private financial gain. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo who is handling the case, stated that the defendant was the former owner and manager of the Easy Z Wok Restaurant in Cheektowaga. Department of Homeland Security investigators gathered information that the defendant was employing two illegal Mexican nationals. Federal agents subsequently executed a search warrant at the restaurant and the defendant’s home. During the search of the defendant’s home, agents discovered two Mexican nationals living in the basement. The investigation also revealed that the defendant was paying the Mexican nationals cash thereby avoiding paying payroll taxes.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 14, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. before Judge Skretny.Former Charlotte Area Realtor Pleads Guilty to Selling Household Appliances Stolen from Vacant HomesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A former Charlotte area realtor pleaded guilty on Monday, August 26, 2013, to selling household appliances she unlawfully removed from vacant homes owned by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), announced Anne M. Tompkins, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Sember Lynn Smathers, 49, formerly of Shelby, N.C., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David S. Cayer to one count of conspiracy to steal government property.
U.S. Attorney Tompkins is joined in making today’s announcement by Lester Fernandez, Special Agent in Charge, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigation of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD – OIG).
According to the criminal indictment and plea agreement, Smathers was a real estate agent and, in that capacity, had access to listings of vacant HUD real estate owned properties in Charlotte and surrounding communities in North and South Carolina. According to court records, from September 2008 to July 2009, Smathers used a master key to enter the vacant HUD homes and unlawfully remove appliances – such as refrigerators, stoves, washers and dryers – and other items from the homes. Smathers and her co-conspirators usually conducted these “clean outs” one or two times per week. Court records indicate that Smathers then sold these items from her home in Shelby.
In February 2009, Smathers and a co-conspirator leased a building in Shelby and set up a business called “Cheap Stuff,” from which they sold the household appliances as well as clothes and lawn maintenance equipment stolen from the HUD properties. According to filed documents, Smathers and another co-conspirator also maintained a storage unit in Shelby to store the stolen appliances, and used Craig’s List, the Shelby Shopper and the Shelby Star to advertise and sell these appliances. Court records indicate that in one instance, Smathers and another person were conducting a “clean out” while subcontractors were working at the same vacant HUD property. When the subcontractors questioned Smathers about the removal of the appliances from the home, Smathers falsely represented that she and her co-conspirator also worked for the same subcontractors and had been directed to remove the appliances from the home. Court records show that Smathers stole over $13,678 worth of appliances from the vacant homes.
Smathers has been released on bond pending sentencing. She faces a maximum prison term of five years and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date for Smathers has not been set yet.
The investigation into Smathers was handled by HUD-OIG. The prosecution is handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Smith of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.
First of Two Bank Robbers Sentenced for Central Illinois Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
Springfield, Ill. – A Logan County, Ill., man, Robert D. McKissic, 33, of Lake Fork, Ill., will serve nearly 12 years in prison for the armed robberies of two rural central Illinois banks. U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough yesterday ordered that McKissic serve a total of 140 months (11 years, 8 months) in prison. McKissic was ordered to serve 119 months (9 years, 11 months) plus an additional, consecutive 21 months, because McKissic was under federal supervised release when the bank robberies were committed in September and October 2012. McKissic was further ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $46,977 to the banks.
McKissic pled guilty on Apr. 30, 2013, to committing armed bank robberies of the Bank of Chestnut, in Chestnut, Ill., on Sept. 17, 2012, and Kenney Bank and Trust, Kenney, Ill., on Oct. 24, 2012. McKissic’s co-defendant, Robert D. Allspach, 26, also of Lake Fork, Ill., pled guilty on Apr. 30, 2013, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 16, 2013.
The two men were charged in a federal criminal complaint in December 2012, and have remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since their arrest.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Illinois State Police; the Logan County Sheriff’s Office; DeWitt County Sheriff’s Office; Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office; the Buffalo / Mechanicsburg Police Department; and the Office of the Illinois Secretary of State. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris prosecuted the case.Final 3 Defendants Convicted in Stolen Identity and Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
STATESBORO, GA - Three federal defendants – PORSCHE S. PINKNEY, TIDAESHA V. TAYLOR, and GREGORY F. SMITH, JR. – pled guilty last week before United States District Court Judge B. Avant Edenfield for their involvement in a stolen identity and tax fraud scheme that was centered in Statesboro, Georgia.
Earlier this year, these 3 defendants, along with 10 others who were also involved in the scheme, were charged with federal crimes ranging from conspiracy to defraud the IRS to identity theft from medical records. According to evidence presented during hearings in these cases, the participants in the scheme illicitly obtained personal identifiers, such as names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers, which they then used to prepare and submit fraudulent tax returns in order to unlawfully obtain tax refunds.
The 3 defendants who pled guilty last week were the last to be convicted of the 13 defendants originally charged in this identity theft and tax fraud scheme. Each of the defendants are listed as follows:ERICA BALDWIN, 31, of Statesboro, Georgia, pled guilty on June 25, 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and misusing medical records.
TRACY DENSON, 44, of Statesboro, Georgia, pled guilty on July 30, 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and misusing medical records.
SHAKITA EASON, 30, of Statesboro, Georgia, pled guilty on June 18, 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and misusing medical records.
YOLANDA EDMOND, 36, of Statesboro, Georgia, pled guilty on July 11, 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and misusing medical records.
GLORIA EVANS, 44, of Statesboro, Georgia, pled guilty on July 11, 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.
JOSHUA MINCEY, 20, of Statesboro, Georgia, pled guilty on June 25, 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and misusing medical records.
PORSCHE S. PINKNEY, 19, of Augusta, Georgia, pled guilty on August 21, 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and misusing medical records.
DWAN SCOTT, 32, of Statesboro, Georgia, pled guilty on July 30, 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.
JENNA SCOTT, 28, of Jacksonville, Florida, pled guilty on July 30, 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.
GREGORY F. SMITH, JR., 21, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, pled guilty on August 21, 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.
ASHA K. SPAULDING, 37, of Claxton, Georgia, pled guilty on March 12, 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.
TIDAESHA V. TAYLOR, 27, of College Park, Georgia, pled guilty on August 21, 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.
ANDREA WEBB, 31, of Register, Georgia, pled guilty on June 5, 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.
These defendants face a maximum penalty of twenty years imprisonment for the conspiracy charges, ten years imprisonment for the charge of misusing medical records, and a two-year mandatory, consecutive prison sentence for aggravated identity theft. Each of these charges also carries a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing dates for these defendants have not yet been scheduled.
United States Attorney Edward J. Tarver said, “These convictions demonstrate the continuing commitment of the Department of Justice to protecting the identities and the privacy of medical records of American citizens. This investigation is ongoing. Our law enforcement partners will continue to track down identity thieves and bring them to justice.”FBI Special Agent Marcus Kirkland and IRS Special Agent Gwen Weston are the federal law enforcement officers who have been leading the investigation in these cases, in connection with the Statesboro Police Department and other state and local agencies. Assistant United States Attorneys David Stewart and Lamont A. Belk are prosecuting the cases. For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 341-7842.
Feds Sieze Three Long-Time Problem Motels in Tukwila as part of Year-Long InitiativeRead the Press Release
Three motels on Tukwila International Boulevard, in Tukwila, Washington were seized and boarded-up by federal agents today following a year-long investigation of criminal activity in and around the motels, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. More than 400 law enforcement officers and agents participated in the serving of search and seizure warrants today on the Great Bear Motor Inn, Boulevard Motel and Travelers Choice Motel. In addition to the civil seizure of the motels, four people were arrested in connection with ongoing criminal activity at the motels, including three owner-operators. In 2011 and 2012, police responded to the motels for reports of rape, robbery, assault, drug transactions, gun crimes, prostitution, and possession of stolen property. During that time, the three motels accounted for approximately 17 percent of the Tukwila Police Department’s calls for service.
“Today we seek to hold the hotel owners accountable for their crimes, strip them of their criminal dens and make this area of the community safer,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “I commend the Tukwila Police Department and ATF for their work – which allows us to not just prosecute the defendants, but to solve a problem. Reducing crime on International Boulevard is a top priority for the residents of Tukwila and their representatives in government, and this operation is directly responsive to the community’s most pressing needs.”
According to records filed to seize the motels, (see Complaint here) the Tukwila Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) jointly-led investigation used undercover officers and people working with law enforcement to document criminal activity at the motels and the role the owners and managers played in that activity. According to the affidavit filed in the case, owners and managers would collect a $10 entry fee for those coming on the property seeking drugs or sexual services. The owners and/or managers would take the money and direct the customer to rooms to purchase drugs or sex. In some instances the person taking the “fee” would call the motel room to inform the dealer or sex worker that a customer was on the way. According to witnesses, the owner or manager would collect additional rental fees from the dealer or sex worker based on how many customers were sent to the room over the course of the day.
“These businesses have been a haven for violence and gang activity for several years. Today’s operation should have a lasting positive impact on crime in Tukwila,” said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Jim Modzelewski. “ATF remains committed to partnering with other agencies to fulfill our mission of targeting violent crime.”
“The Mayor and Tukwila City Council have made public safety a priority for the citizens of Tukwila, and we are thankful for their support that has helped the police department create a safer place to live and conduct business,” said Tukwila Chief of Police Mike Villa. “Additionally, I would like to thank all of our officers, staff and partnering agencies that have made this operation a success. We are excited that jointly we have been able to make such a significant impact on crime in Tukwila.”
Since at least 2006, the three motels have consistently been among the top five motels in Tukwila with the highest calls for police service per room, with significantly higher ratios than other hotels in Tukwila. The Great Bear Motor Inn was identified and cited in August 2012, as a nuisance property by the City of Tukwila. The Boulevard Motel and Travelers Choice Motel had been sent warning letters in 2011 about being cited as nuisance properties.
Displaced residents from the seized motels will be offered transportation to a nearby church. At the church they will be fed and offered medical and mental health services, and assistance with housing and other needs from several City of Tukwila departments and other local, state and federal agencies. The City will be providing qualified low income residents with vouchers for groceries and transportation.
“The City of Tukwila expresses our deepest appreciation to the many federal, state, and local agencies who collaborated so well with our police department on this public safety action. This shows how we are all committed to improving public safety and creating great neighborhoods,” said Tukwila Mayor Jim Haggerton.
The investigation, search and seizure operation today was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and the Tukwila Police Department. Many additional agencies assisted the investigation and today’s operation, including the U.S. Marshals Service; Department of Homeland Security; Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation; U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; Washington State Patrol; Seattle, Auburn, Kent, Renton, Federal Way, and Port of Seattle Police Departments; Valley SWAT Team; King County Sheriff’s Office; Washington State Department of Corrections; and Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).
The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin Arnold, Jill Otake and Richard Cohen.
Press contact for the U.S. Attorney’s Office from August 27 to 30 is Executive Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Bates at (206) 553-7970 or [email protected].
Press contact for the City of Tukwila is Commander Eric Drever of the Tukwila Police Department at (206) 858-3883 or [email protected].
Federal Employee Pleads Guilty to Extorting Money from Social Security BeneficiariesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Cordell Fleming pleaded guilty today in federal court to extorting money from individuals due Social Security benefits.
“A federal employee, in a position of public trust, preying on the disabled and the indigent shocks the conscience,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “This defendant extorted money from needy, disabled members of our community by promising them expedited Social Security payments in return.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: Fleming worked as Claims Representative for the Social Security Administration. As part of his duties, he processed requests for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments for eligible individuals. However, Fleming offered to “expedite” the processing time of SSI payments to SSI beneficiaries and SSI beneficiary payees in exchange for a fee. In an attempt to make the expedited SSI payments appear legitimate, Fleming frequently created false documents that purportedly justified the expedited disbursement of SSI payments. During the course of the scheme, from October 2012 to April 2013, Fleming extorted and attempted to extort money (in amounts ranging from approximately $500 to $1,800) from at least nine SSI beneficiaries or their representative payees.On August 14, 2013, Fleming, 46, of Conyers, Ga., was charged with one count of extortion and he pleaded guilty to this count today. Fleming could receive a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 14, 2013, at 11:30 a.m., before United States District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr.
This case is being investigated by Special Agents of the Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey W. Davis and Special Assistant United States Attorney Diane C. Schulman are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.justice.gov/usao/gan.
Drug Trafficker who Hid Pounds of Heroin and Methamphetamine in Apartment Walls Sentenced to Long Prison TermRead the Press Release
A drug trafficker who came to the attention of law enforcement after his roommate was shot and killed in November 2012, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. JUAN HIDALGO-MENDOZA, 33, of Lakewood, Washington was convicted following a jury trial in May 2013 of Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense and being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm/Ammunition. At sentencing U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton referred to HIDALGO-MENDOZA’s apartment as “ground zero” for local trafficking activity and “a magnet for crime and violence” that drew the attention of armed intruders and led to the death of his roommate.
According to records filed in the case, emergency crews responded to the Greenwood Apartments on San Francisco Ave. SW, in Lakewood, just before 10:00 p.m. on November 12, 2012. They found Jaime Diaz-Solis with a fatal gunshot wound on the sidewalk outside the ground floor apartment he shared with HIDALGO-MENDOZA. According to witnesses, they heard a gunshot and later HIDALGO-MENDOZA dragged Dias-Solis from the apartment yelling for neighbors to call an ambulance. HIDALGO-MENDOZA said he was in his bedroom when the victim was shot by an intruder. On the night of the shooting a search of the apartment revealed two bricks of heroin weighing over three kilos, wrapped in duct tape, as well as an AK-47 style assault weapon and ammunition. Investigators also found a revolver in HIDALGO-MENDOZA’s bedroom closet. Hidden under the seat of HIDALGO-MENDOZA’s truck, investigators found $37,800 in cash. HIDALGO-MENDOZA was arrested in November for the drug conspiracy as well as being a felon in possession of a firearm. He has a prior conviction in California for distributing heroin and is prohibited from possessing firearms.
Two months after HIDALGO-MENDOZA’s arrest, and after the apartment had been rented to a new tenant, law enforcement learned there were additional drugs hidden in the unit. In the walls they found eight bricks of heroin wrapped in duct tape, and two bricks of methamphetamine wrapped in green cellophane. The hidden heroin totaled more than 13 kilos and the methamphetamine was nearly two kilos. The wrapping of the heroin was identical to the two bricks seized in November.
In asking for a significant sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “Hidalgo-Mendoza is a repeat offender. He was caught, convicted, and imprisoned for selling heroin three years before this offense, in California. He was subject to court supervision for that offense at the time he came to Washington, ostensibly to obtain a driver’s license but almost certainly with designs related to the drug trade. That being the case, unlike first-time offenders, he cannot claim ignorance to the potential criminal consequences of drug trafficking activity, and was intimately aware of the hazards of the business (evidenced by his weapons) as well as the tragic impact drugs have on users.”
This was an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, providing supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved. The case was investigated by Lakewood Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). The Auburn Police Department assisted with the case.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Vogel and Steven Masada.
Press contact for the U.S. Attorney’s Office on August 27 is Thomas Bates at (206) 553-7970 or [email protected].
Denver Man Convicted of Advertising Child Pornography and Other Child Pornography Related ChargesRead the Press Release
Advertising conviction is one of the first of its kind in the country
DENVER – Following a seven-day jury trial, Richard Franklin, a.k.a “westfaliaimplant”, age 45 of Denver, Colorado, was found guilty of advertising child pornography, receipt of child pornography, two counts of distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography, United States Attorney John Walsh and FBI Denver Division Special Agent in Charge Thomas Ravenelle announced. The jury deliberated for two hours before reaching their verdict. Franklin, who appeared at the trial in custody, was remanded following the conclusion of the trial. The trial was held before Senior U.S. District Court Judge Wiley Y. Daniel. Franklin is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Daniel on November 14, 2013 at 9:30 a.m.
According to the Second Superseding Indictment, as well as facts presented at trial, from May 11, 2009 and January 5, 2011, Franklin knowingly made, printed or published any notice or advertisement offering to receive, exchange or distribute child pornography to anyone who was a member of his online trading circle. Further, the defendant knowingly received and distributed child pornography using the Internet. Lastly, Franklin knowingly possessed images of child pornography.
In total, the defendant possessed multiple hard drives containing over 200,000 images of child pornography. Franklin used a file trading software to allow others to preview and browse his collection and to chat with fellow child pornography traders. Part of the trading of images was to encourage purveyors to produce new child pornography videos. As a result of this investigation, two young children, both under 12 years old, were rescued from their abusers.
During her closing remarks, Assistant U.S. Attorney Judith Smith said: “The defendant’s currency was trading in the suffering of children’s sexual abuse and humiliation.”
U.S. Attorney John Walsh praised the prosecution team, including the Assistant U.S. Attorneys and the FBI Special Agents who conducted the investigation into Franklin. “Thanks to the in-depth work of the FBI agents, and the excellent litigation of the prosecutors handling this case, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in federal prison for his heinous crime of trafficking in images of the sexual exploitation of children as young as babies.”
“Protecting children from providers of child pornography is a priority of the FBI,” said FBI Denver Division Special Agent in Charge Thomas Ravenelle. “Today’s verdict demonstrates that those who advertise, distribute, possess, and trade child pornography will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The penalty for notice or advertising child pornography is not less than 15 years, and up to 30 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000. The penalty for receipt or distribution of child pornography is not less than 5 years, and not more than 20 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000, per count. The penalty for possession of child pornography is not more than 10 years imprisonment and up to a $250,000 fine. If the defendant has a prior conviction relating to aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, or abusive sexual conduct involving a minor or ward, or the production, possession, receipt mailing, sale, distribution, shipment or transportation of child pornography, or sex trafficking in children, the defendant faces not less than 25 years and not more than 50 years imprisonment for advertising child pornography, and not less than 15 years and not more than 40 years imprisonment for receipt, distribution and possession of child pornography.
This case was investigate by the Denver and Phoenix Field Offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Franklin was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Judith Smith and Alecia Riewerts Wolak.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ For more information about Internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources."
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Defendant Sentenced for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Michael J. Moore, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announced that
Russell Lloyd Norvell, 44, of Doerun, Georgia, was sentenced on Monday, August 26, 2013, by the Honorable Hugh Lawson, Senior United States District Judge, in Valdosta, Georgia, for possession of child pornography. Judge Lawson sentenced Mr. Norvell to sixty-one (61) months imprisonment to be followed by twenty-five (25) years supervised release and mandatory registration as a sex offender.Mr. Norvell entered a plea of guilty on June 3, 2013, to one count of possession of child pornography. Mr. Norvell admitted that he used a computer at his residence to search for and download child pornography between March and May, 2011. Based on information received by law enforcement agents, an Internet Protocol address was traced to the Norvell residence. A search warrant was executed on this residence on June 23, 2011. During the search, the agents located a number of computers in the home and Mr. Norvell admitted he used one of the computers to access child pornography. A thumbdrive and a DVD were discovered containing child pornography as well. The search further revealed over 600 images and videos of minors, including minors under the age of twelve (12) years, engaged in sexual activity including being subjected to sexual intercourse with adult males as well as sadistic and masochistic conduct.
“Mr. Norvell caused the young children in these disgusting images to be re-victimized every time he looked at the pictures and videos. The Department of Justice prioritizes protecting our children by prosecuting people like Mr. Norvell,” said United States Attorney Michael Moore.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert D. McCullers.
Inquiries regarding the case should be directed to Sue McKinney, Public Affairs Specialist, United States Attorney's Office at (478) 621-2602.
Defendant Sentenced for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Michael J. Moore, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announced that
Cameron Scott Johnson, 24, of Lake Park, Georgia, was sentenced on Monday, August 26, 2013, by the Honorable Hugh Lawson, Senior United States District Judge, in Valdosta, Georgia, for possession of child pornography. Judge Lawson sentenced Mr. Johnson to sixty-one (61) months imprisonment to be followed by twenty-five (25) years supervised release and mandatory registration as a sex offender.Mr. Johnson entered a plea of guilty on June 3, 2013, to one count of possession of child pornography. Mr. Johnson admitted that he used the computer at his residence to search for and download child pornography during the period between September 26, 2011 through December 5, 2011. Based on information that Mr. Johnson was using an Internet Protocol address, which was traced by law enforcement agents, a search warrant was executed on Mr. Johnson’s residence and the computer was seized for examination. The examination revealed over 600 images and videos of minors, including minors under the age of twelve (12) years engaged in sexual activity including being subjected to sexual intercourse with adult males as well as sadistic and masochistic conduct.
“Every time Mr. Johnson downloaded a picture of one of these children, he re-victimized them. It is both sad and reprehensible. After his prison sentence, Mr. Johnson will live under supervision as a sex offender for the majority of his remaining life,” said United States Attorney Michael Moore.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert D. McCullers.
Inquiries regarding the case should be directed to Sue McKinney, Public Affairs Specialist, United States Attorney's Office at (478) 621-2602.
Dallas Woman Pleads Guilty to Perjury Related to Bankruptcy FilingsRead the Press Release
DALLAS — A Dallas woman, Estela Martinez, 53, appeared in federal court yesterday afternoon, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul D. Stickney, and pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement, under penalty of perjury, related to bankruptcy filings. Martinez faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is set for January 20, 2014, before U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas, whose office has been placing increased emphasis on investigating and prosecuting bankruptcy fraud.
According to documents filed in the case, Martinez filed six voluntary bankruptcy petitions: in April 2009, July 2009, January 2011, March 2011, November 2011 and in November 2012. Separate counsel represented her in each of the 2009 filings; she represented herself in each of the 2011 and 2012 filings.
In each of the four 2011 and 2012 filings, Martinez falsely and fraudulently omitted information concerning previous bankruptcy filings that she was obligated to disclose, under the penalty of perjury. Martinez fraudulently omitted listing her assigned social security number in several of the filed bankruptcy petitions.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Jarvis is in charge of the prosecution.
Dallas County Man Admits Transporting and Shipping Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DALLAS --- Quincy Lamar Poole, 24, appeared today in federal court in Dallas, before U.S. Magistrate Judge David L. Horan, and pleaded guilty to one count of transporting and shipping child pornography. He faces a statutory penalty of not less than five or more than 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine and up to a lifetime of supervised release. Poole, who is in custody, is scheduled to be sentenced on December 18, 2013, by U.S. District Judge Barbara M. G. Lynn. Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.
According to plea documents filed in the case, when special agents with the FBI executed a search warrant at Poole’s home in Lancaster, Texas, on July 16, 2013, they seized a laptop computer, a thumb drive and Poole’s cell phone. Email transmissions were located that showed Poole had sent two emails with a video of child pornography attached to each. In addition, five videos and one image of child pornography were located on his cell phone.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “resources.”
The matter is being investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille Sparks is prosecuting.
Dallas Area Nightclub Owners Sentenced for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
Department of Justice
Office of Public AffairsSHERMAN, Texas – A Dallas-area husband and wife have been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today.
Jose Torres Mijares, 61, pleaded guilty on June 27, 2012, to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and was sentenced 327 months in federal prison on Aug. 12, 2013, by U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone. His wife, 47-year-old Leticia Norma Munoz, pleaded guilty on Apr. 10, 2012, to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison on Aug. 12, 2013 by Judge Crone.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of firearms and over $300,000 which had been seized during a search of the couple’s residence.
Another man, Jose Luis Perez, 47, of Dallas, pleaded guilty on Nov. 11, 2012, to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison.
According to information presented in court, Mijares and Munoz owned and operated the El Palacio Bar, the El Jimador Bar, the Circle 33 Bar, and Ladies Bar and Night Club in Dallas. They were arrested on Nov. 14, 2011, and accused of using these businesses to distribute large quantities of cocaine.
This case is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) joint investigation. 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.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Texas Department of Public Safety, Plano Police Department, Denton Police Department, Collin County District Attorney’s Office and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of TexasCumberland Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Three Armed Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Marvin J. Garbis sentenced John Allen Talerico, age 50, of Cumberland, Maryland, to nine years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for three armed bank robberies. Judge Garbis also ordered Talerico to pay restitution of $31,206.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Cumberland Police Chief Charles H. Hinnant; Allegany County Sheriff Craig Robertson; Frostburg Police Chief Royce C. Douty; Colonel Marcus L. Brown, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Allegany County State’s Attorney Michael O. Twigg, of the Combined County Criminal Investigations Unit (C3I).
According to his plea agreement, between March 11, 2011, and September 13, 2011, Talerico committed three armed bank robberies in Cumberland, Maryland. During each robbery, Talerico entered the bank, approached the teller and asked about opening an account, then pointed what appeared to be a large black semiautomatic handgun at the teller and demanded money. After the tellers gave Talerico cash, he threatened them and demanded more money from the tellers, then fled the bank. On one occasion, when a customer entered the bank during the robbery, Talerico pointed the gun at the customer, telling the customer to “get out of the way.” During the robberies, Talerico wore distinctive clothing, including a knit hat with a brim, and large framed glasses.Specifically, on March 11 and September 13, 2011, Talerico robbed the M&T Bank, located at 1150 Industrial Boulevard, and on June 24, 2011, Talerico robbed the Susquehanna Bank, located at 600 West Industrial Boulevard, all in Cumberland. Talerico obtained a total of approximately $31,206 from the three bank robberies.
The robberies were captured on bank surveillance video. During a search warrant executed at Talerico’s home on March 30, 2012, numerous articles of clothing matching those worn by the bank robber in the surveillance photos were seized.According to court documents and testimony at today’s sentencing hearing, Talerico committed two additional robberies. On December 23, 2010, Talerico robbed the First Commonwealth Bank, in the 8400 block of William Penn Highway, in Osterburg, Pennsylvania, stealing approximately $4,506. On March 16, 2012, Talerico pretended to “test drive” a used car from a dealer whom he knew, driving the car to Fort Ashby, West Virginia, where he robbed the BB&T Bank, stealing approximately $7,481.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the FBI, C3I, Cumberland Police Department, Allegany County Sheriff’s Office, Frostburg Police Department, Maryland State Police, and Allegany County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and thanked the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office (WV), and Pennsylvania State Police for their assistance. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Budlow and Mark W. Crooks, who prosecuted the case.Course Brings Trainers from Across Country to Share Knowledge with Louisiana Law Enforcement and ProsecutorsRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley gave opening remarks this morning to law enforcement officers and prosecutors from across the state who traveled to Lafayette to attend the “Hitting the Mark: Louisiana” course being held at the Clifton Chenier Center.
The National District Attorneys’ Association (NDAA) is presenting the course, which is also being co-hosted by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Western, Eastern and Middle Districts of Louisiana, the Lafayette Police Department, and the Regional Organized Crime Information Center (ROCIC). The Federal Bureau of Justice Assistance, which is a component of the U.S. Department of Justice, supported the event with a grant.
The course, which takes place today and Wednesday, brings trainers from Utah, Virginia, Georgia and Washington, D.C., to instruct those engaged in the prevention, investigation, and prosecution of criminal street gangs, violent felons and firearms perpetrators. Subjects covered at the training include: gangs and guns, drugs and guns, a presentation on a “Prima Facie” gun case, federal firearms prosecution of domestic violence offenders, search and seizure, and characteristics of armed criminals.
“This course gives personnel from attorneys and law enforcement offices on a federal, state and local level the opportunity to sharpen their investigative and prosecutorial skills,” Finley said. “The information provided at this course will give those attending the tools to better bring criminals to justice. I am proud that the Western District was the site for this event. I also want to thank the U.S. Attorneys from the Middle and Eastern District of Louisiana, Walt Green and Dana Boente, the National District Attorneys Association, the Lafayette Police Department, and the Regional Organized Crime Information Center for co-hosting the event with the Western District.”
“Our overall goal is to increase knowledge of gang activity and help improve the response of law enforcement and prosecutors to gun violence cases,” said Brent Berkley, director of National Center for Community Prosecution for the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA). “We worked closely with Louisiana’s U.S. Attorneys to figure out which courses would address the crime problems they face.”Space is still available for lawyers, investigators, and paralegals in local, state, federal and military government attorneys’ offices, and law enforcement officers in local, state, and federal military offices who may wish to attend. There is no fee for registration. Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits are available for those attending the course.
For more information or if you would like to register online, visit the NDAA at www.ndaa.org, call their office at 703-549-9222, or the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Louisiana, at 337-262-6618.
Convicted Felon Sentenced for Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
Michael J. Moore, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announced that Derek Edward Miller, age 31, of Thomasville, Georgia, was sentenced on Monday, August 26, 2013,by the Honorable Hugh Lawson, Senior United States District Judge in Valdosta, Georgia, to serve 262 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
As part of his plea of guilty, Mr. Miller admitted that he possessed a Hi-Point, .380 caliber, Model CF handgun that had been reported stolen from a residence in Thomas County, Georgia. In addition to this firearm, which Mr. Miller admitted to stealing and possessing in his plea, court records revealed that Mr. Miller’s criminal history involved three previous burglaries which subjected him to enhanced sentencing as an armed career criminal.
“As a convicted felon, Mr. Miller had no business possessing a firearm, especially one that had been stolen. The choices that he made in his past, particularly those that caused him to be classified as an armed career criminal, have now resulted in a prison sentence of more than 20 years,” said United States Attorney Michael Moore.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter Leary.
Inquiries regarding the case should be directed to Sue McKinney, Public Affairs Specialist, United States Attorney's Office at (478) 621-2602.
Chicago Accountant Sentenced to 63 Months in Federal Prison for Stealing $4.3 Million from Clients and Cheating IRSRead the Press Release
CHICAGO – A former Chicago accountant was sentenced today to more than five years in federal prison for embezzling more than $4.3 million from trust accounts that he was supposed to be managing for the benefit of clients and also cheating the government of more than $1.7 million in federal taxes on the money he stole. The defendant, ROBERT ROME, spent the money he stole to pay extravagant personal expenses, including cars, a boat, vacation homes in Florida, and jewelry for himself and his family.
Rome, 66, of Chicago, was the managing partner of the former Rome Associates LLP accounting firm in downtown Chicago. One of his largest clients was a family that owned a group of plumbing wholesale supply companies and he provided accounting and tax services to the family members and their businesses. Rome had sole authority to sign checks, transfer funds, and sign tax returns for the trusts he managed. He used his unlimited access to embezzle money between 2003 and 2007 by writing checks payable to himself or his firm. In addition to the trust funds, he stole money from a family investment partnership account and an account of the estate of a deceased family member.
Rome pleaded guilty to wire and tax fraud in September 2012. U.S. District Judge James Zagel sentenced him to 63 months in prison, telling Rome that his betrayal of the family’s trust made his crime worse than if he had invaded the victims’ homes and stolen their money. Rome was ordered to begin serving his sentence on Oct. 30, and was ordered him to pay $1,786,053 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. Rome filed false federal income tax returns between 2004 and 2006 and failed to file a return for 2007. The judge also placed Rome on three years of supervision following his release from prison and barred him from working as an accountant or financial advisor.
There was no restitution ordered to the victim family members because they eventually recovered the stolen funds from third parties.
The sentence was announced by Gary S. Shapiro, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert G. Shields, Jr., Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Chicago; and James C. Lee, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division.
The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Havey.
Charlotte Man Handed Down 11-Year Prison Sentence for the Armed Robbery of A Family Dollar StoreRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – On Monday, August 26, 2013, Chief U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney sentenced a Charlotte man on charges stemming from the 2010 armed robbery of a Family Dollar store, announced Anne M. Tompkins, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Robert Hikeen Seigle, a/k/a “Bam Bam,” 23, of Charlotte, was ordered to serve 136 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Wayne L. Dixie, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Rodney D. Monroe of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join U.S. Attorney Tompkins in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, on the morning of October 3, 2010, Seigle robbed a Family Dollar store located on University City Boulevard in Charlotte. Seigle, who had previously worked for Family Dollar, entered the store shortly after it opened and pulled a gun on the Family Dollar employee working at the cash register. Court records indicate that Seigle pointed the gun at the employee, racked the slide on the pistol and asked the employee if he wanted to die. Seigle stole $100 from the cash register and then walked the employee at gun point to the back of the store. According to information in court documents and court proceedings, Seigle then bound the employee’s hands together at the wrist with wire ties and shoved the employee into the men’s restroom. Seigle barricaded the restroom door with shelves of merchandise and fled the store. When CMPD officers arrested Seigle on October 15, 2010, he had in his possession the same .45 caliber pistol used during the Family Dollar store robbery. In October 2011, Seigle pleaded guilty to Hobbes Act robbery, and to possession and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
In announcing the 11-year sentence, Judge Whitney stated that the robbery was an “extraordinarily dangerous offense.” Judge Whitney observed that Seigle was lucky that he and the victims were not injured.
Seigle is currently in local federal custody in the Western District of North Carolina and will be transferred into the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. Federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.
The investigation was handled by ATF and CMPD. The prosecution for the government was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Gleason of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.
Chain Gang Defendant Sentenced to 30 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Russell “TJ” Hampton, 23, of Rochester, N.Y., who was convicted following a jury trial of conspiracy to engage in racketeering activity (RICO), which included narcotics trafficking, murder, attempted murder and weapons possession, was sentenced to 30 years in prison and 10 years supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas E. Gregory, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that in 2009, state and federal authorities focused their attention on the “Chain Gang” aka “Wolfpack,” a violent street crew that controlled the streets in the area of Chamberlain and Garson Avenues in Rochester. The federal indictment charged 19 gang members with conspiring to use their membership in the Chain Gang to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity that included multiple acts of drug trafficking, the 2007 murder of Carmella Rogers and the attempted murder of several rival gang members.
In July 2011, Hampton was convicted along with Dearick Smith and Michael Jackson after a five week jury trial. In July 2013, Dearick Smith was sentenced to 50 years in prison for his role in the offense. All remaining defendants have been convicted.
“Today’s sentencing is an example of the severe punishment that awaits all gang members who engage in violence and drug trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “The streets of our community are no place for such destructive actions and our Office will continue to prosecute any individual or group of individuals who engage in such illicit behavior.”
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Resident Agent in Charge Scott Heagney, along with officers and investigators with the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Sheppard.Campaign Worker Sentenced to 38 Months in Prison for Role in Illegal Contribution SchemeRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Kimberly K. Mertz, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that ROBERT BRADDOCK, JR., 34, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 38 months of imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, for participating in a scheme to direct illegal campaign contributions into the campaign of a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. BRADDOCK was also ordered to pay a $7,500 fine.
“In imposing this sentence, the Court has made clear the risks of violating federal campaign laws,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Daly. “These corrupt acts erode our trust in the integrity of our democratic electoral system. Transparency in our elections and the legislative process is critical to ensuring honest government. Federal law enforcement will not sit by as individuals attempt to buy the influence of elected officials for personal gain. I applaud the excellent work of the FBI and our prosecution team in bringing this case to justice.”
“This sentence sends a message that knowingly concealing the origin of campaign contributions is a serious crime which cannot and will not be tolerated,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Mertz. “Hopefully, those inclined to disregard campaign finance laws and diminish the voting public’s faith in our election process will be deterred by taking notice that federal prison is a very real possibility.”
On May 21, 2013, a jury convicted BRADDOCK of one count of conspiring to make false statements to the FEC and to defraud the U.S. by impeding the function of the FEC, one count of accepting more than $10,000 in federal campaign contributions made by persons in the names of others and one count of causing a false report to be filed with the FEC.
According to the trial evidence, court documents and statements made in court, in August 2011, the State of Connecticut applied for a court order enjoining Roll Your Own (“RYO”) smoke shops from continuing to operate without complying with state law governing tobacco manufacturers. RYO smoke shops are retail businesses that sell loose smoking tobacco and cigarette-rolling materials and offer customers the option of paying a “rental” fee to insert the loose tobacco and the rolling materials into a RYO machine, which is capable of rapidly rolling large quantities of cigarettes. Customers did not pay a tax on the RYO cigarettes when rolled by the RYO machines, in contrast to cigarettes purchased over-the-counter.
Paul Rogers and George Tirado co-owned Smoke House Tobacco, a RYO smoke shop with two locations in Waterbury. Fearing that the Connecticut General Assembly would enact legislation harmful to RYO smoke shop owners’ business interests during the 2012 legislative session, Rogers, Tirado, Harry Raymond “Ray” Soucy, David Moffa, Benjamin Hogan and others engaged in a scheme to direct conduit contributions into the campaign of Christopher Donovan, a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. At the time, Donovan was also the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives. As part of the scheme, the co-conspirators recruited multiple individuals to serve as conduit contributors to the campaign. These individuals permitted checks to be written in their own names to the campaign, and certain conspirators reimbursed them with cash, thereby concealing the fact that RYO smoke shop owners were contributing to the campaign.
BRADDOCK, the Finance Director of the Donovan for Congress campaign, and Joshua Nassi, the Campaign Manager, knew that Soucy, Rogers and others opposed legislation that would harm the business interests of the RYO smoke shop owners. In November and December 2011, Rogers, Soucy, Tirado, Moffa, Hogan and others made four $2,500 conduit contributions to the Donovan for Congress campaign.
On April 3, 2012, Soucy contacted Nassi and told him that RYO owners wanted to provide additional contributions to the campaign. That same day, the Connecticut General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Finance, Revenue and Bonding voted in favor of Senate Bill 357, legislation that would have deemed RYO smoke shop owners to be tobacco manufacturers under Connecticut law, a designation that would have subjected RYO smoke shop owners to a substantial licensing fee and tax increase. Later that day, Soucy contacted Nassi again to state his displeasure with the vote.On April 11, 2012, Soucy, Rogers and an FBI special agent working in an undercover capacity delivered four $2,500 checks in the names of conduit contributors to Nassi and Braddock. On April 23, 2012, Nassi advised Soucy that one of the checks had bounced and Soucy indicated that the contributor had been given cash to deposit. Nassi stated that the campaign needed the check by midnight the following day, and Soucy delivered a replacement check by that deadline. On May 2, 2012, the Campaign submitted a fundraising report to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) stating that the four contributions given in April were from the conduit contributors when, in fact, they were not.
Over the next two weeks, Nassi continued to advise Soucy on the status of the RYO legislation and Soucy told Nassi that he would be delivering an additional $10,000 if the legislation died. On May 9, 2012, the legislative session ended and the legislation had not been called for a vote by either chamber of the General Assembly.
On May 14, 2012, Soucy, Rogers and Hogan met at Smoke House Tobacco where Soucy provided Rogers with $10,000 in cash to be used to reimburse additional conduit contributors. Prior to the meeting, Hogan had approached Waterbury business owner Daniel Monteiro and an employee of Monteiro’s and asked them to serve as conduit contributors. Monteiro subsequently wrote a $2,500 check to the campaign, and his employee obtained a bank check in the amount of $2,500. Both were assured that they would be reimbursed. These two checks, and another $2,500 bank check drawn on Hogan’s own account but not in his name, were given to Soucy at the meeting. Also, at Nassi’s request, Rogers gave Soucy a fourth $2,500 check from a conduit contributor that was payable to a political party. Soucy delivered the four checks to Nassi at a political event later that day. As he was exiting the event, Soucy encountered BRADDOCK and stated that “twenty thousand was well worth it….And another ten grand.” BRADDOCK responded, “You’re the man.”
On May 15, 2012, BRADDOCK and Soucy had a telephone conversation related to the four conduit checks that Soucy had delivered the previous day, and BRADDOCK indicated that he needed additional identifying information for Benjamin Hogan for FEC reporting purposes. During the conversation, Soucy stated that a previous contributor “had bounced a check even though you put the money right in their hands.” He later stated, “…grabbing these drunks and drug addicts and say ‘Here, write this check…,” to which BRADDOCK responded, while laughing, “Hey, it works.”
Later that day, Soucy called BRADDOCK to inform him that Hogan was a RYO smoke shop “owner,” his check should not be deposited and that Soucy would provide a replacement check. BRADDOCK stopped the check from being deposited.
On May 16, 2012, Soucy met Nassi and provided him with a replacement $2,500 check in the name of someone who was not affiliated with any RYO shops.
In addition to the testimony of Soucy, Rogers, the undercover FBI special agent and others, the trial evidence included numerous audio and video conversations that were recorded during the course of the investigation.
Soucy, Rogers, Nassi, Moffa, Tirado, Hogan and Monteiro each pleaded guilty to charges related to this scheme. On June 12, 2013, Moffa was sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment and a $5,000 fine. The other defendants await sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher M. Mattei and Eric J. Glover.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Camp Hill Marijuana Trafficker Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District Pennsylvania announced that Andrew Angle, age 26, from Camp Hill, entered a guilty plea today before U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner to conspiracy to distribute marijuana between December 2011 and March 2012.
According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, Angle also forfeited over $50,000 in cash and drug proceeds seized from a bank account, safe deposit box, and locations affiliated with Angle. Angle has contested forfeiture of $28,000 in cash taken from one of his bank accounts. That forfeiture will be decided by the court at a later proceeding.
The case was investigated by the DEA, Dauphin County Drug Task Force and the Cumberland County Drug Task Force. Prosecution is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Michael A. Consiglio.
A sentence following a finding of guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
In this case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute is five years’ imprisonment and a term of supervised release following imprisonment and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.Cambridge Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Murder of A U.s. Marshals Service Task Force OfficerRead the Press Release
Defendant Fired Many Shots at Officers Serving Him With an Arrest Warrant
Baltimore, Maryland – Tayvon Dobson, age 23, of Cambridge, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to attempted murder of a federal officer and using a gun during the attempted murder.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Gerido of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; Dorchester County State’s Attorney William H. Jones; Cambridge Police Chief Kenneth W. Malik; U.S. Marshal Johnny Hughes; Dorchester County Sheriff James W. Phillips, Jr.; and Colonel Marcus L. Brown, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.
According to his plea agreement, on February 29, 2012, members of the Maryland State Apprehension Team/Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force of the U.S. Marshals Service and the Cambridge, Maryland Police Department arrived at a residence divided into individual apartments on Hubbard Street in Cambridge to serve an arrest warrant for Dobson. The arrest warrant charged Dobson with first degree assault and other related charges.
A Task Force detective and a supervisory inspector wore official tactical style police vests with bright yellow or white letters signifying “SHERIFF” or “Police US MARSHAL” across the back along with a Task Force or a “Police US Marshal” patch on the front. Shortly after their entry into one of the apartments, Dobson’s movements were heard across the hall in apartment #1. Officers shouted at Dobson to open the door. Within minutes gunshots from apartment #1 were directed at law enforcement located outside the residence at their unmarked police vehicles. After the Task Force detective in apartment #2 realized that he could not safely escape that apartment through the hallway, he barricaded the bedroom door with a mattress and dresser.
Shots continued to ring out from apartment #1 as other officers yelled to Dobson to surrender. After several minutes of gunfire, the detective heard Dobson reload a firearm and Dobson began to shoot again. The detective was able to see into the hallway and the front door of apartment #1. Seconds later, the detective saw Dobson leave the apartment and stop in the hallway. Dobson saw the detective no more than 15 feet away and began to fire. The detective fired back while still barricaded in the bedroom of apartment #2. After several volleys of gunfire, the detective felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder, but continued to fire at Dobson. When Dobson left the hallway, the detective saw blood rapidly coming from his wound. The detective broke through the bedroom window and rolled out to the ground. Once on the ground he ran with other officers to safety. He was taken to a hospital where he had surgery.
Dobson continued to shoot at the remaining officers. Four hours after law enforcement first entered the building, Dobson finally surrendered. All of the rooms of Dobson’s residence were riddled with bullet holes. Three firearms were seized, two of which had been used to fire from inside the apartment, as well as a magazine, several rounds of live ammunition and numerous spent shell casings and projectiles.
Dobson and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement Dobson will be sentenced to between 24 and 30 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake scheduled his sentencing for October 31, 2013 at 11:00 a.m.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the ATF, Dorchester County State’s Attorney’s Office, Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force of the United States Marshals Service, Cambridge Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office and the Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Debra L. Dwyer, who is prosecuting the case.
Callaway County Man Sentenced for Facilitating Brother's Drug-trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Callaway County, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for facilitating his brother’s drug-trafficking conspiracy. Two other individuals from mid-Missouri have also been sentenced for their roles in the drug-trafficking conspiracy.
Gary Randall Holloway, 34, of Callaway County, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Fernando J. Gaitan on Monday, Aug. 26, 2013, to four years in federal prison without parole, the statutory maximum penalty.
In a separate but related case, Jeffrey Cordell Patterson, 41, of Fulton, and Damon Reed Lower, 37, of Columbia, Mo., were also sentenced yesterday for their roles in the drug-trafficking conspiracy. Patterson was sentenced to seven years and six months in federal prison without parole. Lower was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison without parole.
On March 18, 2013, Gary Holloway pleaded guilty to using a telephone to facilitate a drug-trafficking conspiracy. Federal investigators intercepted telephone calls between Gary Holloway and his brother, Jason Randall Holloway, 33, of Callaway County. During those conversations, Gary Holloway made arrangements to pay his brother for two pounds of marijuana he had been fronted. Gary Holloway later admitted that his brother had fronted him the marijuana so that he could make money after his release from prison.
Jason Holloway awaits sentencing after pleading guilty in the separate but related case to participating in a conspiracy to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana and five kilograms or more of cocaine from 2007 to September 2010. Jason Holloway also pleaded guilty to three additional counts of possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute, distributing marijuana and possessing marijuana and cocaine with the intent to distribute.
At the time of his guilty plea, Jason Holloway acknowledged that he had been acquiring approximately 50 pounds of marijuana and one kilogram of cocaine each month for the past two years from his sources in Kansas City, Mo. – primarily co-defendant Jaime Cerros-Perez, also known as Leonel Espinoza, Jr., 31. Cerros-Perez was sentenced on Sept. 27, 2012, to seven years and three months in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to his role in the conspiracy.
Jason Holloway stored bulk amounts of marijuana at Lower’s residence. Law enforcement officers seized approximately 117 pounds of marijuana from that residence on July 10, 2010.
Lower pleaded guilty on Feb. 25, 2013, to his role in the conspiracy to distribute marijuana. As part of his plea, Lower admitted that he began buying distribution amounts of marijuana from Jason Holloway in mid-to-late 2007 and that in November 2007 he began transporting bulk shipments of marijuana from the Kansas City area. Lower estimated that he made one to two trips a month, usually acquiring 50-100 pounds.
On March 18, 2013, Patterson pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Patterson’s plea agreement acknowledged that he had been intercepted multiple times on the telephone in what were believed to be drug-related conversations and that, according to a co-defendant statement, Patterson was Jason Holloway’s primary cocaine customer, buying approximately nine ounces of cocaine three times a month for between $1,000 and $1,200 per ounce.
This case was being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, MUSTANG (the Mid-Missouri Unified Strike Team And Narcotics Group), the Fulton, Mo., Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Columbia, Mo., Police Department, the Callaway County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Businessman Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Bribing Former Gwinnett County CommissionerRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Mark Gary has been sentenced for bribing former Gwinnett County Commissioner Shirley Lasseter in 2009 to secure approval of a proposed waste transfer station in which he held a personal stake.
United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said, “Businessmen who pay to play are making a losing bet. Mr. Gary will now pay with his freedom for corrupting Gwinnett County’s approval of competing real estate developments.”
Mark F. Giuliano, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated: “Today’s sentencing illustrates the consequences of bypassing proper procedures of securing contracts and doing business with government agencies. The FBI will continue to provide its investigative resources and expertise in addressing public corruption matters at all levels of government.”
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: Mark Gary is a local Gwinnett County businessman. In or about October 2008, Gary sought to develop a $4 million solid waste transfer station, which would serve as a way station in the trash collection process, consolidating trash from haulers for shipment to more distant landfills. Gary submitted the necessary application to obtain the requisite County approvals and permits, which required approval by the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners.
Shirley Lasseter was elected to the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners as the District 1 representative in the fall of 2008 and took office in January 2009. Gary worked to help get Lasseter elected as a county commissioner. Almost immediately after taking office, Lasseter appointed Gary to the Gwinnett County Planning Commission.
In March or April 2009, Gary spoke with Lasseter and her son, John Fanning, about Gary’s pending application to allow development of the solid waste transfer station. Gary offered money to Lasseter and Fanning, who discussed amounts with Gary of as much as $100,000, in exchange for Lasseter’s Commission vote to approve the pending application. Given her public position and to avoid any scrutiny, Lasseter directed Gary to speak with and to provide the money to Fanning.
Gary’s permit application came before the Commission for approval on April 28, 2009. Consistent with her agreement with Gary, Lasseter voted to approve the development. Several months later, Gary lived up to his end of the bargain. In June 2009, Gary paid Fanning $30,000. Gary paid this amount by giving Fanning $30,000 worth of chips at an out-of-state casino.
Gary, 40, of Duluth, Ga., was sentenced to two years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Gary was convicted on October 1, 2012, after he pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with this crime.
Lasseter was sentenced on September 5, 2012, to serve two years, nine months in prison for her role in accepting illegal bribes. Her son, John Fanning, was sentenced on September 18, 2012, to four years, nine months in prison for his role in soliciting and accepting illegal bribes for his mother, as well as a drug offense.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Douglas W. Gilfillan prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division is http://www.justice.gov/usao/gan/.
Branford Resident Admits Running Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that FEISAL SHARIF, 43, of Branford, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to fraud offenses stemming from his operation of a Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of approximately $3.6 million.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from approximately 2003 to September 2012, SHARIF ran an investment fraud scheme through First Financial, LLC, a firm he operated out of his Branford residence. As part of the scheme, SHARIF convinced numerous individuals to give him money to invest in what they believed was a commodity pool to profit from trading in commodity futures. In an effort to make investors believe that their money was safely invested and earning a sizeable return, SHARIF regularly would make monthly payments to investors, falsely claiming they represented returns on their investments. He also supplied investors with monthly statements from First Financial that falsely reported the purported balances of their investments and their rate of return on the investments.
In reality, SHARIF was simply paying existing investors with new money he raised from other investors. Very little of the investment money he raised was used to trade in commodity futures, and what he did invest in commodity futures did not generate returns anywhere near those he reported to investors.
Through this scheme, SHARIF defrauded more than 50 investors of approximately $3.6 million. Many of these victims were relatives, friends and people he knew through their common connection with a religious institution.
SHARIF pleaded guilty to one count of fraud by a commodity pool operator, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Judge Underhill has scheduled sentencing for November 19, 2013.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Acting U.S. Attorney Daly also acknowledged the assistance of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the State of Connecticut Department of Banking. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Murphy.
Citizens are encouraged to report any financial fraud schemes by calling, toll free, 855-236-9740, or by sending an email to [email protected].
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Bowie Realtor and Leader of $5.95 Million Mortgage Fraud Scheme Sentenced to over 3 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte sentenced Daniel Ofei, age 39, of Bowie, Maryland, today to 37 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme involving losses of at least $5 million. Judge Messitte also entered an order that Ofei pay restitution of $5,950,000.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Inspector General Jon T. Rymer of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; Special Agent in Charge Kathy Michalko of the United States Secret Service – Washington Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Cary A. Rubenstein of the Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General - Office of Investigations.
According to his plea agreement, from at least June 2006 to April 2009, Ofei, a licensed realtor, conspired with Michael Abobor, Jared Fanning, and others to use straw buyers to obtain fraudulent mortgages using false financial and employment information, to purchase homes in Maryland. Abobor was also a licensed realtor and Fanning, a mortgage broker at the time, assisted Ofei and Abobor in obtaining the fraudulent mortgages.For example, in early 2006, Ofei’s wife wanted to purchase a home in Silver Spring, Maryland. Ofei, serving as his wife’s real estate agent, assisted his wife in obtaining a mortgage by providing Fanning with false information regarding his wife’s income, citizenship, and intent to occupy the property as a primary residence. Ofei knew that his wife would not have qualified to obtain the mortgage with truthful financial information. Ofei’s wife purchased the house and Ofei collected approximately $16,471 in commission from the transaction. The home was sold short in 2008, resulting in a $150,000 loss to the bank.
In 2006 and 2007, Ofei facilitated the purchase of at least four other properties in a similar manner. For each loan application Ofei provided Fanning with fraudulent information about the borrower’s employment and income, knowing that the buyer would not have qualified for a mortgage with truthful financial information. Based on these fraudulent applications, the victim lending institutions funded loans that totaled hundreds of thousands of dollars, resulting in substantial commission payments to Ofei and his co-conspirators. Eventually, each of the loans fell into default, causing large losses to the victims.
In all, Ofei, Abobor and their business partners recruited approximately thirty straw buyers, arranged more than 50 real estate transactions, caused more than $5,956,000 in losses to financial institutions, took in excess of $333,000 in real estate commissions, and collected over $1,200,000 in extra money from the transactions in the form of payments for renovations that were never completed.
Michael Abobor, age 38, of Bowie, Maryland and Jared Fanning, age 34, of Potomac, Maryland, have both pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy. Two other co-conspirators, Emeka Udeze, age 38 of Bowie, a licensed mortgage broker, and Shola Risikat Balogun, age 46, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, have also pleaded guilty in the scheme. All are awaiting sentencing.
The Maryland Mortgage Fraud Task Force was established to unify the agencies that regulate and investigate mortgage fraud and promote the early detection, identification, prevention and prosecution of mortgage fraud schemes. This case, as well as other cases brought by members of the Task Force, demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement agencies to protect consumers from fraud and promote the integrity of the credit markets. Information about mortgage fraud prosecutions is available www.justice.gov/usao/md/Mortgage-Fraud/index.html.
Today’s announcement is part of efforts underway by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,700 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, visit www.stopfraud.gov.United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the FDIC Office of Inspector General, U.S. Secret Service and the Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sujit Raman, who prosecuted the case.
Boise Man Sentenced for Passing Counterfeit $50 Notes in Several Idaho CommunitiesRead the Press Release
BOISE – William W. Hanson, 35, of Boise, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 15 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for passing counterfeit obligations and securities, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Hanson to pay $1,550 in restitution to the victims and pay a $100 special assessment. He pleaded guilty to the charge on June 10, 2013.
According to the plea agreement, on March 26, 2013, Hanson passed a counterfeit $50 Federal Reserve Note at a restaurant in Cambridge, Idaho. Hanson admitted to knowing the note was in fact a $5 note that had been bleached and printed to look like a $50 note. Later that day, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office arrested Hanson in possession of four additional $5 notes that were bleached and reprinted to look like $50 notes. A subsequent investigation found that prior to his arrest, beginning on approximately March 10, Hanson passed 30 similar counterfeit $50 notes in Burley, Twin Falls, Boise, Garden City, Nampa, Eden, Horseshoe Bend, Donnelly, McCall, New Meadows, Council, and Cambridge, Idaho. Hanson agreed to pay restitution to the victims.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
Bergen County, N.J., Man Arrested for Making False Report of Kidnapping of Online “Teenage Girl” to U.S. EmbassyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, N.J., man who allegedly used the internet and social media to create a fictitious high school girl, used that fake identity to establish an online relationship with another person and then falsely reported the girl’s kidnapping to a U.S. Embassy was arrested today by federal officials, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Andriy Mykhaylivskyy, a/k/a/ “Andriy Haddad,” 18, of Rutherford, N.J., was arrested this morning and charged by complaint with making false statements to a United States official. He is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Steven C. Mannion in Newark federal court.
According to the complaint:
In late August 2012, Mykhaylivskyy, allegedly posing as Kate Brianna Fulton, began an online relationship with a high school classmate identified in court papers as “Individual One.” Law enforcement investigation determined Kate Fulton was a fictitious person created by Mykhaylivskyy on Facebook using photographs of an actual high school student taken from an unsecured Facebook page without her knowledge or permission.
On July 2, 2013, Mykhaylivskyy, using an alias, called the U.S. Embassy in Chisinau, Moldova, and reported that his girlfriend, “Kate Fulton,” a United States citizen, had been kidnapped in Bulgaria on June 28, 2013. The online relationship continued until Kate’s alleged kidnapping, with Mykhaylivskyy maintaining the relationship online and via text messaging.
Mykhaylivskyy independently befriended Individual One, claimed to know Kate Fulton, and confirmed details regarding Kate Fulton.
On July 8, 2013, the U.S. Embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria, received a telephone call from Individual One seeking assistance regarding the kidnapping of Kate Brianna Fulton, whom Individual One reported was kidnapped while she was vacationing in Burgas, Bulgaria. Individual One provided the Embassy with tweets that Individual One received on June 29, 2013, a day after the purported kidnapping, from Kate Brianna Fulton’s Twitter account. One tweet was of a number that Individual One believed to be Kate’s local Bulgarian cell phone and the other read, “Someone help me.”
After receiving the second report of the kidnapping, federal agents from the U.S. Embassy Sofia, Bulgaria, Regional Security Office and the headquarters of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security in Northern Virginia engaged in an extensive investigation to locate Kate Brianna Fulton and also received assistance from Bulgarian law enforcement. Bulgarian police combed hotels, hostels and other lodgings in Burgas seeking information on the missing girl and the Bulgarian border police searched incoming passenger records.
This law enforcement investigation revealed that Kate Brianna Fulton was a fictitious person created by Mykhaylivskyy, and that the high school student whose pictures were used without her permission was safe and in the United States.
The count of making false statements with which Mykhaylivskyy is charged is punishable by a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security in Embassy Sofia, the DSS Office of Protective Intelligence Investigations, the DSS New York Field Office and the New York and Newark Joint Terrorism Task Forces, for the investigation leading to today’s arrest.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara F. Merin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office General Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
13-347Mykhaylivskyy Complaint
Bank and Pharmacy Bandit Sentenced to 57 YearsRead the Press Release
A 42-year-old Oak Park man was sentenced today to 684 months in federal prison without parole for committing armed robberies, U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced.
Joining in the announcement was Robert D. Foley, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Arthur J. Tarnow. The defendant, Alfred Ross Wingate, Jr., was convicted at a jury trial in March.
The evidence presented at trial established that Wingate, a multi-convicted felon on parole for murder, conspired with seven other people to commit bank robbery and pharmacy robbery with firearms during the spring and summer of 2011. Wingate was one of two gunmen who robbed the Grosse Pointe Woods branch of Citizens Bank on May 18, 2011, Medicap Pharmacy in Warren on June 18, 2011 and Ferndale Pharmacy on July 11, 2011.
“Violent criminals who use guns can expect to be charged in federal court, where they face long prison sentences.” McQuade said. “Armed robberies risk a loss of life that we cannot tolerate.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Foley said, “Violent criminals who use guns to threaten lives during robberies and other crimes will face severe penalties for their illegal acts. The FBI is committed to working with its law enforcement partners to ensure the safety of our communities.”
The case was investigated by Special Agents of the FBI, the Warren Police Department, the Ferndale Police Department and the Grosse Pointe Woods Department of Public Safety. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth Chadwell.
Baltimore Crack Dealer and Previously Convicted Felon Exiled to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Craig Martin, age 40, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 10 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, after Martin pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine. Judge Blake found that Martin is a career offender based on at least two previous drug convictions.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Gerido of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; Baltimore City State’s Attorney Gregg L. Bernstein; and Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts.
According to Martin’s plea agreement, on May 16, 2012, ATF agents and task force officers executed a search warrant at Martin’s residence in the 5500 block of Cedonia Avenue in Baltimore. Martin was found in the kitchen of the house. Stairs to the basement, where Martin and his wife appeared to be living, were located in the kitchen. During the execution of the search warrant, agents found a clear plastic bag in the kitchen garbage can containing five clear plastic baggies, each of which contained at least 20 small ziplock baggies with crack cocaine. The total weight of the crack cocaine was approximately 12 grams. Agents also found a digital scale with cocaine residue and blue ziplock packaging materials in the dining room.
At today’s sentencing hearing the government also presented evidence that during the search, agents also found a box of .45 caliber ammunition in a dresser drawer in Martin’s basement bedroom and a box of .44 caliber ammunition on top of the dresser. Martin is prohibited from possessing a gun or ammunition as a result of his previous felony convictions.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the ATF, Baltimore Police Department and Baltimore City State’s Attorney=s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth S. Clark, who prosecuted the case.
Alleged El Paso Cell Ringleader for Vicente Carrillo Fuentes Drug Trafficking Organization Detained Pending TrialRead the Press Release
In El Paso, 36-year-old Manuel Gerardo Velasquez (aka “Shorty”), an El Paso cell ringleader for the Vicente Carrillo Fuentes drug trafficking organization, will remain in federal custody pending trial for allegedly operating a Continuing Criminal Enterprise (CCE) responsible for the smuggling and distribution of more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and the repatriation of drug proceeds to the Republic of Mexico announced United States Attorney Robert Pitman and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Joseph M. Arabit.
This morning, Velasquez waived his right to a detention hearing originally scheduled for today in United States Magistrate Court in El Paso. A 13-count federal grand jury indictment returned on August 7, 2013, charges Velasquez and others with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana. The indictment alleges that from January 1997 until the present, the defendants conspired to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana throughout Texas, Oklahoma and into Kansas. In addition to the drug conspiracy charge, Velasquez is charged with one count of operating a continual criminal enterprise, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, eight counts of aiding and abetting the intentional possession of marijuana; and, two counts of maintaining a drug involved premise. The indictment also seeks the criminal forfeiture of proceeds derived from the criminal scheme including cash and eight real estate properties in El Paso; Afton, OK; and, Grove, OK. During this investigation, authorities have seized some 3,800 pounds of marijuana and approximately $10,000 in U.S. Currency.
Other defendants charged in this indictment include: 39-year-old Jose Antonio Cabral-Espinoza, a Mexican citizen residing in El Paso; 30-year-old Juan Carlos Campa-Gutierrez of Juarez, Mexico; 44-year-old Cesar Ricardo Olague-Duran, of Juarez, Mexico; 47-year-old Octavio Alonso Montenegro-Muniz of El Paso; 58-year-old Cecil Ellis Blythe of Afton, OK; 32-year-old Carlos Alberto Gijon of El Paso; 31-year-old Daniel Medina of El Paso; 44-year-old Mario Garcia-Reveles, a Mexican citizen residing in El Paso; 31-year-old Joshua Lee Harris of Wichita, KS; 61-year-old Richard Lee Harris of Wichita, KS; 31-year-old Endi Alberto Renteria Bravo of Wichita, KS; 74-year-old Gilberto Velasquez, Sr., of El Paso; 66-year-old Victoria Consuelo Velasquez of El Paso; 52-year-old Sally Barraza-Mena of El Paso; and, 40-year-old Maria Elena Avila of El Paso. Blythe, Gijon, Medina, Gilberto and Victoria Velasquez, Barraza and Avila have been released on bond pending trial. The other named defendants are in custody.
“The numerous arrests and seizures that occurred in this investigation have severely disrupted the operations of this drug trafficking organization. In El Paso and all across our region, DEA and our partners are determined to continue to identify drug traffickers, shut down their operations and bring them to justice,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge Joseph M. Arabit, El Paso Division.
Velasquez faces between 20 years and life in federal prison upon conviction of the CCE charge. All of the defendants face between ten years and life in federal prison upon conviction of the drug trafficking conspiracy charge.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration together with Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Marshals Service, El Paso County District Attorney’s Office, El Paso Police Department, Anthony Police Department, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Office of the Attorney General.
An indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Abilene, Texas, Dentist Pleads Guilty in Medicaid Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Defendant Worked as a Pediatric Dental Provider at Kool Smiles and Personally Benefitted From Scheme
ABILENE, Texas — A dentist who practiced pediatric dentistry at Kool Smiles in Abilene, Texas, has admitted that he made false and fraudulent statements and entries on patient records, which caused Medicaid to be billed for, and pay, at least $120,000 for services falsely claimed to have been performed, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.
Dr. Tuan Truong, aka “Terry Truong,” of Abilene, pleaded guilty this afternoon, before U.S. District Judge Jorge A. Solis, to an information charging one count of making a false statement in connection with a health care matter. Truong, who will remain on bond, faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine and restitution. A sentencing date was not set.
According to documents filed in the case, in summer 2008, Truong began working for Kool Smiles, which paid him a base salary and offered opportunities for bonuses based on additional procedures he performed in excess of daily targets set by Kool Smiles management. Dentists were required to use professional judgment in the treatment and management of patient care.
Beginning on June 30, 2008, and continuing to July 10, 2009, Truong made false entries on Kool Smiles patient records, purporting to have performed dental services for Medicaid beneficiaries that he well knew he had not performed. As a result of the false and fraudulent statements and entries Truong made, Kool Smiles billed Medicaid for procedures that were not performed. In fact, during this time period, Truong made false entries in the Kool Smiles electronic database that caused Kool Smiles to bill and receive payment from Medicaid (and Medicaid affiliates) of more than $120,000, but less than $200,000 for services he claimed to have performed, but did not.
In addition, according to the factual resume filed, Truong personally benefitted from this scheme by receiving bonuses of $32,749 to which he would not have been otherwise entitled.
Kool Smiles has cooperated throughout the investigation, which was conducted by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Office of the Attorney General for the State of Texas and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Burch, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Lubbock, Texas, is in charge of the prosecution.
10 Years in Federal Prison for Bourbonnais Man for Distribution of Crack Cocaine in Kankakee CountyRead the Press Release
Urbana, Ill. – U.S. District Judge Michael P. McCuskey today sentenced Damos S. Rosenthal, 39, of Bourbonnais, Ill., to a term of 121 months in federal prison for distribution of crack cocaine.
On Apr. 8, 2013, Rosenthal pleaded guilty to distribution of 28 grams or more of crack cocaine in Kankakee on various occasions in October 2012. Rosenthal was arrested on Jan. 17, 2013, and has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest.
A factor in Rosenthal’s sentence, who faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, was two prior convictions for manufacture/delivery of cocaine: in 2002, Rosenthal was convicted in Kankakee County Circuit Court and sentenced to probation; in 2003, Rosenthal was again convicted for manufacture/delivery of cocaine, and was sentenced to serve five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
The case resulted from an investigation by the Kankakee Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group (KAMEG), with assistance from the Kankakee County State’s Attorney’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronda H. Coleman.
Monday 26 August 2013
Wichita Man Convicted on Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man has been found guilty on a federal firearms charge, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.
Troy A. Bong, 44, Wichita, Kan., was tried in U.S District Court in Wichita and a jury found him guilty on one count of unlawful possession of a firearm after a felony conviction. During trial, the prosecutor presented evidence that Bong was arrested Dec. 22, 2012, when Wichita police stopped the car in which he was riding after it left a known drug house. The officer, who recognized Bong from a previous arrest, told him to step out of the car. When the officer tried to pat him down for weapons, Bong resisted and a fight developed. Officers found that Bong possessed knives and a handgun. Bong was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of prior felony convictions.
Sentencing is set for Nov. 18. Bong faces a penalty of not less than 15 years under the Armed Career Criminal Act. Grissom commended the Wichita Police Department and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs for their work on the case.
West Valley Man Sentenced for Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
BUFFALO N.Y.-- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Michael Lee Reed, Jr. 22, of West Valley, N.Y., who was convicted of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo, who handled the case, stated that the defendant attempted to entice a minor victim to send him provocative pictures through text messages. The victim's mother contacted law enforcement after looking through her child's cellular telephone. As a result, no pictures were ever sent by the victim to the defendant.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The conviction is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Steven L. Lanser, Acting Special Agent in Charge and the Cheektowaga Police Department under the direction of Police Chief David Zack.Two Sentenced to Federal Prison for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Two people who conspired to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine were sentenced August 22, 2013, to fourteen months and eight months in federal prison, respectively.
Vicki Shannon, 50, and David Robley, 52, from Spencer and Early, Iowa, received the prison terms after May 2013, guilty pleas to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine.
At the guilty pleas, each admitted their involvement from about 2010 through January 2013, in a conspiracy that manufactured and distributed at least 50 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine. According to pseudoephedrine purchase logs obtained in the investigation, starting in January 2010 through January 2013, Shannon, Robley and others obtained nearly 500 grams of pseudoephedrine, all for the use of manufacturing methamphetamine. On January 11, 2013, officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle Robley was driving. Based on the traffic stop, officers secured a search warrant of an outbuilding in Clay County, Iowa, which Robley had departed just prior to the traffic stop. Officers located and seized a number of items indicative of manufacturing methamphetamine, including but not limited to, tree spikes, lithium batteries, empty boxes of pseudoephedrine pills, blister packs, coffee filters, clear tubing, lye, muriatic acid and a Gatorade bottle containing what appeared to be an active “one-pot” style methamphetamine cook.
Shannon and Robley were sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett. Shannon was sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment. Robley was sentenced to 8 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed for each. And each must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison terms. There is no parole in the federal system. Shannon and Robley are being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until they can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 13-4007.
Two La Monte Men Sentenced for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that two La Monte, Mo., men were sentenced in federal court today in separate but related cases that stem from an investigation into a Mexican drug-trafficking organization.
These cases are part of a federal investigation of the Los Parientes drug-trafficking organization, composed of a group of Mexican nationals who illegally smuggled large quantities of methamphetamine into southern California, which would then be driven cross-country to Kansas City, Kan., for further distribution.
USA vs. Torres
Jose Martinez Torres, 27, of La Monte was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Fernando J. Gaitan to 10 years and one month in federal prison without parole.
On Nov. 5, 2012, Torres pleaded guilty to his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from August 2010 to Nov. 25, 2011. Torres admitted that he participated in two undercover drug buys involving an undercover law enforcement officer. Torres supplied 1 ½ ounces of methamphetamine to Justin Jeremiah Sorrell of Green Ridge, Mo., for $3,100, which Sorrell sold to the undercover officer. During the transaction, Torres explained how his cousins brought the methamphetamine from Sinaloa, Mexico, and stated that the guy they obtained the methamphetamine from in Sinaloa was number two on the FBI’s ten most wanted list. He explained how the methamphetamine was moved from Sinaloa to Tijuana, Mexico, where it was smuggled across the border. A few days later, Torres again supplied methamphetamine to Sorrell. Sorrell then sold an undercover law enforcement officer two ounces of methamphetamine for $3,400.
Torres was arrested during a traffic stop on July 8, 2011. During a search of his vehicle, a state trooper found a bag of methamphetamine and a bag of cocaine hidden inside a flashlight under the driver’s seat. After being released on bond by state authorities, he was later arrested on a federal warrant. When officers searched his car, they found two pistols and $80,000, which Torres must forfeit to the government along with $6,051 found in the pockets of his jacket.
Sorrell, who pleaded guilty in a separate case, was sentenced on April 1, 2013, to four years in federal prison without parole.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence E. Miller. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mid-Missouri Drug Task Force, the Sedalia, Mo., Police Department and the Warrensburg, Mo, Police Department.
USA vs. Arroyo
Miguel Angel Arroyo, 26, of La Monte, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Fernando J. Gaitan to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
On March 25, 2013, Arroyo pleaded guilty to distributing methamphetamine. Arroyo admitted that he sold two ounces of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer for $2,800. During the transaction, Arroyo stated that he was selling four pounds of methamphetamine each week and that he was expecting 400 pounds of marijuana “coming in next week.”
On another occasion, Arroyo sold a pound of marijuana to an undercover law enforcement officer for $650.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence E. Miller. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Sedalia, Mo., Police Department.Two Area Men Charged with MurderRead the Press Release
www.usdoj.gov/usao/inn/ CELL: (219) 314-9993
Hammond, Indiana-United States Attorney David Capp announced that Oscar Cosme, 40, of East Chicago, Indiana, and Kiontay Pennington, 34, of Gary, Indiana, were charged by Complaint with allegedly committing murder resulting from the use and carrying of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and aiding and abetting the same.
According to the Complaint, on May 16, 2003, Pennington, Cosme and others shot to death Julio Cartagena in front of an apartment complex in East Chicago in retaliation for the theft of narcotics.East Chicago police were nearby and began a chase of the vehicle fleeing from the scene that ended in a high impact crash.Pennington and Cosme were identified as two of the four occupants of the vehicle.A subsequent investigation revealed that the underlying narcotics theft involved a street gang, the “Two Six”, which was active in East Chicago at that time.
Cosme was arrested on August 23, 2013.Pennington was arrested this morning at his residence.Both had their initial appearance today before United States Magistrate Judge John Martin in Hammond and are scheduled for probable cause/detention hearings on August 29, 2013 at 9:00 and 9:30 AM.
United States Attorney Capp stated, “These arrests are part of our ongoing effort to remove violent offenders from the streets, particularly those allegedly associated with criminal street gangs.We will continue to investigate violent acts, even those, like here, that are more than ten years old.As I have stated publicly in the past, we are coming after those who are or were members of, or affiliated with, criminal organizations, regardless of when their criminal conduct may have occurred.”
These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Merrillville Field Office, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives HIDTA Taskforce, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the East Chicago Police Department.This case has been assigned to and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David J. Nozick.
The United States Attorney's Office emphasized that a Complaint is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Two Anchorage Men indicted on multiple drug charges including conspiring to distribute drugs that resulted in death of a minorRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska - U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today that two Anchorage residents are charged with participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy that resulted in the death of a minor, as well as distributing heroin that resulted in the same death.
Sean Michael Warner, 28, and Max Raymond Jewett, 36, were indicted by a federal grand jury in Anchorage. Both Warner and Jewett are charged with participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy that resulted in the death of a minor, as well as distributing heroin that resulted in the same death. In addition, Warner was also indicted for distributing a controlled substance to underage individuals, distributing drugs within 1000 feet of an elementary school, and maintaining drug-involved premises within 1000 feet of a school and playground.
According to the indictment presented to the court, by December 23, 2011, Warner and Jewett were conspiring together and with others to distribute controlled substances, including the controlled substance that caused serious bodily injury and death to a minor. Warner and Jewett are both alleged to have distributed the heroin that caused the death of the same minor.
In addition, the indictment alleges that in the days prior to the drug-related death of the one minor, Warner distributed heroin to a different minor. Additionally, the indictment alleges that in late 2011, Warner’s residence was a drug-involved premises located within 1000 feet of both a playground and Turnagain Elementary School. Also during that time, Warner distributed methamphetamine and heroin in close proximity to both Turnagain Elementary and a playground.
Assistant U.S Attorney Kimberly Sayers-Fay and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Regan Williams, a state district attorney, presented the case to the grand jury. The federal indictment parallels a state manslaughter indictment of Warner returned in January 2012, and reflects a joint determination by the State of Alaska and the U.S. Attorney’s Office that federal prosecution was appropriate in this case. Sayers-Fay, a federal prosecutor, and Williams, a state prosecutor, will cooperate in the prosecution of this case in federal court.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sayers-Fay advised that the two counts on which both Warner and Jewett were indicted carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, accompanied by up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. The charges of drug distribution resulting in death and conspiring to distribute drugs resulting in death each carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment.
The charges against Warner of engaging in the alleged distribution of drugs to underage individuals, distributing drugs near a school and playground, and maintaining drug-involved premises near a school and playground, carry maximum penalties of 40 years’ in prison and lifetime supervised release, and maximum fines ranging from $1 million to $2 million.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Tuscumbia Man Sentenced for Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Tuscumbia, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for the armed robbery of First State Bank in Iberia, Mo.
David Brian Krzysik, 49, of Tuscumbia, was sentenced by U.S.District Judge Brian C. Wimes to eight years and three months in federal prison without parole.
On Oct. 31, 2012, Krzysik pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery and one count of carrying a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.
On March 15, 2012, at 11:15 a.m., Krzysik entered the First State Bank in Iberia. He was wearing a black wig, a black costume beard, sunglasses, light blue jeans, a jacket, a red baseball cap, and gloves. Krzysik approached a bank teller and placed a black revolver on the counter in front of the teller. “This is real,” Krzysik said. “I want your money. I don’t want to hurt anybody.” Krzysik placed a black duffel bag on the counter and the teller emptied the currency in her drawer into the bag. Krzysik approached another teller, who also put money into the duffel bag, then left the bank. The total amount of cash taken during the robbery was $3,651.
Krzysik also admitted that he attempted, unsuccessfully, to rob Central Bank in Tuscumbia. At approximately 11:45 a.m., Krzysik arrived at the Central Trust Bank in Tuscumbia. Krzyski attempted to enter the bank through the front door, however, bank employees saw him coming – wearing the wig, beard and sunglasses – and locked the door. Krzysik left the bank, returned to his car, placed the duffel bag in the trunk, and then left the area.
Police officers, who responded to a 911 call by bank employees, arrived and tried to stop Krzysik, who was driving in circles around the town square. Krzysik drove off the road onto a small trail that led to a wooded area, and drove down an embankment before he stopped and was arrested.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Lynn. It was investigated by the FBI, the Miller County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Texas Man Sentenced for Bank Robbery in New EnglandRead the Press Release
BISMARCK – U.S. Attorney Timothy Q. Purdon announced that on Aug. 26, 2013, Johnner J. Ward Jr., 29, Abilene, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel L. 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.
On the charge of bank robbery, Judge Hovland sentenced Ward to four years 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 Ward 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. Ward 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. 10, 2012, Schneider was arrested in Sarasota, Fla.
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.
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.
Schneider was convicted by a federal jury on Aug. 22, 2013, on charges of bank robbery and use and carry of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Sentencing for Schneider has been scheduled for Nov. 15, 2013, in U.S. District Court in Bismarck, N.D., at 10:00 a.m.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Hagler prosecuted the case.
Steven William Carpenter, Suzette Gulyas Gal, and Andras Zoltan Gal Sentenced in U.S. District CourtRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on August 26, 2013, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, STEVEN WILLIAM CARPENTER, age 56, SUZETTE GULYAS GAL, age 55, and ANDRAS ZOLTAN GAL, age 22, residents of California, were sentenced as follows.
STEVEN WILLIAM CARPENTER was sentenced to a term of:
Prison: 188 months
Special Assessment: $300
Restitution: $675,406.62
Supervised Release: 3 years
ANDRAS ZOLTAN GAL was sentenced to a term of:
Prison: 72 months
Special Assessment: $300
Restitution: $675,406.62
Supervised Release: 2 years
SUZETTE GULYAS GAL was sentenced to a term of:
Prison: 120 months
Special Assessment: $300
Restitution: $675,406.62
Supervised Release: 3 years
STEVEN WILLIAM CARPENTER, SUZETTE GULYAS GAL, and ANDRAS ZOLTAN GAL were found guilty of the following:
Count I: Conspiracy to Commit Fraud
Count II: Investment Fraud and Wire Fraud
Count III: Investment Fraud and Wire Fraud
In addition, SUZETTE GAL was sentenced to 6 months prison, to run concurrently, after having been found guilty at a second trial of contempt of court.
At trial, the following evidence and testimony was presented to the jury.
The above-named defendants worked together to solicit funds from the elderly, the infirm, and the gullible by persuading these individuals to invest in fraudulent and fictitious oil and gas investment opportunities on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation.
While the defendants initially obtained legitimate oil and gas leases on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, those rights were terminated on October 5, 2007, for failure to make the required lease payments. Moreover, the defendants never made any legitimate payment to establish or further an oil or gas venture on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation.
Despite all of the above, the defendants bilked investors into paying well in excess of half a million dollars in a non-existent venture. The case involved over fifty victims, most of whom struggled to make ends meet even before losing money to the fraud. All while the victims suffered, the defendants enjoyed a life of luxury, took extravagant vacations, and basked in the fruits of their fraud.
Today's sentencings of Steven Carpenter, Suzette Gal, and Andras Gal sends an important message to professional telemarketers who prey on the country's elderly, desperate, and gullible. The only way to stem the tide of these predators is to let them know that when they are caught the consequences will be significant. The United States Attorney's Office will continue every effort and enlist every resource to identify and prosecute those who enrich themselves by defrauding others. This investigation, which involved hundreds of man hours of undercover operations, surveillance, forensic document examination, and witness interviews, was a near perfect cooperative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Interior's Office of Inspector General. Rarely do we see such seamless and effective coordination of agency efforts. I want to commend the excellent work done by our trial lawyers, AUSAs Carl Rostad and Ryan Weldon who tried the case on behalf of the United States, and investigators who conducted an extraordinary investigation." U.S. Attorney Michael W. Cotter.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that they will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, they do have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.
The investigation was conducted by a team of agents and auditors working with the U.S. Attorney's Guardians Project, including the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Interior and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
St. Louis Man Sentenced for Drug Distribution and Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – STANLEY "OUTLAW" CARTER of St. Louis City was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment on one felony count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and a second felony count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The sentence imposed today by United States District Court Judge Henry E. Autrey must be served consecutively to the not-yet-completed sentence achieved by the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office after Carter shot and wounded an individual in the spring of 2008.
Carter pleaded guilty to two separate federal crimes in April 2013. First, on March 26, 2008, Carter and his co-defendant Antonio “Lips” Shaw and another accomplice, Richard “Repeat” Bobbitt, entered a City of St. Louis residence with guns drawn. The residence was occupied at the time by a 10-year old girl, a teenage boy and the children's mother. Carter and his two accomplices stole a significant amount of marijuana that they located in the residence's lower level.
Second, on May 10, 2008, Carter utilized an AR-15 assault-style rifle to execute two individuals associated with a rival group. The two men were inside a vehicle when Carter approached and opened fire from point-blank range. The shooting occurred at the area commonly referred to as "the Circle" located near 1199 Riverview Boulevard within the City of St. Louis. The first victim, Adolph Ellison, was pronounced dead at the scene. The second victim, Donald Mack, died shortly after. Immediately following the shooting, Carter and his two accomplices, again being Shaw and Bobbitt, fled the scene and undertook efforts to conceal evidence related to the crime.
Carter's co-defendant, Antonio Shaw, was previously sentenced to over 31 years imprisonment on one felony count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana and cocaine base (crack) and a second felony count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on April 30, 2013. Shaw was convicted by a jury after a six-day trial.
Carter’s sentencing brings to a close the federal investigation into violent criminal activity within the City of St. Louis committed by members of a group commonly referred to as the “Dip Set.” The investigation was initiated in 2009 and conducted by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, St. Louis County Police Department, United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the United States Marshals Service, with the cooperation and support of the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office.
St. Charles Parish Man, Chad Michael Hotard, Charged with Production and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CHAD MICHAEL HOTARD, age 28, a resident of Luling, Louisiana, was charged today in a Bill of Information with 2 counts of production and 1 count of distribution of child pornography, announced U. S. Attorney Dana J. Boente.
According to the Bill of Information, HOTARD knowingly employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct in order to produce child pornography on two separate occasions, December 13, 2012 and March 12, 2013. In addition, HOTARD was charged with distributing digital images and computer images of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct on March 13, 2013.
If convicted of production of child pornography the mandatory minimum sentence is 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years as to each count. Distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum sentence of 20 years. All three charges also carry a fine of $250,000, a term of supervised release for life, and sex offender registration.
U. S. Attorney Boente reiterated that the Bill of Information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to 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, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations and the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecution of this case is being handled by Strike Force Chief and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator, Assistant U. S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba.
(Download Bill of Information )
Springfield, Missouri Financial Advisor Nadia Cavner Sentenced for Felony Interstate Stalking ChargeRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Nadia Cavner, 53, of Springfield, MO, was sentenced today to five years of
probation, including six months home confinement, as well as four hours per month of
community service over the course of the first two years of her probation. The two victims,
fourth year medical students preparing for their upcoming fellowships, expressed to the court
their desire for closure to what has been a nearly two year ordeal. U.S. District Court Judge John
T. Fowlkes, Jr., honored the victims’ request for closure in accepting the terms of the plea
agreement, also imposing the condition of home confinement. The sentencing follows Cavner’s
plea to a criminal information charging her with one felony count of violating the federal
interstate stalking statute, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.
According to the information and facts revealed during her sentencing hearing, from July 9,
2011, until November 15, 2011, Cavner, and individuals employed by her, traveled from
Springfield, MO to Memphis with the intent to injure, harass, or intimidate her daughter’s former
boyfriend and his new girlfriend. These actions caused substantial emotional distress to the
individuals, their families, and close acquaintances.
As stated at her change of plea hearing, Cavner utilized multiple means to stalk and harass the
victims including making and causing others to make harassing phone calls; leaving anonymous
notes designed to harass and intimidate the victims; having the victims followed during trips;
hiring people to disrupt the victims’ relationship; and paying for an associate to temporarily
move to Memphis for the purpose of conducting surveillance upon the victims. In addition,
Cavner sought to have electronic listening devices installed in the victims’ homes.
Cavner will be required to attend counseling as part of the terms of probation. This case was
investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Brian K. Coleman is prosecuting this
case on behalf of the government.
# # # #Sioux Falls Man Sentenced for Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man charged with Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion was sentenced on August 26, 2013, by United States District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Tajahn Clinton, age 36, was sentenced to 402 months of imprisonment, 5 years of supervised release, restitution to the victim in the amount of $1,100, and a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Judge Schreier will recommend to the Bureau of Prisons that Clinton participate in the drug and alcohol treatment program during the time of his incarceration.
Clinton pled guilty on May 15, 2013, to Count 2 of the Fourth Superseding indictment charging Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion.
United States Attorney Johnson stated that, “Today’s sentence demonstrates that sex traffickers will pay a heavy price for victimizing women in South Dakota. Federal, state and local law enforcement will continue our work to investigate and prosecute individuals such as Clinton who prey on the most vulnerable in our community.”
The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Sioux Falls Police Department, the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office, and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Koliner and Jeff Clapper prosecuted the case.
The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal.Sioux City Couple Sentenced to Federal Prison for Crack ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Sioux City couple who conspired to distribute crack cocaine were sentenced August 16, 2013, to federal prison.
Douglas Young, 37, and Samantha Grant, 25, each from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison terms after May 13, 2013, guilty pleas to conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine.
At the guilty pleas, Young and Grant each admitted their involvement from about 2011 and continuing through about August 21, 2012, that distributed at least 500 grams of crack cocaine. During a traffic stop on August 21, 2012, officers conducted a search of Young and Grant and seized approximately two ounces of crack cocaine. Young and Grant intended to distribute the crack cocaine to individuals in Sioux City, Iowa. Young and Grant traveled to Omaha, Nebraska on a number of occasions, transporting between ½ ounce to 4 ½ ounce quantities of crack cocaine back to Sioux City for redistribution.
Young and Grant were sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett. Young was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment. Grant was sentenced to 39 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $200 was imposed for each. And each must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison terms. There is no parole in the federal system.
Young and Grant are being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until they can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 12-4107.
Seventeen Colombians Indicted in Eastern District of Texas Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Department of Justice
Office of Public AffairsPLANO, Texas – U.S. Attorney John M. Bales announced today that 17 alleged members of a Colombian drug trafficking organization have been indicted by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas.
The indictment, which was returned by a federal grand jury on Feb. 27, 2013, and unsealed on Aug. 5, 2013, charges the 17 defendants with drug trafficking crimes, including conspiracy to possess with intent to manufacture and distribute cocaine, conspiracy to import cocaine and to manufacture and distribute cocaine knowing it will be unlawfully imported into the United States, and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine while on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. According to the indictment, the defendants are alleged to be members of a drug trafficking organization responsible for sending cocaine from Colombia and Mexico to the United States.
The Colombian National Police (CNP) began executing arrest warrants on Aug. 23, 2013 in Colombia. Of the 17 defendants, 10 are now safely in custody. If convicted, they face up to life in federal prison.
"Four years ago, we purposed to look differently at the drug prosecutions in our office and to better use our time and resources by working smarter with what we hope will result in maximum results,” said U.S. Attorney Bales. "The obvious step was to look at the root of the drug crime problem. Invariably, the leads always came back to Mexico and to Colombia. Happily, we have discovered extraordinary partnerships with the Colombian National Police who are outstanding and very brave law enforcement officers. This investigation is the second significant case where we have utilized American laws to address criminality in Colombia that is affecting the United States. Late last year, our prosecutors completed the successful prosecution of 25 Colombian nationals who had conspired to import cocaine into the United States. These cases are challenging, but essential if we are to effectively enforce the drug laws of the United States. I commend the extraordinary work of the many agents and officers, both here in Texas and in Colombia, who are working on this case and we look forward to the extradition of the arrested defendants."
“The DEA’s commitment to ensure the safety of our citizens is a global effort,” said DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Daniel R. Salter of the Dallas Field Division. “This investigation is a perfect example of the DEA’s outstanding partnership with the Government of Colombia and the Colombia National Police. The DEA’s resolve remains steadfast and we will continue to pursue and bring to justice those that are determined to bring illicit drugs into our great nation.”
This case is the result of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) joint investigation. 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.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Enforcement Group 1, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, HSI-ICE, and the Colombian National Police. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ernest Gonzalez. Provisional arrest warrants, the legal instruments which triggered the enforcement actions and arrests in Colombia, were prepared with the assistance of the DOJ Criminal Division's Office of International Affairs in Washington D.C.
An indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.