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Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Friday 31 May 2013
Florida Corporations and Their Management Sentenced for Trafficking Toys Containing Lead and Smuggling Counterfeit Disney, Marvel and Major League Baseball Merchandise from ChinaRead the Press Release
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Alysa D. Erichs, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Miami Field Office, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and Vernon Foret, Director Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Miami Field Office, announced today that defendants Hung Lam, 55, and Isabella Kit Yeung, 37, both of Miami-Dade County, and Florida corporations LM Import-Export, Inc. (LM), Lam’s Investment Corp. (LIC), and LK Toys Corporation, (LK) were sentenced for violations regarding the smuggling of hazardous children’s products from China.
Lam was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Kathleen M. Williams to 22 months incarceration, a $10,000.00 fine, three years of supervised release and a $200 special assessment. LM, LIC, and LK were sentenced to five years’ probation and an $800 special assessment. Yeung was sentenced to one year of probation, a $1,000 fine and $25 special assessment. In addition, a forfeiture judgment and order in the amount of $862,500 was imposed against the defendants. The judgment also ordered the forfeiture of property imported by defendants and seized by the United States.
The sentencing was based on defendant Hung Lam’s earlier guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to traffic and smuggle children’s products, including toys, containing banned hazardous substances, such as lead and small parts, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, and one count of trafficking in counterfeit goods, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2320. Co-defendant Isabella Kit Yeung pled guilty to one misdemeanor count of submitting a false label country of origin, in violation of 19 U.S.C. §1304(a).
According to the documents filed with and statements made in court, from approximately April 2000 through May 2011, defendants Lam, LM, LIC, and LK conspired to sell and distribute in commerce children’s products imported from China in violation of the Consumer Product Safety Act and the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. These products allegedly presented the risk of choking, aspiration, and ingestion, and some contained lead above the allowed statutory limits. The defendants imported these products by means of false statements on custom declaration forms. Yeung was charged with the misdemeanor count of importing goods without the required country of origin labeling.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of ICE-HSI, CPSC, and CBP. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Norman O. Hemming, III and Daren Grove.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Fitchburg Gang Member Sentenced for Crack DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fitchburg man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Worcester for multiple counts of distributing crack cocaine.
Hector Rodriguez a/k/a Bolo, 33, of Fitchburg, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 170 months in prison, to be followed by 96 months of supervised release. In January 2013, Rodriguez was found guilty following a five-day jury trial of three counts of crack distribution.During the five-day trial, evidence proved that Rodriguez distributed over 70 grams of crack cocaine on October 26, 2011, November 2, 2011 and November 26, 2011 for just under $4,000.
Rodriguez was arrested in January 2011 as part of Operation Red Wolf, a multi-agency investigation targeting gang members involved in drug dealing and firearms distribution in the Fitchburg area. At the time of his arrest in January 2012 Rodriguez was found in possession of a loaded .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun and small amounts of both crack cocaine and marijuana.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; John J. Arvanitis, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Fitchburg Police Chief Robert A. DeMoura; Webster Police Chief Timothy J. Bent; Dan Kumor, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Colonel Timothy P. Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cory Flashner and Mark Grady of Ortiz’s Worcester Branch Office Unit.
Firearm Safety InitiativeRead the Press Release
BATON ROUGE, LA – United States Attorney Donald J. Cazayoux, Jr. announced today that the United States Attorney’s Office has partnered with the Baton Rouge City Constable’s Office, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, Baton Rouge Police Department, Louisiana State Police, East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office, Louisiana Association of Sheriffs, Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police, Louisiana District Attorneys Association, and Louisiana’s City Marshals and City Constables Association to develop an initiative to educate youth on firearm safety and awareness.
United States Attorney Donald J. Cazayoux, Jr. states, “Our state and local partners are confident that this campaign will be successful in helping to reduce the number of tragic firearm accidents involving our youth that occur simply because of the lack of education and understanding of the dangers and the devastating effects of firearms when they are not handled properly.”
The presentations can be conducted at any community event, summer camp or school camp and will focus on safety and awareness issues as well as instructions on what to do if a firearm is found. The basic philosophy taught is that upon encountering a firearm children should Stop, Don’t Touch, Leave the Area, and Tell an Adult. Presentations are conducted by POST/FBI Firearms Instructors and will utilize props and a ballistic shoot tank for a live fire demonstration.
The current community event schedule includes:
• Saturday, June 1, 2013 (10:00 – 4:00) “Obesity for the Birds” BREC Trail Walk/Community Against Drugs and Violence, Inc. (CADAV) Pre-Juneteenth Community Outreach Festival Howell Place Gym, 7716 Howell Boulevard, Baton Rouge
• Saturday, June 8, 2013 (9:00 – 1:00) Shady Grove First Missionary Baptist Church’s Annual Health Fair 16443 Plank Road, Baker
• Saturday, June 15, 2013 (1:00 – 5:00) Juneteenth Celebration Gus Young Park, 4200 Gus Young Avenue, Baton Rouge
• Saturday, June 29, 2013 (1:00 – 5:00) One Voice One Dream One Team 4th Annual Pack the Park SAIA BREC Park, 855 North Donmoor Avenue, Baton Rouge
• Saturday, July 27, 2013 (7:00 – 12:00) Project R.I.D.E., Inc. Back to School Seminar Louisiana State Fairgrounds, 17200 Airline Highway, Baton Rouge
• Saturday, December 7, 2013 (12:00) Community Against Drugs and Violence, Inc. (CADAV) Christmas Festival Scotlandville Elementary School, Pembroke at 75th Avenue, Baton Rouge
For more information or to schedule a presentation, contact Holly Sheets, Victim-Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office, at 225-389-0443.
Felon Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Firearms LawRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Penn Hills, Pa., pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Norman Warren, 24, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on or about Sept. 4, 2012, Warren, being a convicted felon as a result of a prior firearms conviction, illegally possessed a Hi- Point, .380 caliber pistol. Federal law prohibits anyone who has been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year to possess a firearm.
Judge Conti scheduled sentencing for Sept. 23, 2013, at 3:00 p.m. The law provides for a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Charles A. Eberle is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Norman Warren.
Federal Jury Convicts El Paso, Texas Man on Heroin Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – This morning, a federal jury sitting in Santa Fe, N.M., found Francisco Burciaga, 43, of El Paso, Texas, guilty on a heroin trafficking charge after a four-day trial. The jury’s guilty verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales, Joseph M. Arabit, Special Agent in Charge of the El Paso Division of the DEA, Chief Eric R. Shelton of the New Mexico Motor Transportation Police and Chief Terry Sisneros of the Raton Police Department.
Burciaga was arrested on a heroin trafficking charge on June 24, 2008, after officers found 32 pounds of heroin secreted in his vehicle during a routine traffic stop in Colfax County, N.M. In July 2008, Burciaga was indicted and charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute. An earlier trial in Nov. 2010 ended in a mistrial and proceedings in the case were stayed during the pendency of an interlocutory appeal.
The retrial of the case began on May 28, 2013, and concluded this morning when the jury returned a guilty verdict against Burciaga on the sole count of the indictment.
The evidence at trial established, on June 24, 2008, a New Mexico Motor Transportation Police officer executed a routine traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Burciaga on Interstate 25 just south of Raton, N.M. When the officer approached Burciaga, who was traveling alone, Burciaga provided a Texas driver’s license and documents reflecting that the vehicle was registered to him at a Phoenix, Ariz., on June 23, 2008, and insured by him on that same day. After the officer explained the traffic violation he observed, Burciaga admitted the violation and agreed to pay the fine.
While talking with Burciaga, the officer noticed a strong chemical odor coming from the vehicle and an air freshener hanging from the vehicle’s rear-view mirror. Together with the vehicle’s recent registration, these observations raised the officer’s suspicions. As a result, the officer asked Burciaga if he had anything illegal in the vehicle. Burciaga responded by saying “you can take a look” and opening the vehicle’s hatchback. Shortly thereafter, a New Mexico State Police officer arrived to assist and noticed fresh tool marks and spray paint on the underside of the vehicle and its back bumper area. The officers then had a narcotics dog inspect the vehicle and vethe dog reacted to the back bumper area of the vehicle.
When the officers removed the back bumper from Burciaga’s vehicle, they found a hidden compartment containing 24 sealed packages containing a white powdery substance. Subsequent laboratory analysis revealed that the packaged contained 14.4 kilograms (32 pounds) of heroin that was 72% pure. The Chief of the Indications and Warnings Section of DEA’s Intelligence Division in Washington, D.C., who testified as an expert, told the jury that the heroin seized from Burciaga was one of the top ten DEA heroin seizures in the United States in 2008 in terms of weight. He also testified that, in Chicago, Ill., where Burciaga intended to deliver the heroin, the conservative retail, or street, value of the heroin in 2008 was at least $2,900,000.
Burciaga testified during the defense case, and claimed that he was unaware of the presence of the heroin in his vehicle and suggested that he was an unwitting carrier.
The jury deliberated approximately 30 minutes before returning a guilty verdict against Burciaga.
Burciaga has been in federal custody since his arrest in June 2008, and remains detained pending his sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled. At sentencing, Burciaga faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 20 years. According to court filings, Burciaga’s faces this enhanced penalty because he previously was convicted of a felony drug trafficking crime in a Texas state court in 1996.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA, the New Mexico Motor Transportation Police and the Raton Police Department, with assistance from the New Mexico State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jon K. Stanford and C. Paige Messec.
Fairbanks Man sentenced to 36 months prison in drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska - U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today that a man from Fairbanks, Alaska, was sentenced in federal court in Anchorage for his role in an Anchorage and Fairbanks drug conspiracy.
Jerry Wormley, 34, a/k/a, “Two-Tone,” was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Ralph R. Beistline. Wormley received a sentence of 36 months prison, three years supervised release, and agreed to pay a $24,000 money judgment to the United States. Wormley had previously pled guilty to an indictment charging him and his co-conspirators with one count of drug conspiracy.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Cavanaugh, who prosecuted the case, Wormley was a member of a drug trafficking organization in Anchorage and Fairbanks that between 2009 and February 2012, sold powder cocaine, marijuana, and oxycodone pills in Anchorage and Fairbanks. Wormley sold cocaine in Fairbanks and he would purchase larger quantities of cocaine from other members of the conspiracy and then redistribute the cocaine in Fairbanks. Wormley also acted as a courier for other members of the conspiracy, transporting cocaine from Anchorage to Fairbanks.
Wormley and other members of the conspiracy attempted to conceal their drug trafficking by claiming they were involved in a legitimate business, specifically that they were “artists,” employees, or promoters of concerts. Members of this conspiracy would record rap and hip hop songs, post videos on Youtube.com, and perform local shows in Anchorage and Fairbanks. Much of their music glorified the lifestyle of selling illegal narcotics and committing other crimes. The lavish and extravagant lifestyle portrayed in their music and videos was supported by their sales of illegal narcotics. Wormley had no record of serious or consistent employment since dropping out of high school in 1996, but claimed ownership of a fledgling music promotion company called JG Productions in Fairbanks. This company had previously been a part of one minor concert promotion in Fairbanks, but it was clear Wormley’s sole source of income for many years was the distribution of cocaine in Fairbanks.
Prior to imposing a sentence, Judge Beistline noted that selling drugs poisons the community and he characterized Wormley as a “nice guy drug dealer”. Judge Beistline further acknowledged the community and family support Wormley had received prior to sentencing, but criticized the choices the defendant had made to distribute cocaine in the community.
Wormley was indicted along with 13 other members of the conspiracy located in Anchorage and Fairbanks. Christopher Anderson was previously sentenced to 14 months prison on November 2, 2012, DeMarr Moultrie was sentenced to 40 months prison on May 1, 2013 and Jeraelyn Hill was sentenced to 66 months prison on May 28, 2013. Donnell Johnson, Joshua Mustovich, Mihla Hall, Antonio Fleming, Dalon Johnson, Tevoris Carter, Rock Phelps, Emma Shine, and Brent Gunnels have pleaded guilty for their roles in connection with the conspiracy and await sentencing. Terrance Fleming has a pending trial scheduled in August 2013.
Ms. Loeffler commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Service, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, and the Anchorage Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Wormley.
Eagle Butte Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute A Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Terry Flying By, age 51, of Eagle Butte, South Dakota appeared before U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange on May 29, 2013 and pled guilty to Count II of the Indictment that charged him with Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is not more than 5 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both; a mandatory 2 years of supervised release; an additional year of supervised release upon revocation; and a mandatory $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charge stems from an incident wherein Cheyenne River law enforcement conducted a vehicle stop and learned from the driver that he had purchased marijuana from a residence in Eagle Butte. After obtaining a search warrant, law enforcement searched the residence and found marijuana along with other drug paraphernalia. Flying By admitted to the selling of marijuana in his home.
The investigation was conducted by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich is prosecuting the case.
Flying By was released on bond pending sentencing which has been set for August 19, 2013.
Drug Dealer and Armed Career Criminal SentencedRead the Press Release
Michael J. Moore, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announced that Travis Lokey, age 32, of Columbus, Georgia, was sentenced on May 30, 2013, by the Honorable Clay D. Land, District Judge for the Middle District of Georgia in Columbus, Georgia. Judge Land sentenced Mr. Lokey to seventeen and one-half (17 ½) years in prison for distribution of crack cocaine in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 41(b)(1)(B)(iii), and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(e).
In entering his plea of guilty to Count One of the Superseding Information, Mr. Lokey admitted that on May 10, 2011, he distributed over twenty-eight (28) grams of crack cocaine to a confidential source working with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office. Additionally, Mr. Lokey entered a guilty plea to Count Two of the Superseding Information, admitting that on October 27, 2011, he was stopped for a speeding violation which revealed that he had a suspended driver’s license. During a search by an officer with the Columbus Police Department, a Charter Arms model Undercover.38 Special caliber revolver was found in Mr. Lokey’s right front pants pocket.
As a result of Mr. Lokey’s prior convictions, he faced a sentence of five (5) to forty (40) years for the distribution of crack cocaine and a sentence of fifteen (15) years to life for the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon as mandated by the Armed Career Criminal Act of 1984 (which requires a mandatory minimum of fifteen years (15) years to life for individuals with three prior convictions for either drug trafficking crimes or crimes of violence).“When repeat offenders are taken off the streets it is a win for us all, and in this case especially for the people of Columbus,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Moore.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, and the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Crawford Seals.Inquiries regarding the case should be directed to Sue McKinney, Public Affairs Specialist, United States Attorney’s Office at (478) 621-2602.
Department of Justice Releases First Report to Congress on Indian Country Investigations and ProsecutionsRead the Press Release
Report to Congress Shows Increased Federal Prosecutions on Oregon’s Indian ReservationsPORTLAND, Ore. – The Department of Justice released today a report to Congress entitled Indian Country Investigations and Prosecutions that provides a range of statistics related to federal law enforcement operations in Indian Country in 2011 and 2012. The report, which is based on data compiled by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the FBI, shows a 54 percent increase in Indian Country criminal prosecutions nationally since Fiscal Year 2009.
“Across the country, U.S. Attorneys have been focused on fighting crime in Indian Country and reinforcing the bond between federal and tribal law enforcement, which also strengthens the faith that people have in their criminal justice system,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “This report on federal law enforcement efforts in Indian Country is beginning to show the fruits of this labor with an increase in Indian Country cases prosecuted in federal courts over the past three years, but we have more work to do. The department will continue in its commitment to working with our tribal partners to build safe, sustainable, and healthy communities in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.”
“While the numbers are gratifying, they are only a small part of the story. What we are most proud of is the way tribal leaders and Justice Officials have worked together in recent years to find and implement responses to violent crime in Indian Country,” said U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall. “From the passage of the Tribal Law and Order Act (TLOA); the Violence Against Women Act; and inter-agency collaboration in both prevention and enforcement, we have come a long way. Here in Oregon, I am especially proud of the way our office has worked to not only fight crime, but also to provide technical expertise, training, consultation, and prosecution resources to assist tribes in exercising their law enforcement, sentencing, and jurisdictional authority. We have a proud tradition of honoring our trust responsibility to Oregon Tribes. From the country’s first tribal High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program at Warm Springs to the nation’s first tribal court sentencing to the Bureau of Prisons under the provisions of the TLOA by the Umatilla Tribe, our partnerships with tribes have paved the way for significant improvements to public safety in Indian Country. I am confident that we will continue to blaze new trails to ensure that reservations in Oregon are safe places for children and families.”
In Oregon, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has the responsibility to prosecute major crimes on the Burns-Paiute Indian Reservation, the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, and the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The report shows that in 2011, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon prosecuted 31 Indian Country cases and declined 17 cases, for a declination rate of 35%. In 2012, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon prosecuted 50 Indian Country cases and declined 9 cases, for a declination rate of 15%. Cases were declined for numerous reasons, such as the suspect being prosecuted in tribal court instead of federal court, or the lack of sufficient evidence to proceed with a federal prosecution.
Major crimes in Indian Country are investigated jointly by tribal law enforcement officers and FBI agents. The number of Indian Country prosecutions in Oregon has increased significantly in the past two years due to partnerships between tribal and federal law enforcement officers. For example, in Warm Springs, a Multi-Disciplinary Team of social workers, tribal prosecutors, tribal detectives, FBI agents, and federal prosecutors meet monthly to review and evaluate ongoing child abuse investigations. Additionally, a lawyer from the Umatilla Indian Reservation was commissioned last year as a Special Assistant United States Attorney to prosecute federal crimes and help coordinate joint tribal-federal investigations of major crimes. Additionally, U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall travels annually to consult with leaders from all nine of Oregon’s Tribal Nations to listen to their concerns about public safety in their communities. Ms. Marshall also serves on the Attorney General’s Native American Advisory Committee and chairs the Juvenile Justice in Indian Country Working Group.
Read the entire report at http://www.justice.gov/tribal/tloa-report-cy-2011-2012.pdf
Read more about the Justice Department’s efforts to increase public safety in Indian County at http://www.justice.gov/tribal/accomplishments.html
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 41 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that NICHOLAS EVANS, 34, of Norwalk, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 41 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, at approximately 8:00 p.m. on August 23, 2012, EVANS was pursued and then arrested by Bridgeport Police at a residence on Washington Avenue after he discarded a 9mm pistol that was loaded with six rounds of ammunition. The firearm had an obliterated serial number.
EVANS was previously convicted of narcotics and firearms offenses, and of violating a protective order. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
EVANS has been detained since his arrest. On February 1, 2013, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
This matter was investigated by the Bridgeport Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vanessa Richards.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]Brothers Who Made 'Contributions' to Orthodox Jewish Organizations Plead Guilty to Tax Evasion After Taking Secret Refunds from GroupsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Two brothers who made tens of thousands of dollars of contributions to charitable organizations operating under the umbrella of a New York-based orthodox Jewish group known as Spinka pleaded guilty today to tax fraud for taking tax deductions for contributions that were refunded by the non-profits.
Alan Goldstein, 78, and David Goldstein, 74, both of the Hancock Park district of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge John F. Walter. Alan Goldstein pleaded guilty to one count of subscribing to a false income tax return and one count of tax evasion. David Goldstein pleaded guilty to two counts of tax evasion.
According to court documents, the Goldsteins each entered into an arrangement under which they would make contributions to Spinka charitable organizations -- including Yeshiva Imrei Yosef, Mosdos Hachesded, Central Rabbinical Seminary, and Kollel Ner A’Avrohom – and in return agents of Spinka would secretly refund 90 percent of the contributions through various third parties. In addition, agents of Spinka would mail charitable contribution receipts for the full amounts of the contributions.According to plea agreements filed in federal court, in 2005 and 2006, Alan Goldstein made $135,000 in contributions to charitable organizations operating under the Spinka umbrella. Alan Goldstein accepted kickbacks equaling 90 percent of his contributions on these Spinka-related contributions. Similarly, for the same two years, David Goldstein made $145,000 in contributions to Spinka-related entities, and he received 90 percent of the money back through kickbacks. David Goldstein received $356,400 in kickbacks on behalf of himself and his brothers.
Both defendants filed their respective 2005 and 2006 tax returns claiming the inflated contribution amount for the purpose of tax fraud. Consequently, the tax loss to the government was $45,961 with respect to Alan Goldstein, and $46,531 with respect to David Goldstein, according to the plea agreements.
Spinka is a religious group within Orthodox Judaism that operated a variety of charitable organizations, contributions to which could be tax deductible under the Internal Revenue Code. Prior to the Goldsteins, 16 other defendants pleaded guilty to charges arising from an investigation of kickbacks provided by Spinka charitable organizations to wealthy contributors.
The Goldsteins are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Walter on August 19, 2013. At sentencing, Alan Goldstein faces a statutory maximum sentence of eight years in federal prison and a fine of $500,000. David Goldstein faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $500,000. In addition, each defendant may be ordered to pay full restitution for the tax loss, which is estimated to be $55,145 for Alan Goldstein and $70,039 for David Goldstein.
The investigation and prosecution of the Goldsteins was conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation’s Los Angeles Field Office.
Release No. 13-076
Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 325 Months’ Imprisonment for Child Exploitation and Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Earlier today, Micheal Ledee, a 30-year-old Brooklyn resident, was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 325 months following his conviction for conspiracy to sexually exploit a child, sexual exploitation of a child, and receipt of child pornography. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis, at the U.S. Courthouse in Brooklyn, New York.
The sentence was announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and George Venizelos, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office.
The trial established that the defendant used Yahoo! Instant Messenger to direct the mother of a nine-year-old girl to molest her daughter while he watched the abuse live via a webcam. The government’s evidence included chat logs, the testimony of two computer forensic experts, a Yahoo! software engineer, as well as the minor victim. In determining the sentence, Judge Garaufis considered, among other things, the nature of the crimes and the impact on the victim’s life.
Ms. Lynch expressed her grateful appreciation to the New York Field Office of the FBI, the agency responsible for leading the government’s investigation.
The government’s case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tiana A. Demas, Hilary Ley Jager, Taryn Merkl, and Tyler Smith.
The Defendant:
MICHEAL LEDEE
Brooklyn, New York
Age: 31Boise Man Admits Producing and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Images Involved Minors Younger than Six Years Old
BOISE – Jason Lloyd Schaber, 40, of Boise, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in federal court to a superseding information charging him with one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distributing sexually explicit images of a minor between 2010 and 2012, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
According to the plea agreement, the investigation into Schaber's activities began in April 2012, after Boise police were contacted by a person who saw a Craigslist advertisement offering a young child for sex. Investigators worked with Craigslist and Google to trace the ad to Schaber in mid-May, according to reports, and on May 31, 2012, Boise police investigators executed a search warrant at Schaber's home. Schaber was arrested at that time and has been in custody since.
The plea agreement states that Schaber produced 26 sexually explicit images and videos of female minor(s) who were less than six years of age, and that he distributed child pornography he had produced himself or that he had obtained from the Internet, via email to at least 16 other individuals. The images and videos depicted actual and simulated intercourse, oral sex, and the lascivious exhibition of the genitals and pubic area of the minors, according to the plea agreement. According to the plea agreement, Schaber will forfeit assets directly traceable to the offense or used in the commission of the offense, including computers, hard drives, video cameras and storage media.
The charge of sexual exploitation of children by producing child pornography is punishable by not less than 15 years and not more than 30 years in prison. The charge of distribution of child pornography is punishable by not less than five years and not more than 20 years in prison. Each count is punishable by a minimum term of five years up to lifetime supervised release, and a maximum fine of $250,000.
Sentencing is set for August 13, 2013, before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise.
Members of the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigated the case, including investigators from the Boise Police Department, the Ada County Sheriff's Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Technical assistance was provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the High Technology Investigative Unit at the U.S. Department of Justice, Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in Washington, D.C., in cooperation with the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” For more information about registered sex offenders in Idaho, visit www.isp.idaho.gov/sor_id/.
Batt Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
BOISE – Kyle Alan Batt, 27, of Caldwell, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court to a federal indictment charging him with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. According to court documents, deputies with the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office found Batt hiding with a gun early in the morning on October 24, 2012, a short time after two Canyon County Sheriff’s deputies were shot and injured. When deputies found Batt hiding, he shot himself in the head. Batt was originally charged by complaint and taken into federal custody in November 2012. The indictment was filed on December 11, 2012.
According to the plea agreement, Batt admitted that on October 23, 2012, he knowingly possessed a Beretta .40 semiautomatic pistol with an obliterated serial number. At the time Batt possessed the pistol he had previously been convicted, on May 14, 2004, in Boise County, Idaho, of possession of a controlled substance, a felony crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.
The charge of unlawful possession of a firearm is punishable by up to 10 years in prison; the charge of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number is punishable by up to five years in prison. Both charges are each punishable by up to three years of supervised release and a maximum fine of $250,000. Batt agreed to forfeit the firearm he unlawfully possessed.
Sentencing is set for August 13, 2013, before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge, at the federal courthouse in Boise.
“Today’s plea is an important step in ensuring that this defendant cannot present a threat to any member of our community, including our law enforcement community,” said Olson. “Deputy sheriffs face uncertain dangers every day as they seek to keep us safe. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with all law enforcement agencies to ensure that those who seek to harm officers engaged in their duties receive swift and certain justice.”
The case was investigated by the Nampa Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Batt is being prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit www.treasurevalleypartners.org.
Bank Teller's Alleged Theft from Customer Accounts Leads to Criminal ChargesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA - Brandon Jewell-Wright, 25, of Philadelphia, PA was charged today by information with conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, bank fraud and aiding and abetting bank fraud announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. According to the information, between January and September 2007, Jewell-Wright, working as a teller for Wachovia Bank, made computer inquiries into the accounts of Wachovia customers for the purpose of determining the balances in their accounts and the account holder’s date of birth and social security number.
The information further alleges that Jewell-Wright obtained the addresses, social security numbers and account bank balances for some of Wachovia’s customers which he then sold for cash to another conspirator. The information charges further that the conspirator, and others unknown to the United States Attorney, prepared counterfeit corporate checks payable to the victimized bank customers. The checks were presented to tellers at various Wachovia Bank Branches in Philadelphia for either deposit, followed by a withdrawal, or for cashing. The checks were honored based on bogus identification presented by the check presenter and the balances in the accounts of the Wachovia customers for whom the checks had been made payable. The fraud loss resulting from Jewell-Wright’s alleged scheme is estimated at $255,087.04.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum statutory sentence of 155 years in prison, restitution, a fine of up to $5.250 million dollars, a special assessment of $600 and three years of supervised release.The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Floyd J. Miller.
Click here to view the indictment
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, EASTERN DISTRICTof PENNSYLVANIA
Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
PATTY HARTMAN, Media Contact, 215-861-8525Baltimore Police Officer Accused of Working for Heroin DealerRead the Press Release
Officer Ashley Roane Arrested for Federal Drug, Gun and Identity Fraud Crimes
U.S. Attorney Calls Allegations “Appalling Violation of Public Trust”
Baltimore, Maryland - Baltimore Police officer Ashley Roane, age 25, of Pikesville, Maryland, has been charged with helping a heroin dealer by providing armed, uniformed security for drug transactions; offering advance notice of search warrants; and using police databases to check for informants. In addition, Roane and her roommate, Erica Hughes, also age 25, of Pikesville, have been charged with aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme in which Roane used a police database to obtain the names of victims to be used to obtain fraudulent tax refunds. The criminal complaint was filed on May 28, 2013, and unsealed today upon the arrest of the defendants.
The charges were 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; and Commissioner Anthony W. Batts of the Baltimore Police Department.
“The allegations represent an appalling violation of the public trust by an officer who took an oath to serve the public but used her police powers to serve herself,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “The complaint alleges that Officer Ashley Roane agreed to help a drug dealer find a safe place to sell heroin in Baltimore and provide early warnings before police executed search warrants, that she provided armed security for drug deals while in uniform in her patrol car, and that she checked a police database to identify informants. In a separate identity fraud scheme, she allegedly used a police database to obtain names, birth dates and social security numbers that could be used to obtain fraudulent tax refunds from the IRS.”
“This case was discovered and investigated by members of a joint Baltimore Police and FBI anti-corruption task force and re-emphasizes my commitment to rooting out corruption within the Baltimore Police Department," said Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts. My message to the people of our city is we are not finished - we will continue to relentlessly target corruption and misconduct among the ranks. A special note of thanks to all the police officers, agents and prosecutors for their assistance with this investigation and their continued support.”
According to the criminal complaint, on February 26, 2013, a confidential source provided information regarding alleged criminal activity being conducted by Baltimore Police officer Ashley Roane and her roommate Erica Hughes. The confidential source advised law enforcement that in the Fall of 2012, Roane had spoken to the source regarding drug trafficking and had told the source that if the source, whom Roane believed was a large scale heroin trafficker in Baltimore, wanted to sell drugs in the area where she patrolled, Roane would provide the source with a location that is not heavily concentrated with police. Additionally, Roane told that source that she could provide the source with information regarding police activity, specifically when and where drug search warrants would be executed.
The criminal complaint alleges that Roane provided assistance and protection to the confidential source in the source’s alleged drug trafficking. For example, on March 28, 2013, the criminal complaint alleges that Roane conducted a criminal check of one of the source’s alleged associates, to see if that person was an informant or cooperator with the Baltimore Police Department. According to the complaint, Roane agreed that she would tell the confidential source if the person were an informant so that the source would not engage in a drug transaction with that person. Further, the criminal complaint alleges on the on April 30, 2013, while in uniform, armed with her service firearm, and in a marked Baltimore Police Department vehicle, Roane provided protection while the confidential source conducted a narcotics transaction involving a kilogram of heroin. The confidential source allegedly paid Roane $500 for her protection and Roane agreed to provide such protection again in a future narcotics transaction involving multiple kilograms of heroin.
According to the criminal complaint, Hughes and Roane believed that the confidential source also worked as a tax preparer and they provided the personal information of more than 30 individuals, including names, dates of birth and social security numbers, to the confidential source to prepare and submit false tax returns to the IRS in order to obtain fraudulent tax refunds. The criminal complaint alleges that Roane obtained the personal information from law enforcement databases through her position as a Baltimore Police officer.
Roane faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin, and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of life in prison for possession of a gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Roane and Hughes face a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for aggravated identity theft. The defendants will be detained pending an initial appearance which will be scheduled for Monday, June 3, 2013, in U.S. District Court in Baltimore.
A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the FBI and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Peter M. Nothstein, who is prosecuting the case.
Armed Career Criminal SentencedRead the Press Release
Michael J. Moore, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announced that Charles Solomon Glover, age 48, of Columbus, Georgia, was sentenced on May 30, 2013 in Columbus, Georgia by the Honorable Clay D. Land, District Judge for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia. Mr. Glover was sentenced to seventeen and one-half
(17 ½) years imprisonment for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(e).In entering his plea of guilty to Count One of the Superseding Information, Mr. Glover admitted that on August 3, 2011, he possessed eight (8) firearms in connection with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana. Mr. Glover admitted that during a traffic stop for driving with a suspended license, a large quantity of narcotics was found in his possession. At a later date, a search was also conducted at a business registered in Mr. Glover’s name and his residence which yielded additional illegal drugs and firearms.
Mr. Glover’s prior convictions for burglary, several felony drug trafficking crimes, as well conspiracy to commit murder resulted in Mr. Glover facing a sentence of fifteen (15) years to life for the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon as mandated by the Armed Career Criminal Act of 1984 (which requires a mandatory minimum of fifteen years (15) years to life for individuals with three prior convictions for either drug trafficking crimes or crimes of violence).
“Repeat offenders like Mr. Glover, need to be in prison for a long time, and as we continue to pursue these cases, that is exactly where they are going to find themselves,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Moore.
This case was investigated by the Metro Narcotics Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Crawford Seals.
Inquiries regarding the case should be directed to Sue McKinney, Public Affairs Specialist, United States Attorney’s Office at (478) 621-2602.
Allegheny County Man Pleads Guilty in Scheme to Make Counterfeit CurrencyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Elizabeth, Pa., pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of conspiracy to make counterfeit United States currency and making counterfeit United States currency, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Justin S. Holliday, 29, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.
Holliday was charged with two counts alleging conspiracy and the making of counterfeit currency during the period June 21, 2012 through June 24, 2012.
Judge Hornack scheduled sentencing for Oct. 6, 2013, at 9:30 am. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 25 years in prison, a fine of $500,000 or both for Holliday. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Shardul S. Desai is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Secret Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Justin S. Holliday.
Thursday 30 May 2013
Wyoming Men Charged with First Degree MurderRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney for the District of Wyoming Christopher A. Crofts announced today that on May 29, 2013, Alan Brown, 61, and his brother Vernon Lee Brown, 54, both Northern Arapaho Tribal Members, appeared in federal court on an Indictment charging them with one count of First Degree Murder and Aiding and Abetting in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1111, 1153 and 2. The charges against Alan and Vernon Lee Brown stem from an incident that occurred on or about May 6, 2006, which resulted in the death of Tad Paul Barnson, 47, who was originally from Idaho Falls, Idaho, but resided in and around Riverton, Wyoming at the time of his death. Alan and Vernon Lee Brown are Wind River Indian Reservation inhabitants, but are not believed to have any permanent residence. This crime is alleged to have occurred on the Wind River Indian Reservation. Alan and Vernon Lee Brown are facing a potential of life imprisonment or the death penalty, and could be ordered to pay restitution, a fine and special assessment.
Wasilla Man sentenced to 48 months in prison for drug and firearms convictionRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska- U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today that a man from Wasilla, Alaska, was sentenced in federal court in Anchorage yesterday for drug conspiracy and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Kevin Ricker, 49, from Wasilla, Alaska, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Sharon L. Gleason. Ricker received a sentence of 48 months in prison and five years of supervised release after having previously pled guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of drug conspiracy and one count of felon in possession of a firearm.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Cavanaugh, who prosecuted the case, in July 2012, Ricker facilitated the distribution of 15.7 grams of actual methamphetamine in exchange for $2,900.00. Later in July 2012, Ricker planned to facilitate another similar sale of methamphetamine but was apprehended by law enforcement. On July 31, 2012, while engaged in the drug conspiracy, Ricker was in possession of a Ruger .40 caliber revolver and he had previously been convicted of several crimes punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
Ricker’s co-defendant in the indictment, Albert Maifea, was sentenced by Judge Gleason earlier in May 2013, to 84 months prison and five years supervised release for his role in the drug distribution conspiracy.
Ms. Loeffler commended the Alaska State Troopers, the Anchorage Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Ricker.
Washington Man Facing 15 Years to Life in Prison for Drug, Gun Law ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - On Tuesday, May 28, 2013, a resident of Washington, Pa., pleaded guilty in federal court to violating federal firearms and narcotic laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Richard Brown, 32, pleaded guilty to three counts - two narcotics counts and one firearms count - before Senior United States District Judge Donetta W. Ambrose.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in August 2009, and then again on Sept. 18, 2009, Brown distributed and possessed with the intent to distribute crack cocaine. In addition, in August 2009, Brown, who has prior felony convictions, possessed a firearm. Federal law prohibits anyone who has been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year from possessing a firearm.
Judge Ambrose scheduled sentencing for Sept. 18, 2013 at 10 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of between 15 years to life in prison, a fine of $4,250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Eric S. Rosen is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a collaborative effort by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and communities to prevent, deter and prosecute gun crime.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Richard Brown.
Virginia Man Sentenced to Two Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
For Possession of Child PornographyWASHINGTON - Kevin Boteler, 56, of Richmond, Va., was sentenced today to two years in prison on a federal charge of possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office, and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Boteler pled guilty to the charge in December 2012 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan. Upon completion of his prison term, Boteler will be placed on 10 years of supervised release.
According to the government's evidence, on Aug. 16, 2012, Boteler contacted an undercover officer with the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, who had entered a social network site. On Aug. 16 and Aug. 17, 2012, Boteler engaged in online e-mail and instant message conversations with the undercover officer, whom Boteler believed was the father of a child. During this period of time, Boteler arranged with the undercover officer to meet for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the minor. Boteler, however, backed out prior to meeting the undercover officer. During the course of their conversations, Boteler sent the undercover officer seven images of pre and post-pubescent female children posing nude. In addition, Boteler sent the undercover officer one video of child pornography.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD. Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. 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 those who exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave and Chief Lanier praised the work of the MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. They also commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord, who prosecuted the case.
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Union County, N.J., Woman Who Drove Getaway Car During Bank Robbery Sentenced to 54 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, N.J., woman who admitted serving as the getaway driver during the July 12, 2012, bank robbery of Unity Bank located at 1230 Bound Brook Road (Route 28) in Middlesex, N.J., was sentenced today to 54 months in prison, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Teresa Webb, 42, of Plainfield, N.J., previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Kevin McNulty to an Information charging her with one count of bank robbery. Judge McNulty imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On July 31, 2012, Claude Williams, 61, of Elizabeth, N.J., was charged by Complaint with six counts of bank robbery and two counts of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. In the course of those robberies, Williams would generally send an accomplice into the bank to case it shortly before he entered to commit the robbery.
Before the July 12, 2012, robbery, Webb entered the Unity Bank twice without doing any banking. A short while later, an unarmed, off-duty police officer allegedly observed Williams leave the bank, get into the rear of the getaway car, and crouch down. After noting the license plate number, the officer followed the car. Webb, who was driving the getaway car, attempted to elude the officer.
After Webb’s unsuccessful attempt to elude the officer, Williams got out of the car and pointed his gun at the officer, forcing her to leave the scene without apprehending Williams and Webb.
In addition to the prison term, Judge McNulty sentenced Webb to five years of supervised release. The charges against Williams are pending.U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents with the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark with the investigation leading to the arrest. He also thanked the Somerset County Prosecutors Office and the Middlesex Borough, Piscataway, Clifton, Metuchen, North Plainfield, and Plainfield police departments for their work in this case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Osmar J. Benvenuto of the U.S. Attorney’s Office General Crimes Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: Bruce S. Rosen Esq., Toms River, N.J.
13-221Two Men Charged with Conspiracy to Bribe Agent of Local Government in Connection with Program Receiving Federal FundsRead the Press Release
ZUHAIR AMEER HAMED, age 40, and JIHAD HATEM HAMAD, age 27, both residents of Gretna, Louisiana, were charged today with Conspiracy to Bribe an Agent of Local Government in Connection with a Program Receiving Federal Funds in a one-count Bill of Information, announced U. S. Attorney Dana J. Boente. Mr. Boente commended the local public official identified in court documents as Public Official A for reporting to law enforcement the facts which led to the opening of the investigation, and for cooperating in the investigation.
According to court documents, JIHAD HAMAD was the owner and operator of a convenience store located in Harahan, Louisiana, who was seeking a permit allowing the sale of wine and hard liquor at his store. ZUHAIR HAMED assisted in the efforts of JIHAD HAMAD to obtain the liquor permit. Public Official A, the Chief of Police of the City of Harahan, repeatedly stated that he would oppose the issuance of such permit because the convenience store was located within 300 feet of a church.
According to court documents, in March 2012, JIHAD HAMAD offered to have a contribution made to the public official’s campaign committee in exchange for his statement of no objection to the application for the liquor permit. ZUHAIR HAMED then met several times with the public official, discussed the liquor permit, and offered to make payments in cash, by blank money order, or by business checks to the official’s campaign. In May and June of 2012, JIHAD HAMAD gave ZUHAIR HAMED $3,000 to be used to make payments to the public official. ZUHAIR HAMED then paid the public official a total of $3,000 in two payments, one in cash, and one by means of a check drawn on the account of a business related to ZUHAIR HAMED’s family member, on which check the payee was blank. He also agreed to make additional payments to the public official in the future.
If convicted, ZUHAIR AMEER HAMED and JIHAD AMEER HAMED face a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, a fine of $250,000 and three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
U. S. Attorney Boente reiterated that the Bill of Information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Attorney’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Executive Assistant U. S. Attorney Eileen Gleason.
(Download Bill of Information )
Two Fitchburg Gang Members Sentenced in Crack Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two Fitchburg men were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Worcester for distributing crack cocaine.
Shawn McWhorter a/k/a Kaeshaun, 40, of Fitchburg, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 220 months in prison, to be followed by 48 months of supervised release. Junior Barclay a/k/a Mouse, 30, of Fitchburg, was sentenced to 60 months in prison, to be followed by 48 months of supervised release. In March 2013, both men were found guilty after a jury trial in U.S. District Court. McWhorter was convicted of three counts of crack cocaine distribution and conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine. Barclay was convicted of two counts of crack cocaine distribution and conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine.During the four day trial, evidence proved that McWhorter distributed crack cocaine on July 26, 2011 and that McWhorter and Barclay together conspired to and did distribute crack cocaine on August 5, 2011 and August 25, 2011. McWhorter and Barclay were arrested in January 2011 as part of Operation Red Wolf, a multi-agency investigation targeting gang members involved in drug dealing and firearms distribution in the Fitchburg area.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; John J. Arvanitis, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Fitchburg Police Chief Robert A. DeMoura; Webster Police Chief Timothy J. Bent; Dan Kumor, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Colonel Timothy P. Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cory Flashner and Mark Grady of Ortiz’s Worcester Branch Office Unit.
Two Co-Conspirators Sentenced in E. Idaho Drug CaseRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Two more members of an Eastern Idaho methamphetamine trafficking organization were sentenced today to serve federal prison sentences, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. The defendants appeared before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
- Samuel Nevarez-Ayon, 26, a Mexican national formerly living in Rexburg, was sentenced to 292 months in prison for his leadership role in the conspiracy. In addition, the Court ordered a $4,000 fine, a $100 special assessment, and the forfeiture of $500,000. He pleaded guilty to the charge of continuing criminal enterprise on December 19, 2012.
- Nicolas Levi Olsen, 30, of Idaho Falls, was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Olsen was also ordered to pay a $500 fine, and a $100 special assessment. He pleaded guilty to an information on January 24, 2013.
Eight co-defendants were sentenced in March and April on related drug trafficking charges. Ricardo Garcia Lopez, of Idaho Falls, was sentenced to 235 months in prison; Alberto Abarca, of Idaho Falls, to 130 months; Rafael Ignacio Guerrero, a Mexican national, to 42 months; Antonio Javier Mendoza, of Shelley, Idaho, to 96 months; Fabiola Esmerelda Marin Castro, a Mexican national, to 36 months and ordered to forfeit $83,575 and two vehicles; and Daniel Quiroz, a Mexican national, to 78 months. Abel Garcia, of Idaho Falls, was sentenced to one month in prison for making a false statement to a bank. Ana Rosa Valdez-Ceja, of Shelley, was sentenced to two years’ probation for money laundering.
Three co-defendants from Idaho Falls are set for sentencing on September 10. Juan Ortiz, Jr., 28, and Isidoro David Herrera, 31, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute in excess of 50 grams of methamphetamine; Everado Tapia Torres, Jr., 31, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine.
The final defendant, Guadalupe Meraz, of Madera, California, is a fugitive.
According to the plea agreements, from June 2005 through January 2012, a group of individuals centered around Nevarez-Ayon entered into a conspiracy to possess and distribute in excess of 50 grams of actual methamphetamine in the Idaho Falls area. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Nevarez-Ayon admitted that he distributed methamphetamine to other individuals on at least three occasions during this same time period and directed activities of various co-defendants. In addition to distributing methamphetamine, several defendants laundered proceeds from the sale of the methamphetamine, and made false loan applications to local banks to further the laundering of money. During the course of the conspiracy, the defendants obtained in excess of $500,000 from the distribution of methamphetamine.
“Justice is well served by Nevarez-Ayon’s prison sentence of more than 24 years,” said Olson. “For years, he was the pivot point in wholesale methamphetamine trafficking in eastern Idaho. This successful investigation and prosecution demonstrate that federal, state and local law enforcement in Idaho will work together to remove those who bring this dangerously addictive drug to our communities.”
The charges are the result of a nine-month investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), including the Idaho State Police, Bonneville County Sheriff's Office, Idaho Falls Police Department, Madison County Sheriff's Office, Rexburg Police Department, Bingham County Sheriff’s Office, Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Other federal agencies participating in the OCDETF program include the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Marshals Service.
The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
Two Bessemer Men Indicted for Trafficking Counterfeit ApparelRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury today indicted two Bessemer men for trafficking in counterfeit clothing, accessories and shoes in the Birmingham area, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Raymond R. Parmer Jr.
JOHNNIE HILL JR., 59, and MOUSSA ADAMOU, 43, are charged in separate and unrelated indictments filed in U.S. District Court. Hill also is charged as a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, a Jimenez Arms 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
Violating criminal laws that protect copyrights, patents, trademarks and trade secrets is considered theft of intellectual property.
“Copying someone else’s product in order to make a profit is theft,” Vance said. “Those who traffic in counterfeit goods harm legitimate retailers, as well as the consumers who purchase the substandard merchandise,” she said. “The Department of Justice and my office are working hard to protect American businesses and consumers from the damaging effects of intellectual property crime.”
“Criminals who sell counterfeit products don’t pay taxes that go to supporting healthcare, paving roads and providing other vital government services,” Parmer said. “They are parasites on the legitimate businesses that drive our economy and cost American workers their jobs.” Parmer oversees a five-state area of responsibility for HSI that includes Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.
Hill is charged with selling counterfeit goods through a store on Warrior Road in Birmingham from February 2011 to March 2013. Count 1 of the indictment charges that Hill trafficked in handbags, wallets, clothing, scarfs, belts, hats, shoes and glasses bearing counterfeit marks or logos for companies including Louis Vuitton Malletier, Nike, LaCoste, Ralph Lauren Polo, Gucci, Coggi, Ed Hardy, Coach, Michael Kors, Prada, Gianni Versace, Chanel, True Religion Jeans and New Era.
The indictment also charges that Hill possessed the 9mm semi-automatic pistol on March 14, 2013, after having previously been convicted of four felonies in state court – first degree robbery, first degree theft of property, promoting prison contraband and trafficking in marijuana – between 1985 and 1997.
The indictment against Adamou charges him with selling counterfeit goods from a tent on Ninth Avenue North in Bessemer in September 2012. Adamou trafficked in handbags, purses, clothing and shoes bearing counterfeit marks or logos for companies including Louis Vuitton Malletier, Nike, LaCoste, Ralph Lauren Polo, Gucci, Coggi, Rocawear, Coach, Michael Kors, Dolce, Tory Burch, Apple Bottom, Phat, True Religion Jeans and the NFL.
Trafficking in counterfeit goods carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $2 million fine. Possessing a firearm as a convicted felon carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.HSI investigated both cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael W. Whisonant Sr. is prosecuting the cases.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent and it will be the government’s responsibility to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.Trussville Man Indicted for Multi-Million Dollar Tax SchemeRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury today indicted a Trussville man in connection with a scheme to collect millions of dollars from the Internal Revenue Service on false tax returns, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and IRS Criminal Investigation Division Special Agent in Charge Veronica Hyman-Pillot.
The indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges NORMAN JAMES SECOR, 66, with filing or aiding in the filing of 12 false income tax returns and supporting documents between June 2008 and February 2009. Secor knew that he and the other taxpayers were not entitled to the $5.2 million in refunds he claimed, according to the indictment. Each false tax return contained a claim that money had been earned by the taxpayer and withheld by various financial institutions during the tax year and that the taxpayer was entitled to refund of those withholdings from the IRS, according to the indictment. No such earnings or withholdings had actually occurred.
Among the 12 false returns, Secor filed two in his name, totaling $1.5 million. The remaining 10 requested refunds totaled more than $3.7 million, according to the indictment.
If convicted, Secor could face a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the 12 counts of making false claims against the government.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent and it will be the government’s responsibility to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
Tohono O’odham Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Aiding and Abetting Murder of Sells ManRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Johnny Davis Antonio, Jr., 22, of Sells, Ariz., was sentenced on May 29, 2013, by U.S. District Judge Cindy K. Jorgensonto 120 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Antonio pleaded guilty on March 21, 2013, to second degree murder, aiding and abetting.
This case involved the August 2009, beating to death of a 37 year old man by Antonio, then 18 years old, and an accomplice. The victim was walking during early morning hours on Aug. 10, 2009, in an open area in Sells on the Tohono O’odham reservation, when he came upon Antonio and his accomplice who proceeded to assault the victim with their fists and a piece of wood. The victim died from blunt force trauma to his head.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tohono O’odham Nation Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Raquel Arellano, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Tucson.CASE NUMBER: CR-11-4234-TUC-CKJ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2013-043_AntonioFor more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Statement of Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara on the Sentencing of Manssor Arbabsiar for Conspiring with Iranian Military Officials to Assassinate the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United StatesRead the Press Release
“Manssor Arbabsiar was an enemy among us – the key conduit for, and facilitator of, a nefarious international plot concocted by members of the Iranian military to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador to the United States and as many innocent bystanders as necessary to get the job done. And but for the vigilance of our FBI and DEA partners, his plot, and the unspeakable harm it would have caused, may well have come to fruition, which is exactly why our commitment to using every resource we have to root out, prosecute and punish people like Arbabsiar, who act as emissaries for our enemies, remains unflagging.”
St. Charles Parish Tax Preparers, Cathy Ross Vinnett and Lashanda Ruth Vinnett, Indicted by Federal Grand JuryRead the Press Release
CATHY ROSS VINNETT, 46, and her daughter, LASHANDA RUTH VINNETT, 29, of Destrehan, Louisiana, were indicted today for conspiracy to defraud the United States and, specifically, the Internal Revenue Service, announced U. S. Attorney Dana J. Boente.
According to court documents, CATHY VINNETT opened the D&C Tax Service (“D&C”) in 2006 and in 2008 the VINNETTS created River Parish Tax Professionals (“River Parish”). River Parish was established by LASHANDA and CATHY VINNETT for the purpose of filing fraudulent tax returns using the First-Time Homebuyer Credit (“FTHBC”). The FTHBC was available for people who purchased a new home between April 1, 2008 and July 1, 2009. Since this was a refundable tax credit, a filer did not have to have any federal tax withholdings for that year in order to claim a tax refund. For the period alleged in this indictment, the VINNETTs, through their company River Parish, filed approximately 311 tax returns resulting in $1.8 million dollars in refunds. Of those 311 returns that were filed, 237 or 76% of the returns claimed the FTHBC.
The VINNETTs face a maximum penalty of ten years imprisonment, followed by up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
U. S. Attorney Boente reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being investigated by special agents from the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Strike Force Chief and Assistant U. S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba.
(Download Indictment )
Sneads Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court for Manufacturing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA– Donyel James Fitts, 28, of Sneads, pled guilty yesterday in federal court to three criminal charges relating to the production of child pornography.
During the plea hearing, Fitts admitted that, on June 21, 2012, he persuaded and coerced a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct, so that he could photograph the minor. He also admitted that, on two occasions in October 2012, he videotaped a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In addition, as a part of his plea agreement, Fitts admitted that he took videos and photographs of himself engaged in sex acts with a 4-year-old child.
Fitts is currently scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on August 21, 2013, in Panama City. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, followed by a term of five years to life of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Pamela Marsh said, “Protecting children from these horrific crimes is a top priority of the Department of Justice and this U.S. Attorney’s Office. Our prosecutors will continue to actively investigate and charge those persons who victimize our children in this manner.”
This case was investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gayle Littleton. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who 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.
Siranush Tulumdzhyan and Company Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud ViolationsRead the Press Release
SIRANUSH TULUMDZHYAN, age 28, of Van Nuys, California, pled guilty today before U. S. District Court Judge Eldon E. Fallon to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, announced U. S. Attorney Dana J. Boente. Also pleading guilty today to health care fraud conspiracy was LA MEDICAL GROUP, INC., a Louisiana corporation that operated as a medical clinic.
According to the bill of information, the defendants participated in a criminal organization for the purpose of fraudulently billing Medicaid. Patients went to the medical clinic for medical tests that were not performed or medically necessary. Patients were moved between the Metairie Health Care to LA MEDICAL to repeatedly perform the same unnecessary tests. Metairie Health care has already been sentenced for the same activity. According to the bill of information, if the patients refused the diagnostic tests at LA MEDICAL, prescriptions for narcotic drugs were withheld. Thereafter, bills for the unnecessary services were submitted to Medicaid. TULUMDZHYAN was the owner of LA MEDICAL and also an unlicensed and unqualified diagnostic technician, according to the bill of information.
TULUMDZHYAN faces a possible maximum sentence of five years imprisonment. LA MEDICAL faces a maximum fine of $500,000. Sentencing has been scheduled for September 5, 2013.
The investigation was conducted by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; and the Louisiana Department of Justice, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Patrice Harris Sullivan.
(Download Factual Basis )
Sioux Falls Man Receives Three Life Sentences for Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Sioux Falls man was sentenced on May 30, 2013 by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Carl Campbell, age 37, was sentenced to three terms of life imprisonment based on convictions for Sex Trafficking by Force Fraud, or Coercion and the Sex Trafficking of a Child. He was also sentenced to 20 years for using Interstate Transportation for Prostitution and Obstruction of Sex Trafficking Enforcement. These sentences will run concurrently. He will pay a $500 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
“Those who traffic South Dakota children and young women will find no refuge from law enforcement. We are behind every corner and we will aggressively prosecute anyone who tries to profit off the sexual exploitation of our most vulnerable citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Johnson.
Campbell was indicted by a second superseding indictment by a federal grand jury on November 6, 2012 and found guilty of all counts by a federal jury on February 8, 2013.
The jury convicted Campbell after hearing evidence that he lured in young adults and minors and caused them to engage in commercial sex acts in and around Sioux Falls. He assaulted one victim repeatedly over the course of about 8 months, during which he forced her to perform commercial sex acts in South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, Sioux Falls Police Department, and the Franklin County (Illinois) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Koliner and Jeffrey Clapper prosecuted the case.
Campbell was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshal.
Sentences for May 24 - 29, 2013Read the Press Release
Cheryll Randell, 51, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on May 29, 2013, for embezzling, stealing, and purloining goods and property of the United States. Randell was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. She received two years of probation, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and restitution in the amount of $15,775.00. This case was investigated by the U.S. Air Force Security Police.
Jose Isaul Issac Reyna, 27, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on May 24, 2013, for making a false statement on a loan application. Reyna was arrested in Evansville, Wyoming. He received five years of probation, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and restitution in the amount of $10,781.01. This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service.
Ronald M. Leach Indicted for Westbank Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
RONALD M. LEACH, JR., age 42, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged today in a two-count indictment by a federal grand jury with two counts of bank robbery, announced United States Attorney Dana J. Boente.
LEACH is accused of robbing the Capital One Bank, located at 4601 Westbank Expressway, on May 14, 2013, of an undisclosed amount of cash. LEACH entered the bank, handed the victim teller a demand note, and produced the bag into which the teller stuffed the cash. Fingerprints taken from the demand note came back to the defendant. Additionally, LEACH is charged with the April 15, 2013 robbery of another Capital One branch, located at 91 Westbank Expressway, from which he stole an undisclosed amount of cash. A fingerprint developed from the note used in the second robbery also came back to LEACH.
If convicted, LEACH faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years and/or a fine of $250,000 on each count.
U. S. Attorney Boente reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael E. McMahon.
(Download Indictment )
Rodeo Clown Sentenced to Twenty Years for Conspiracy to Grow MarijuanaRead the Press Release
A professional rodeo clown who grew marijuana for over six years was sentenced on May 29, 2013, to twenty years in federal prison.
Rory Meeks, 55, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 8, 2013, jury verdict finding him guilty of conspiracy to manufacture marijuana.
The evidence at trial showed that Meeks, who worked as a rodeo clown and bullfighter in local and national rodeos, conspired with others to grow marijuana in rural Jones County from 2004 through 2011. Each spring, Meeks planted marijuana along corn and soybean fields in secluded spots throughout Jones County and then tended the plants throughout the summer. Meeks and others harvested the plants in the fall, processed the plants at a house in Jones County, and then sold the marijuana over the fall and winter. The jury found that Meeks was involved in growing over 1000 marijuana plants between 2004 and 2011.
Meeks conviction was his second drug trafficking conviction in federal court. In 1987, a jury found Meeks guilty of three charges involving cocaine trafficking. Following that conviction, a Federal District Court Judge sentenced Meeks to ten years’ imprisonment and imposed a $10,000 fine.
On his latest conviction, Meeks was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. Meeks was sentenced to twenty years’ imprisonment. Because this was Meeks’ second felony drug conviction and due to the amount of marijuana involved, Meeks was subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of twenty years in prison. A special assessment of $100 was also imposed. Meeks must also serve a ten-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Meeks is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Jones County Sheriff’s Office, and the Monticello Police Department.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 12-91-LRR.
Rockford Man Pleads Guilty to Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Rockford, Ill. man pleaded guilty today in federal court before U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Kapala to one count of wire fraud. WILLIAM DORN, 24, who was charged in a superseding indictment along with three other men, admitted that between March 2011 and January 2012 he defrauded large retail chain stores by fraudulently acquiring tens of thousands of dollars of merchandise and returning the items for cash.
In the written plea agreement, Dorn admitted that as part of the scheme he and his co-defendants ANTHONY HARDY, 42, and CAMERON LOVE, 28, both of Rockford, and ANTHONY TAYLOR, 44, of Marietta, Georgia, created and used counterfeit checks and counterfeit identifications to purchase merchandise from large chain stores such as Wal-Mart and Farm and Fleet located in various states. After he and the others purchased merchandise from those stores, they returned the merchandise to a different store location for a cash refund. Dorn admitted he knew at the time that some of the names and addresses on the checks and identification he used, and some of the bank account information, were fictitious and some were real.
Dorn is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 9, 2013, at 2:30 p.m. Taylor, who pleaded guilty on April 15, 2013 to one count of wire fraud, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24, 2013, at 2:30 p.m. Sentencing for Cameron Love, who pleaded guilty on Feb. 28, 2013, to one count of wire fraud, is not currently scheduled.
Anthony Hardy, who was also charged in a related case, pleaded guilty on Feb. 19, 2013, to one count of wire fraud and one count of identity theft, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4, 2013, at 2:30 p.m. In addition to Hardy admitting he participated in a wire fraud scheme with Dorn and others, Hardy admitted he unlawfully possessed the identification of another person used to purchase merchandise from the stores in the wire fraud scheme.
Wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a term of up to 3 years of supervised release following imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and mandatory restitution. The Court may also impose a fine totaling twice the loss to any victim or twice the gain to the defendants, whichever is greater. For Hardy, the charge of identity theft carries a mandatory sentence of 2 years imprisonment, which must run consecutive to any sentence on the wire fraud charge, as well as a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence will be determined by the United States District Court, guided by the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The guilty plea was announced by Gary S. Shapiro, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Pete Zegarac, Postal Inspector-in-Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Chicago. The Rockford Police Department assisted in the investigation.
The government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Love.
Plea Agreement
Prior Felon from Carlsbad Sentenced to 78 Months in Federal Prison for Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – On Tuesday, a federal judge in Las Cruces, N.M., sentenced Basilio Flores, 29, of Carlsbad, N.M., to 78 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Flores’s sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales and Thomas G. Atteberry, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Flores was arrested on Feb. 3, 2012, on a criminal complaint, and has been in federal custody since that time. Flores pled guilty to an indictment on July 2, 2012, that charged him with unlawfully possessing a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol on Jan. 16, 2012, in Eddy County, N.M. At the time, Flores was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of three felonies in the 5th Judicial District Court for the State of New Mexico, including armed robbery with a deadly weapon.
The case was investigated by the Roswell office of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Explosives and Firearms and the Carlsbad Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mick I.R. Gutierrez of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.Parent Sentenced to 10 Months for Threatening School Administrators and TeacherRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI - District Court Chief Judge Curtis V. Gomez today sentenced Vendel Alvin
Williams, 35, to 10 months in prison and three years of supervised release for threatening to shoot
school administrators and a teacher at the Gladys Abraham Elementary School on St. Thomas,
announced United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe, Virgin Islands Police Commissioner
Rodney Querrard and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent-in-Charge Carlos Cases.On February 27, 2013, Williams pleaded guilty in federal court on St. Thomas to
transmitting a threat to injure a person via interstate commerce. According to the plea agreement
filed with the Court, on November 19, 2012, Williams made a telephone call to the Gladys
Abraham School, and after identifying himself, threatened to shoot the school administrators and a
teacher. He also threatened to kill the children who were allegedly bullying his child, who was a
student at the school.U.S. Attorney Sharpe praised the efforts of the Virgin Islands Police Department and
the FBI who investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney
Ishmael A. Meyers, Jr.Pace Man Indicted for Theft and False StatementsRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Tony Gene Broxton, Jr., 54, of Pace, Florida, appeared yesterday in federal court on charges of theft of public money and making false statements to federal agencies, according to Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The four-count indictment charges that Broxton stole money from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and made fraudulent statements to both agencies regarding his employment as the Treasurer and Financial Officer for the Pace Fire and Rescue District (PFRD). Count One charges Broxton with stealing over $140,000 from the SSA between 2008 and 2013. Count Two charges Broxton with stealing over $60,000 from the VA from between 2009 and 2013. Count Three charges Broxton with falsely stating to the VA that he had no job and no one would hire him due to his disabilities, when in fact he was actively employed by PFRD at the time. Count Four charges Broxton with falsely stating to the SSA that he was not paid for his work with PFRD and that his wife had worked full-time for PFRD, when in fact Broxton’s wife did not work for PFRD and payments for Broxton’s work as Treasurer and Financial Officer of PFRD were made directly to his wife, in her name.
Broxton is scheduled for trial on July 8, 2013, before Chief U.S. District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers. If convicted, Broxton faces a maximum of ten years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine for each count of theft, as well as a maximum of five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine for each count of making a false statement.
The indictment results from an investigation by agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General and by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Kim.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Owner of B.L. Jennings and Bryco Firearms Sentenced to More Than 10 Years on Federal Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida - U.S. District Judge John Antoon, II today sentenced Bruce Lee Jennings (64, Port Orange) to 10 years and one month in federal prison for possessing and distributing child pornography. Jennings was also sentenced to serve a 10-year term of supervision, following his release from prison, and is required to register as a sex offender. In addition, the court ordered Jennings to forfeit his computer equipment and $500,000 from the sale of his home, both of which were used to commit the offenses. Jennings pleaded guilty on January 28, 2013.
According to court documents, Jennings made child pornography directly available for others to download from his “IP” (Internet Protocol) address and Peer to Peer shared directory. During a recorded interview, Jennings admitted to hoarding child pornography images and videos for more than five years. Law enforcement officers conducted a forensic examination of his computers and hard drives and found that Jennings amassed more than 1,490 images and 3,220 videos depicting images of children being sexually abused and exploited.
This case was investigated by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Myrna Amelia Mesa.
It is another case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.
Optometrist from Derby, Kan., Sentenced to Prison for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – An optometrist from Derby, Kan., has been sentenced to 41 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud in a scheme to collect more than $500,000 in pay for eye exams that never were performed, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today. In addition, he was ordered to pay $583,060 in restitution.
Wade D. Abbey, 47, Derby, Kan., pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud. An indictment filed in March 2012 alleged that the crimes were committed while Abbey and his wife were working as optometrists for Visions Doctors of Optometry. They were paid an hourly wage and additional fees for each full eye exam they conducted. Wade Abbey inflated the number of eye exams they performed and provided false information to an accountant who paid them based on the false information.
In his plea, Abbey admitted that:
On Jan. 6, 2010, he sent an email stating that he provided 177 full eye exams and his wife provided 160 full eye exams, which he knew was not true.
On Jan. 20, 2010, he sent an email stating he provided 197 full eye exams and his wife provided 186 full eye exams, which he knew was not true.
On Feb, 3, 2010, he sent an email stating he provided 206 full eye exams and his wife provided 185 full eye exams, which he knew was not true.
On March 31, 2010, he sent an email stating he provided 207 full eye exams and his wife provided 185 full eye exams, which he knew was not true.
On June 23, 2010, he sent an email stating he provided 187 full eye exams and his wife provided 176 full eye exams, which he knew was not true.As a result of the fraud, he was paid $583,060.
Grissom commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett for their work on the case.
North Ridgeville Man Sentenced to 17 1/2 Years in Prison for Child Pornography ConvictionRead the Press Release
A North Ridgeville man was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison after previously pleading guilty to one count of distribution of visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
William Wilson, 73, was sentenced to 210 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald Nugent.
This case was being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Sullivan following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Nineteen Members of Methamphetamine Trafficking Ring Face Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
BRYSON CITY, N.C. – Nineteen members of a methamphetamine trafficking ring have been charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Thirteen of those charged were arrested on Wednesday, May 29, 2013, during an early morning round-up conducted by federal, state and local law enforcement, announced Anne M. Tompkins, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
U.S. Attorney Tompkins is joined in making today’s announcement by Harry S. Sommers, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office and Wayne L. Dixie, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division.
The arrests are the result of a multi-agency investigation conducted by DEA, ATF, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Macon County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Swain County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin Police Department, and Cherokee Indian Police Department to target and reduce the trafficking of methamphetamine in Western North Carolina.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Tompkins stated, “Methamphetamine is harmful not only to those who create or use it but also to those who are exposed to it, often including young children. Together with our law enforcement partners we will continue our relentless pursuit of meth trafficking rings that operate in our communities, plague our neighborhoods and imperil our children.”
Harry S. Sommers, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division commented on the case, “The successful results of this investigation should let criminals who flood the drug market with methamphetamine know that DEA and its multi-level law enforcement partners will disrupt, dismantle and ultimately destroy their drug distribution networks.”
“Drug dealers are poison enough to our communities, but when you include a drug dealer who also deals in guns that have the high potential of being used in violent crimes, it becomes a top priority of ATF to stop them and hold them accountable for their criminal conduct.” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Wayne L. Dixie. “Anyone who deals in the illegal transfer of firearms and manufacture and distribution of illegal drugs can be assured that the full wrath and resources of the federal government will be used to remove them from our neighborhoods.”
According to allegations contained in the criminal indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court, from in or about May of 2012 to in or about April of 2013, the nineteen defendants did knowingly conspire to possess with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of actual methamphetamine or more than 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, which has a street value of $100. The indictment alleges that the defendants carried out their drug conspiracy primarily in Jackson, Haywood, Macon, Swain and Buncombe counties in Western North Carolina.
The following individuals were named and charged in the methamphetamine conspiracy indictment.
• Cipriano Ramos Altamirano, 25, of Franklin, N.C. (arrested)
• Claude Gregory Coggins, 50, of Cullowhee, N.C. (arrested)
• Anne Harvey Cresswell, ¬¬¬¬42, of Franklin. (arrested)
• Joseph Daniel Denmark, 32, of Franklin. (arrest pending)
• Patricia Leigh Dreml, 48, of Bryson City, N.C. (arrested)
• Daniel Furman Gibson, 50, of Franklin. (arrested)
• Gerardo Beltran Llanas, 43, of Franklin. (arrested)
• Carlos Lopez, 28, of Canton, N.C. (arrest pending)
• Forest Shane Lynn, 42, of Robinsville, N.C. (arrested)
• Joshua Bryan Parker, 29, of Franklin. (arrested)
• Eddie Dwayne Potts, 42, of Cullowhee. (arrest pending)
• Gerardo Rodriquez-Aragon, 30, of Franklin. (arrested)
• Javier Serna-Trejo, 30, of Clayton, Ga. (arrested)
• Chad Keith Shuler, 36, of Franklin. (arrest pending)
• Paul Michael Swofford, 46, of Franklin. (arrest pending)
• Ronald Edward Swofford, 39, of Franklin. (arrested)
• James Homer Taylor, 52, of Franklin. (arrested)
• Heather Marie West, 24, of Canton. (arrest pending)
• Angela Leigh Wike, 39, of Bryson City. (arrested)
A separate indictment also unsealed today in U.S. District Court charged Taylor and David Carlton Martin, 57, of Franklin, with one count of dealing in firearms without a license. Martin was also arrested during the early morning round-up yesterday.
All 19 defendants in the methamphetamine trafficking ring have been charged with engaging in a narcotics conspiracy and they face a statutory minimum prison term of ten years and a maximum term of life imprisonment, and a $10 million fine. (See chart below for a breakdown of additional federal charges and maximum penalties for each defendant). Taylor and Martin face a maximum prison term of five years and a $250,000 fine for the firearms charge.
The 13 defendants arrested on May 29, 2013 will have their initial appearances this afternoon in U.S. District Court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dennis L. Howell.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The investigation is being handled by the DEA and ATF, assisted by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Macon County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Swain County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin Police Department, and Cherokee Indian Police Department. The prosecution is being handled for the government by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Kent of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville.
Niagara Falls Man Sentenced on Drug Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.--U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Keith Crossley, 39, of Niagara Falls, N.Y., who was convicted of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, was sentenced to 37 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Catherine Baumgarten, who handled the case, stated that on May 3, 2012, Crossley was found in a mobile home at 314 Quain Place, in the Town of Niagara when members of the Niagara County Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant. Inside the home, officers found an active methamphetamine lab in the kitchen. Officers also seized precursor chemicals and ingredients used to manufacture methamphetamine, a loaded 12-gauge Mossberg shotgun, shotgun shells, a digital camera, and drug paraphernalia and spent blister packs from the pseudophedrine tablets.
Co-defendants Jason Hannon, 38, was sentenced to 63 months in prison and Robert Gardiner, 29, was sentenced to one year in prison. Another co-defendant, Roberta Hannon, 45, has been convicted on similar charges and is awaiting sentencing.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian R. Crowell, New York Field Division and the Niagara County Drug Enforcement Task Force, under the direction of Sheriff James Votour.New Orleans Postal Employee, Chanel M. Mcginnis, Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement of Mail MatterRead the Press Release
CHANEL M. MCGINNIS, age 28, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, pled guilty in federal court today before U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to embezzlement of mail matter by a postal employee, announced U. S. Attorney Dana J. Boente.
According to court documents, on or about February 7, 2011, MCGINNIS, while being an employee of the United States Postal Service, embezzled $450 in United States currency that was contained in a first class letter addressed to W.B., a resident of Metairie, Louisiana.
If convicted, MCGINNIS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, a fine of $250,000 and three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. Sentencing is set for August 22, 2013.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service- Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Loan “Mimi” Nguyen(Download Factual Basis )
New Haven Man Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that EARL BANKS, also known as “E.J.,” 22, of New Haven, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 78 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine.
BANKS is one of more than 100 individuals charged as a result of “Operation Bloodline,” a joint law enforcement investigation targeting narcotics trafficking and gang violence in the Dwight-Kensington and Fair Haven sections of New Haven. Led by the DEA New Haven Task Force and the New Haven and Hamden Police Departments, the year-long investigation included the use of court-authorized wiretaps on numerous telephones, extensive physical surveillance, controlled purchases of narcotics, execution of search warrants and seizures of narcotics and firearms.
The investigation revealed that BANKS conspired with others to purchase and redistribute crack cocaine. On December 13, 2011 and February 2, 2012, law enforcement officers conducted controlled purchases of crack from BANKS.
BANKS, who was on state probation at the time of the offense, has been detained since his arrest on May 17, 2012. On January 28, 2013, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”).
This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, Branford, Ansonia and Meriden Police Departments. The United States Marshals Service, the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Department of Correction, Parole and Community Services and the Milford, Hartford, New Britain, North Branford and Stratford Police Departments have provided valuable assistance to the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys S. Dave Vatti and Marc Silverman.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]New Haven Man Pleads Guilty to Social Security Fraud ChargeRead the Press Release
Deirdre Daly, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NAIM HASAAN, 31, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today before United States Magistrate Judge Donna F. Martinez in Hartford to one count of social security number fraud.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on 10 occasions between September 2006 and November 2007, HASAAN applied for a non-driver identification card at the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. Each time HASAAN presented a name and social security number of another person along with his own photo. As a result, HASAAN falsely obtained 10 non-driver identifications in other people’s names, each one bearing his own photo.
HASAAN is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Alvin W. Thompson on September 3, 2013, at which time HASAAN faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000.
This matter is being investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Anjna Kapoor and Assistant United States Attorney Henry K. Kopel.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]New City, N.Y., Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Possessing Images of Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. -- A New City, N.Y., man and former employee of a New Jersey country club was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for possessing images on his computer of children being sexually abused, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
John C. Zerega, 55, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to a one-count Information charging him with possession of child pornography. Judge McNulty imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:As early as Oct. 19, 2011, Zerega downloaded videos and images of child pornography on the Internet via peer-to-peer file sharing software. On Dec. 20, 2011, law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at Zerega’s residence and seized his laptop computer, which contained numerous pictures and videos depicting child pornography, including pictures of prepubescent children engaging in sexual activity and being sexually abused.
In addition to the prison term, Judge McNulty sentenced Zerega to 10 years of supervised release and required him to get mental health testing and treatment. Zerega also must register as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI Newark Division’s Cyber Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna of the U.S. Attorney=s Office Special Prosecutions Division.
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Defense counsel: Deborah Loewenberg Esq., New City, N.Y., and Paul Brickfield Esq., River Edge, N.J.