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Friday 19 April 2013
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Arrest of NYPD Officer for Tax Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Toni Weirauch, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Division of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), and Thomas H. Mattox, the Commissioner of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance (“DTF”), announced today the arrest of Jonathan Wally, an NYPD Police Officer, for tax fraud and identity theft offenses. WALLY was arrested yesterday in Bronx, New York, and presented in Manhattan federal court yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge James C. Francis IV.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “As alleged, Jonathan Wally was enforcing the law by day, and breaking it at night. Identity theft and tax fraud are urgent and widespread problems, and it is especially troubling when they are crimes committed by those entrusted with enforcing the law, as is alleged here.”
IRS Special Agent-in-Charge Toni Weirauch said: “IRS-Criminal Investigation is involved in this investigation for two reasons. First, IRS Criminal Investigation has made investigating stolen identity refund fraud a top priority. The filing of fraudulent tax returns using stolen identities can cause significant financial harm to the victims of ID theft, as well as a monetary loss for the U.S. Treasury. Secondly, no law enforcement officer is above any law; we have the same duty to pay our fair share of taxes as any other American citizen. IRS-Criminal Investigation is committed to ensuring that everyone pays their fair share.”
DTF Commissioner Thomas H. Mattox said: “I commend U.S. Attorney Bharara for his ongoing diligence in identifying and prosecuting tax fraud. It is particularly egregious when a police officer, whom we trust to enforce the law, is alleged to have used stolen identities to steal tax dollars for himself and his clients. Tax preparers are critical to the financial well-being of their clients, and we remind all taxpayers to be vigilant when selecting a tax professional.”
According to the Complaint unsealed yesterday in Manhattan federal court and statements made yesterday in court:
WALLY has been employed by the NYPD as a Police Officer assigned to the 34th Precinct located in the Washington Heights/Inwood section of New York, New York since 2003. Since at least 2008, WALLY also served as a tax preparer for individuals. Although the NYPD requires its Police Officers to obtain written authorization to engage in off-duty employment, WALLY never sought or obtained such authorization to work as a tax preparer.
From 2010 through April 2012, WALLY defrauded the IRS by causing it to issue tax refunds to other individuals based on fraudulent and false U.S. individual income tax returns (“tax returns”) prepared and filed by WALLY on behalf of those taxpayers.
During that time period and continuing through January 2013, WALLY further defrauded the IRS by preparing and filing fraudulent and false tax returns on his own behalf that failed to declare certain income, causing him to receive tax refunds to which he was not entitled.
In connection with the fraudulent tax return scheme, WALLY obtained personal identifying information of children and Social Security cards in the names of other children that he used to declare them as dependents on false and fraudulent tax returns he prepared and filed on behalf of others and himself.
As a result of the false and fraudulent tax returns prepared and filed by WALLY on behalf of other individuals, the IRS paid them at least $119,793 in fraudulent tax refunds. The false and fraudulent tax returns prepared and filed by WALLY on his own behalf caused the IRS to pay him at least $4,850 in fraudulent tax refunds. In addition, from 2010 up to and including the present, WALLY failed to pay the IRS at least $19,487 in income taxes that he owed based on income he earned as a tax preparer but failed to declare on his tax returns.
WALLY, 33, of Bronx, New York, is charged with five counts. Counts One and Two charge him with aiding and abetting the filing of a false and fraudulent tax return, and subscribing to a false and fraudulent tax return, respectively. Counts One and Two each carry a maximum sentence of three years in prison. Counts Three and Four charge WALLY with identify theft and Count Five charges WALLY with aggravated identity theft. Counts Three and Four each carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, and Count Five carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison.
Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the IRS, DTF, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Internal Affairs Bureau of the New York City Police Department.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office's Public Corruption Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Carrie H. Cohen is in charge of the prosecution.
U.S. v. Jonathan Wally Complaint
Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Lying in Terrorism Investigation and False Claim ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida - Senior U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell today sentenced Jonathan Paul Jimenez (28) to 10 years in federal prison for making a false statement to a federal agency in a matter involving international terrorism, and conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service. Jimenez was also ordered to serve a 3-year term of supervised release, upon his release from prison, and to pay $5,587 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. Jimenez pleaded guilty on August 28, 2012.
According to court documents, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was investigating an international terrorism matter regarding the operation of a travel facilitation network by Marcus Dwayne Robertson and others that sends individuals overseas to commit violent jihad. In November 2010, Jimenez relocated from New York to Central Florida, where he began training with Robertson in the skills necessary to participate in violent jihad overseas. The training with Robertson included martial arts, firearm and knife training, reading the Quran, and learning Arabic. During Jimenez’s training, Robertson stressed that Jimenez needed to focus on the religious aspects of his training, prior to perfecting the skills needed to commit violent acts.
In late May and early June of 2011, Jimenez, with the assistance of Robertson and others, began making preparations for his overseas travel. Robertson assisted Jimenez with getting his photographs for his visa application and his vaccinations. On June 17, 2011, Jimenez departed Central Florida and traveled to New York by airplane, where he expected to get his visa and then travel overseas.
During the course of the investigation, the FBI obtained evidence about the nature of Robertson’s training of Jimenez and the plan for Jimenez to travel overseas to engage in violent jihad. As part of the investigation, the FBI obtained consensually recorded conversations with Jimenez and others, in which Jimenez stated his goals. When interviewed by the FBI on September 22, 2011, Jimenez lied about making those statements.
In order to have funds available for him when he was overseas, Jimenez and others conspired to submit a false 2010 tax return for Jimenez, in which Jimenez falsely claimed three of Robertson’s children as his dependents and falsely represented that he lived with each of the three children for all of the year 2010. As a result of those false representations, Jimenez obtained a refund from the IRS in the amount of $5,587.
Robertson was arrested by the FBI on August 23, 2011 for being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He pleaded guilty to that offense on January 5, 2012 and is pending sentencing. On March 14, 2012, Robertson was indicted for conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service. His trial is set for July 2013. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
These cases were investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Division. They are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.
Man Sentenced for Money Laundering and Harboring AliensRead the Press Release
A Costa Rican citizen who harbored illegal alien workers by employing them as roofers in Iowa and elsewhere, and who laundered the proceeds of his criminal activity, was sentenced in federal court in Cedar Rapids on Thursday, April 18, 2013.
Luis Trejos, age 45, a permanent resident alien originally from Costa Rica, who most recently lived in Newnan, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 30 months in federal prison after having pleaded guilty on December 3, 2012, to one count of harboring and transporting illegal aliens, and one count of money laundering.
Trejos was sentenced in federal court in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. In addition to the 30 month prison sentence, Trejos was ordered to pay a special assessment of $200.00, and will be required to serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Evidence presented in the case showed Trejos had worked as a roofing contractor for several years in various communities across the country. In March 2012, Trejos agreed to perform roofing work for an eastern Iowa roofing company. Trejos arranged for workers to come to Iowa and work with him for the roofing company. These workers were neither lawfully present nor authorized to work in the United States. Trejos also hired other workers in Iowa who were not authorized to work in the United States. Trejos admitted he knew and recklessly disregarded the fact that the workers had come to and remained in the United States in violation of law. Trejos admitted he took no action to verify the legal status of the workers. Trejos also performed similar work for a company in Kentucky in 2012.
In sentencing Trejos, Judge Reade noted the broad scope of Trejos’s conduct and the role he played in organizing and managing the criminal activity.
Trejos will be held in United States Marshal’s custody pending transport to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard L. Murphy and investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 12-CR-00061.
Man Charged with Unlawfully Using Others’ Identities to Steal More Than $250,000 in IRS RefundsRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE, Calif. – Sanjeev Bais was charged on April 17, 2013, by a federal grand jury with 14 counts of theft of government property and 14 counts aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney Melinda Haag and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge Jose M. Martinez announced.
According to the indictment, between February 2009 and June 2010, Bais unlawfully used the identities of 14 individuals to obtain 14 IRS refund payments to which he was not entitled. The refunds totaled $258,319.
Bais is scheduled to appear before Magistrate Judge Paul Grewal on April 24, 2013, at 9:30 a.m.
The maximum statutory penalty for each count of theft of government property, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 641 is 10 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000. The maximum statutory penalty of each count of aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A is 15 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years imprisonment. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Charles Parker is the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting this case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by IRS-CI.
Please note, an indictment contains only allegations against an individual and, as with all defendants, Bais must be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Man Arrested in Paducah Sentenced to 16 Months in Prison for Impersonating A United States Army Chief Warrant Officer and FraudRead the Press Release
– Used the disguise to defraud another of sums of money
PADUCAH, Ky. - A convicted felon, living in McCracken County, Kentucky, was sentenced yesterday, in United States District Court, by Senior Judge Thomas B. Russell, to 16 months in prison followed by a one year term of supervised release, for impersonating an officer of the US Army, and defrauding a victim of sums of money, announced David J. Hale, United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky. Senior Judge Russell also ordered defendant Kyle Christopher Barwan to pay restitution in the amount of $1,640.
Barwan, age 23, was charged in a two-count indictment by a grand jury meeting in Paducah, Kentucky on September 11, 2012. According to the indictment, on or about April 14, 2012, in Christian County, Kentucky, the defendant, falsely assumed and pretended to be an officer and employee of the United States, that is, a United States Army Chief Warrant Officer, and in such pretended character, falsely stated that he was a United States Army Chief Warrant Officer and conducted a military promotion ceremony for military personnel. Further, between April 1, 2012 and May 7, 2012, in McCracken County, Kentucky, the defendant, falsely pretended to be an officer and employee of the United States, that is, a United States Army Chief Warrant Officer, and in such pretended character, with intent to defraud, did falsely demand and obtain a thing of value from another person, in that he obtained sums of money over $1,000. According to court records, Barwan asked at least one individual for money, while impersonating an officer of the US Army. Barwan pleaded guilty to both charges on December 12, 2012 before Senior Judge Russell.
Barwan was previously arrested in Vincennes, Indiana, in November 2010, and charged with impersonating an officer and possession of cocaine. He was convicted of both offenses and sentenced In June, 2011 to one year imprisonment for impersonating an officer and 18 months, to run concurrent, for the felony possession of cocaine.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Sparks and Special Assistant United States Attorney Captain John Vrettand and was investigated by Ft. Campbell Military Police, the McCracken County Sheriff’s Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Las Vegas Attorney Paul Wommer Convicted of Tax and Money Structuring CrimesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Las Vegas attorney Paul Wommer was found guilty this afternoon of tax and money structuring charges following a three-day bench trial before U.S. District Judge Gloria M. Navarro, announced Daniel G. Bogden, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada.
Wommer, 60, of Las Vegas, was convicted of three counts of structuring financial transactions, one count of tax evasion, and one count of making and subscribing a false tax return, statement or other document.
According to the court records and evidence introduced at trial, between June 30 and July 15, 2010, Wommer made or assisted in 15 structured deposits totaling $138,700 for the purpose of evading bank reporting requirements. These deposits were made as part of a pattern of illegal activity involving more than $100,000 during a 12-month time period. During that same time period, Wommer willfully attempted to evade federal income taxes in the amount of $13,020 by concealing and attempting to conceal his assets, by making false statements to the IRS, and by placing funds and property in the names of nominees.
Wommer is scheduled to be sentenced on August 1, 2013. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine on each structuring count, up to five years in prison and a $250,0000 fine on the tax evasion count, and up to three years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the false return count, and
The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew W. Duncan.
Today's announcement is part of efforts underway by President Obama's Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys' offices and state and local partners, it's the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,700 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, visit www.stopfraud.gov.Keishandra Houston Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud in Aftermath of Bp Oil SpillRead the Press Release
KEISHANDRA HOUSTON, age 36, a resident of Slidell, Louisiana, pled guilty to wire fraud relating to an application for financial assistance in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, announced U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente.
The Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF) made disaster assistance money available to individuals affected by the oil spill resulting from the Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. The GCCF required individuals to verify loss of income. According to court documents, in September 2010 HOUSTON falsely represented to the GCCF that she worked as a cook at a seafood restaurant and suffered financially due to lost employment as a result of the Deepwater Horizon incident. To support this fraudulent claim, on September 30, 2010, HOUSTON wired to the GCCF false earnings statements which incorrectly indicated that the she was employed by a seafood restaurant. In response to the claim, the GCCF paid HOUSTON $5,900.
HOUSTON faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine of $250,000 and 3 years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. Sentencing is set for July 25, 2013.
This case was brought as part of this District’s partnership with the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF), a nationwide initiative to protect available funds and assistance for those victims of both natural and man-made disasters such as hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and the recent Gulf oil spill. If you have knowledge of fraud, waste, abuse, or allegations of mismanagement involving disaster relief operations, you can contact the NCDF by either calling the hotline at (866) 720-5721, faxing (225) 334-4707, emailing at [email protected] or in writing to National Center for Disaster Fraud, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4909.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chandra Menon.
(Download Factual Basis )
Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Anheuser-Busch InBev and Grupo Modelo in Beer CaseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement with Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (ABI) and Grupo Modelo S.A.B. de C.V. that requires the companies to divest Modelo’s entire U.S. business – including licenses of Modelo brand beers, its most advanced brewery, Piedras Negras, its interest in Crown Imports LLC and other assets – to Constellation Brands Inc., in order to go forward with their merger. The department said the proposed settlement will maintain competition in the beer industry nationwide, benefitting consumers.
Today’s proposed settlement was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. If approved by the court, the settlement will resolve the department’s competitive concerns.
On Jan. 31, 2013, the department filed an antitrust lawsuit against ABI and Modelo alleging that ABI’s $20.1 billion acquisition of the remaining interest in Modelo that ABI did not already own, as originally proposed, would substantially lessen competition in the market for beer in the United States as a whole and in at least 26 metropolitan areas across the United States. The department alleged that the transaction would result in consumers paying more for beer and would limit innovation in the beer market.“Before the merger, there were two competitors – Modelo and ABI – and ABI owned a substantial stake in Modelo. The companies’ proposed merger would have reduced those two competitors to one – ABI. The proposed settlement announced today will create an independent, fully integrated and economically viable competitor to ABI. This is a win for the $80 billion U.S. beer market and consumers,” said Bill Baer, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “If this settlement makes just a one percent difference in prices, U.S. consumers will save almost $1 billion a year.”
The settlement requires ABI and Modelo to divest Modelo’s entire U.S. business to Constellation or to an alternative purchaser if for some reason the transaction with Constellation cannot be completed. Specifically, the settlement requires ABI and Modelo to divest: the Piedras Negras brewery, Modelo’s newest, most technologically advanced brewery; perpetual and exclusive licenses of the Modelo brand beers for distribution and sale in the United States; Modelo’s current interest in Crown – the joint venture established by Modelo and Constellation to import, market and sell certain Modelo beers into the United States; and other assets, rights and interests necessary to ensure that Constellation is able to compete in the U.S. beer market using the Modelo brand beers, independent of a relationship to ABI and Modelo.The licensed brands include all seven brands that Modelo currently offers (through its distributor, Crown) in the United States – Corona Extra, Corona Light, Modelo Especial, Negra Modelo, Modelo Light, Pacifico and Victoria – as well as three brands not yet offered in the United States, but currently sold by Modelo in Mexico – Pacifico Light, Barrilito and León. The licenses include rights that will give Constellation the ability to adapt to changing market conditions in the United States.
Constellation has committed to expand the capacity of Piedras Negras in order to meet current and future demand for the Modelo brands in the United States, and that commitment is a condition of the proposed settlement. The settlement also sets milestones for the expansion of the Piedras Negras brewery. In order to enable Constellation to compete in the United States during the time it takes to expand the Piedras Negras brewery’s capacity to brew and bottle beer, the settlement requires ABI to enter into interim supply and transition services agreements with Constellation. These agreements are time-limited to ensure that Constellation will become a fully independent competitor to ABI as soon as practicable.
ABI and Modelo originally proposed selling Modelo’s stake in Crown to Constellation and entering into a 10-year supply agreement to provide Modelo beer to Constellation to import into the United States. The department rejected that purported fix because it would have eliminated the Modelo brands as an independent competitive force in the United States beer market. Unlike the companies’ original proposal, which left Constellation with no brewing assets and beholden to ABI for the supply of beer, the proposed settlement ensures that Constellation, or an alternative purchaser, will have independent brewing assets and the ownership of the Modelo beer brands for sale in the United States in perpetuity. As a result, Constellation will fully replace Modelo as a competitor in the United States.
ABI is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of Belgium, with headquarters in Leuven, Belgium. ABI brews and markets more beer sold in the United States than any other firm, with a 39 percent market share nationally. ABI owns and operates 125 breweries worldwide, including 12 in the United States. It owns more than 200 different beer brands, including Bud Light – the best-selling brand in the United States – and other popular brands such as Budweiser, Busch, Michelob, Natural Light, Stella Artois, Goose Island and Beck’s.
Modelo is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of Mexico, with headquarters in Mexico City. Modelo is the third-largest brewer of beer sold in the United States, with a seven percent market share nationally. Modelo owns Corona Extra–the top-selling beer imported into the United States. Its other popular brands sold in the United States include Corona Light, Modelo Especial, Negra Modelo, Victoria and Pacifico. Crown imports, markets and sells Modelo’s brands into the United States. ABI currently holds a 35.3 percent direct interest in Modelo and a 23.3 percent direct interest in Modelo’s operating subsidiary Diblo.
Constellation, headquartered in Victor, N.Y, is a beer, wine and spirits company with a portfolio of more than 100 products, including Robert Mondavi, Clos du Bois, Ruffino and SVEDKA Vodka. It produces wine and distilled spirits, with more than 40 facilities worldwide.
The proposed settlement, along with the department's competitive impact statement, will be published in the Federal Register, consistent with the requirements of the Antitrust Procedures and Penalties Act. Any person may submit written comments concerning the proposed settlement within 60 days of its publication to James Tierney, Chief, Networks and Technology Enforcement Section, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 7100, Washington, D.C. 20530. The comments will be published in the Federal Register. At the conclusion of the 60-day comment period, the court may enter the final judgment upon a finding that it serves the public interest.Justice Department Reaches Settlement Agreement with City of Jacksonville, Fla., to Ensure Civic Access for People with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced an agreement with the city of Jacksonville, Fla., to improve access for people with disabilities to civic life in Jacksonville. The agreement was reached under Project Civic Access (PCA), the Justice Department’s initiative to ensure that cities, towns and counties throughout the country comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
“Access to your city is a basic civil right, and the doors to government programs, services and activities must be open for people with disabilities,” said Eve L. Hill, Senior Counselor to the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “I commend the city of Jacksonville for its commitment that all people have full access to what the city has to offer.”
PCA ensures that persons with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate in civic life. As part of the PCA initiative, Justice Department staff, including investigators and architects, survey government facilities, services and programs in communities across the country. The survey identifies modifications needed for compliance with the ADA. The agreements set out steps each community must take to improve access. PCA agreements require physical modifications to facilities to make them accessible to people with disabilities. Elements that need modifications may include parking, routes into buildings, entrances, assembly areas, restrooms, service counters and drinking fountains. Other provisions address effective communication, grievance procedures, polling places, emergency management, sidewalks, domestic violence programs and web-based services.
Jacksonville is one of the largest cities in Florida and, by area, one of the largest in the United States. It operates one of the largest city park systems in the United States. During the compliance review, the Department reviewed 64 of the city’s facilities. The agreement requires the city to correct deficiencies identified at the 64 facilities and requires Jacksonville to review and correct identified deficiencies at hundreds of additional facilities. The agreement will remain in effect for five years. The department will monitor the city’s compliance with the agreement.
People interested in finding out more about the ADA, today’s agreement with the city of Jacksonville, the PCA initiative or the ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for state and local governments can access the ADA webpage at www.ada.gov o r call the toll-free ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383).
Related Materials:
Jacksonville PCA Settlement Agreement
Judge Sentences Fayette County Heroin Dealer to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Uniontown, Pa., has been sentenced in federal court to120 months imprisonment followed by five years supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Gregory Moore, Jr. a/k/a G, 31, of Uniontown, Pa.
According to information presented to the court, from in or around April 2012, and continuing thereafter to in or around May 2012, Moore conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 300 grams of heroin. Moore was owed $94,000 for heroin that he had previously provided on consignment to a drug distributor.
Assistant United States Attorney Charles A. Eberle prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Redstone Township Police Department, the Uniontown Police Department, and the Fayette County Drug Task Force for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Moore, Jr.
Jose Gonzalez-grana Indicted for Making A False Statement Claiming United States Citizenship and Illegal Use of A Social Security NumberRead the Press Release
JOSE GONZALEZ-GRANA, age 35, a citizen of Mexico, was charged in a two-count indictment by a Federal Grand Jury today with making a false statement claiming United States citizenship and illegal use of a Social Security Number, announced U. S. Attorney Dana J. Boente.
According to the indictment, on May 3, 2012, GONZALEZ, an alien, knowingly made a false statement and claim that he was a United States citizen in order to unlawfully engage in employment in the United States. GONZALEZ was also charged with falsely representing that a Social Security number had been assigned to him by the Commissioner of Social Security with intent to deceive for the purpose of completing an Employment Eligibility Verification Form.
If convicted of both counts, GONZALEZ faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a fine of $500,000 and 3 years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
U. S. Attorney Boente reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE) as part of Operation Safe Neighborhood. The prosecution is being handled by Special Assistant United States Attorney Robert Weir.
(Download Indictment )
Jose Adan De Dios-lara Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
JOSE ADAN DE DIOS-LARA, age 25, a citizen of Honduras, was sentenced today in federal court by U. S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier to approximately 5 months imprisonment, announced U.S. Attorney Dana Boente. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Barbier ordered that DE DIOS be placed on two years of supervised release following the term of imprisonment, during which time the defendant will be under federal supervision and risks an additional term of imprisonment should he violate any terms of supervised release.
According to court documents, on January 24, 2013, DE DIOS pled guilty to a one-count indictment admitting he was an alien who was previously removed and was knowingly and unlawfully found in the United States, in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana on November 14, 2012, without the Attorney General or Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, having expressly consented to his re-application for admission into the United States. DE DIOS’s sentence was subject to enhancement based on a previous felony conviction.
This case was investigated by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations with the assistance of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Robert Weir.
Joint Federal and State Investigation Leads to Arrests and Weapons and Drugs SeizuresRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces the unsealing of indictments charging Anthony Maurice McSwain (28, Pinellas County) and Jarvis Antwan Dorsey (22, Pinellas County) with weapons and drugs offenses. If convicted on all counts, each faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. McSwain is charged with four counts of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and two counts of distribution of cocaine. Dorsey is charged with one count of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and two counts of distribution of cocaine. Both were arraigned on April 16, 2013, and were ordered detained pending trial.According to the indictment against McSwain, he is charged with having possessed a Ruger pistol, a Rossi .38 caliber revolver, a Ruger rifle, a Colt .45 caliber pistol, and a Winchester rifle. The indictment against Dorsey alleges that he possessed a MAC-10 .45 caliber pistol. Both McSwain and Dorsey are previously convicted felons and prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
These cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ("ATF"), the Largo Police Department, and the Clearwater Police Department. The cases arose from a joint federal and state investigation resulted in 28 people being arrested on state and federal violations, and the seizure of 13 firearms, as well as quantities of cocaine, marijuana, hydrocodone and other narcotics. The federal cases arising from the investigation will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark E. Bini.
Illinois Man Sentenced to 11 Years for Attempting to Distribute Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA – Dustin Francisco Struckman, 24, of Peoria, Illinois was sentenced on yesterday by United States District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood to 11 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for attempting to distribute child pornography. Struckman will be required to register as a sex offender. At the conclusion of the sentencing, Struckman was returned to the custody of the United States Marshal Service to serve his sentence.According to the evidence presented at Struckman’s plea and sentencing hearings, in January and May of 2011, Struckman, who was then enlisted in the U.S. Navy and located in Kings Bay, was making available for distribution over a peer to peer network various child pornography videos and images. When interviewed by a special agent with the Naval Criminal Investigation Service, Struckman admitted that he had been downloading and viewing child pornography images for several years, and utilizing a peer to peer network for that purpose. Struckman’s computer was found to contain at least 33 videos and 16 still images depicting child sexual abuse, with at least one video depicting a child as young as three years old.
United States Attorney Edward J. Tarver stated, “The distribution of images depicting the sexual abuse of innocent children is a heinous crime. The abuse to these young victims continued every time the Defendant viewed these images and made them available to others through a file-sharing network. There is no higher priority within the Department of Justice than the protection of our Nation’s children. There should be no doubt that the United States Attorney’s Office will prosecute those who facilitate and create a market for the violent sexual assault of children.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.
The case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Kingsland Police Department, the Naval Criminal Investigation Service, and the Coast Guard Investigation Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy Greenwood prosecuted the case. file://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/file://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.Hastings Man Sentenced on Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – On April 18, 2013, Jeffrey Bruce Carrigan, age 44, of Hastings, Iowa, was sentenced in United States District Court in Council Bluffs on the charge of felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Chief United States District Court Judge James E. Gritzner sentenced Carrigan to 37 months in prison, to be followed by 2 years of supervised release. The Court also ordered Montgomery to forfeit three rifles and ammunition found in his possession, and to pay a $100.00 special assessment for the Crime Victim Fund. Carrigan remains in the custody of the United States Marshal pending designation of the Federal Bureau of Prisons facility at he will serve his sentence.
Carrigan was sentenced to the 37 months imprisonment following his plea of guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. The firearm charge against Carrigan arose from a September 4, 2012, visit to Carrigan’s residence by a State of Iowa probation officer. Carrigan was at the time on probation for his conviction in the District Court of the State of Iowa for Montgomery County for possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, in which he had been given a suspended sentence and placed on two years probation. The State of Iowa probation officer and Mills County deputy sheriffs found three rifles and several boxes of ammunition in Carrigan’s residence.
This investigation was conducted by the Mills County Sheriff’s Department, the State of Iowa Fourth Judicial District Parole and Probation Office, and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
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Hartford Crack Dealer Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that VASHAWN RAY, 25, of Hartford, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 70 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from “Operation Vinefield,” a joint law enforcement investigation headed by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force targeting narcotics trafficking and gang violence in Hartford’s North End. As a result of the nine-month investigation, 38 individuals were charged with various offenses related to the distribution of crack cocaine and the unlawful possession and dealing of firearms in and around Hartford. RAY sold crack cocaine in the Enfield Street area of Hartford.
RAY has been detained since his arrest on May 8, 2012. On December 12, 2012, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack cocaine”).
RAY’s criminal history includes a conviction for robbery in the first degree stemming from RAY’s robbing a victim at gunpoint.
This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, the Connecticut State Police, the Hartford Police Department, and the Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
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[email protected]Guilty Plea in BP Fraud Case, Defendant Admits Filing Claims for Others Totaling $400,000.00Read the Press Release
MOBILE, AL-- United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown announced today that Trecia Howard McGee, a Mobile, Alabama, resident, entered a guilty plea to wire fraud in connection with a fraudulent BP oil claim she filed. She also admitted assisting others in filing false claims and receiving proceeds from those false claims. McGee admitted her involvement with false claims totaling $400,000.00.
McGee faces a maximum possible penalty of up to 20 years and will be sentenced in August.
The case arose from an investigation by the United States Secret Service and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Deborah Griffin.
Georgia Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Sex CrimeRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Robert Stanley Ziolkowski, 66, of Adel, Georgia, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge M. Casey Rogers to serve 360 months in federal prison for travel with the intent to engage in sexual activity with a child.
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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Ziolkowski was convicted following a two-day jury trial in January for one count of traveling to meet a minor for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity. During the trial, evidence demonstrated that Ziolkowski used the Internet website Craigslist to contact a person in Gainesville, Florida, and arranged to have sex with an eleven-year-old girl. Ziolkowski was arrested after he traveled from Adel, Georgia, and arrived at a gas station in Gainesville to meet the child.
Due in part to his prior convictions for sex offenses, Ziolkowski faced a recommended sentence of between 292 and 360 months in prison. Ziolkowski was also sentenced to serve the remainder of his life on supervised release, which he will be required to serve upon completion of his prison sentence.
In announcing the court’s sentence, Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, stated, “Protecting children from the horrors of sexual exploitation is one of the highest priorities of the Department of Justice and this Office. We will continue our partnership with our state, local, and federal law enforcement agents to ensure that offenders are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
This case was the result of an undercover law enforcement operation which took place in Gainesville, Florida, in February 2012. Ms. Marsh praised the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Williams.Fraudulent Tax Return Scheme Yields Prison TermRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On April 19, 2013, Shaneika Earline Sims, 30, of Casa Grande, Ariz. was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins to 30 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $403,002 in restitution. After her release from prison, Sims will serve a 36 month term of supervised release. Sims pleaded guilty on Nov. 7, 2012, to conspiracy to defraud the government through false claims.
“Those who threaten the integrity of our federal income tax system through fraudulent schemes pose a real danger to the financial security of our country,” said U.S. Attorney John S. Leonardo. “For this reason, the United States Attorney’s Office has been and continues to be dedicated to prosecutions like this one that serve to hold these offenders accountable and to deter similar crimes by others.”
Sims admitted that from March 13, 2010, and continuing through Jan. 28, 2012, she and others conspired to defraud the United States government by filing false and fictitious tax returns which wrongly claimed refunds. At least 150 false federal individual income tax returns were filed claiming $548,653 in unjustified refunds. Sims and others prepared the false federal income tax returns. A codefendant offered to pay various sums of money to people whose identities were used. Some of the identities used were passed to her by an incarcerated co-defendant, including names, social security numbers and dates of birth. Some of the individuals in whose names false claims for refunds were filed were, in fact, inmates in state and local detention facilities. Sims and others electronically submitted the false income tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service through the internet.
Sims also filed false and fraudulent individual income tax returns in California. At least 86 additional returns seeking $315,264 were linked to Sims through common Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and bank accounts.
On Jan. 16, 2013, co-defendant Corleen Ladawn Thompson, 36, of Casa Grande, Ariz., was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison and a 36 month term of supervised release. Thompson’s daughter, co-defendant Desheray Gulley, was sentenced on April 4, 2013 to a 60 month term of supervised probation.
The investigation in this case was conducted by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, Arizona Department of Public Safety, Pinal County Attorney’s Office, and the Casa Grande Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Danny N. Roetzel, Trial Attorney, Department of Justice, Tax Division and Sandra M. Hansen, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Tucson.
CASE NUMBER: CR-12-00766
RELEASE NUMBER: 2013-030_SimsFor more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Former Fund Manager Pleads Guilty in Connection with Multi-Million Dollar Commodities Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that THOMAS HAMPTON, formerly the Managing Director of Hampton Capital Markets, LLC (“Hampton Capital” or the “Fund”), pled guilty today in Manhattan federal court to commodities fraud in connection with an investment scheme in which HAMPTON concealed millions of dollars in losses he incurred trading various securities, including S&P 500 futures contracts tied to the S&P 500 stock index. HAMPTON was charged in December 2012, and pled guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge James C. Francis, IV.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Thomas Hampton blatantly deceived his investors in a scheme that resulted in millions of dollars in losses for scores of people. His guilty plea today ensures that he will be punished for those deceptions and that, to the extent possible, his investor victims will be made whole.”
According to the charging instruments in this case and statements made in open court today at the plea proceeding:
From September 2010 through September 2011, HAMPTON was the Managing Director of Hampton Capital, an Arizona limited liability company that had more than $4 million in assets under management. Hampton Capital engaged in the business of buying and selling exchange traded funds (“ETFs”). An ETF is an investment fund that holds assets such as stocks, commodities or bonds, and typically tracks – or attempts to replicate the performance of – an underlying benchmark or index, such as the S&P 500 equities market index. Hampton Capital purported to utilize specially designed computer software to trade ETFs based on pricing inefficiencies. In his role as Managing Director, HAMPTON bought and sold various securities, including futures contracts, on behalf of the Fund.
When the Fund began to suffer substantial losses as a result of HAMPTON’s trading, he concealed those losses from investors by, among other things, falsely representing that the investments continued to earn profits. For example, HAMPTON provided monthly statements to investors as early as April 2011 that falsely reflected a positive return for the Fund instead of disclosing the actual losses suffered. Based on his misrepresentations and omissions, Hampton Capital investors did not seek to redeem or withdraw their investments. In fact, some investors provided additional investment capital. As a result of the scheme, more than 50 investors lost millions of dollars in the aggregate.
HAMPTON, 44, of St. Louis, Missouri, pled guilty to one count of commodities fraud. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and a fine of the greater of $1 million or twice the gross gain or gross loss from the offense. In connection with his guilty plea, HAMPTON agreed to forfeit the illegal proceeds of his crimes and will be ordered to pay restitution to the victims of his offense.
Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the FBI. He also thanked the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission for their assistance.
This case was brought in coordination with President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force, on which Mr. Bharara serves as a Co-Chair of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Working Group. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed nearly 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,900 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, please visit www.StopFraud.gov.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jillian B. Berman and Emil J. Bove, III are in charge of the prosecution.
U.S. v. Thomas Hampton Information
Former Florida Department of Transportation Employee Sentenced to More Than 3 Years in Prison for Bribery and FraudRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida - U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell yesterday sentenced Tina Moore a/k/a Tina Pollard (56, Daytona Beach) to 3 years, 4 months in federal prison for conspiracy and money laundering. Moore was also ordered to serve a two-year term of supervised release, following her release from prison, and to pay $242,981.25 in restitution. Moore pleaded guilty on January 25, 2013.According to her plea agreement, Moore was a Right of Way Agent with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) who was responsible for assisting people and businesses displaced by FDOT projects. One of Moore’s assigned projects involved the acquisition of properties for the purpose of widening Interstate 4. One of the businesses displaced by that project was MLA Furniture, which was located on Garland Avenue in Orlando. Moore used her position to solicit and obtain bribes and rewards from the owners of MLA Furniture, in return for assisting MLA Furniture in continuing to remain at Garland Avenue. She knowingly submitted fraudulent claims to the FDOT for the relocation expenses of MLA Furniture. In total, Moore received $30,000 in bribes, consisting of $20,000 in checks and $10,000 in cash.
One of Moore’s co-conspirators, Jonathan Aubrey Jenkins, has already been sentenced for his role in the crime. On February 20, 2013, Jenkins, who was one of the owners of MLA Furniture, was sentenced to 5 years of probation for conspiracy and also ordered to pay $242,981.25 in restitution.
These cases were investigated by the United States Department of Transportation, Inspector General’s Office, and the Florida Department of Transportation, Inspector General’s Office. They were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.
Former Faulkner County Sheriff Candidate Pleads Guilty in Election ScamRead the Press Release
Little Rock - Christopher R. Thyer, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced today that, in a hearing held before United States District Judge D. Price Marshall, Jr., Harold Allen Smith, 47, of Greenbriar, pled guilty to one count of transferring a false birth certificate via the United States mail. The charges involve activities by Smith in the Spring of 2012 when he was a candidate in the Republican primary for Sheriff of Faulkner County.
In the Spring of 2012, Harold Smith was one of the candidates for Sheriff of Faulkner County in the Republican primary. During February and March, 2012, Smith had meetings with people to discuss the election and how to prevent another Republican candidate, Andy Shock, from winning the primary. Some of the people who met with Smith had suggestions including that Smith drop out of the race to run an anti-Shock campaign, and that it would be funny if a birth certificate surfaced showing that Shock was the father of an illegitimate black child. As a result, Smith, with the help of another person, created false Texas birth certificates showing that Shock was the father of an illegitimate black child.
On March 28, 2012, Smith and another person drove to Hooks, Texas where Smith mailed approximately 12 envelopes containing a note and a false Texas birth certificate to residents in Faulkner County, Arkansas, who it was believed would vote in the Republican primary.
In spite of the efforts of Smith, Andy Shock won the Republican primary and in November, 2012, won the general election for Sheriff of Faulkner County.
The sentencing date will be set by the Court at a later date. Smith faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.00 when he is sentenced.
This investigation was conducted by United States Postal Inspection Service. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Harris is prosecuting the case for the United States.
Foreign National Indicted on Firearm and Immigration ChargesRead the Press Release
On April 18, 2013, Antonio Rea-Fabela, 36, a citizen of Mexico, who most recently resided in St. Louis, Missouri, was indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in East St. Louis, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. The Grand Jury charged Rea-Fabela, also known as Roman Guadarrama, with Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Alien (Count 1); and Entry Into the United States Without Inspection (Count 2). Upon conviction, Count 1 carries a possible penalty of not more than ten years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, not more than three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment; Count 2 carries a possible penalty of six months in prison, a $5000 fine and a $10 special assessment.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge and is entitled to a fair trial at which the Government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Antonio Rea-Fabela is currently in the custody of immigration officials pending his arraignment. Evidence for this indictment was gathered during an investigation conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of the Department of Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department. This case has been assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Randy G. Massey for prosecution.
Federal Inmate Sentenced for Assaulting Another InmateRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS—Earlier today in federal court, a 46-year-old woman was sentenced for assaulting another inmate at the Federal Correctional Institute in Waseca, Minnesota. United States District Court Chief Judge Michael J. Davis sentenced Felecia Thomas to 41 months in federal prison on one count of assault with a dangerous weapon. Thomas was indicted on May 15, 2012, and pleaded guilty on January 11, 2013, by offering a “straight plea” and did not enter into a plea agreement.
On June 10, 2011, Thomas, who was then serving time at the correctional facility in Waseca following a 2004 conviction for arson and the use of explosives in the commission of a felony, assaulted an inmate by strangling her with a rope. The rope allegedly had been removed from a laundry bag.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John E. Kokkinen and Lola Velazquez-Aguilu.Dozens of Local Individuals Arrested on Federal and State Methamphetamine & Pseudoephedrine ChargesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – A federal grand jury returned two indictments this week charging twelve individuals with methamphetamine and pseudoephedrine related conspiracy offenses. The indictments were announced by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. These individuals were arrested on federal warrants and made their initial appearances in United States District Court today.
The indictments charge that Gregory A. Militello (42), Joshua P. Militello (30), Nicole D. Jones (32), Kirby B. Smith (50), James E. Atiabi (35), John W. Casey (33), Stephanie A. Gunderson (26), Jared L. Hester (29), Shannon L. Hurd (29), Shawn M. King (34), Joseph D. Peterson (33), and Hunter G. Myrick (23), all from the greater Pensacola area, were involved in a conspiracy to possess and distribute large amounts of pseudoephedrine in order to manufacture methamphetamine from January 1, 2011, until their arrests. Pseudoephedrine is a chemical used to manufacture methamphetamine. In addition to the twelve individuals arrested on federal warrants, dozens more were arrested on state warrants involving similar alleged activity.
Trial for the federal defendants is set for June, 2013. If convicted at trial, each of the twelve defendants faces up to twenty years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine on the conspiracy charged in the indictments. Mr. Peterson faces a separate mandatory penalty of ten years to life imprisonment based upon a charge against him involving the manufacture of methamphetamine.
The indictments result from an investigation by agents of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and the State Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely a formal charge by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until the government proves their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury at trial.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Assault of Teenage Relative-Victim Came Forward Despite Defendant’s Warning Against Speaking Up-Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 29-year-old man has pled guilty to a charge of first-degree sexual abuse stemming from an attack he carried out earlier this year against a 13-year-old girl, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today.
The defendant, of Washington, D.C., is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim. He pled guilty on April 18, 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Russell F. Canan scheduled sentencing for June 14, 2013. The plea agreement, which is subject to the Court’s approval, calls for an 11-year prison term.
According to the government’s evidence, the girl is related to defendant and was at the Northwest Washington home of another relative on Jan. 9, 2013. That day, between 4 p.m. and 6:45 p.m., the defendant lured her away from other adults and sexually assaulted her. He warned her not to tell anyone what happened. The child, however, alerted her mother and the police.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the officers and detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit, who investigated the case. He also expressed appreciation to those at the U.S. Attorney’s Office who worked on the matter, including Paralegal Specialist D’Yvonne Key and Victim/Witness Advocate Lezlie Richardson. Finally, he acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Mervin A. Bourne, Jr., who investigated and prosecuted the case.
13-140Crystal Man Charged with Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS—Yesterday in federal court, a 59-year-old Crystal man was charged with possessing approximately 8,000 images of child pornography. On April 17, 2013, James Richard Darling was charged via an Information with one count of possession of child pornography.
On September 22, 2009, Darling allegedly possessed numerous visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on his computer.
If convicted, Darling faces a potential maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, with a mandatory minimum penalty of ten years. Any sentence would be determined by a federal district court judge.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Minnesota Child Exploitation Task Force, sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lola Velazquez-Aguilu.Possession of child pornography is against the law. In addition to prosecuting these cases, the Justice Department is funding a study focused on the correlation between involvement in child pornography and hands-on sexual abuse of children. A 2008 study (The Butner Study) published in the Journal of Family Violence found that up to 80 percent of federal inmates incarcerated for possession, receipt, or distribution of child pornography also admitted to hands-on sexual abuse of children, ranging from touching to rape.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (“PSC”), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney offices and the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab “resources.”
A defendant, of course, is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty at trial.Credit Union Assistant Manager Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling Funds, Evading TaxesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A Butler County woman has been sentenced in federal court to 30 months imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on her conviction of embezzlement from an institution insured by the NCUA and income tax evasion, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti imposed the sentence on Stacy L. Attisano, 44, of Portersville, Pa.
According to information presented to the court, between 2004 and 2010, Attisano embezzled approximately $222,000 from the Lawrence County School Employee Federal Credit Union, where she was employed as the assistant manager. Attisano was also convicted of tax evasion for the years 2006 through 2009, for failing to pay taxes on the embezzled funds.
Assistant United States Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Attisano.
Council Bluffs, Iowa Resident Sentenced to 24 Months for Possession of A Firearm by A Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - On April 18, 2013, Michael Fredrick Harrison, a 36 year old resident of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge James E. Gritzner to 24 months in prison for possessing firearms after a felony conviction, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Chief Judge Gritzner also ordered Harrison to serve two years of supervised release when he completes his imprisonment. On October 4, 2012, Harrison pled guilty to being in possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The charge was the result of a home inspection done by the Iowa Fourth Judicial District Probation Office on November 3, 2011, at which time they located several firearms in the basement area of Harrison’s home.
The investigation was conducted by the Fourth Judicial District Probation Office, the Council Bluffs, Iowa, Police Department, the Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
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Council Bluffs Man Sentenced on Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – On April 18, 2013, Jacob Lloyd Montgomery, age 33, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sentenced in United States District Court in Council Bluffs on the charge of felon in possession of a firearm and revocation of a term of supervised release, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Klinefeldt. Chief United States District Court Judge James E. Gritzner sentenced Montgomery to 30 months in prison, to be followed by 2 years of supervised release. The Court also ordered Montgomery to forfeit the firearm and ammunition found in his possession, and to pay a $100.00 special assessment for the Crime Victim Fund. Montgomery remains in the custody of the United States Marshal pending designation of the Federal Bureau of Prisons facility at he will serve his sentence.
Montgomery was sentenced to the 30 months imprisonment as a joint resolution of two pending federal judicial proceedings. He was sentenced upon his plea of guilty to the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Montgomery was also sentenced upon his admission that he had violated the terms of the supervised release he was serving at the time. The violations included misrepresentations to the United States Probation Office and the felon in possession of a firearm charge. The federal criminal justice system no longer has parole. However, after serving the defendant’s full sentence, less any good time awarded to the defendant, the defendant is, upon being discharged from prison, placed under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for an amount of time determined by the sentencing court and under such conditions as the court orders. If the defendant violates the conditions of this supervision, the defendant can be sentenced to a further term of imprisonment for the violation.
The firearm charge against Montgomery arose from a stop by a Council Bluffs, Iowa police officer of the vehicle Montgomery was driving on January 29, 2012. Montgomery fled on foot from the scene, but was caught and arrested by the officer. Council Bluffs police officers subsequently found a loaded .45 caliber pistol in the vehicle from which defendant fled. Among various crimes for which Montgomery has been convicted, he was convicted in 2001, in the District Court of the State of Iowa for Pottawattamie County, of felony forgery and felony theft, and was convicted in 2007, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa of a prior charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
This investigation was conducted by the Council Bluffs, Iowa, Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
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Convicted Sex Offender from Chilton County Sentenced to Thirty-Seven Months in Federal Prison and Ten Years of Supervision for Failing to RegisterRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama - Anthony Carl Roberson, a resident of Chilton County, Alabama, age 42, was sentenced to thirty-seven months in federal prison for a federal felony conviction for failing to register as a sex offender, United States Attorney George L. Beck, Jr., announced today.
A federal grand jury indicted Roberson in October, 2012, for one count of failing to register and update a registration as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act after he traveled in interstate commerce in violation of federal law. Roberson was convicted of one count of aggravated sodomy in Georgia in 1996. Due to this conviction, Roberson was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of ten years with the Georgia Department of Corrections and required to register as a sex offender. On January 3, 2013, Roberson pled guilty to failing to register as a sex offender. During his guilty plea hearing, he admitted that he knew, as a convicted sex offender, he was required to register and that if he moved to another state he must register in that state no later than 72 hours after his arrival to the new state. Further, Roberson admitted that he traveled from Georgia to Alabama in August 2012 and relocated to Chilton County, but he did not register as a sex offender in the State of Alabama.
Chief United States District Judge W. Keith Watkins sentenced Roberson to thirty-seven (37) months imprisonment to be followed by ten (10) years of supervised release. Roberson remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending placement by the Bureau of Prisons.
This case was investigated jointly by the United States Marshals Service and Chilton County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jerusha T. Adams prosecuted the case.
PRESS CONTACT: Clark Morris
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Telephone: (334) 551-1755
Fax: (334) 223-7617Cocaine and Heroin Trafficker Sentenced to over 14 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – Carlos Edward Gomez37, of Le Marque, Texas, was sentenced today to 178months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride and one kilogram of heroin.
Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ava A. Cooper-Davis, Special Agent in Charge, of the Washington Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Gomez pleaded guilty to the charge on January 11, 2013.
According to court documents, from June 2011, through August 22, 2012, Gomez and others supplied over 15 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride and over 10 kilograms of heroin from Galveston, Texas, to drug traffickers in the Eastern District of Virginia and elsewhere for redistribution. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized over four kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride, over six kilograms of heroin, over four pounds of marijuana, over $305,000 in drug proceeds, firearms, and numerous vehicles used to transport illegal narcotics and proceeds from drug sales.
Gomez, who the Court found today to be an organizer and supervisor in this drug operation, was the last of the coconspirators to be sentenced. The others included:
Miguel Alejandro Gomez, 38, of Mexico, sentenced to 144 months on April 12, 2013;
Ralph Garcia, 48, of Galveston, Texas, sentenced to 72 months on March 26, 2013;
Robert Reyes, 32, of Galveston, Texas, sentenced to 156 months on August 28, 2012;
Wilfred Blair, 38, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, sentenced to 276 months on September 14, 2012; and
Duane Brooks Jefferson, 39, of Richmond, Virginia, sentenced to 210 months on November 5, 2012.This case was investigated by the DEA Offices in Richmond, Virginia, and Galveston, Texas, and the Richmond Police Department, with the expert assistance of the Virginia State Police Counter-Terrorism and Criminal Interdiction Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Olivia L. Norman prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.
Clarksburg Resident Sentenced on Heroin ChargeRead the Press Release
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CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA - A 24-year old Clarksburg resident was sentenced on April 16, 2013, in United States District Court in Clarksburg by Judge Irene M. Keeley.
United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced that: MARK WAYNE LUNDELL a/k/a “BREEZY” was sentenced to 63 months imprisonment to be followed by six years of supervised release. LUNDELL entered a plea of guilty on November 29, 2012, to “Distribution of Heroin within 1,000 Feet of Northview Elementary School on June 5, 2012. LUNDELL will also forfeit his interest in $1,675 seized during the execution of a search warrant at his residence and which constitutes proceeds from the drug activity. LUNDELL, who is free on bond, will self-report to the designated Federal institution on May 17, 2013.
The case was prosecuted by Criminal Chief Shawn A. Morgan and investigated by the Harrison County Drug Task Force consisting of officers from the Clarksburg Police Department, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department and the Bridgeport Police Department.
Cement Manufacturer Agrees to Reduce Harmful Air Emissions at Colorado PlantRead the Press Release
The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that CEMEX, Inc., the owner and operator of a Portland cement manufacturing facility in Lyons, Colo., has agreed to operate advanced pollution controls on its kiln and pay a $1 million civil penalty to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA).
“This agreement will mean cleaner air for Colorado residents downwind of the CEMEX facility and will contribute to improved air quality in the Rocky Mountain National Park, which is one of our nation’s most cherished public spaces,” said Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The settlement is part of the Justice Department’s continuing efforts, along with the EPA, to bring significant sources of air pollution within the cement manufacturing sector into compliance with the Clean Air Act.”
“Today’s settlement will reduce harmful emissions of nitrogen oxides, which can have serious impacts on respiratory health for communities along Colorado’s Front Range,” said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Cutting these emissions will also help improve environmental quality and visibility in places like Rocky Mountain National Park.”
The Department of Justice , on behalf of EPA, filed a complaint against CEMEX alleging that between 1997—2000, the company unlawfully made modifications at its Lyons plant that resulted in significant net increases of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions. The complaint further alleges that these increased emissions violated the CAA’s Prevention of Significant Deterioration and Non-Attainment New Source Review requirements, which state that companies must obtain the necessary permits prior to making modifications at a facility and install and operate required pollution control equipment if modifications will result in increases of certain pollutants.
As part of the settlement, CEMEX will install “Selective Non-Catalytic Reduction” (SNCR) technology at their Lyons facility, which is an advanced pollution control technology designed to reduce NOx emissions. This will reduce their NOx emissions by approximately 870 to 1,200 tons of NOx per year. The initial capital cost for installing SNCR is approximately $600,000 and the cost of injecting ammonia into the stack emissions stream, a necessary part of the process, is anticipated to be about $1.5 million per year.
The settlement is part of EPA’s national enforcement initiative to control harmful air pollution from the largest sources of emissions, including Portland cement manufacturing facilities.
NOx emissions may cause severe respiratory problems and contribute to childhood asthma. These emissions also contribute to acid rain, smog, and haze which impair visibility in national parks. CEMEX’s facility is located within 20 miles of Rocky Mountain National Park, and its emissions may contribute to visibility impairment and to the nitrogen pollution problem that is affecting the park’s vegetation, water quality, and trout populations. Air pollution from Portland cement manufacturing facilities can also travel significant distances downwind, crossing state lines and creating region-wide health problems.
The proposed consent decree will be lodged with the Federal District Court for the District of Colorado, and will be subject to a 30-day public comment period. A copy of the consent decree lodged today is available on the Department of Justice website at http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/open.html.
More information about the settlement: www.epa.gov/enforcement/air/cases/cemex-lyons.html
More information about EPA’s national enforcement initiative: http://www.epa.gov/compliance/data/planning/initiatives/2011airpollution.html
Catonsville Real Estate Appraiser Sentenced to Prison in Scheme to Obtain over $4 Million in Fraudulent Mortgage LoansRead the Press Release
Conspired to Obtain 16 Fraudulent Loans Resulting in Losses of More Than $2.4 MillionBaltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced real estate appraiser David C. Christian, age 63, of Catonsville, Maryland today to 15 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Judge Bredar also ordered Christian to pay restitution of $2,440,804.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Inspector General Steve A. Linick of the Federal Housing Finance Agency; and Postal Inspector in Charge Gary R. Barksdale of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division.
According to his guilty plea, Christian appraised a number of properties on behalf of purchasers who were seeking financing through Worthington Mortgage Group, LLC, a mortgage brokerage company controlled by Joshua Goldberg, operating out of an office on Gough Street in Baltimore. Christian admitted that from April 2004 to April 2008, at Goldberg’s request, he prepared at least 16 fraudulent appraisals for $4,001,950 in loans originated at the mortgage company. Christian falsified the appraisals by using fake photos and descriptions of the properties, misrepresenting the condition of the properties, and used inappropriate comparable properties. The total loss for the 16 loans amounted to $2,440,804, including $814,730, to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), and $757,293 to the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae). Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are government sponsored federally chartered corporations that either buy mortgages on the secondary market for their own accounts or arrange to pool the mortgages and sell them as mortgage backed securities to investors on the open market.In March and June 2007, Christian used Goldberg as the mortgage broker to refinance property that he and his wife owned in Catonsville. Christian submitted false appraisals that inflated the property value and caused another appraiser to sign the documents to avoid the obvious conflict of performing an appraisal on his own property. With Christian’s knowledge, Goldberg processed the loan in Christian’s wife’s name, falsifying her income and employment, as well as the balance in the couple’s bank account and misrepresented other information. The loans were funded by another mortgage company, and Christian and his wife eventually defaulted on the loan, resulting in a loss of nearly $140,000.
Joshua S. Goldberg was indicted on related charges earlier this year. He is believed to be a fugitive.
The Maryland Mortgage Fraud Task Force was established to unify the agencies that regulate and investigate mortgage fraud and promote the early detection, identification, prevention and prosecution of mortgage fraud schemes. This case, as well as other cases brought by members of the Task Force, demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement agencies to protect consumers from fraud and promote the integrity of the credit markets. Information about mortgage fraud prosecutions is available www.justice.gov/usao/md/Mortgage-Fraud/index.html.
This law enforcement action is part of President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. President Obama established the interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. The task force includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general, and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources. The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch, and with state and local partners, to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets, and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes.United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, Federal Housing Finance Agency - Office of Inspector General, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory R. Bockin, who prosecuted the case.
British Actor and Talent Judge Pleads Guilty to Persuading Children to Produce Pornography over the InternetRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announced today that John David Baker (29, resident of Celebration, Florida and citizen of the United Kingdom) has pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography using the Internet. He faces a minimum of 15 years, and up to 30 years in prison for each count, and a potential life term of supervised release. Baker has been held in the custody since his arrest in this case on September 7, 2012. A sentencing hearing has not yet been set.
According to court documents, beginning in or about November 2008 through August 2010, in the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere, Baker used computers and interactive computer services to engage in online conversations with several minor children over the Internet. During this period, Baker worked as an actor and helped train and audition adults and children who were attempting to pursue careers in the entertainment business. Baker also served as a talent judge for a talent competition in Florida. In this role, Baker met minor children who were auditioning to obtain work in the art and film industries.
Following a complaint by a concerned parent of a child whom Baker had contacted online, Baker was interviewed by law enforcement. Baker acknowledged that he had been confronted by the director of the talent competition about his inappropriate online contact with minors and admitted to chatting with other minors from the talent competition online. Baker also admitted that many of his chats were sexually oriented and to having sent or trading sexually oriented photos of himself or others during chats. He stated that through his work in the talent industry he received photos of individuals, some through his request and some not solicited by him. According to Baker, he had solicited photos from at least 10 children in the talent competition.
By establishing a fictitious online persona of himself, Baker persuaded minors to send him images and videos of themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct via the Internet. Baker then sent the pornographic images to others. During a forensic analysis of Baker’s computer, law enforcement located several images and a video of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, and the former Child Predator Cybercrime Unit of the Florida Attorney General’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case 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.projectsafechildhood.gov. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov and click on the tab "other resources."
American Red Cross Employee Indicted for Deliberately Defrauding Unemployment Insurance ProgramRead the Press Release
Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that, Faith L. Moran, age 44, of Centreville, Illinois, was indicted by a Grand Jury in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, East St. Louis Division. The three count indictment charges Moran with Embezzlement of Public Funds and two counts of Mail Fraud for allegedly collecting unemployment insurance benefits unlawfully from the Missouri Division of Employment Security (MODES) for more than two years.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, that charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The indictment alleges that Moran was working for the American Red Cross in St. Louis, Missouri on or about March 21, 2010, when she first filed a claim for unemployment insurance benefits with MODES. Moran allegedly continued filing claims and receiving benefits through at least August 12, 2012, all while she was still working for the American Red Cross and either failing to report her income or underreporting her income. During that period, the indictment alleges further that Moran lost the debit card through which her benefits were paid and opted to call MODES to request, and ultimately receive, a replacement card. In total, Moran allegedly received $34,596 in unemployment insurance benefits from MODES to which she was not entitled.
Embezzlement of Public Funds is punishable by up to 10 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, or both; a term of supervised release of up to 3 years, and a $100 special assessment. Each count of Mail Fraud is punishable by up to 20 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, or both; a term of supervised release of up to 3 years, and a $100 special assessment.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations; the United States Postal Inspection Service; and the Illinois Department of Employment Security. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Katherine L. Lewis.
Alicia Wells Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Gulf Coast Claims FacilityRead the Press Release
ALICIA WELLS, age 29, of New Orleans, Louisiana, pled guilty in federal court today before U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier to mail fraud relating to a fraudulent application she made to the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF) for financial assistance in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, announced U. S. Attorney Dana J. Boente.
According to court documents, the GCCF made disaster assistance money available to individuals and businesses affected by the oil spill resulting from the Deepwater Horizon explosion. The GCCF required individuals to verify loss of income. On September 25, 2010, WELLS applied for disaster assistance funds, representing that she was working at Center Plate before the oil spill. However, WELLS had never worked for Center Plate and she submitted false documentation to establish that she was employed at Center Plate and to establish her false loss earnings. Based on WELLS’ fraudulent application, the GCCF issued three checks totaling $13,200 to which WELLS was not entitled.
WELLS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine of $250,000 and 3 years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. Sentencing is set for July 25, 2013.
This case was brought as part of this District’s partnership with the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF), a nationwide initiative to protect available funds and assistance for those victims of both natural and man-made disasters such as hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and the recent Gulf oil spill. If you have knowledge of fraud, waste, abuse, or allegations of mismanagement involving disaster relief operations, you can contact the NCDF by either calling the hotline at (866) 720-5721, faxing (225) 334-4707, emailing at [email protected] or in writing to National Center for Disaster Fraud, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4909.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Loan “Mimi” Nguyen.
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Alabama Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to TerroristsRead the Press Release
MOBILE, Ala. – Randy Wilson, aka “Rasheed Wilson,” 25, a U.S. citizen living in Mobile, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists in connection with his plans to travel to Mauritania to wage violent jihad overseas, announced U.S. Attorney Kenyen R. Brown of the Southern District of Alabama and Stephen E. Richardson, Special Agent in Charge of the Mobile Division of the FBI.
At a hearing today before U.S. District Judge Kristi K. DuBose in Mobile, Wilson entered a plea of guilty to one count of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, knowing or intending that it be used in preparation for, or in carrying out a conspiracy to kill persons or damage property outside the United States. Wilson faces a maximum potential sentence of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine at sentencing.
Wilson and co-defendant Mohammad Abdul Rahman Abukhdair were the subjects of an investigation by the Joint Terrorism Task Force of the Mobile Division of the FBI. Wilson was arrested on a criminal complaint on Dec. 11, 2012 in Atlanta as he attempted to board a flight that would ultimately take him to Morocco. Abukhdair was arrested in Augusta, Ga., at a bus terminal. According to court documents, Abukhdair was scheduled to fly to Morocco from outside the United States on Dec 13, 2012.
Both defendants were later charged in a federal indictment returned by a grand jury in the Southern District of Alabama on Dec. 20, 2012. Abukhdair has pleaded not guilty and awaits trial on charges of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and passport fraud. As in all cases, a defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.
According to Wilson’s plea agreement and other court documents, Wilson and Abukhdair met online in 2010. On Aug. 27, 2011, an FBI undercover employee met Wilson, and Wilson told the FBI employee that he and Abukhdair had previously formulated a plan to travel together overseas for the purpose of waging violent jihad.
In July of 2012, Wilson and Abukhdair began meeting with a confidential source working for the FBI and, according to court documents, they brought that FBI source into their plans to travel overseas to wage violent jihad. According to court documents, Wilson and Abukhdair planned to travel to Casablanca, Morocco, and from there to Mauritania, where they expected to be in a position to wage violent jihad in a nearby country or conflict. Both defendants were arrested before they could leave the country.
U.S. Attorney Brown stated, “Mr. Wilson’s criminal actions, subsequent indictment and conviction are proof that there are those in our midst, even in small town America, who are willing to injure, maim and kill others in the name of violent jihad. Mr. Wilson’s plea to terrorism charges today are a stark reminder to all Americans that they should remain vigilant against the terror threats in our community and in the nation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI and all elements of Federal, state and local law enforcement remain committed to disrupting terrorist plots, protecting our communities and bringing violent wrong doers to justice. I could not be prouder of both our local FBI office and the dedicated Assistant United States Attorneys in my office for the countless hours they invested into this case in order to arrive at this successful conclusion.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Richardson stated: “The admission of guilt by this defendant represents the fine work being done by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. Acts of terrorism and the support of terrorism is a significant investigative priority for the FBI and we must all be vigilant protecting our communities from those who desire to cause us harm. These acts have no place in our society.”
The investigation was conducted by the Joint Terrorism Task Force of the Mobile division of the FBI.
The prosecution is being handled by Sean P. Costello, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama, and Trial Attorneys Clement McGovern and Annamartine Salick from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
Thursday 18 April 2013
Witness Who Refused to Testify Convicted of Contempt of Court and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
Abdullahi Farah a/k/a Grey Goose, age 23, of Nashville, was convicted yesterday by a federal jury of obstruction of justice and contempt of court, announced David Rivera, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Farah was found guilty of willfully and knowingly misbehaving in or near the presence of United States District Judge Todd J. Campbell; of willfully and knowingly disobeying and resisting a lawful order, decree, or command of Judge Campbell; and of knowingly and intentionally attempting to obstruct or interfere with and prevent the enforcement of Title 18 U.S.C. Section 1591(a), the federal statute that prohibits the sex trafficking of children and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion.
It was stipulated at the trial that Farah had material information regarding multiple counts of the indictment in the case of United States v. Adan, et al., including information regarding charges of sex trafficking females under the age of 18. On August 23, 2012, Judge Campbell ordered Farah to testify in a deposition for the purpose of obtaining his testimony for use at trial in the Adan case.
Pursuant to Judge Campbell’s Order, a deposition was convened on September 12, 2012, at the United States Federal Courthouse in Nashville for the purpose of taking Farah’s testimony regarding the charges in the Adan indictment. When asked if he would testify, Farah refused.
As a result of his refusal, Farah was taken before Judge Campbell, who found that it would be futile to hold Farah in civil contempt of Court and stated that the United States could commence criminal contempt charges against Farah.
Farrah was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury for contempt and obstruction charges. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison when he is sentenced at a date yet to be determined.
Farah’s case and the Adan case were part of a joint investigation by the St. Paul Minnesota Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Nashville Metropolitan Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Van S. Vincent and Blanche Cook.
Wilmington Man Sentenced for Heroin DistributionRead the Press Release
RALEIGH - United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that in federal court today Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced CARNELL RANDALL WHITE, 24, of Wilmington, North Carolina, to 120 months imprisonment followed by 5 years supervised release.
On November 14, 2012, WHITE pled guilty to possession with the intent to distribute and distribution of 100 grams or more of heroin.
During the course of the investigation, the Wilmington Police Department made three undercover purchases of heroin from WHITE between September 2011 and February 2012.
On March 26, 2012, the Wilmington Police Department stopped a rental car driven by Kathy Mishoe with Linwood Nelson as a passenger. The vehicle was returning from New Jersey to Wilmington North Carolina. Detectives found 7,500 bags of heroin which were to be delivered to WHITE and Kenneth Harris for distribution.
In addition, law enforcement uncovered that Nelson and Mishoe had previously transported heroin for WHITE and others to distribute in the New Hanover County area. Between November 2011 and February 2012 the group imported more than 16,500 bags of heroin from New Jersey.
Furthermore the investigation revealed that WHITE was responsible for distributing more than 1.5 kilograms of heroin into Eastern North Carolina.
This case was brought as a part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation entitled WoofPack, investigating importers and multi-level distributors of heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine and gang activity associated with this distribution. So far 33 persons have been sentenced in federal court as a part of this operation.
Investigation of this OCDETF case is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (Safe Streets Task Force); the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Explosives; the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations; the Wilmington Police Department; the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office and the Greenville Police Department. Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Severo represents the government. Mr. Severo is a prosecutor with the New Hanover District Attorney’s Office. District Attorney Ben David has assigned him to the United States Attorney’s office to prosecute federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force criminal matters.
Wildlife Researcher Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Taking of Golden EagleRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Laura E. Duffy announced that a Julian resident pled guilty today to the unlawful taking of a golden eagle, in violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, before the Honorable David H. Bartick, United States Magistrate Judge. “Take” in this instance involved collection of the bird for banding without the required permit.
At the time of the plea, wildlife researcher John David Bittner acknowledged that he makes his living conducting studies of birds and wildlife. His work includes the capture and banding of eagles and other migratory birds, and the tracking of their movements. Bittner had possessed a federal bird banding permit, which expired on January 31, 2010. In mid-February, 2010, he asked the USGS Bird Banding Laboratory to renew his permit. The Bird Banding Lab advised Bittner that he was not in compliance with his permit as he had not reported any data for the birds he had banded since October 31, 2006 and thus, his permit would not be renewed until he submitted the delinquent data. These data provide the USGS and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service valuable information about the health and distribution of the eagle population in the United States. For the period from January 31, 2010, through August 12, 2010, Bittner possessed no permit to capture and band eagles or any other migratory bird. In pleading guilty, Bittner admitted that during this period, he captured and banded 144 migratory birds in southern California, including at least one female golden eagle, knowing that he had no permit to do so.
Historically, the breeding range of the golden eagle included most of North America, but today the species occurs primarily in the Western United States where it nests and winters from Alaska south to central Mexico. In some western states, golden eagles are year-round residents in breeding territories.
The golden eagle is a Bird of Conservation Concern throughout most of its western range. In the early 1970s, the estimated North American population was approximately 100,000. The current population estimate for the United States and Canada is 80,000, with documented declines in western states. Golden eagle populations are primarily impacted by habitat loss, collisions with transmission lines and increasingly with wind turbines, ingestion of lead and other contaminants, and disturbance of nest and brooding sites.
The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act prohibits anyone from taking, possessing, or transporting a bald eagle or golden eagle, or the parts, nests, or eggs of such birds without prior authorization. Take means to pursue, shoot, shoot at, poison, wound, kill, capture, trap, collect, destroy, molest, or disturb. Activities that directly or indirectly lead to take are prohibited without a permit. Such restrictions help ensure the future viability of eagles in the wild.
United States Attorney Laura E. Duffy said, "It is a sacred trust to preserve our natural heritage for future generations. This trust mandates that we observe both the spirit and letter of laws designed to protect the environment."
Bittner is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11, 2013 at 1:30 a.m. before Judge Bartick.
Case Number: 13cr1391-W DEFENDANT John David Bittner SUMMARY OF CHARGESUnlawful Taking of a Golden Eagle, in Violation of Title 16, United States Code, Section 668(a).
AGENCY
Maximum Penalties: 1 year in custody and/or $100,000 fine, $25 special assessment.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
West Virginia Man Sentenced to Life in Prison on Multiple Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO - St. Louis, MO - JACK E. GRAVENMIER, Charleston, West Virginia, was sentenced to life in prison on multiple child exploitation crimes in Missouri and the State of West Virginia. He appeared today in St. Louis for sentencing before United States District Judge John A. Ross.
In January, Gravenmier pled guilty, in St. Louis, to production of child pornography, attempt to persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity, traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and possession of child pornography. He also pled guilty at that time to production and possession charges from the Southern District of West Virginia. He was sentenced to life in prison on all of those charges.
As part of his January plea agreement, Gravenmier also agreed to forfeit all of his interest in items seized by law enforcement officials during the course of the investigation, including a 2007 GMC Yukon XL, a 1995 Ford Cutaway Van E350 and his residence in Charleston, West Virginia.
The investigation was conducted jointly by the Troy, Missouri, Police Department; St. Charles County Cyber Crime Task Force, Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force; FBI (St. Louis); Charleston, West Virginia, Police Department; FBI (West Virginia); White County, Georgia, Sheriff's Department; Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Santa Rosa County, Florida, Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert F. Livergood of the Eastern District of Missouri and Lisa G. Johnston of the Southern District of West Virginia.
Watervliet Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child PornograpyRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – David Alan Inman, 51, of Watervliet, Michigan pleaded guilty on Tuesday, April 16, 2013, to receiving child pornography videos via the Internet, U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Miles, Jr. announced today. Inman faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years of imprisonment, and he will be required to serve a term of supervised release after his prison term has been completed. Inman will also be required to register as a sexual offender.
The case stemmed from an online investigation that took place in late 2009. During that investigation, members of law enforcement learned that an individual, later identified as Inman, had made numerous items of child pornography available for download on the Internet. Agents ultimately executed two search warrants at Inman’s home and recovered a number of computers that contained a substantial collection of child pornography. Inman confessed to downloading child pornography images and videos from the Internet, and he further admitted to sharing child pornography with others via the Internet.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney's Office, county prosecutor's offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following web site: www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Berrien County Sheriff's Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean M. Lewis prosecuted the case.
END
Virginia Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Firearms to ConnecticutRead the Press Release
David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that CHARLES MATTHEW WILSON, also known as “Matt,” 26, of Roanoke, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in a conspiracy to traffic firearms from Virginia to Connecticut.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation conducted by the New Haven Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Between June and August 2012, Jawawn Ricardo Hale, of Roanoke, sold a total of seven firearms and a quantity of ammunition to an individual in Connecticut. Hale acquired the firearms from WILSON and others in Virginia, and then transported the firearms to Connecticut. Leshel Branch, of New Haven, assisted Hale in the transportation and distribution of the firearms.
On August 23, 2012, WILSON, Hale and Branch traveled to a location in New Haven where Hale sold two firearms to an individual in exchange for $2,400. Shortly after the transaction, the car carrying the three defendants was stopped by law enforcement. $2000 was recovered from the interior of the car and $400 was seized from WILSON’s person.
WILSON has been detained since his arrest on August 23, 2012. On December 14, 2012, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license.
WILSON’s criminal history includes a 2006 conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and a 2012 conviction for possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, and he faces violation of probation proceedings in Virginia.
Hale and Branch have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony E. Kaplan.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:
U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
[email protected]United States Attorney Deborah Gilg Recognizes the Success of Nebraska ICACsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg today recognized the outstanding work done by the Nebraska State Patrol and the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) groups operating in the State of Nebraska to protect our children from sexual predators. The Nebraska State Patrol and the ICACs conduct difficult investigations involving the online exploitation of children. The crimes include: online enticement of children; production and manufacture of child pornography; distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography; travel and transport offenses with the intent to engage in sexual activity with children; and, human trafficking of children. These cases are referred for both federal and state prosecution.
United States Attorney Gilg noted a number of significant ICAC referrals recently prosecuted in federal court in Nebraska. Significant sentences imposed by the federal court within the past six months include:
- Allen M. Hudson, age 41 of Plattsmouth, who was sentenced to 303 months in prison for producing child pornography. Hudson produced images of child pornography depicting 3 different boys between the ages of eleven and twelve
- Mark Roble of Bellevue who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempting to produce child pornography. Roble installed cameras in his bathroom with the intent to record a minor female
- Nathan T. Young, age 22 of Columbus, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison for receiving child pornography. Young, a registered sex offender, solicited and received sexually explicit photos from a middle school student over cell phones
- Robert Fleming, age 32 of Chadron, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for receiving 78 videos and 4,000 images of child pornography
- Thomas Schildt, age 30 of Gering, who was sentenced to 7 years in prison for receiving 15,000 images of child pornography. The images included children as young as 3 years of age engaged in sexual acts and bondage
- Jason Bielicki, age 35 of North Platte, who was sentenced to 7 years in prison for receiving and distributing 96 videos and 105 images of child pornography
- Steven Fonder, age 33 of Omaha, who was sentenced to 7 years in for receiving and distributing 1,250 videos of child pornography.
United States Attorney Gilg stated “Each of these individuals are not eligible for parole and when released from prison will remain under federal supervision for terms of at least five years and in some instances for life. All will be required to register as sex offender. Predators who seek to rob the innocence of children will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Finally, United States Attorney Gilg noted that the ICACs work hand in hand with Project Safe Childhood. 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 United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit ww.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Two Sentenced in Connection with Aryan Knights CasesRead the Press Release
BOISE – U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced today that two more individuals in the Aryan Knights investigation were sentenced to serve federal prison sentences for distributing methamphetamine.
Nicholas Andrew Steele, 26, of Boise, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill to 60 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for distribution of methamphetamine. On December 20, 2012, Steele pleaded guilty and admitted to his involvement in distributing methamphetamine to a confidential informant in June 2012. Steele’s co-defendant, Dennis Lynn James, 46, of San Pablo, California, pleaded guilty on March 12, 2013, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in Boise on June 3.
In a separate case, Stephanie Ann Robinson, 29, of Boise, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge to 63 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for distribution of methamphetamine. On January 25, 2013, Robinson pleaded guilty to the indictment charging her with one count of distributing methamphetamine in March 2012.
The Steele and Robinson cases are part of the Aryan Knights investigation in which 23 people were charged as a result of a long term investigation by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force. The investigation began when the task force focused on illegal drug distribution by the “Aryan Knights,” a gang active both in prison and on the streets throughout Idaho. Through the investigation, law enforcement agents identified Aryan Knights gang members who were trafficking methamphetamine, as well as associates of the gang who were the source of that methamphetamine.
The Aryan Knights indictments were the result of a joint investigation by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which included the cooperative law enforcement efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Marshals Service. The Twin Falls Police Department, Twin Falls Sheriff’s Office, Idaho State Police, and District 3 Probation and Parole participated in the investigation.
The cases are 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 treasurevalleypartners.org.
Two Individuals Arrested on Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
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(304) 234-0100 ● Contact: Chris Zumpetta-Parr, Public Affairs SpecialistFollow us on Twitter @NDWVnews
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - Two individuals were arrested today by agents of the Marshall County Drug Task Force pursuant to an Indictment returned by a Federal Grand Jury on April 16, 2013.
According to United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II:
AMANDA ALLISON, age 26, of Cameron, West Virginia, and TYLER JAY HOYLE, age 22, of Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, were charged with “Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin” from January of 2013 to April 6, 2013, in Cameron. ALLISON was also charged with three counts of “Illegal Use of a Telephone to Facilitate the Distribution of Heroin,” two counts of “Distribution of Heroin,” and, one count of “Distribution of Oxycodone.” The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of a money judgment of $7,500 and $3,100 in currency seized in the investigation, which constitutes proceeds from the drug activity.
ALLISON and HOYLE appeared in court today for an initial appearance. ALLISON was released with conditions and HOYLE was remanded to custody pending a detention hearing.
If convicted, ALLISON and HOYLE face up to 20 years imprisonment and a
$1,000,000 fine on the conspiracy charge. In addition, ALLISON faces up to 4 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine on the phone charges and 20 years imprisonment and a
$1,000,000 fine on the distribution charges.
The case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard. The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations and not evidence of
guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.Two Indicted on Child Porn ChargesRead the Press Release
Cori Merklinger, 24, of Reading, PA, and Ambur Ham, 20, of Parkesburg, PA, were charged today by Indictmentwith one count of conspiracy to produce child pornography, and three counts of production of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. Merklinger was additionally charged with one count of distribution of child pornography.
If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison with a maximum sentence of 30 years, a fine of up to $1 million, a mandatory minimum period of five years up to lifetime period of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment for each count. Merklinger also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years for the distribution count, plus an additional $100 special assessment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Berks County Detectives and the Chester County Detectives, with assistance from the Berks County District Attorney’s Office and the Chester County District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle L. Morgan.
Click here to view the indictment
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, EASTERN DISTRICTof PENNSYLVANIA
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PATTY HARTMAN, Media Contact, 215-861-8525Two Essex County, N.J., Men Admit Roles in Armed Robbery of Jewelry StoreRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two Essex County, N.J., men today admitted their roles in the armed robbery of the Golden Palace jewelry store in Orange, N.J., U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Antonio Moore, 44, of Newark, pleaded guilty to an Indictment charging him with one count of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of using a firearm in furtherance of that robbery. Charles Madison, 41, also of Newark, pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with aiding and abetting the Hobbs Act robbery and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Both pleaded before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini in Newark federal court. A third defendant, David Williams, pleaded guilty in January 2013.According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On August 6, 2012, Moore and Williams robbed the store at gunpoint, while Madison served as the getaway driver. During the robbery, Moore punched a 22-year-old employee of the Golden Palace in the head, restrained her and a co-worker with duct tape and telephone cord, and then took approximately $120,000 in jewelry from the store’s display cases. The three defendants were pulled over in Madison’s pick-up truck approximately an hour after the robbery, at which time law enforcement found dozens of pieces of gold jewelry scattered across the back seat of the truck.
Moore faces a maximum potential punishment of life imprisonment. Madison faces a maximum potential punishment of 20 years in prison on the robbery charge and 10 years in prison on the gun charge. Both defendants are subject to fines of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for July 31, 2013.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty pleas. Mr. Fishman also thanked the Orange Police Department and the New Jersey State Police for their investigation and assistance on this case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew J. Bruck of the U.S. Attorney’s Office General Crimes Unit, and David E. Malagold, Chief of the Office’s Organized Crime/Gangs Unit, in Newark.13-171
Defense counsel:
Moore: Mark A. Berman Esq., River Edge, N.J.
Madison: Michael V. Calabro Esq., NewarkMoore, Antonio et. al. Indictment
Madison, Charles Information