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8 February 2013
Week in Review – Fort WayneRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Mary Hatton
www.usdoj.gov/usao/inn/ FAX (219) 852-2770
Fort Wayne, Indiana- The United States Attorney’s Office announced the following activity:
PLEA:
Joseph Brewington, 24, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Roger Cosbey to the felony offense of maintaining a premises for the purpose of distributing marijuana.Magistrate Cosbey is recommending that the district court accept the tendered guilty plea.Parties have 10 days in which to object to the magistrate judge’s recommendation. These charges were filed as a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Allen County Drug Task Force and the Allen County Sheriff’s Department.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.
DISPOSITION:
Donavan Gray, 25, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by District Judge Theresa Springmann to time served and 2 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the felony offense of possession with the intent to distribute marijuana.This case was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Geller.
Waterloo Men Sent to Federal Prison for Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
Two men who illegally possessed concealed handguns following a fight at a Waterloo liquor store will each serve time in federal prison.
Dai’Sean Battles, 21, from Waterloo, will serve almost four years’ in prison following his September 21, 2012 guilty plea to possession of a firearm as a felon. Irvin Johnson Jr., 20, also from Waterloo, was sentenced to over one year imprisonment after his September 18, 2012 guilty plea to possession of a firearm as an unlawful drug user.
According to their plea agreements and information presented at their sentencing hearings, Battles and Johnson were observed by police leaving the scene of a fight at a Waterloo liquor store on May 26, 2012. They flagged down a passing motorist for a ride and got inside the motorist’s vehicle. Battles and Johnson were each carrying concealed loaded firearms. When police initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle, Battles threw a Glock 27 .40 caliber pistol with an obliterated serial number out the window where it was recovered by police. Johnson hid a Browning Buckmark .22 caliber pistol underneath the seat in the vehicle. Battles and Johnson were each on probation at the time; Battles for his 2010 conviction for possessing cocaine with intent to deliver and Johnson for a February 2012 conviction for carrying weapons.
Battles and Johnson were each sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. Battles was sentenced on January 17, 2013 to 46 months’ imprisonment. Johnson was sentenced on February 5, 2013 to 15 months’ imprisonment, with the sentence running consecutively to a sentence he received as a result of violating his probation. Each must pay a special assessment of $100. They must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after their prison terms. There is no parole in the federal system.
Battles and Johnson are both being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until they can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Lightfoot and was investigated by the Cedar Valley Gang Task Force and a specialized unit of the Waterloo Police Department known as the Violent Crime Apprehension
Team, or VCAT. The Cedar Valley Gang Task Force is comprised of members from the Waterloo Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, Cedar Falls Police Department, Waverly Police Department, State of Iowa Probation and Parole, and the United States Marshals Service.Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number for both Battles and Johnson is CR 12-2019.
Washington Park Man Sentenced for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
Joshua Hamilton, 28, from Washington Park, IL, was sentenced on February 8, 2013, in District Court in East St. Louis, IL, on one count of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Previously Convicted Felon, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.
Hamilton was sentenced to 27 months in prison, three years of supervised release, fined $250 and ordered to pay $100 special assessment. Hamilton, who previously pled guilty, admitted on November 29, 2011, that a firearm recovered from a law enforcement operation involving a vehicle search in which he was a passenger belonged to him. Prior to November 29, 2011, Hamilton had been convicted of a crime that was punishable by a term of imprisonment of more than one year.
The investigation was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Illinois State Police. The case resulted from the efforts of the WAVE (Working Against Violent Elements) Task Force, which focuses its efforts on combating violent crime in East St. Louis, Washington Park, and surrounding communities. The WAVE Task Force receives financial support through the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, a nationwide federal program which endeavors to address gun-related violence.
This was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew H. Brooks.
Vancouver Man Pleads Guilty to Lying About His Ability to Conduct Lead TestingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore. - Martin Glaves Kuna, 66 of Vancouver, Washington, plead guilty today to one count of wire fraud before the Honorable Judge Michael H. Simon for falsely telling customers that he was certified to perform lead based paint inspections and testing in homes, where children resided, when in fact, he was not properly certified by state authorities to do so.
In response to medical studies on the health hazards presented to children by lead-based paint, Congress passed the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act (“Lead Hazard Act”). The Lead Hazard Act authorized the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop regulations to ensure, among other things, that individuals engaged in lead based paint inspections and testing were properly trained and certified. Oregon’s rules for the certification of individuals and firms engaged in lead based paint inspections and testing prohibit any person or firm to perform lead based paint inspections and testing in target housing or child occupied facilities without first receiving appropriate certification.
The Information that defendant Kuna plead guilty to states that from May 2008 to September 2012, Kuna advertised his services to conduct lead based paint inspections and testing and indicated to individuals via the internet and in person that he was certified to do so. Defendant Kuna, however, had not received the required certification and training to inspect and test target housing or child occupied facilities for lead based paint despite his representations that he had. Over the course of the scheme, defendant Kuna conducted more than ten (10) such inspections. Assistant U. S. Attorney Michelle Holman Kerin told the court during Kuna’s guilty plea that in one instance where defendant Kuna performed lead based paint inspections and testing, children resided in the home and Kuna provided the home owner a false negative for the detection of lead. In January 2012, civil EPA investigators intervened in Kuna’s business activities and ordered him to stop lead based paint inspections and testing. Despite EPA’s order, Defendant Kuna continued to advertise and perform lead based paint inspections and testing through September 2012.
U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall, said, “Protecting children and families is one of my office’s top priorities. Laws designed to detect lead in housing help keep us safe from the well-documented, deleterious effects of lead exposure. Individuals who lie about their qualifications to perform these tasks endanger the health and welfare of anyone who falls prey to such fraud, but especially endanger the lives and health of children. When criminal conduct puts children and families at risk, we will see that justice is done.”
Tyler Amon, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Special Agent in Charge in Seattle, Washington, said “By offering a service he was not qualified or certified to deliver, defendant Kuna unnecessarily put children and families at risk using unscrupulous and unsafe business practices. Cases like this one, where people could be exposed to a potentially harmful contaminant, will be tirelessly investigated and tenaciously prosecuted.”
This investigation was conducted by Special Agent, Marc Callaghan at the EPA. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Holman Kerin.
Vacha Vaughn Sentenced to 438 Months for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Vacha Vaughn, 36, of Memphis, TN was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Samuel H. Mays, Jr. to 438 months in prison for his role in the Craig Petties Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO), announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III and Resident Agent-in-Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Memphis office Brian Chambers.
# # # #
On December 19, 2007, Vaughn pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine. As outlined in the indictment, Vaughn was a member of a criminal racketeering enterprise, the Petties DTO, whose members conspired with cocaine traffickers in Mexico, Texas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and elsewhere. As part of the conspiracy, cocaine was prepared, packaged and/or stored, prior to distribution to buyers in “stash houses.” The defendant and the co-conspirators used these “stash houses” to avoid detection by law enforcement authorities. It was further part of the conspiracy that the defendants and their co-conspirators sorted, counted, packaged, and stored large amounts of cash derived from the sale of controlled substances in various co-conspirators’ premises in the Western District of Tennessee. The co-conspirators delivered large amounts of currency derived from the sale of cocaine from the Western District of Tennessee and elsewhere to Texas and Mexico. In order to facilitate continued drug trafficking and in order to prevent others from cooperating with law enforcement authorities, it was further part of the conspiracy that the defendant and the co-conspirators did kill other people. Over thirty people have been charged and convicted as part of this investigation.
In addition to the prison sentence, Mays also ordered Vaughn to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal prison system.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, the Memphis Police Department, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department and the Olive Branch Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Pritchard on behalf of the government.United States Attorney’s Office Sponsors 'We Love Wildlife' Campaign as Part of Ongoing Efforts to Protect Endangered SpeciesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – United States Attorney André Birotte Jr. today announced the launch of the “We Love Wildlife” campaign – a public education campaign to promote awareness about the international black market for threatened and endangered species and how United States laws are used to protect those species.
Mr. Birotte said the campaign is designed to deter criminal conduct through education and community outreach. Federal prosecutors, including Mr. Birotte, will participate in a series of events beginning Monday, February 11. Each day next week, the United States Attorney’s Office will host a “Lunch and Learn about Wildlife” meeting. For a list of upcoming events, including next week’s brown bag lunches, please see: http://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/recent-events.
The United States is a large consumer of wildlife products illegally poached and smuggled from other countries. Many American do not know that it is illegal to sell or offer to sell endangered wildlife or wildlife parts in interstate commerce. Other examples of illegal wildlife trafficking include:
selling marine mammal parts, such as whale bones or seal skins (unless the parts will be used for a public display, scientific research or enhancing the survival of a species);
importing or exporting rhino horns without a permit;
offering to sell migratory bird species, such as the Western Scrub Jay; and
failing to declare to the proper authorities any flora or fauna brought into the United States.
Illegal purchases of protected wildlife lead directly to the poaching and decimation of endangered species in the wild.
The prosecution of crimes involving wildlife is an important part of the mission of the United States Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, which is one of only two U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the nation to have an Environmental Crimes Section.
In partnership with the United States Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resource Division, as well as federal and state law enforcement agencies, Assistant United States Attorneys based in Los Angeles have successfully prosecuted cases under smuggling statutes, the Endangered Species Act, the Lacey Act (the first federal law that protected wildlife), the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Bald Eagle Protection Act, and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
The United States Attorney’s Office has partnered with the Humane Society of the United States in the “We Love Wildlife” campaign to help spread the message and educate the public about wildlife protection statutes through a series of public events.
During the week of February 11, the United States Attorney’s Office will host a series of brown bag lunches to discuss the important work being done to protect and conserve wildlife in the United States and abroad.
During the week of February 15, members of the United States Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partner agencies will participate in the Cool Cats Program at the San Diego Zoo. The outreach effort will emphasize not buying or selling protected wildlife and their parts.
On Saturday, February 23, federal prosecutors and agents from investigating agencies will be part of the Safari Safety Program at the Los Angeles Zoo, where participants will be able to learn about careers in wildlife protection and enforcement.
On Sunday, February 24, representatives from the United States Attorney’s Office will participate in the African Heritage Festival at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, where they will offer information about efforts to stop global wildlife trafficking, prevent the introduction of invasive species, and protect fish and marine mammals.
The “We Love Wildlife” campaign is being coordinated by the United States Attorney’s Office, in close collaboration with the Humane Society of the United States, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Forest Service, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the San Diego Zoo, the Los Angeles Zoo, the California Wild Center, and the Animal Advocates.
All inquiries on the “We Love Wildlife” campaign should be directed to Assistant United States Attorney Amanda M. Bettinelli of the Environmental Crimes Section at (213) 894-0470.
Release No. 13-wildlife
Two Compton Men Indicted in Federal Hate Crime Case Stemming from New Year's Eve Attack on African-American YouthsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury has indicted two members of the Compton 155 street gang on federal hate crime charges related to a racially motivated attack on four African-American juveniles at a residence in the City of Compton on New Year’s Eve.
Jeffrey Aguilar, who uses the moniker “Terco,” 19, and Efren Marquez Jr., who is also known as “Stretch” and “Junior,” 21, were named in a five-count indictment returned late yesterday by the grand jury.
The indictment specifically charges Aguilar and Marquez with one count of conspiracy to interfere with housing rights and four counts of interfering with housing rights. The indictment alleges that they attempted to intimidate African-Americans from living in Compton.
Aguilar and Marquez allegedly are members of the Compton 155 street gang, which uses violence and threats of violence in an effort to drive African-Americans out of their “territory” on the west side of Compton. According to the indictment, members of the Compton 155 gang often refer to themselves as “NK” or “N***** Killers.” To instill fear in African-Americans, members of the gang tag their gang moniker and “NK” throughout their “territory.”
“Hate-fueled crimes have no place in our society,” said United States Attorney Andre Birotte Jr. “No one should have to look over their shoulder in fear because of who they are. Incidents like the one described in the federal indictment prove that we must remain vigilant to ensure that the rights of every single American resident are protected at all times.”
Thomas E. Perez, the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, stated: “The Civil Rights Division will continue to protect the right of every person who lives in this country to do so free of racially-based violence and intimidation. The Justice Department will not tolerate those individuals or gangs who would prevent a family from living in a particular neighborhood simply because of their race or the color of their skin.”
The indictment specifically alleges that on December 31, 2012, Aguilar, Marquez and a co-conspirator confronted an African-American juvenile, who was walking on a street in Compton, and threatened him by referring to themselves as “NKs.” The 17-year-old victim ran to his girlfriend’s house, where three other African-American juveniles were located. Aguilar and Marquez followed the 17-year-old victim to the home, yelled racial slurs at the four juveniles at the residence, and demanded that the African-Americans get out of the neighborhood. Aguilar and Marquez then allegedly assaulted the 17-year-old victim with a metal pipe and threatened another juvenile with a gun.
After the juveniles managed to escape and run into the house, the indictment alleges that Aguilar and Marquez left the scene and informed other gang members that the African-American juveniles lived in their “territory.” Shortly thereafter, Aguilar and approximately 15 other gang members went to the victims’ home and threatened them by yelling racial slurs and warning the juveniles that they did not belong in the neighborhood. During this time, a member of the gang smashed one of the windows of the house.
“The FBI is committed to the protection of civil liberties,” said Bill Lewis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “No one should tolerate violence based on the color of their skin or live in fear based on the hatred of others.”
Sheriff Lee Baca commented: “Hate crimes seriously threaten our society’s democratic principles and affect the entire community We had one hate crime in Compton for 2012, but one is too many. Tolerance is the key element of democracy.”
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Aguilar and Marquez had been in state custody on unrelated charges. They were transferred to federal custody early this morning and are expected to be arraigned on the indictment this afternoon in United States District Court.
If convicted, Aguilar and Marquez each would face a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each of the five civil rights charges alleged in the indictment.
The case against Aguilar and Marquez is the result of an ongoing investigation being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Reema El-Amamy of the Violent and Organized Crime Section of the United States Attorney’s Office and Trial Attorney Saeed Mody of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.
Release No. 13-023
Two California Men Indicted in Federal Hate Crime Case Stemming from New Year’s Eve Attack on African-American YouthsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury has indicted two members of the Compton 155 street gang on federal hate crime charges related to a racially motivated attack on four African-American juveniles at a residence in the city of Compton, Calif., on New Year’s Eve.
Jeffrey Aguilar, aka “Terco,” 19, and Efren Marquez Jr., who is also known as “Stretch” and “Junior,” 21, were named in a five-count indictment returned late yesterday by the grand jury.
The indictment specifically charges Aguilar and Marquez with one count of conspiracy to interfere with housing rights and four counts of interfering with housing rights. The indictment alleges that they attempted to intimidate African-Americans from living in Compton.
Aguilar and Marquez allegedly are members of the Compton 155 street gang, which uses violence and threats of violence in an effort to drive African-Americans out of their “territory” on the west side of Compton. According to the indictment, members of the Compton 155 gang often refer to themselves as “NK” or “N***** Killers.” To instill fear in African-Americans, members of the gang tag their gang moniker and “NK” throughout their “territory.”
“Hate-fueled crimes have no place in our society,” said U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Andre Birotte Jr. “No one should have to look over their shoulder in fear because of who they are. Incidents like the one described in the federal indictment prove that we must remain vigilant to ensure that the rights of every single American resident are protected at all times.”
“The Civil Rights Division will continue to protect the right of every person who lives in this country to do so free of racially-based violence and intimidation," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. “The Justice Department will not tolerate those individuals or gangs who would prevent a family from living in a particular neighborhood simply because of their race or the color of their skin.”
The indictment specifically alleges that on Dec. 31, 2012, Aguilar, Marquez and a co-conspirator confronted an African-American juvenile, who was walking on a street in Compton, and threatened him by referring to themselves as “NKs.” The 17-year-old victim ran to his girlfriend’s house, where three other African-American juveniles were located. Aguilar and Marquez followed the 17-year-old victim to the home, yelled racial slurs at the four juveniles at the residence, and demanded that the African-Americans get out of the neighborhood. Aguilar and Marquez then allegedly assaulted the 17-year-old victim with a metal pipe and threatened another juvenile with a gun.
After the juveniles managed to escape and run into the house, the indictment alleges that Aguilar and Marquez left the scene and informed other gang members that the African-American juveniles lived in their “territory.” Shortly thereafter, Aguilar and approximately 15 other gang members went to the victims’ home and threatened them by yelling racial slurs and warning the juveniles that they did not belong in the neighborhood. During this time, a member of the gang smashed one of the windows of the house.
“The FBI is committed to the protection of civil liberties,” said Bill Lewis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. “No one should tolerate violence based on the color of their skin or live in fear based on the hatred of others.”
“Hate crimes seriously threaten our society’s democratic principles and affect the entire community,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca. “We had one hate crime in Compton for 2012, but one is too many. Tolerance is the key element of democracy.”
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Aguilar and Marquez had been in state custody on unrelated charges. They were transferred to federal custody early this morning and are expected to be arraigned on the indictment this afternoon in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.
If convicted, Aguilar and Marquez each would face a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each of the five civil rights charges alleged in the indictment.
The case against Aguilar and Marquez is the result of an ongoing investigation being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reema El-Amamy of the Violent and Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Trial Attorney Saeed Mody of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.
Three Miami-Dade Residents Sentenced for Tax Refund Fraud Scheme Using Stolen Identities of Foreign NationalsRead the Press Release
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Alysa D. Erichs, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), and Antonio J. Gomez, Acting Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division, announced that defendants Christian Andres Perin, 40, of Miami, Venancio Oscar Pio, 52, of Doral, and Olga Rosana Garcia, 46, of Miami, were sentenced yesterday for their participation in a tax refund scheme using stolen identities of foreign nationals. Defendant Perin was sentenced to 87 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Defendants Pio and Garcia were each sentenced to 70 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. The defendants were also ordered to pay restitution of $1,146,745.24.
Each of the defendants previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to submit false claims to the IRS, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 286. Defendant Perin also pled guilty to two counts of stealing tax refund checks, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641.
According to court documents, Perin obtained identity documents of foreign nationals from individuals living outside of the United States. Pio, in exchange for payment, would then send the identity documents to another individual outside the United States who would manufacture false tax claim Forms W-2, W-7, and 1040 Individual Income Tax Returns with fictitious employer information, income, and withholding amounts. Garcia and other co-conspirators mailed the fraudulent Forms W-2, W-7, and 1040 Individual Income Tax Returns to the IRS to obtain tax refunds. The tax refunds were directed into bank accounts or mailboxes controlled by Perin and Garcia. Perin and Garcia then collected the checks, deposited the checks in bank accounts, and later withdrew the money.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI, ICE-HSI, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kurt K. Lunkenheimer.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Ten Persons Face Federal Methamphetamine ChargesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Benton, Illinois, has charged 10 individuals with methamphetamine related offenses, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Those charged with conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine are: Clarence “Buster” Ridlin, 50, Creal Springs., Illinois, Rick D. Keebler, 44, Bush, Illinois, Zachary A. Willard, 28, West Frankfort, Illinois, Lexie L. Mutchek, 26, West Frankfort, Illinois, Daniel W. Reinbold, 33, Royalton, Illinois, John F. Richardson, 52, Johnston City, Illinois, Lowell L. Skelton, 39, Carbondale, Illinois, Brittany N. Stroud, 25, Marion, Illinois, and Brandi L. Dunfee, 29, West Frankfort, Illinois. Christina L. Meeks, 27, Willisville, Illinois, was charged separately with purchasing pseudoephedrine for use in methamphetamine manufacturing. Those individuals charged with conspiracy face a minimum of 10 years imprisonment up to life, a $10 million fine, and at least 5 years supervised release. Meeks faces up to 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to five years supervised release.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The investigation in this case has thus far resulted in the indictment of 53 individuals for methamphetamine related activities in Williamson, Franklin, and Jackson Counties. The still ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Illinois State Police, Southern Illinois Drug Task Force along with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Benton Police Department, Royalton Police Department, West City Police Department, Williamson County State’s Attorney’s Office, Franklin County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Jackson County State’s Attorney’s Office.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tom Leggans.
Teacher's Aide Pleads Guilty to Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Earlier today, Taleek Brooks, a former teacher’s aide at a public elementary school in Brooklyn, pleaded guilty to producing child pornography and distributing child pornography. The proceedings were held before United States Magistrate Judge Roanne L. Mann at the United States Courthouse in Brooklyn, New York. Brooks faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of 50 years’ imprisonment when sentenced on May 23, 2013.
The guilty plea was announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and George Venizelos, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office.
Brooks, a teacher’s aide at Public School 243, The Weeksville School, in Brooklyn, regularly downloaded and distributed videos and images depicting child pornography over the Internet through a peer-to-peer file sharing program. In December 2011, Brooks accepted a “friend” request from an undercover FBI special agent, which permitted the agent to observe and download several videos and images depicting child pornography that Brooks had designated for sharing with his “friends” on the peer-to-peer network.
On January 13, 2012, FBI special agents executed a search warrant on Brooks’s residence in Brooklyn. During the search, agents seized, among other items, a computer and two external hard drives from Brooks’s bedroom. Hundreds of videos and images depicting child pornography were found on the computer equipment.
A FBI forensic examination of the equipment revealed that Brooks had produced child pornography. In a folder that Brooks had labeled “Special,” investigators recovered videos and images of a young child performing sexually explicit acts at Brooks’s direction. Brooks can be heard and seen in some of the videos. Investigators later confirmed that the young child had been a student at Public School 243 while Brooks was a teacher’s aide and that the videos and images were produced in two of the school’s classrooms.
“School is supposed to be a place of learning, where our children can excel and grow. Brooks turned his classroom into a place of fear and exploitation, taking advantage of the trust that was placed in him by a young child that he was charged with teaching and protecting. He spent his additional time and energy collecting images of the exploitation of yet more children. We stand committed to protecting our youth from those who abuse them and violate that trust,” stated United States Attorney Lynch. “Today’s guilty plea stands as a strong warning to those who prey on our youth that we will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Venizelos stated, “Brooks not only collected and traded images of child pornography, he created it when he directed and recorded a child performing sexually explicit acts in a school classroom. The FBI is committed to protecting children by policing child predators.”
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert Polemeni.
The Defendant:
TALEEK BROOKS
Age: 42Tampa Man Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud, Identity TheftRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Victor T. Williams, 28, of Tampa, Florida, pled guilty yesterday to charges of conspiracy, theft of public money, and aggravated identity theft based on his participation in a scheme to obtain fraudulent federal income tax refunds. The plea was announced by Pamela C. Marsh, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Between 2011 and 2012, Williams and his uncle, Kenneth R. Faison, 51, the pastor of the Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ in Mexia, Alabama, conspired to deposit more than $235,000 in U.S. Treasury checks issued on false tax returns. The returns had been filed in the names of taxpayers, some deceased, whose identities had been stolen. Williams obtained the checks from confederates in the Tampa area, and mailed them to Faison, who then deposited the checks in banks in north Florida and south Alabama. Faison kept a percentage of the stolen funds for himself, and transferred the remainder to Williams. In one instance, Faison added the victim taxpayer as signatory to his bank account, using identifying information stolen from the victim to do so.
Earlier this year, Faison pled guilty to conspiracy, theft of public money, and aggravated identity theft for his role in the conspiracy. He is scheduled to be sentenced before Senior United States District Judge Roger Vinson on April 9, 2013. Williams is scheduled for sentencing on May 8, 2013 before Judge Vinson.
Conspiracy is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Theft of public monies is punishable by ten years in prison. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, which must be served consecutively to any other sentence.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Kim.
St. Petersburg Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possession and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington sentenced Andrew Dennis Kromer (34, St. Petersburg) yesterday to 10 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for distribution and possession of child pornography. The court also ordered Kromer to forfeit laptop computers and hard drives that he used to facilitate the offenses. Kromer pleaded guilty on November 13, 2012.
According to court documents, Kromer used a social networking website to share and receive numerous images of pre-pubescent boys engaging in explicit sexual activity. Based upon the investigation into the origin of these photographs, the Federal Bureau of Investigation obtained and executed a federal search warrant at Kromer's residence in St. Petersburg. During the search, agents located and seized a laptop computer belonging to Kromer. A detailed forensic analysis showed that Kromer possessed more than 59,000 images of child pornography. The forensic review also revealed that Kromer was regularly trading images with other individuals over the Internet of children engaging in sadistic and masochistic activity.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josephine W. Thomas.
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, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
South Florida Brothers Sentenced for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Michael Farnell and James Farnell, residents of Boca Raton, Fla., were sentenced to prison terms today for income tax evasion, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. Michael Farnell and James Farnell were previously indicted on April 19, 2012. Judge William P. Dimitrouleas sentenced Michael Farnell to a term of 18 months in prison and his brother James, Farnell, was sentenced to a term of 42 months. Michael Farnell was remanded into custody. James Farnell was already in custody.
According to statements made in court and publicly filed documents, Michael Farnell and James Farnell sold stock in a privately held Florida-based technology company between 2004 and 2006 and failed to report the capital gains or pay taxes on the capital gains from those stock sales. In 2004, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed suit against the Farnell brothers for securities violations at another company that they operated the year 2000. A majority of the stock sales at issue in this case violated the injunction from the SEC’s lawsuit.
According to public documents and statements made in court, the Farnell brothers held their stock in this Florida-based technology company in the name of nominee trusts. The proceeds of the stock sales were deposited into bank accounts titled in the name of these nominee trusts. Neither brother filed tax returns in 2004 and 2005. James Farnell also failed to file a 2006 tax return. As part of the sentencing, Michael Farnell and James Farnell both agreed that they failed to report additional income paid to them by this Florida-based technology in 2001 through 2003.
Michael Farnell was ordered to pay restitution of $448,128 and James Farnell was ordered to pay restitution of $434,115, both to the IRS.
Kathryn Keneally, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, thanked IRS – Criminal Investigation for investigating the case, and also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their assistance with the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Tax Division Trial Attorney Jed Silversmith and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertha Mitrani.
South Florida Brothers Sentenced for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Michael Farnell and James Farnell, residents of Boca Raton, Fla., were sentenced to prison terms today for income tax evasion, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. Michael Farnell and James Farnell were previously indicted on April 19, 2012. Judge William P. Dimitrouleas sentenced Michael Farnell to a term of 18 months and his brother, James Farnell, was sentenced to a term of 42 months. Michael Farnell was remanded into custody. James Farnell was already in custody.
According to statements made in court and publicly filed documents, Michael Farnell and James Farnell sold stock in a privately held Florida-based technology company between 2004 and 2006 and failed to report the capital gains or pay taxes on the capital gains from those stock sales. In 2004, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed suit against the Farnell brothers for securities violations at another company that they operated the year 2000. A majority of the stock sales at issue in this case violated the injunction from the SEC’s lawsuit.
According to public documents and statements made in court, Michael Farnell and James Farnell held their stock in this Florida-based technology company in the name of nominee trusts. The proceeds of the stock sales were deposited into bank accounts titled in the name of these nominee trusts. Neither brother filed tax returns in 2004 and 2005. James Farnell also failed to file a 2006 tax return. As part of the sentencing, Michael Farnell and James Farnell both agreed that they failed to report additional income paid to them by this Florida-based technology in 2001 through 2003.
Michael Farnell was ordered to pay restitution of $448,128 and James Farnell was ordered to pay restitution of $434,115, both to the IRS.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and Kathryn Keneally, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Tax Division, thanked IRS – Criminal Investigation for investigating the case, and also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the United States Attorney’s Office for their assistance with the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Tax Division Trial Attorney Jed Silversmith and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertha Mitrani.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
South Carolina Physician Charged with Attempting to Entice A Minor for Sex over the InternetRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces the return of an indictment charging Dr. John Francis Williams (66, Blythewood, S.C.) with attempting to entice a minor for sexual activity through use of the Internet. If convicted, Williams faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Williams that the United States intends to forfeit a residence located at 1822 Wiley Post Trail in Port Orange, Florida.
According to the indictment, between October 11, 2012, and continuing through October 12, 2012, Williams used the Internet to attempt to persuade, induce, and entice a minor to engage in a sexual activity. Williams allegedly communicated with the minor over the Internet from the Port Orange home, and also offered to bring the minor there to engage in sexual activity.
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.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, as part of “Operation Broadband.” Operation Broadband utilized undercover agents to monitor various social networking websites to identify adults interested in engaging in sexual activity with minors. This case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel W. Eckhart.
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, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Sixteen People Sentenced to Prison for Religiously Motivated Assaults on Practitioners of the Amish ReligionRead the Press Release
Sixteen people were sentenced to prison today for hate crimes arising out of a series of religiously-motivated assaults on practitioners of the Amish religion, announced Thomas E. Perez, the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division; Steven M. Dettelbach, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio; and Stephen Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI – Cleveland Field Office.
The defendants all reside in Bergholz, Ohio, unless otherwise noted. Samuel Mullet, 67, received a 15 year sentence. Johnny S. Mullet, 39; Lester Mullet, 28, of Hammondsville, Ohio; Levi F. Miller, 54; and Eli M. Miller, 33, received seven year sentences. Daniel S. Mullet, 38; Lester Miller, 38; and Emanuel Schrock, 44, received five year sentences. Raymond Miller, 28, of Irondale, Ohio; and Linda Shrock, 45, both received two year sentences. Freeman Burkholder, 32, of Irondale; Anna Miller, 33; Elizabeth A. Miller, 38, of Irondale; Emma J. Miller, 38; Kathryn Miller, 23, of Irondale; and Lovina Miller, 33, all received a sentence of one year and one day.
A jury found the defendants guilty last September following a lengthy trial. The convictions stem from five separate assaults that occurred in four Ohio counties between September and November 2011. In each assault, defendants forcibly removed beard and head hair from practitioners of the Amish faith with whom they had ongoing religious disputes.
The manner in which Amish men wear their beards and Amish women wear their hair are symbols of their faith, according to trial testimony.
Samuel Mullet Sr., Johnny S. Mullet, Daniel S. Mullet, Lester S. Mullet, Levi F. Miller, Eli M. Miller, Emanuel Shrock, Lester Miller, Raymond Miller, Freeman Burkholder, Anna Miller and Linda Shrock were convicted of conspiracy to violate Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 249, also known as the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which prohibits any person from willfully causing bodily injury to any person, or attempting to do so by use of a dangerous weapon, because of the actual or perceived religion of that person, and Title 18, United States Code, Section 1512, which prohibits obstruction of justice, including witness tampering and the destruction or concealment of evidence.
The jury also convicted various groups of defendants with separate assaults, and Samuel Mullet Sr. and Lester Mullet with concealing or attempting to conceal various items of tangible evidence, including a camera and photographs of the attacks.
Samuel Mullet Sr. is the Bishop of the Amish community in Bergholz, while the remaining defendants are all members of that community. Mullet Sr. exerted control over the Bergholz community by taking the wives of other men into his home, and by overseeing various means of disciplining community members, including corporal punishment, according to trial testimony.
As a result of religious disputes with other members of the Ohio Amish community, the defendants planned and carried out a series of assaults on their perceived religious enemies. The assaults involved the use of hired drivers, either by the defendants or the alleged victims, because practitioners of the Amish religion do not operate motor vehicles. The assaults all entailed using scissors and battery-powered clippers to forcibly cut or shave the beard hair of the male victims and the head hair of the female victims, according to trial testimony.
During each assault, the defendants restrained and held down the victims. During some of the assaults, the defendants injured individuals who attempted to intervene to protect or rescue the victims. Following the attacks, some of the defendants participated in discussions about concealing photographs and other evidence of the assaults, according to evidence presented at trial.
“From the time of its founding as a nation, the United States of America has always been a beacon for those who seek religious freedom,” said Assistant Attorney General Perez. “The Department of Justice and the Civil Rights Division will vigorously defend every American’s right to worship in the manner of their choosing, including the members of the defendants’ community. However, violent assaults are not a form of religious expression. The actions of the defendants were designed to terrorize the victims, desecrate sacred symbols of their faith, and interfere with their right to worship. These prosecutions reflect the fact that the Department of Justice will not tolerate religiously motivated violence.”
“From day one, this case has been about the rule of law and defending the right of people to worship in peace. This was never about ‘haircuts.’ These were violent, religiously motivated home invasions that left the victims bloody, bruised and beaten,” said U.S. Attorney Dettlebach. “Our nation was founded on the bedrock principle that everyone is free to worship how they see fit. Violent attempts to attack this most basic freedom have no place in our country.”
“This case is an excellent example of cooperation between the many law enforcement agencies that investigated these crimes, along with the prosecution team from the United States Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Anthony. “The FBI is committed to investigating hate crimes, including those perpetrated against people motivated by bias toward religion as in this case, or other areas protected by our civil rights statutes.”
This case was investigated by the Cleveland Division of the FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Getz and Bridget M. Brennan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio and Deputy Chief Kristy Parker of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section. The prosecutor’s and sheriff’s offices from Holmes, Carroll, Jefferson and Trumbull counties also provided significant assistance in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
Sixteen People Sentenced to Prison for Federal Hate CrimesRead the Press Release
Sixteen people were sentenced to prison today for hate crimes arising out of a series of religiously-motivated assaults on practitioners of the Amish religion, announced Thomas E. Perez, the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division; Steven M. Dettelbach, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio; and Stephen Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI – Cleveland Field Office.
The defendants all reside in Bergholz, Ohio, unless otherwise noted. Samuel Mullet, 67, received a 15 year sentence. Johnny S. Mullet, 39; Lester Mullet, 28, of Hammondsville, Ohio; Levi F. Miller, 54; and Eli M. Miller, 33, received seven year sentences. Daniel S. Mullet, 38; Lester Miller, 38; and Emanuel Schrock, 44, received five year sentences. Raymond Miller, 28, of Irondale, Ohio; and Linda Shrock, 45, both received two year sentences. Freeman Burkholder, 32, of Irondale; Anna Miller, 33; Elizabeth A. Miller, 38, of Irondale; Emma J. Miller, 38; Kathryn Miller, 23, of Irondale; and Lovina Miller, 33, all received a sentence of one year and one day.A jury found the defendants guilty last September following a lengthy trial. The convictions stem from five separate assaults that occurred in four Ohio counties between September and November 2011. In each assault, defendants forcibly removed beard and head hair from practitioners of the Amish faith with whom they had ongoing religious disputes.
The manner in which Amish men wear their beards and Amish women wear their hair are symbols of their faith, according to trial testimony.
Samuel Mullet Sr., Johnny S. Mullet, Daniel S. Mullet, Lester S. Mullet, Levi F. Miller, Eli M. Miller, Emanuel Shrock, Lester Miller, Raymond Miller, Freeman Burkholder, Anna Miller and Linda Shrock were convicted of conspiracy to violate Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 249, also known as the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which prohibits any person from willfully causing bodily injury to any person, or attempting to do so by use of a dangerous weapon, because of the actual or perceived religion of that person, and Title 18, United States Code, Section 1512, which prohibits obstruction of justice, including witness tampering and the destruction or concealment of evidence.
The jury also convicted various groups of defendants with separate assaults, and Samuel Mullet Sr. and Lester Mullet with concealing or attempting to conceal various items of tangible evidence, including a camera and photographs of the attacks.
Samuel Mullet Sr. is the Bishop of the Amish community in Bergholz, while the remaining defendants are all members of that community. Mullet Sr. exerted control over the Bergholz community by taking the wives of other men into his home, and by overseeing various means of disciplining community members, including corporal punishment, according to trial testimony.As a result of religious disputes with other members of the Ohio Amish community, the defendants planned and carried out a series of assaults on their perceived religious enemies. The assaults involved the use of hired drivers, either by the defendants or the alleged victims, because practitioners of the Amish religion do not operate motor vehicles. The assaults all entailed using scissors and battery-powered clippers to forcibly cut or shave the beard hair of the male victims and the head hair of the female victims, according to trial testimony.
During each assault, the defendants restrained and held down the victims. During some of the assaults, the defendants injured individuals who attempted to intervene to protect or rescue the victims. Following the attacks, some of the defendants participated in discussions about concealing photographs and other evidence of the assaults, according to evidence presented at trial.
“From the time of its founding as a nation, the United States of America has always been a beacon for those who seek religious freedom,” said Assistant Attorney General Perez. “The Department of Justice and the Civil Rights Division will vigorously defend every American’s right to worship in the manner of their choosing, including the members of the defendants’ community. However, violent assaults are not a form of religious expression. The actions of the defendants were designed to terrorize the victims, desecrate sacred symbols of their faith, and interfere with their right to worship. These prosecutions reflect the fact that the Department of Justice will not tolerate religiously motivated violence.”
“From day one, this case has been about the rule of law and defending the right of people to worship in peace. This was never about ‘haircuts.’ These were violent, religiously motivated home invasions that left the victims bloody, bruised and beaten,” said U.S. Attorney Dettlebach. “Our nation was founded on the bedrock principle that everyone is free to worship how they see fit. Violent attempts to attack this most basic freedom have no place in our country.”
“This case is an excellent example of cooperation between the many law enforcement agencies that investigated these crimes, along with the prosecution team from the United States Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Anthony. “The FBI is committed to investigating hate crimes, including those perpetrated against people motivated by bias toward religion as in this case, or other areas protected by our civil rights statutes.”
This case was investigated by the Cleveland Division of the FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Getz and Bridget M. Brennan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio and Deputy Chief Kristy Parker of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section. The prosecutor’s and sheriff’s offices from Holmes, Carroll, Jefferson and Trumbull counties also provided significant assistance in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
Sheep hunter sentenced for unlawfully taking under-Sized Dall SheepRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska- U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced that a Colorado man was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court in Fairbanks for transporting an unlawfully taken Dall sheep.
Thomas M. McGann, 58, of Longmont, Colorado, pled guilty today and was sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott A. Oravec in Fairbanks on a charge that he transported a Dall sheep he had killed illegally. The court ordered McGann to pay a $10,000 fine, forfeit the sheep, and not engage in hunting for one year. McGann admitted that he shot an under-sized sheep in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in 2008 and transported it to Fairbanks for the required state inspection of the horns, knowing the sheep was unlawful and that one of its horns had been altered to make the kill appear legal.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Cooper, who prosecuted the case, McGann’s Plea Agreement included the facts he admitted to in support of the charges. These facts showed that McGann’s guide advised McGann to shoot the sheep while mistakenly believing it was of legal size. After the kill, they saw that one horn was broken and the other unbroken horn was less than the required minimum of one full curl in length. McGann’s master guide-outfitter, Joe Hendricks, altered the unbroken horn by hammering it with a rock to obscure the fact that it was less than the legal minimum size.
McGann, knowing that this alteration had been done, transported the sheep to Fairbanks and presented it for the required Fish and Game inspection. The sheep passed inspection. McGann later denied he knew the horn had been altered, but other evidence showed he was aware of the illegal alteration before he presented the horns for inspection.
McGann later admitted he knew that the horn had been altered before the inspection. McGann acknowledged that Master Guide Joe Hendricks advised him to destroy any kill site photos to conceal the alteration of the horn. McGann declined to destroy his photos, which showed the sheep before Hendricks broke the horn, and showed the sheep was undersize. For his part in this and other guiding offenses, Hendricks was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Fairbanks on August 24, 2012, to pay a fine of $125,000 and was restricted from hunting and guiding for five years. The assistant guide who called the shot is also under indictment on allegations that he played a part in these and other offenses in ANWR.
Ms. Loeffler commends the United States Fish & Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement for Northern Alaska, and Arctic National Wildlife Refuge staff, for the investigation of this case.
Scio Man Pleads Guilty to Violating the Federal Meat Inspection actRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.– U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Keith Middaugh, 38, of Scio, N.Y., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr., to a misdemeanor charge of violating the Federal Meat Inspection Act. The charge carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison, a fine of $100,000, or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that between April 2010 and April 2011, the defendant bought dead, dying, diseased or disabled animals without being registered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to buy such animals, and without maintaining detailed transaction records. Under the Federal Meat Inspection Act, any person involved in the business of handling such animals, must register with the USDA and keep detailed records, failure to do so is a criminal offense.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, and the New York State Police - Amity, under the direction of Captain Eugene Staniszewski.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 9, 2013 at 10:30 a.m. before Magistrate Judge Schroeder.
Savannah Doctor Indicted for Trading Prescriptions for SexRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH , GA: WILLIAM ELLIEN, 57, of Savannah, Georgia, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury sitting in Savannah, Georgia for felony drug charges related to the unlawful distribution of prescription drugs, including percocet and hydrocodone. According to the Indictment and an earlier filed Criminal Complaint, Ellien, a Savannah physician, exchanged prescriptions for very addictive prescription drugs for sex acts with various women from 2009 through 2012.
United States Attorney Edward J. Tarver said, “Prescription drug abuse has become an epidemic in Georgia and across our nation. The indictment and other court documents in this case allege that this doctor violated his oath to‘do no harm,’ by trading prescriptions for highly addictive medications for sex. Swift justice can be the only response to this grave violation of the trust and responsibility bestowed upon the Defendant by the people of Georgia.”
Ellien, who remains in federal custody, is facing up to 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. An indictment is only an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. The Defendant is entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the Government’s burden to prove the Defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney, E. Greg Gilluly, Jr. For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.
Salem Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Federal Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore. – U.S. District Court Anna J. Brown today sentenced Jefferson F. Williams, 49, of Salem, Oregon, to 60 months in prison for distribution of child pornography.
Salem FBI agents searched the Salem home of Williams on March 3, 2011and seized his computer and related equipment. Undercover FBI agents in Texas had been monitoring a peer-to-peer file sharing system which allowed individuals to download and exchange files via the internet. When the Salem computer belonging to Williams and his wife was identified, agents served a search warrant at the home and interviewed Williams regarding his distribution activities. He cooperated fully with law enforcement and admitted his involvement in the file trading program.
A forensic analysis revealed over 1,800 images of child pornography had been downloaded from the internet. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children identified series images of 18 known victims stored on the seized computer.
Williams, a highly decorated retired U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant, and combat veteran, apologized to his family at his sentencing hearing. He had no criminal record and was active in community activities as a volunteer.
The seized computer was ordered forfeited and Williams was ordered to serve five years of supervised release after his release from prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visitwww.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Assistant U. S. Attorney John Haub prosecuted the case.
Rosebud Man Pleads Guilty to Escape from CustodyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Justin Lee Gabriel, age 21, of Rosebud South Dakota appeared before Chief U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken on January 28, 2013 and pled guilty to an indictment charging him with Escape from Custody. The maximum penalty upon conviction is five years' imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
Gabriel was indicted for Escape from Custody by a federal grand jury on September 25, 2012. On August 18, 2012, Gabriel left the Community Alternatives of the Black Hills (CABH) and did not return. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Marshal's Service.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for June 7, 2013. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing.
Rockford Man Sentenced to More Than 26 Years in Federal Prison on Federal Drug Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD C A Rockford, Ill. man was sentenced yesterday in federal court on drug conspiracy charges. STEVEN T. McDOWELL, 38, of Rockford, also known as “Ty,” was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Kapala to 315 months in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute at least one kilogram of heroin, and ordered to serve 5 years of supervised release following his imprisonment. McDowell was convicted on June 14, 2012, after a nine-day jury trial in U.S. District Court in Rockford, of one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin, and six counts of distribution of heroin.
According to the indictment and evidence at trial, McDowell was the leader of an illegal drug trafficking operation in Rockford. Beginning as early as April 2010, and continuing into December 2010, the conspirators obtained large amounts of heroin from Chicago, transported the heroin to Rockford where it was diluted for resale and packaged in smaller zip lock bags or baggies for individual use, then grouped into packs. The defendants used runners to distribute street-level quantities of heroin at numerous locations in Rockford. McDowell and other co-conspirators rented cars that were used to deliver heroin to their street-level dealers, and used cell phones to notify runners where to go to distribute heroin to a customer or for when a runner needed to be resupplied or have money picked up. Some of the co-conspirators used or possessed firearms for protection during their operations.
Two other Chicago men were also convicted on June 14, 2012, after the jury trial for their roles in the drug conspiracy:
JEREMY COOPER, 24, also known as “J.D.,” was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute at least one kilogram of heroin, three counts of distribution of heroin, one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Cooper was sentenced on Sept. 18, 2012, to 270 months in federal prison, and 5 years of supervised release following his imprisonment.
ROBERT PRESLEY, 33, also known as “Munchie,” was convicted of conspiracy to distribute at least one kilogram of heroin, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Presley is awaiting sentencing.
In addition, two other men pled guilty to their involvement in the conspiracy:
MURRAY STEVE HARRIS, JR., 36, of Chicago, also known as “M,” pled guilty on Jan. 19, 2012, to conspiracy to distribute at least one kilogram of heroin, and was sentenced on April 19, 2012, to 130 months in federal prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release following his imprisonment.
NORMAN BREEDLOVE, 47, of Rockford, also known as “Way,” pled guilty on May 24, 2012, to one count of conspiracy to distribute at least one kilogram of heroin, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and is awaiting sentencing.
The sentencing was announced by Gary S. Shapiro, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Cory B. Nelson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Richard Meyers, Winnebago County Sheriff; and Chet Epperson, Chief of the Rockford Police Department.
The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark T. Karner.
Purported Louisville Real Estate Entrepreneur Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Swindling Investors in Multimillion Dollar SchemeRead the Press Release
– Ordered to pay nearly $2.8 million in restitution to victims
– Pleaded guilty to creating fictitious addresses and fraudulent mortgagesLOUISVILLE, Ky. – A purported Louisville real estate entrepreneur was sentenced in United States District Court today, by District Judge Charles R. Simpson III, to 37 months in federal prison, and ordered to pay $2,797,000 in restitution, for a single count of mail fraud connected to real estate schemes that resulted in the loss of more than one million dollars to investors, announced David J. Hale, United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The three year prison sentence is a well-deserved punishment for this fraudulent real estate scheme,” stated U.S. Attorney Hale. “My office and the Department of Justice will continue to pursue and prosecute investor fraud.”
On September 7, 2012, Russell N. Daniel, age 63, pleaded guilty to devising a scheme and an artifice to defraud investors in the defendant’s real estate business and to obtain money and property from investors by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises. Specifically, between March 1, 2005 and October 31, 2008, Daniel induced persons to invest in his real estate business by promising returns on investments ranging from 10-15%. Further, the defendant represented that monies invested in his real estate business would be used by him to purchase, and on occasion, rehabilitate houses which in return would be sold for a profit.
In court, Daniel admitted that he solicited more than $700,000 to purchase houses purportedly located in Prospect, Shelbyville, Goshen, and Lexington Kentucky as well as Jeffersonville, Indiana, when in fact the addresses were fictitious. Daniel used the money received from investors in these fictitious transactions to fund unrelated matters, including using the investment monies to make payments of promised returns on unrelated investments.
Also, between December 28, 2006 and August 14, 2008, Daniel falsely represented to investors in properties located in Louisville, Pleasureville and Lexington, Kentucky, that they would receive valid and legally enforceable mortgages on the properties which would provide legal security for their investments, but Daniel instead provided investors with false and fictitious mortgages totaling more than $530,000 which contained the forged signature of the notary public.
In a separate incident, between March 23, 2005 and May 27, 2009, Daniel caused $35,000 to be invested with him by falsely representing to investors in two properties located in Louisville, Kentucky, that the investors would receive valid and legally enforceable first mortgages on the properties which would provide legal security for their investments, when in fact, he did not provide investors with valid and legally enforceable first mortgages.
This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney James Lesousky and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
PrKearney Man Pleads Guilty to Child Porn, Faces at least 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Project Safe Childhood
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kearney, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to producing and possessing child pornography.
Austin D. Hurtado, 19, of Kearney, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Fernando J. Gaitan to the charges contained in a June 27, 2012 federal indictment.
According to today’s plea agreement, an FBI agent identified Hurtado’s computer (at his former residence in Smithville, Mo.) as sharing child pornography over the Internet. Using a peer-to-peer file-sharing program, the agent downloaded images of child pornography from Hurtado’s computer on Nov. 21 and 22, 2011.
Hurtado’s two laptop computers were seized by law enforcement officers and a forensic examiner found they contained numerous videos of an 8-year-old child in the shower. Hurtado’s face was visible in at least one of those videos. The forensic examiner also found the same child victim in additional numerous photos and videos of child pornography. Hurtado possessed 191 child pornography videos and more than 80 images of child pornography.
Hurtado is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 40 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $500,000. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Hurtado must pay a total of $10,000 in restitution to two of the victims portrayed in those images and movies, or $6,000 if he pays the restitution within 30 days of his sentencing date. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. It was investigated by the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."Pierre Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of A Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Rider Sheard, age 18, of Pierre, South Dakota appeared before U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange on February 6, 2013 and pled guilty to the Superseding Information that charged him with Possession of a Controlled Substance. The maximum penalty upon conviction is 1 year of imprisonment, a minimum fine of $1,000 but not more than $100,000, or both; 1 year of supervised release and an additional 1 year of supervised release upon revocation.
The charge stems from an incident wherein Sheard, on or about the 17th day of May, 2012 knowingly and intentionally possessed marijuana, a Schedule I controlled substance.
The investigation was conducted by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich is prosecuting the case. Sheard was released on bond pending sentencing, which has been set for April 30, 2013.
Opelika Man Is Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Making Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama - U.S. Attorney George L. Beck, Jr., announced today that Kevin Darcy Golden, age 45, of Auburn, Alabama, was sentenced yesterday to 35 years in federal prison for making child pornography. If Golden is released from prison, he will be on supervised release for the remainder of his life.
Between at least April and December of 2011, Golden produced numerous videos of female children engaging in sexually explicit conduct. On some occasions Golden secretly filmed the children removing their clothing while at his residence, and on other occasions Golden filmed himself engaging in sexually explicit conduct with the children while they were unconscious.
“Performing sexual acts on children is one of the most despicable things a person can do,” stated U.S. Attorney Beck. “We will not tolerate it and will work feverishly to stop this horrific conduct.”
“Cases related to the exploitation of children are of the most important investigations we shoulder in the FBI, stated Steve Richardson, FBI Special Agent in Charge, Mobile Field Division. “Our ability to investigate and prosecute these activities is enhanced when we work with our local and federal partners.”
“We appreciate the hard work of the US Attorney’s office and the FBI in helping us make our community a safer place by bringing those to justice that would exploit our children,” stated Auburn Police Chief Tommy Dawson. “This case is another example of what can be accomplished by law enforcement working together.”
This case is being investigated by the Opelika field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Auburn (Alabama) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jared H. Morris and Nathan D. Stump.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “Resources.”
PRESS CONTACT: Clark Morris
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: (334) 551-1755
Fax: (334) 223-7617Moses Lake Drug Trafficker Sentenced to over 16 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Spokane - Michael C. Ormsby, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington announced that Martin Murillo-Barriga, age 36, of Moses Lake, Washington, was sentenced today after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and other offenses relating to the operation of a methamphetamine trafficking organization between May of 2010 and July of 2011. Senior United States District Judge Edward Shea sentenced Murillo-Barriga to a 16 ½ year term of imprisonment, to be followed by an 8 year term of court supervision following release from Federal prison. As a condition of that supervision, Murillo-Barriga is prohibited from returning to the United States – he is not a United States citizen and faces deportation to Mexico as a result the convictions in this case.
In April, 2012, Murillo-Barriga was charged by way of a five-count Indictment with the following offenses: Conspiracy to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Actual Methamphetamine and 500 Grams or More of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Possession of 5 Grams or More of Actual Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute within 1,000 Feet of a School; Maintaining a Drug Involved Premises within 1,000 Feet of a School; Possession of Methamphetamine; and Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 grams or More of Actual Methamphetamine. The charges against Murillo-Barriga were tried before a jury and, on October 10, 2012, he was convicted on all counts.
At today's sentencing hearing, the judge found that Murillo-Barriga was a leader of a methamphetamine trafficking organization, that he committed the offenses as part of a pattern of criminal conduct engaged in as a livelihood, that he maintained a premises for the purpose of manufacturing or distributing a controlled substance, and that firearms were possessed during the offense. The judge also found that the Moses Lake property from which Murillo-Barriga directed the drug trafficking organization bordered a primary grade school. Murillo-Barriga faced a mandatory minimum term of 10 years of imprisonment but, based on the above aggravating factors, the judge imposed a 16 ½ year sentence.
Michael C. Ormsby stated that, "The sentence imposed today reflects the serious consequences associated with trafficking in methamphetamine, particularly when it is conducted so close to a grade school. The law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation should be commended for their efforts in investigating this, and other drug trafficking organizations. This case is yet one more example of the strong partnership among law enforcement professional here in the Eastern District of Washington."
The investigation of this case, which was related to a larger investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration that led to the service of several search warrants and the arrest of numerous individuals, was conducted by the Spokane Regional Drug Task Force in cooperation with the Moses Lake Police Department, the Grant County Sheriffs Office, the Grant County Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, the Oregon State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; Immigrations and Customs Enforcement; and the United States Marshall's Service.
This case was prosecuted by Timothy J. Ohms and Caitlin A. Baunsgard, Assistant United States Attorneys for the Eastern District of Washington.
11-CR-108-EFS
Morris County, N.J., Man – Former Police Officer – Charged with Attempting to Collect Debts by ExtortionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A former Passaic police officer and organized crime associate from Morris County, N.J., appeared in Newark federal court today on charges he attempted to collect a debt by extortion, U S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Stefano Mazzola, 68, of Rockaway, is charged in a Complaint with one count of using extortion to collect or attempt to collect a debt and to punish a person for non-repayment of a debt. Mazzola appeared this afternoon before U. S. Magistrate Judge Madeline Cox Arleo and was detained.
According to the criminal Complaint:In 2012, the victim obtained a loan of $30,000 from an individual, who subsequently transferred the loan to Mazzola. The victim periodically made payments on the loan to Mazzola. In late 2012, Mazzola began to threaten that if the victim did not repay the loan, he would physically harm the victim.
The victim made a number of consensually recorded phone calls to Mazzola, during which Mazzola threatened the victim. During a phone call on Jan. 17, 2013, Mazzola acknowledged that an individual had transferred the loan to him, stating: “He gave me that debt, I’ve paid out $20-something-thousand, if not more, for him.”
Later in the conversation, Mazzola threatened the victim. “Let me explain something to ya, and I really mean this, and I don’t care who is listening to my phone or not, if I want to do something to ya, I don’t give a f–k if you give me a million dollars. If I’m looking to hurt ya, I’ll take the money and still hurt ya. It has nothing to do with it,” Mazzola said.
On another call that occurred on Jan. 23, 2013, the victim told Mazzola: “You know you’re gonna get paid.” In response, Mazzola said : “You say you know I’m gonna get paid, I don’t believe nothing. .. If I write it off in my head, it doesn’t matter. Because I’m a firm believer in time. ... But listen, I know what I’m gonna do. ’Cause it doesn’t matter to me. It don’t matter whether it’s now or ten years from now. It don’t matter. You don’t understand. You just don’t know me. I don’t give a f–k if an agent is listening.”
The charge of extortionate collection of a debt is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge David Velazquez in Newark, and the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, under the direction of Commissioner Jan Gilhooly, with the investigation that led to today’s charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa M. Colone of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.The charge and allegations contained in the Complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
13-072
Defense counsel: Miles Feinstein Esq., Clifton, N.J.
Mazzola Complaint
Mexican National Sentenced on Heroin, Immigration ChargesRead the Press Release
Ever Astorga-Ramirez, 34, who most recently resided in Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced on February 8, 2013, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Astorga-Ramirez had previously entered pleas of guilty on November 2, 2012, to Possession With the Intent to Distribute Heroin (Count 1) and Illegal Re-Entry Into the United States Following Deportation (Count 2). Astorga-Ramirez was sentenced to seventy (70) months imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay a Special Assessment of $200. In addition, the Court entered an Order of Removal, which requires that Astorga-Ramirez be deported from the United States following the service of his term of imprisonment.
According to public documents filed with the Court, Astorga-Ramirez was arrested by the Illinois State Police on September 9, 2012, following a traffic stop on Interstate 55/70 in Madison County, Illinois. Following the traffic stop, approximately 1.4 kilograms of heroin was located in a hidden compartment within the center console of the vehicle. The Defendant had previously been deported from the United States in November 2010, through Laredo, Texas.
Evidence in support of the complaint was obtained in an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Illinois State Police, and the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois (MEGSI). This case was assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Randy G. Massey for prosecution.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 188 Months for Luring 15-Year-Old Girl into ProstitutionRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Julio Cesar Revolorio Ramos, 29, of Adelphi, Md., was sentenced today to 188 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for sex trafficking a 15-year-old runaway as part of a multi-state conspiracy that prostituted hundreds of women and girls since at least 2008. Revolorio Ramos paid a portion of his profits to MS-13 gang members who extorted “rent” under threats of violence to Ramos and other co-conspirators involved in prostitution in northern Virginia.
Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Virginia Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli, II; and John P. Torres, Special Agent in Charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Claude M. Hilton.
Revolorio Ramos pled guilty on Nov. 7, 2012, to sex trafficking a child. A native of Guatemala illegally present in the U.S., Revolorio Ramos will be transferred to the custody of U.S. immigration authorities for removal proceedings following his prison term.
“Revolorio Ramos exploited a vulnerable 15-year-old girl and then discarded her when she was no longer needed,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “He was one member of a multi-state conspiracy that prostituted hundreds of women and girls for profit. Today’s sentence assures victims that once sex traffickers are caught in the Eastern District of Virginia, justice is served.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a message to child sex traffickers that their heinous criminal behavior will not be tolerated,” said HSI SAC Torres. “HSI DC will continue to aggressively investigate those involved in child sex trafficking and is committed to protecting the vulnerable victims of this outrageous crime.”
“Revolorio Ramos’s crimes exploited a young girl for sex and robbed her of her innocence. He also prostituted hundreds of women and girls over the last several years,” said Virginia Attorney General Cuccinelli. “Today’s sentence speaks loud and clear that the despicable crime of sex trafficking will be punished to the full extent of the law.”
According to court records, Revolorio Ramos was part of a conspiracy that prostituted Hispanic women and girls in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. He advertised the prostitution business by handing out business cards purporting to be for plumbing, landscaping or snow removal business, but which contained a telephone number a customer could call to obtain sexual services from a prostitute. Revolorio Ramos and others would hand out these cards to those congregating at sites for day laborers, restaurants, and check cashing stores in Virginia.
In January 2009, Revolorio Ramos encouraged a 15-year-old runaway to work as a prostitute. On the first day that Revolorio Ramos prostituted the girl, she had sexual relations with 17 customers, and on the third day she had sexual relations with 25 customers. Revolorio Ramos knew that she was less than 18 years old, describing her as “young” to potential customers on the phone. Several customers repeatedly requested her specifically because of her young age.
Revolorio Ramos typically prostituted a woman or girl for a six-day period. To ensure that customers had new women for sex, at the end of the six-day period, he would prostitute a different woman or girl than the one he had prostituted the week before. From June 2010 through December 2010, during weeks that Revolorio Ramos was prostituting other women and not prostituting the 15-year-old girl, his co-conspirators prostituted her in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia.
After receiving a portion of the proceeds from the women providing sexual services to his customers, Revolorio Ramos paid “rent” to MS-13 gang members under threats of violence, and he also sent some proceeds to co-conspirators living in Mexico.
This case was investigated by ICE HSI, with assistance from the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force. Virginia Assistant Attorney General and Special Assistant United States Attorney Marc J. Birnbaum and Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Frank are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Founded in 2004, the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force is a collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies – along with nongovernmental organizations – dedicated to combating human trafficking and related crimes.
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.Mario Hernandez Velazquez Sentenced to Serve 65 Years in Prison on Cocaine and Firearms ConvictionsRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – Mario Hernandez Velazquez, 45, of Johnson City, Tenn., was sentenced on Feb. 7, 2013, by the Honorable Leon Jordan, U. S. District Court Judge, to serve 65 years in federal prison.
Velazquez was convicted at trial inAugust 2012, of distribution and conspiracy to distribute cocaine, being an illegal immigrant in the United States in possession of a firearm and ammunition, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. As a result of these convictions, Velazquez was sentenced to the mandatory minimum sentence of 65 years in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
Velazquez was one of 36 individuals indicted in October 2010 for his participation in a large scale cocaine trafficking organization which was responsible for the distribution of several kilograms of cocaine per month in the Tri-Cities area over an extended period of time.
Velazquez sold cocaine or assisted in the sale of cocaine to a confidential informant working on the behalf of law enforcement on multiple occasions in 2010. During these undercover transactions, Velazquez admitted he was the firearms dealer for the criminal organization and was always armed. In one transaction, Velazquez told the individual that someone broke into his residence and stole two kilograms of cocaine. As a result, he routinely packed his cocaine and guns in a suitcase and took it with him whenever he left home. In a subsequent transaction, Velazquez told the individual that if someone came to rob him again, he would “blow them to hell,” and “not many idiots are going to withstand two or three bullets.”
Overall, law enforcement agents made over 100 cocaine buys from the various defendants in this conspiracy. The investigation concluded with the execution of 13 search warrants at various locations in Johnson City, Kingsport, and Knoxville, Tennessee. During these searches, agents found approximately 3.5 kilograms of cocaine, 200 pounds of marijuana, and a significant number of firearms and ammunition.
Tomas Estrada Sarabia, Antonio Herrera, Manuel Burelo and Andres Linares were previously sentenced to 480 months, 211 months, 134 months and 124 months respectively. Luciano Hernandez Valiente, Amansio Garcia Juarez, and Adan Fernandez were all previously sentenced to 120 months each.
Sullivan County Tennessee Sheriff’s Office, Kingsport Tennessee Police Department, Bristol Tennessee Police Department, Carter County Tennessee Sheriff’s Office, Elizabethton Tennessee Police Department, Erwin Tennessee Police Department, Washington County Tennessee Sheriff’s Office, Johnson City Tennessee Police Department, Jonesborough Tennessee Police Department, Hamblen County Tennessee Sheriff’s Office, Morristown Tennessee Police Department, Johnson County Tennessee Sheriff’s Office, Knox County Tennessee Sheriff’s Office, Knoxville Tennessee Police Department, Knoxville Tennessee High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, all of which provided invaluable assistance during the course of the investigation. Assistant U. S. Attorneys Wayne Taylor and Christian Lampe represented the United States.
U.S. Attorney William C. Killian stated, “This illegal drug distribution organization was one of the worst. They distributed hundreds of pounds of cocaine, using weapons to protect their drugs, and involved many others in the conspiracy. Our prosecutors and the federal and state law enforcement agencies working on this case did a tremendous job of obtaining and presenting the evidence in this case. We were able to show the scope of the drug distribution activities of the organization, including the use and threatened use of firearms to protect their illegal distribution of drugs. I want to thank all those involved in bringing Mr. Velazquez to justice.”
This case was part of the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) programs. OCDETF is the primary weapon of the United States against the highest level drug trafficking organizations operating within the United States, importing drugs into the United States, or laundering the proceeds of drug trafficking. The HIDTA program enhances and coordinates drug control efforts among local, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies. The program provides agencies with coordination, equipment, technology, and additional resources to combat drug trafficking and its harmful consequences in critical regions of the United States.
Funding for some of the task forces involved in this investigation also came from the Appalachian High Intensity Drug Area Task Force (HIDTA) which was created in 1998, one of 32 areas in the nation that have been designated as HIDTAs. The HIDTA Program began in 1988 when Congress authorized the Director of The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to designate areas within the United States which exhibit serious drug trafficking problems and harmfully impact other areas of the country as HIDTAs. The HIDTA Program provides additional federal resources to those areas to help eliminate or reduce drug trafficking and its harmful consequences.
Magnolia Man Sent to Prison for Attempted Theft of Trade SecretsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - Steven Thomas Stancil, 52, of Magnolia, has landed in federal prison following his conviction for attempted theft of trade secrets, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today. Stancil entered a plea of guilty Nov. 8, 2012.
Today, U.S. District Judge Sim Lake, who accepted the plea, handed Stancil a 10-month sentence – five months to be served in federal prison and the remaining to be served on house arrest. He will be required to serve a term of three years of supervised release following completion of the prison term and to complete 200 hours of community service.
Stancil was employed by Mogas Industries Inc. in Houston as a cost analyst from January 2006 until April 2010. Mogas is a manufacturer of specialty valves for the oil and gas industry and sells its products throughout the United States and internationally. In January 2010, Stancil started downloading proprietary company information onto his company computer. He later transferred this information without authorization onto his personal computer at his home in Magnolia.
In March 2010, Stancil purported to be a Mogas co-worker and sent emails to approximately eight Mogas competitors offering to sell proprietary Mogas information. The emails asked what it would be worth to have the entire Mogas database which would include all drawings and designs, customer contacts, vendors, pricing and more. Stancil then asked them to respond to work out the arrangements.
Later in March 2010, Stancil emailed a Mogas competitor and offered to sell Mogas’s “customers, costing, engineering, marketing, drawings, and so on” for $50,000 to $100,000. He stated that the information he would provide would help the Mogas competitor to expand their business and “potentially bring in extremely large amounts of income . . .” Stancil cautioned the Mogas competitor that the negotiations had to be handled carefully because Stancil had “a lot to lose if this comes out in any way.”
In September 2010, a federal search warrant on Stancils’s email account revealed he had emailed a Mogas competitor 20 files that contained images of schematic drawings and measurements of valve parts manufactured by Mogas. The drawings were altered to replace the icon of Mogas with the icon of another company.
Previously released on bond, Stancil was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The operation was a combined effort conducted by the FBI and the Houston Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark McIntyre.
Leader of Vidalia Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: MARCUS ANTIWAN DICKERSON, aka “DAWG,” 35, a native of Vidalia, was sentenced Monday by Senior Judge B. Avant Edenfield to 25 years in prison for his role in a large-scale drug trafficking organization operating in the Vidalia, Georgia area..
United States Attorney Edward J. Tarver stated, “Illegal drugs are not only a problem in Georgia, they are a plague on our entire nation. This Defendant was an enormous threat to the South Georgia communities that he targeted. Those who peddle and profit from this scourge in our communities can expect to spend decades in federal prison.”
DICKERSON received the heftiest sentence of 15 defendants charged together in a 55-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in January 2012. All 15 defendants pleaded guilty and received an average sentence of over 11 years in prison. The convictions resulted from a two-year investigation conducted by DEA, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), and the East Central Georgia Drug Task Force (ECGDTF).According to the evidence presented during several guilty plea and sentencing hearings, DICKERSON led an organization that distributed powder and crack cocaine, ecstasy and marijuana on a large scale in Toombs, Emanuel, Bulloch, Montgomery, and Treutlen Counties. Most of the cocaine which the organization distributed was obtained by DICKERSON in the Atlanta area, where he also maintained a residence. At the time of the offenses, DICKERSON had absconded from supervision by Georgia Department of Corrections parole for a prior cocaine trafficking sentence in 2002. In the federal system, there is no parole.
In addition to DICKERSON, the other Defendants convicted and sentenced as part of this prosecution included:Tyson Lamar Davis, 29, Vidalia, Georgia, was sentenced to 230 months in prison; Eric Stephon McClendon, 35, Vidalia, Georgia, was sentenced to 235 months in prison; Trenton Arlanda Kinsey, 30, Vidalia, Georgia, was sentenced to 78 months in prison; Dexter Jamaal Fields, 25, Mount Vernon, Georgia, was sentenced to 63 months in prison; Eddie Littles III, 32, Vidalia, Georgia, was sentenced to 188 months in prison; Terry Powell, 27, Vidalia, Georgia, was sentenced to 148 months in prison; Ricardo Marquis Davis, 30, Vidalia, Georgia, was sentenced to 168 months in prison; Isaac Hurst, Jr., 25, Vidalia, Georgia, was sentenced to 63 months in prison; Alvin C. Hamilton, Jr., 37, Vidalia, Georgia, was sentenced to 225 months in prison; Zikomo Taheam Bostic, 28, Vidalia, Georgia, was sentenced to 96 months in prison; Colby Terrell Williams, 28, Swainsboro, Georgia, was sentenced to 64 months in prison; Bobby Lewis Day, 33, Lyons, Georgia, was sentenced to 73 months in prison; Matthew Dontel Hill, 29, Vidalia, Georgia, was sentenced to 27 months in prison; and, Kaneesha Lashay Simpson, 22, Vidalia, Georgia, was sentenced to 40 months in prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cameron Heaps Ippolito. For additional information, please contact First Assistant United States Attorney James D. Durham at (912) 201-2547.
Leader of Armenian Organized Crime Ring Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court to 37 Months in Prison for His Role in $100 Million Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ARMEN KAZARIAN was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to 37 months in prison for his involvement with the Mirzoyan-Terdjanian Organization, an Armenian-American organized crime enterprise engaged in a wide range of criminal activity. KAZARIAN pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy in July 2011, and was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Armen Kazarian sat at the top of a criminal organization and now he will sit in a jail cell for a long time. International mobsters who think they can export their criminal enterprises to the United States and target our government programs and our citizens are in for a rude awakening – they will face U.S. justice and be made to answer for their crimes.”
According to the Indictment, other documents filed in this case, and statements made during the guilty plea proceeding:
KAZARIAN was a “Vor,” a term translated as “Thief-in-Law.” The term refers to a member of a select group of high-level criminals from Russia and the countries that had been part of the former Soviet Union, including Armenia. “Vors” offer prestige and protection to criminal organizations in return for a share of criminal earnings, and use their position of authority to resolve disputes among criminals. KAZARIAN used his status as a “Vor” within the criminal community to assist the Mirzoyan-Terdjanian Organization, an Armenian-American organized crime ring that engaged in an extensive range of criminal offenses including the operation of a $100 million dollar Medicare fraud billing ring. As part of his involvement with the group, KAZARIAN engaged in extortion on the Organization’s and his own behalf.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Gardephe sentenced KAZARIAN, 47, of Glendale, California, to three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $60,000 fine.
Mr. Bharara thanked the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New York City Police Department, the New York Field Office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the New York Office of the Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services for their work in the investigation.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Burns, Arlo Devlin-Brown, and Harris Fischman are in charge of the prosecution.
Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Avant Healthcare Professionals LLC to Resolve Immigration-Related Unfair Employment PracticesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department reached a settlement agreement today with Avant Healthcare Professionals LLC, a healthcare staffing company based in Casselberry, Fla. , resolving allegations that the company posted discriminatory job advertisements on the internet.
According to the department’s investigation, hundreds of Avant Healthcare Professionals’ internet-based job postings contained discriminatory language, impermissibly preferring foreign-trained individuals seeking permanent residence or H-1B visa sponsorship over U.S. workers. The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) prohibits employers from discriminating on the basis of citizenship or immigration status unless required by law, regulation or government contract. None of those limited exceptions applied to Avant’s recruitment efforts.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Avant has agreed to pay $27,750 in civil penalties, to change its internal policies and written procedures to incorporate the INA’s anti-discrimination protections, and to be subject to reporting and compliance monitoring requirements for a period of three years.
“Federal law protects authorized U.S. workers from illegal and discriminatory preferences,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “Employers have a statutory obligation to monitor their online job postings to ensure that they do not violate the anti-discrimination provision of Immigration and Nationality Act.”
The Office of Special Counsel for Immigration Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. For more information about protections against employment discrimination under the immigration laws, call the OSC’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2525, TDD for hearing impaired), call the OSC’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-362-2735, TDD for hearing impaired), sign up for a no-cost webinar at www.justice.gov/about/osc/webinars.php , email [email protected] or visit the website at www.justice.gov/crt/about/osc .
Justice Department Reaches Settlement with <br /> Macmillan in E-Books CaseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement with Holtzbrinck Publishers LLC, which does business as Macmillan, and will continue to litigate against Apple Inc. for conspiring with Macmillan and four of the other largest U.S. book publishers to raise e-book prices to consumers.
Today’s proposed settlement was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. If approved by the court, the settlement will resolve the department’s competitive concerns involving Macmillan. The department’s Antitrust Division previously settled its claims against four book publishers–Hachette Book Group Inc., HarperCollins Publishers L.L.C., Penguin Group (USA) Inc. and Simon & Schuster Inc.
On April 11, 2012, the department filed a lawsuit against Apple and the five publishers alleging they conspired to eliminate retail price competition, resulting in consumers paying millions of dollars more for their e-books. The settlement with Hachette, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster was approved by the court in September 2012. The public comment period on the department’s settlement with Penguin will close on March 5, 2013. The trial against Apple is scheduled to begin in June 2013.“As a result of today’s settlement, Macmillan has agreed to immediately allow retailers to lower the prices consumers pay for Macmillan’s e-books,” said Jamillia Ferris, Chief of Staff and Counsel at the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “Just as consumers are already paying lower prices for the e-book versions of many of Hachette’s, HarperCollins’ and Simon & Schuster’s new releases and best sellers, we expect the prices of many of Macmillan’s e-books will also decline.”
According to the complaint, the five publishers and Apple were unhappy that competition among e-book sellers had reduced e-book prices and the retail profit margins of the book sellers to levels they thought were too low. To address these concerns, the department said the companies worked together to raise retail e-book prices and eliminate price competition, substantially increasing prices paid by consumers. Before the companies began their conspiracy, retailers regularly sold e-book versions of new releases and bestsellers for, as described by one of the publisher’s CEO, the “wretched $9.99 price point.” As a result of the conspiracy, consumers were typically forced to pay $12.99, $14.99 or more for the most sought after e-books, the department said.
Under the proposed settlement agreement, Macmillan will immediately lift restrictions it has imposed on discounting and other promotions by e-book retailers and will be prohibited until December 2014 from entering into new agreements with similar restrictions. The proposed settlement agreement also will impose a strong antitrust compliance program on Macmillan, including requirements that it provide advance notification to the department of any e-book ventures it plans to undertake jointly with other publishers and regularly report to the department on any communications it has with other publishers. Also for five years, Macmillan will be forbidden from agreeing to any kind of most favored nation (MFN) provision that could undermine the effectiveness of the settlement.
Macmillan has its principal place of business in New York City. It publishes e-books and print books through publishers such as Farrar, Straus and Giroux and St. Martin’s Press. Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH owns Holtzbrinck Publishers LLC, which does business as Macmillan, and has its principal place of business in Stuttgart, Germany.
Hachette Book Group USA has its principal place of business in New York City. It publishes e-books and print books through its publishers such as Little, Brown and Company and Grand Central Publishing.HarperCollins Publishers L.L.C. has its principal place of business in New York City. It publishes e-books and print books through publishers such as Harper and William Morrow.
Penguin Group (USA) Inc. has its principal place of business in New York City. It publishes e-books and print books through publishers such as The Viking press and Gotham Books. Penguin Group (USA) Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of The Penguin Group, a division of Pearson plc, which has its principal place of business in London.
Simon & Schuster Inc. has its principal place of business in New York City. It publishes e-books and print books through publishers such as Free Press and Touchstone.
Apple Inc. has its principal place of business in Cupertino, Calif. Among many other businesses, Apple distributes e-books through its iBookstore.
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 John R. Read, Chief, Litigation III Section, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 450 Fifth Street, N.W., 4th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20530. These comments will be published either in the Federal Register or, with the permission of the court, will be posted electronically on the department’s website. 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.
Jury Convicts Owner of Tire Recycling Company of Defrauding Small Business AdministrationRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Fred Alverson
Public Affairs Officer
DAYTON – A U.S. District Court jury here today convicted Paul David Musgrave, 57, of Warhaw, North Carolina of conspiring to defraud the Mutual Federal Savings Bank of Troy, Ohio, and the Small Business Administration out of $1,715,600 in connection with a business loan he sought to establish a tire recycling plant in Troy.
Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Edward J. Hanko, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and Scott Dennis, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General announced the verdict returned on February 7 following a trial that began January 28 before U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Black.
Testimony presented during the seven-day trial showed that in November 2008, Musgrave and others organized Dayton International Tire Recycling as a small business intending to construct and operate a tire recycling plant at 1400 Lytle Road in Troy. Musgrave owned 81 percent interest in the company. The rest was held by a Singapore-based corporation known as Intercontinental Trading of the British Virgin Islands.
In 2010, Musgrave applied for an SBA-backed loan for $1,715,650. In the loan application documents, he falsely certified that he would put money from his personal savings, home equity and from a home equity line of credit toward the project. The lender required proof that the tire shredding/recycling equipment and machinery they claimed to have purchased from an Australian company had actually been shipped before releasing the loan proceeds. The jury found that Musgrave provided the lender with fabricated financial documents, packing lists, commercial invoices and bills of lading.
After deliberating three days, the jury convicted Musgrave of one count of conspiracy, two counts of wire fraud, and one count of bank fraud.
Musgrave faces up to 30 years imprisonment, a $1 million fine, and five years of supervised release on each count. Judge Black will sentence Musgrave on June 13, 2013.Stewart commended the cooperative investigation conducted by FBI and SBA-OIG agents, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dwight Keller and Alex Sistla, who are representing the United States in the case.
Judge Sentences Canadian Man for "Grandson" SchemeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA - Anthony Oluwole Ojo, 44, of Ontario, Canada, was sentenced yesterday to 45 months in prison for running a scam in which he pretended to be a relative of his victims and in need of help. Ojo, and/or others working with him, would telephone his victims, most of whom were elderly, from Canada, and would claim to be the victim's grandson. The victims were told their grandson had been arrested and needed money to pay legal expenses. Ojo, and/or those working in concert with him, would instruct the victim to wire funds, using Western Union, MoneyGram or a similar service, to a fictitious name provided by Ojo. The victim would do so at which point Ojo, using a false means of identification in the fictitious name provided to the victim, would receive the wired funds. If the victim complied, Ojo would then contact the victim again to obtain more money. In one instance, an elderly victim was tricked into wiring money on numerous occasions resulting in a loss to her of $106,400. As a result of the scheme, Ojo defrauded more than 120 victims of at least $643,503.97, in total. Ojo pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud on May 14, 2012.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Joel H. Slomsky ordered Ojo to pay restitution of $643,503.97. Ojo also faces possible deportation.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Linwood C. Wright.
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, EASTERN DISTRICTof PENNSYLVANIA
Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
PATTY HARTMAN, Media Contact, 215-861-8525Informational: Federal Court ArraignmentsRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on February 8, 2013, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith Strong, the following individuals were arraigned:
SAM VERNON WINDY BOY, JR., a 68-year-old resident of Box Elder, appeared on charges of aggravated sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact. He is currently detained. If convicted of these charges, WINDY BOY faces possible penalties of life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and lifetime supervision. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura B. Weiss is the prosecutor for the United States. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
LOUIS MICHAEL HEALY, a 40-year-old resident of Hays, appeared on charges of assault resulting in serious bodily injury, assault with a dangerous weapon, aggravated sexual abuse, and abusive sexual contact. He is currently detained. If convicted of these charges, HEALY faces possible penalties of life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and lifetime supervision. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Betley is the prosecutor for the United States. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The defendants pled not guilty to the charges.
The charge, an indictment, information or complaint, is merely an accusation and all persons named as defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. A pre-trial conference and a trial date will be set and the United States will be required to prove the allegations set forth in the indictment beyond a reasonable doubt.
Illinois Man Charged with Criminal TrespassRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Chicago, Illinois man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Criminal Trespass.
Steven Nichols, age 42, was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 16, 2012. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on February 7, 2013 and pled not guilty to the indictment. The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 1 year in custody, a $100,000 fine, or both; 1 year of supervised release; and a $25 Special Assessment. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charge is merely an accusation and Nichols is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Maher is prosecuting the case.
Nichols was remanded to the custody the U.S. Marshal pending trial. The trial is set for April 2, 2013.
Harrisburg Man Charged for Failing to Properly Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced charges filed Thursday against Calvin L. Green, age 59, of Harrisburg, for failing to properly register in Pennsylvania as a Sex Offender.
According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, Green is charged with knowing failure to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. Green has a conviction that requires his registration and updates under that law.
The charge stems from an investigation conducted by the United States Marshals Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James T. Clancy.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
In this particular case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute is 10 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
Hancock County Man Admits Katrina FraudRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss – Anthony L. Bryan, 50, of Hancock County, Mississippi, pled guilty on Wednesday, February 6, 2013, to making false statements to the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) for Hurricane Katrina grant money, announced U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis and Daniel McMullen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In February, 2008, Bryan applied for an MDA Homeowner Assistance program grant to receive Homeowner Assistance Program or “HAP” assistance from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for damages incurred by Hurricane Katrina at an address in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi which he falsely claimed as his primary residence. As a result of his false statement, he received $97,271.73.
Bryan will be sentenced on May 15, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. by Senior U. S. District Judge Walter J. Gex III. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jerry Rushing, Ruth Morgan and Andrea Jones.###
If you believe you have been a victim of fraud from a person or an organization soliciting relief funds on behalf of storm victims, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud toll free at:
(866) 720-5721
You can also fax information to:
(225) 334-4707
or e-mail it to:
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Hampton Man Convicted of Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. –Melvin O. Rushing, Jr., 24, of Hampton, Va., has been convicted by a federal jury of attempting to rob a McDonald’s, forcing the restaurant’s employees into a freezer at gunpoint before fleeing the scene.
Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James Newman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division; and Thomas Townsend, Chief of the Hampton Police Division, made the announcement after the verdict was accepted by United States District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.
Rushing was convicted on Feb. 7, 2013, of conspiracy and robbery, which both carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, as well as possession of a firearm in connection with a crime of violence, which carries a mandatory minimum of seven years and a maximum of life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for May 10, 2013.
According to court records and evidence at trial, Rushing and an accomplice robbed the Hampton McDonald’s restaurant on May 6, 2009. Rushing brandished a firearm before forcing the employees into a refrigerator freezer, and he and his accomplice fled on foot, shedding identifying clothing as they ran.
This case was investigated by the ATF’s Washington Field Division and the Hampton Police Division. Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bradenham, II and Special Assistant United States Attorney Teresa A. Wallbaum from the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting 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.Guatemalan Drug Smuggler Extradited to TampaRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces the extradition from Guatemala of Alma Lucrecia Hernandez-Preciado, a/k/a "La Tia," (40, Tecun Uman, Guatemala). Extradition to Tampa was sought following the return of an indictment, on September 22, 2011, charging Hernandez-Preciado with violations of the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act. Hernandez-Preciado was arrested in Guatemala on October 10, 2011. If convicted, Hernandez-Preciado faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
According to the indictment, Hernandez-Preciado participated in a conspiracy with others, including persons who were on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Hernandez-Preciado is also charged with aiding and abetting others, including persons who were on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, with respect to the possession with the intent to distribute five (5) kilograms or more of cocaine. The charges relate to Hernandez-Preciado's role in organizing the maritime smuggling of cocaine shipments, including a drug smuggling venture where the crew of a go-fast boat was interdicted by the United States Coast Guard off the coast of Guatemala on May 18, 2011, and 347 kilograms of cocaine were seized.
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.
This case was investigated by the Panama Express Strike Force, an OCDETF funded operation targeting maritime smuggling. Participating agencies include the Drug Enforcement Administration (DA), including DEA's Guatemala City Country Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), the Joint Interagency Task Force - South (JIATFS) and the United States Marshals Service, with assistance from the government of Guatemala and Guatemalan law enforcement agencies. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Jackson and W. Stephen Muldrow.
Gregg County Man Guilty of Possessing Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
Department of Justice
Office of Public AffairsTYLER, Texas - A 51-year-old Longview, Texas man has pleaded guilty to federal firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today.
Kym David Pearce pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen firearm today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith K. Guthrie.
According to information presented in court, on May 20, 2012, a federal warrant was executed for Pearce’s arrest at his residence on Virgie Street in Longview, Texas. As Pearce was being arrested, Gregg County CODE agents observed several firearms in the residence. A search of the residence resulted in the discovery of eight firearms and several rounds of ammunition. Pearce admitted that he knew at least one of the firearms in his residence was stolen. Pearce was indicted by a federal grand jury on Oct. 3, 2012
Pearce faces up to 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
This case was investigated by the Gregg County Organized Drug Enforcement (CODE) Unit, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Noble. ####
This case is being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is aimed at reducing gun and gang violence, deterring illegal possession of guns, ammunition and body armor, and improving the safety of residents in the Eastern District of Texas. Participants in the initiative include community members and organizations as well as federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.Gallatin County Woman Charged with Methamphetamine Related OffenseRead the Press Release
Jeannette L. Margenthaler, 41, of Equality, Illinois, was arraigned in United States District Court in Benton on an indictment charging her with possessing pseudoephedrine with the intent that it be used to manufacture methamphetamine, announced Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. The indictment, returned by a Federal Grand Jury on February 5th, alleged that the offense occurred on January 8, 2013.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
If convicted, Margenthaler faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release to follow her incarceration.
Margenthaler was ordered held without bond and was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal to await further proceedings.
The case was investigated by the Carmi office of the Southern Illinois Drug Task Force with the assistance of the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James M. Cutchin.
Four Syracuse Area Defendants Plead Guilty in Federal Court to Conspiracy to Distribute Synthetic Drug “molly”Read the Press Release
Syracuse, NY—United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian announced that four individuals entered guilty pleas yesterday in U.S. District Court in Syracuse to conspiring to distribute a controlled substance analogue, known on the street as “Molly.” The pleas were in connection with a large scale drug trafficking conspiracy, based in Central New York, that involved twenty-two coconspirators located in New York, California, Texas, Virginia and the Peoples Republic of China. Yesterday’s proceedings brings the number of defendants entering guilty pleas to sixteen. Five remaining defendants are scheduled to go on trial on April 29th in Syracuse. One defendant, Lei Zhang, a.k.a., Eric Chang, remains a fugitive.1
Appearing before U.S. District Judge, Glenn T. Suddaby, WILLIAM HARPER (age 54) of Syracuse, NY, CHARLES DEMOTT, JR. (age 45) of Liverpool, NY, and MARY OOTGAMBUZZA, (age 45), of East Syracuse, NY, and JON RADWAY, (age 33) of Pompey, NY, admitted to conspiring to distribute 4-Methylmethcathinone (4-MMC) and 4-Methyl-NEthylcathinone (4-MEC), often referred to as “Molly.” 4-MMC and 4-MEC are controlled substance analogues of a Schedule I controlled substance also referred to, on the street, as ‘Bath Salts’. HARPER also entered a guilty plea to money laundering, a federal felony, in admitting that he wired $2700 from a Bank of America account in the name of Orange Line Gallery, Ltd. to CEC Limited, in Shanghai, China to pay for a quantity of “Molly”.
At sentencing, each defendant faces a term of imprisonment of up to twenty (20) years, up to a $1 million fine, and at least three (3) years of supervised release following any period of incarceration. Sentencings are scheduled for August, 2013.
These prosecutions resulted from an investigation first undertaken in the spring of 2009 by the Syracuse Resident Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, the Syracuse Police Department, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, the United States Marshals Service, the New York State Police, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York. The investigation, which included wiretaps revealed that this “Molly” trafficking organization was responsible for the distribution of over one hundred (100) kilograms of “Molly” during the course of the conspiracy from January 2010 through April 2011. The “Molly,” believed to be manufactured in factories in China, was shipped to distributors in the Syracuse area, as well as other areas in the United States.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carla Freedman and John Duncan. Further questions or inquiries may be directed to Executive Assistant United States Attorney John Duncan at (315) 448-0672.
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1As to these defendants, the charges are mere allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. - 2 -
Four Richland County Residents Indicted on Methamphetamine ChargesRead the Press Release
Four Richland County residents were charged in separate indictments returned by a Federal Grand Jury sitting in Benton, Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today.
Timothy L. Garrard
Timothy L. Garrard, 32, of Olney, Illinois, was charged in a three count indictment. Count 1 charges that from on or about October 2011, until on or about November 2012, Garrard conspired to manufacture methamphetamine. Count 2 charges that from October 25, 2011, to October 29, 2012, Garrard possessed pseudoephedrine, knowing and having reasonable cause to believe that the pseudoephedrine would be used to manufacture methamphetamine. Count 3 charges that on November 4, 2012, Garrard possessed with the intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing Hydrocodone.
On Count 1, Garrard faces penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release. On Count 2, Garrard faces penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to four years of supervised release. On Count 3, Garrard faces penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment, up to a $500,000 fine, and at least two years of supervised release.
Brian Kelly Jenner
Brian Kelly Jenner, 50, of Olney, Illinois, was charged in a two count indictment. Count 1 charges that from on or about April 2010, to on or about September 2012, Jenner conspired to manufacture more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. Count 2 charges that from April 23, 2010, to September 13, 2012, Jenner possessed pseudoephedrine, knowing and having reasonable cause to believe that the pseudoephedrine would be used to manufacture methamphetamine.
On Count 1, Jenner faces penalties of 5-40 years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and at least four years of supervised release. On Count 2, Jenner faces penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to four years of supervised release.
Carol R. Wille
Carol R. Wille, 44, of Noble, Illinois, was charged in a one count indictment. Count 1 charges that from January 10, 2010, to June 1, 2012, Wille possessed pseudoephedrine, knowing and having reasonable cause to believe that the pseudoephedrine would be used to manufacture methamphetamine. Wille faces penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to four years of supervised release.
Jeffrey T. Wimberly
Jeffrey T. Wimberly, 45, of Olney, Illinois, was charged in a one count indictment. Count 1 charges that from February 2011, to on or about October 2012, Wimberly conspired to manufacture more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. Wimberly faces penalties of 5-40 years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and at least four years of supervised release.
With respect to all four defendants, an Indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The investigation in these cases was conducted by the Richland County Sheriff’s Office, the Southeastern Illinois Drug Task Force, the Richland County States Attorney’s Office, and the Clay County States Attorney’s Office.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George A. Norwood.