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3 December 2024
Schererville Man Sentenced to 168 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Erik P. Grant, 32 years old, of Schererville, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Grant was sentenced to 168 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Grant and his mother, co-defendant Debra Moore, conspired to distribute methamphetamine between November 2022 and July 2023. While detained at the Porter County Jail, Moore assumed control of his methamphetamine dealing operation, selling the drug on multiple occasions. Grant has an extensive criminal history which includes six prior felony convictions.
This case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Toth.
San Fernando Valley Man Agrees to Plead Guilty to Engineering $5.9 Million Ponzi Scheme Targeting Elderly Church ParishionersRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley man has agreed to plead guilty to a federal felony charge for swindling clients – many of them elderly church parishioners – in a long-running Ponzi scheme that took in more than $5.9 million in victim investor money, the Justice Department announced today.
Sylvein William Maximilian D’Habsburg XVII, 48, a.k.a. “Sylvein Scalleone,” of West Hills, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of wire fraud.
D’Habsburg is expected to enter his guilty plea in the coming weeks in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to his plea agreement filed today, from at least January 2018 to June 2023, D’Habsburg hired recruiters to identify potential investors for his two companies, Wild Rabbit Technologies LLC and BAI Intelligence LLC, targeting the local Filipino community, including elderly church parishioners.
At investment presentations, D’Habsburg claimed that he had an artificial intelligence (AI) technology that could predict the future and detect a COVID-19 infection based solely on a video recording, among other things. D’Habsburg also falsely claimed to investors that he had received approximately $500 million in investments for his companies from retired pro athletes and other noteworthy people, such as Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and Steve Wozniak, and that he would use the investment funds to hire personnel and obtain patents.
But D’Habsburg did not use the victims’ money to hire personnel or obtain patents. Instead, he used his victim investors’ money to purchase luxury cars, such as a 1933 Rolls Royce Phantom II Continental Sedanca de Ville by Barker, and rare antiques, such as a pair of Italian carved Giltwood Thrones from the 1800s.
As a result of his fraudulent scheme, D’Habsburg caused his victim investors a total of approximately $5.9 million in losses.
Once D’Habsburg enters his guilty plea, he will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
The FBI is investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jason C. Pang of the General Crimes Section and Alexander Su of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section are prosecuting this case.
Richmond felon sentenced to over two years in prison after pulling a handgun during an argumentRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to two years and three months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on Jan. 26, 2024, Richmond Police (RPD) observed Mario Leequan Thorne, 27, at a convenience store engaged in a verbal dispute. At one point, Thorne removed a semi-automatic handgun from his waistband and waved it in the air.
As other officers arrived, Thorne was sitting in the driver seat of his vehicle where six young, unsecured children were inside. Detectives asked Thorne to step out of the vehicle, detained him, and conducted a sweep of the driver seat area. Detectives recovered a handgun, as well as Thorne’s Virginia ID, a baggie containing 2.32 grams of fentanyl, another baggie containing 3.07 grams of cocaine, and a digital scale.
In 2022, Thorne was convicted of possession of a concealed weapon. As a previously convicted felon, Thorne cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Colette Wallace McEachin, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Richmond; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Groover, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Wright prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-69.
Rhode Island Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Cranston, R.I. man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his involvement in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed fentanyl throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Mario Rafael Dominguez-Ortiz, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to one year and a day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In May 2024, Dominguez-Ortiz pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Dominguez-Ortiz was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2022 along with nine other individuals.
In March 2021, an investigation began into a DTO operating in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island led by Estarlin Ortiz-Alcantara. The investigation identified Dominguez-Ortiz as a member of the DTO who was employed by Ortiz-Alcantara to deliver fentanyl. On four occasions between July and November 2021, Dominguez-Ortiz delivered fentanyl to a cooperating source. The total amount of fentanyl that the defendant distributed over the fourth-month period was approximately 500 grams.
Estarlin Ortiz-Alcantara pleaded guilty in December 2023 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 5, 2025.
United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira; and Fairhaven Police Chief Michael J. Myers made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Homeland Security Investigations; Bristol County Sherriff’s Office; and Fall River, Taunton, Attleboro, Scituate, Yarmouth, Providence (R.I.) and West Warwick (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Repeat Federal Offender Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison after Passing Kilogram of Cocaine to Car with Three ChildrenRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Harold Vernard Greene, Jr., age 45, was sentenced to 24 years in prison for drug trafficking with three children in a vehicle. This conviction marks Greene’s third federal conviction in the Eastern District of North Carolina.
“Greene is a frequent-flyer federal felon with direct ties to Mexico based drug traffickers,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “We won’t allow habitual narcotics traffickers to operate in our state and will be relentless in pursuing cases all the way to the foreign supplier.”
In January 2023, law enforcement identified Greene meeting with drug couriers in Wilmington. Subsequently, they continued their investigation and conducted a surveillance operation on March 21, 2023. During this operation, they observed Greene travel to a parking lot at a Wilmington mall, where he received a package from a drug courier. Shortly after receiving the package, Greene handed it to a person in another vehicle. The driver of that vehicle was Greene’s girlfriend, Three minor children were present in the vehicle with Greene’s girlfriend. A search of the girlfriend’s vehicle revealed that the package given to her by Greene contained a kilogram of cocaine.
Law enforcement then executed a search warrant at Greene’s apartment. At this location, they seized a loaded firearm, bulk cash, drug packaging materials, four cell phones, and varying amounts of psilocybin gummies and marijuana products—further investigation of the seized phones uncovered direct communication with drug traffickers based in Mexico.
Greene’s criminal history includes two prior federal convictions: one in 2013 for cocaine trafficking that resulted in an 84-month sentence and another in 2017 for possessing drugs while in federal prison, leading to an additional 24-month sentence. Additionally, Greene has four state felony convictions for drug trafficking.
“This career criminal is a tragic example of individuals who have wanton disregard for the safety of our community, including children as was the case in this investigation,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “DEA’s efforts in bringing him to justice will ensure he spends well deserved time in prison.”
“I am extremely proud of the men and women of the WPD for their tireless work on this case. As is evident with his prior criminal record, the suspect continues to disrespect the law and disregards the safety of others. In this case, he also endangered several children. Our agency will not tolerate criminals who seek to place the stability of their illegal operations over the well-being and safety of our citizens. I want to thank all of those who worked on this case and appreciate the continued efforts by U.S. Attorney Easley to ensure a lengthy prison sentence that fits the crime,” said Wilmington Police Chief Donny Williams.
Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The DEA, SBI, and the Wilmington Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Lemons prosecuted the case.
This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for the case number 7:23-CR-00103-D.
Registered sex offender sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for again distributing, possessing child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Knox County man who was previously convicted of a crime against children was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 250 months in prison for new, similar offenses.
Lee Allen Goudy, 30, of Howard, Ohio, distributed and possessed child pornography after being convicted of an offense relating to sexual abuse of a minor.
According to court documents, in August 2023, the FBI received a tip that Goudy was a Tier II registered sex offender and was believed to have uploaded child pornography online.
At least four cyber tipline reports related to Goudy were generated from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
The investigation revealed that Goudy had distributed child pornography from a Reddit account via Kik messenger and on Twitter.
Approximately 650 videos and 100 images of child sexual abuse material were recovered from Goudy’s iPhone. His collection included sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, and the sexual torture of babies. For example, one video depicted a newborn infant being smacked in the face, grabbed by the throat and shaken back and forth.
Goudy’s iPhone search history also included searches like “supervised release monitoring iPhone” and “does federal monitoring work on iPhone.”
A second cell phone of Goudy’s also revealed searches for content related to violence, rape and sex acts against infants and toddlers. That phone included 150 images of child sexual abuse material that Goudy had traded on Discord.
Goudy was arrested in September 2023 for violating his federal supervised release warrant; he pleaded guilty in April 2024 to the instant child pornography crimes. Goudy was originally sentenced in April 2018 to 78 months in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.
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Queens Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Robbing Bank While on ParoleRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Gerald DeRosse was sentenced by United States District Judge William F. Kuntz II to 180 months in prison for committing a violent robbery of a Ridgewood Savings Bank in Queens, New York. He is also required to pay $205 in restitution and $205 in forfeiture. DeRosse pleaded guilty to the charge in May 2024.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), New York Field Office, announced the sentence.
“The defendant, a serial bank robber, chose to terrorize hard-working bank tellers and customers, for his own selfish purposes. The victims, including an elderly woman the defendant locked in a chokehold, will never forget that day,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “It is a vital part of our mission to protect our community, and my Office will continue to tirelessly prosecute repeat offenders who show no respect for the law.”
“While on parole for a prior bank robbery, Gerald DeRosse once again terrorized our city by committing the same crime in which he utilized an innocent bystander as collateral to ensure his demands were met,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy. “DeRosse's actions carelessly endangered the lives of others out of personal greed. The FBI will not tolerate repeat offenders who consistently threaten the safety of our city and its citizens.”
As described in the government’s sentencing memorandum and other court documents, on April 6, 2023, DeRosse entered a branch of Ridgewood Savings Bank on Myrtle Avenue in Glendale, Queens, grabbed an elderly bank customer around the neck, and yelled that he was going to “blow her f-----g brains out” if the bank teller did not give him money. Another customer hid under a desk during the robbery. A screenshot from the bank’s video surveillance system, showing this harrowing moment, appears below.
The bank teller obeyed DeRosse’s demand and gave him $205 in cash. DeRosse then fled, but he was identified and arrested by the FBI a few weeks later. DeRosse previously had been convicted of robbery-related crimes on at least seven occasions and was on parole, having served a 13-year sentence for bank robbery at the time he committed this bank robbery. He had been released from state prison less than a month earlier.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca M. Schuman is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
Gerald DeRosse
Age: 55
Broad Channel, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-221 (WFK)
Pittsford woman pleads guilty to check kiting schemeRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Katherine Mott-Formicola, 54, of Pittsford, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to financial institution fraud and money laundering, which carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Testani, who is handling the case, stated that Mott-Formicola was a controlling member of several business entities, operating 10 business accounts at Five Star Bank and seven business accounts at Kinecta Federal Credit Union. Between November 29, 2022, and March 11, 2024, she perpetrated a “check-kiting” scheme by sending hundreds of checks between the various bank accounts for the purpose of fraudulently inflating the balance of the accounts. Mott-Formicola would write a check from one account for a dollar amount greater than what the bank account actually contained. Then, she would deposit the over-valued check into another bank account that she controlled at a different institution, knowing that banks typically place funds into a depositing account before confirming the funds in the withdrawing account. Accordingly, during this delay, she would temporarily inflate the cash balance in her accounts at various financial institutions by writing over-valued checks that were still honored, despite the originating account having insufficient funds. During the course of the scheme, Mott-Formicola intentionally kited over 500 over-valued checks between her various bank accounts for the purpose of over-inflating her accounts. Furthermore, because the inflated account balance would only last until the depositing institution eventually discovered that the withdrawing account had insufficient funds, Mott-Formicola would kite additional checks into the withdrawing accounts to allow the scheme to continue without detection.
In March 2024, Kinecta ultimately dishonored Mott-Formicola’s latest round of over-valued checks to her Five Star Bank accounts and charged back the amounts. Because she had already spent approximately $20,907,000 from her various Five Star accounts that she did not actually have, the charge-back resulted in an approximately $20,907,000 overdraw balance. Mott-Formicola spent the $20,907,000 on her various business ventures and personal items, such as real estate. Five Star Bank was able to recover some funds, ultimately suffering a loss of $18,979,005.79.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Executive Special Agent-in Charge Harry Chavis, New York Field Division, and the New York State Department of Financial Services, under the direction of Superintendent Adrienne A. Harris.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 1, 2025, before Judge Geraci.
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Pittsburgh Felon Pleads Guilty to Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Keith Harris, 25, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on June 11, 2024, Pittsburgh Police officers observed Harris fleeing an alley where it was later discovered that two firearms had been stowed. Harris attempted to conceal the firearms—both of which were loaded, and one of which was reported stolen—between a vending machine and beverage crates in the alleyway. As a previously convicted felon, Harris is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for April 2, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the Court remanded Harris into the custody of the United States Marshals Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and local law enforcement agencies conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Harris.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Mail Theft Scheme, Altering Stolen Checks and Money OrdersRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Zachkey James, 29, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick to 48 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and forfeiture of $345,681.68 for impersonation of a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier, unlawful possession of three USPS Arrow Keys, mail theft, and possession of stolen mail.
James was charged by complaint and arrested in November 2022, and in April of this year, pleaded guilty to all charges in a 12-count superseding information.
From 2020 through his arrest, the defendant perpetrated an elaborate scheme to steal more than $300,000 from hundreds of victims. He dressed as a United States Postal Service letter carrier and traveled through Philadelphia using stolen Arrow Keys to steal the mail from blue USPS collection boxes in broad daylight.
He rifled through the stolen mail, pulling out checks and money orders, altered the payee name on these checks and money orders to be payable to himself and co-conspirators, and then either cashed the forged checks and money orders or deposited the forged checks and money orders into accounts controlled by himself and co-conspirators.
When Postal Inspectors executed a federal warrant to search his apartment and vehicle, they found piles of undelivered mail, hundreds of checks and money orders waiting to be forged, approximately 15 undelivered mail-in ballots (all of which were delivered to the appropriate county board of election in time to be counted), solvent and toothbrushes used to wash checks and money orders, multiple stolen Arrow Keys, and a USPS letter carrier uniform.
“These weren’t just pieces of paper that Zachkey James stole,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “These were people’s mortgage and utility payments, their loan payoffs, their child support checks — and for numerous victims, the repercussions of his thefts were devastating. My office and the USPIS will continue to investigate and prosecute these mail theft cases to hold the perpetrators fully accountable.”
“Protecting the mail from theft is a core mission of the Postal Inspection Service,” said Christopher Nielsen, Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division for the Postal Inspection Service. “When someone steals mail, Postal Inspectors will work relentlessly to hold those individuals to account. Today, accountability came for Zachkey James, who was sentenced for stealing checks out of the U.S. Mail and fraudulently passing those checks through the financial system. I want to thank the United States Attorney’s Office for their continued support in prosecuting these cases.”
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Brown.
Peruvian National Extradited for Facilitating Peruvian Call Center Scheme That Threatened and Defrauded Spanish-Speaking U.S. ConsumersRead the Press Release
A resident of Lima, Peru, was extradited to the United States and was arraigned today in a federal court in Miami, where he stands accused of facilitating fraud schemes perpetrated by numerous Peruvian call centers that defrauded victims across the United States, the Justice Department and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) announced today.
David Cornejo Fernandez, 36, will face federal wire fraud, extortion and conspiracy charges. Cornejo was arrested on May 17, by Peruvian authorities pursuant to a U.S. extradition request. He has remained incarcerated since that time.
According to the indictment, the defendant provided Internet-based telephone lines, caller-ID spoofing services, and recording capabilities to fraudulent call centers from November 2012 through June 2019. Cornejo provided his co-conspirators in Peru with the technology to place fraudulent and extortionate calls to vulnerable Spanish-speaking individuals in the United States. Cornejo’s co-conspirators falsely told victims that they had been selected to receive a prize, such as a tablet containing an English language course. Many victims expressed interest in receiving the prizes. In later calls, victims were told that they were required to make large payments to receive the prizes. When victims objected, the callers falsely claimed that victims would face severe consequences — including court proceedings, arrest or harm to their immigration status — if they did not pay. The callers impersonated attorneys, court officials, federal agents and police officers to threaten and intimidate victims into making payments.
Cornejo provided his co-conspirators with the software — and at times, the training — to convincingly impersonate government officials and extort payments from victims. Cornejo provided his co-conspirators with the technology to manipulate the phone numbers on victims’ caller IDs, which enabled them to place threatening calls that appeared to be coming from U.S. federal agencies, court officials or law enforcement agencies. Cornejo also placed recordings on his co-conspirators’ inbound phone lines that appeared to be recordings from actual U.S. courts, police departments and federal agencies, including the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). These recordings enhanced the apparent legitimacy of the threatening calls and were used to extort payments from vulnerable consumers in the Southern District of Florida and across the United States.
“The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch will pursue and prosecute transnational criminals who seek to take advantage of vulnerable U.S. consumers,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department and U.S. law enforcement will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners across the globe to thwart criminals who defraud and extort U.S. victims from outside the United States. I thank the Republic of Peru, including the Peruvian National Police, for its assistance extraditing this individual to face charges here in the United States.”
“The long arm of the American justice system has no limits when it comes to reaching fraudsters who prey on our nation’s most vulnerable populations, to include the elderly and recent immigrants,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “We will not allow transnational criminals to use fear tactics and intimidation to steal money from the public we serve. Individuals who defraud American consumers will be brought to justice, no matter where they are located.”
“Today’s initial appearance of David Cornejo Fernandez is strong evidence of the dedication between the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida who will stop at nothing to bring those who victimize our citizens to justice,” said Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the USPIS Miami Division. “I want to thank the Republic of Peru and all our law enforcement partners who work tirelessly to combat these transnational schemes that defraud U.S. consumers. Together, we continue to send a strong message, that justice has no borders and this collaboration between countries demonstrates those efforts to preserve the rule of law.”
A six-count federal indictment was filed against the defendant in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in February 2023 and was unsealed upon the defendant’s extradition to the United States. The defendant has been charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, and extortion.
If convicted, Cornejo faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
USPIS investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Florida, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Peruvian National Police and the Peruvian Attorney General’s Office provided critical assistance.
Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorney Carolyn Rice of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted the case.
The Justice Department continues to investigate and bring charges in other similar matters involving threats against Spanish-speaking residents of the United States. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Consumer complaints may be filed with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its fraud enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Peruvian National Extradited for Facilitating Peruvian Call Center Scheme That Threatened and Defrauded Spanish-Speaking U.S. ConsumersRead the Press Release
Note: View the Spanish translation here.
MIAMI — A resident of Lima, Peru, was extradited to the United States and was arraigned today in a federal court in Miami, where he stands accused of facilitating fraud schemes perpetrated by numerous Peruvian call centers that defrauded victims across the United States, the Justice Department and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) announced today.
David Cornejo Fernandez, 36, will face federal wire fraud, extortion and conspiracy charges. Cornejo was arrested on May 17, by Peruvian authorities pursuant to a U.S. extradition request. He has remained incarcerated since that time.
According to the indictment, the defendant provided Internet-based telephone lines, caller-ID spoofing services, and recording capabilities to fraudulent call centers from November 2012 through June 2019. Cornejo provided his co-conspirators in Peru with the technology to place fraudulent and extortionate calls to vulnerable Spanish-speaking individuals in the United States. Cornejo’s co-conspirators falsely told victims that they had been selected to receive a prize, such as a tablet containing an English language course. Many victims expressed interest in receiving the prizes. In later calls, victims were told that they were required to make large payments to receive the prizes. When victims objected, the callers falsely claimed that victims would face severe consequences — including court proceedings, arrest or harm to their immigration status — if they did not pay. The callers impersonated attorneys, court officials, federal agents and police officers to threaten and intimidate victims into making payments.
Cornejo provided his co-conspirators with the software — and at times, the training — to convincingly impersonate government officials and extort payments from victims. Cornejo provided his co-conspirators with the technology to manipulate the phone numbers on victims’ caller IDs, which enabled them to place threatening calls that appeared to be coming from U.S. federal agencies, court officials or law enforcement agencies. Cornejo also placed recordings on his co-conspirators’ inbound phone lines that appeared to be recordings from actual U.S. courts, police departments and federal agencies, including the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). These recordings enhanced the apparent legitimacy of the threatening calls and were used to extort payments from vulnerable consumers in the Southern District of Florida and across the United States.
“The long arm of the American justice system has no limits when it comes to reaching fraudsters who prey on our nation’s most vulnerable populations, to include the elderly and recent immigrants,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “We will not allow transnational criminals to use fear tactics and intimidation to steal money from the public we serve. Individuals who defraud American consumers will be brought to justice, no matter where they are located.”
“The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch will pursue and prosecute transnational criminals who seek to take advantage of vulnerable U.S. consumers,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department and U.S. law enforcement will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners across the globe to thwart criminals who defraud and extort U.S. victims from outside the United States. I thank the Republic of Peru, including the Peruvian National Police, for its assistance extraditing this individual to face charges here in the United States.”
“Today’s initial appearance of David Cornejo Fernandez is strong evidence of the dedication between the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida who will stop at nothing to bring those who victimize our citizens to justice,” said Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the USPIS Miami Division. “I want to thank the Republic of Peru and all our law enforcement partners who work tirelessly to combat these transnational schemes that defraud U.S. consumers. Together, we continue to send a strong message, that justice has no borders and this collaboration between countries demonstrates those efforts to preserve the rule of law.”
A six-count federal indictment was filed against the defendant in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in February 2023 and was unsealed upon the defendant’s extradition to the United States. The defendant has been charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, and extortion.
If convicted, Cornejo faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
USPIS investigated the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Florida, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Peruvian National Police and the Peruvian Attorney General’s Office provided critical assistance.
Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorney Carolyn Rice of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted the case.
The Justice Department continues to investigate and bring charges in other similar matters involving threats against Spanish-speaking residents of the United States. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Consumer complaints may be filed with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its fraud enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to Nine Years for Conspiring to Launder Cybercrime Fraud ProceedsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A recidivist money launderer from Pennsylvania has been sentenced for his role in an international money laundering conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.
U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Toochukwu Michael Okorie, 46, of Bristol, Pennsylvania, to 108 months in prison. Okorie was convicted in July of conspiracy to commit money laundering. In 2011, Okorie was convicted of wire fraud and money laundering in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
According to evidence presented at trial, from June 2017 through May 2019, Okorie helped launder hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraud proceeds through two front companies: TMO Consulting LLC and Collective Intelligence Forensics LLC. During the conspiracy, Okorie and his co-conspirators would receive wire transfers from business email compromise, romance scam, and other frauds—including from victims in the Northern District of Alabama. Okorie and his co-conspirators would then move the fraud proceeds among bank accounts in an effort to disguise their origin and conceal their fraudulent nature. After paying themselves a commission, members of the conspiracy ultimately would wire the proceeds to bank accounts in Nigeria or use them to purchase automobiles that were shipped overseas.
U.S. District Court Judge Anna M. Manasco previously sentenced two other individuals involved in the money laundering conspiracy: On January 20, 2022, Paulinus Ebhodaghe, 40, of Clementon, New Jersey, was sentenced to 37 months in prison; and Ohimai Asikhia, 37, of Glassboro, New Jersey, was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward J. Canter and John M. Hundscheid prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Secret Service Cyber Fraud Task Force provided assistance during the investigation.
For more resources on cybercrime, visit www.ic3.gov.
Pelham Man Sentenced to 80 Years in Prison on Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Pelham man was sentenced today on charges of sexual exploitation of a child, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Kelly J. Blackmon.
U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Neal Richard Goodacre, 54, to 960 months in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release. In July, Goodacre pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. These convictions will require Goodacre to register as a sex offender in accordance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
According to the plea agreement, in July 2023, the Queensland, Australia, Child Exploitation Task Force discovered images of child pornography on a Russian file-sharing website. Queensland officers connected the account used to post the images to Goodacre at a residence in Pelham, Alabama. On September 13, 2023, HSI executed a search warrant at Goodacre’s residence. Agents recovered two electronic devices containing 29 images and one video of child pornography. Goodacre produced some of the child pornography he possessed.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case along with the Queensland, Australia, Child Exploitation Task Force and the Pelham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel S. McBrayer prosecuted the case.
If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Operations Manager Charged in Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New York operations manager was charged today in federal court in Boston for allegedly conspiring to offer and pay kickbacks to doctors in exchange for ordering medically unnecessary brain scans.
Timothy Doyle, 45, of Selden, N.Y. was charged and has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statute. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.
According to the charging documents, from at least June 2013 through at least September 2020, Doyle allegedly conspired with others, including two managers for a mobile medical diagnostics company that performed transcranial doppler (TCD) scans, to enter into kickback agreements with various doctors. TCD scans are brain scans that measure blood flow in parts of the brain. It is alleged that Doyle and his co-conspirators agreed to offer and pay doctors kickbacks, some in cash and others by check, based on the number of TCD ultrasounds the doctors ordered. Doyle and his co-conspirators allegedly created purported rental and administrative service agreements, which on paper made it appear as if doctors were compensated for the TCD company’s use of space and administrative resources of the ordering doctor’s practice based on fair market value and not based on the volume or value of referrals. It is also alleged that these agreements were shams that hid the true nature of the arrangement of paying per test.
According to the charging documents, the scheme resulted in fraudulent bills of approximately $70.6 million to Medicare.
The charge of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Jonathan Wlodyka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, Boston Field Office; Carol S. Hamilton, Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Howard Locker and Mackenzie Queenin of the Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ontario Man Arrested on Complaint Alleging He Exported Shipments of Firearms, Ammunition and Other Military Items to North KoreaRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Bernardino County man was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint alleging that he exported to North Korea shipments of firearms, ammunition and other military items that were concealed inside shipping containers bound from Long Beach.
Shenghua Wen, 41, of Ontario, is charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a felony that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
Wen – a Chinese national illegally residing in the United States – was arrested this morning and is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. His arraignment is expected to occur in the coming weeks.
“It is essential that we protect our country from hostile foreign states that have adverse interests to our nation,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “We have arrested a defendant who allegedly acted at the direction of the North Korean government by conspiring to illegally ship firearms, ammunition, and other military equipment to North Korea. I am grateful to our law enforcement partners for stopping this threat and their tireless commitment to the security of our nation.”
“The significance of this arrest and discovery of this scheme cannot be overstated,” said FBI Los Angeles Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis. “Not only did the investigative team prevent additional restricted items going to the North Korean regime, but they gathered valuable intelligence for the United States and our allies. I’m proud of the hard work that went into building the case against Wen by dedicated agents and our partners who specialize in cases that involve illegal exports to foreign adversaries who evade sanctions and utilize weapons and technology for nefarious purposes.”
According to an affidavit filed on November 26 with the complaint, Wen obtained firearms, ammunition, and export-controlled technology with the intention of shipping them to North Korea – a violation of federal law and United States sanctions against that nation. Wen and his co-conspirators allegedly exported shipments of firearms and ammunition to North Korea by concealing the items inside shipping containers that were shipped from Long Beach through Hong Kong to North Korea.
On August 14, law enforcement seized at Wen’s home two devices that he intended to send to North Korea for military use: a chemical threat identification device and a hand-held broadband receiver that detects eavesdropping devices. On September 6, law enforcement seized approximately 50,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition that Wen allegedly obtained to send to North Korea.
A review of Wen’s iPhone revealed to law enforcement that in December 2023, Wen smuggled items from Long Beach to Hong Kong with their destination being North Korea. Messages retrieved from Wen’s cellphones revealed discussions he had earlier this year with co-conspirators about shipping military-grade equipment to North Korea. Some of these messages include photographs that Wen sent of items controlled for export under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. From January 2024 to April 2024, Wen sent emails and text messages to a U.S.-based broker about obtaining a civilian plane engine. There also were several text messages on Wen’s iPhone concerning price negotiation for the plane and its engine.
Wen is a Chinese national who is illegally in the United States after overstaying his student visa and is therefore prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition. Wen lacks the required licenses from the U.S. government to export ammunition, firearms, and the other devices that law enforcement seized at his home to North Korea.
“The results of today’s arrest and search warrants are a testament to HSI and our partner agencies commitment to national security and protecting our sensitive technology” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson. “It is a federal crime to illegally obtain and export certain US technologies by foreign countries and those who seek to circumvent the law will be thoroughly investigated.”
“Mr. Wen’s arrest is a significant advancement in our collective efforts towards protecting our national security, safeguarding sensitive U.S. technologies and other export-controlled items, and ensuring accountability for the alleged bad actions,” said Bryan D. Denny, Special Agent in Charge for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Western Field Office.
“The defendant’s alleged attempts to illicitly export firearms and military technology from the United States at the behest of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea constitute an alarming violation of sanctions and export control laws,” said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Dunlap of the Office of Export Enforcement, Los Angeles Field Office. “OEE is committed to working with our federal partners to identify and disrupt illegal export schemes that undermine regional stability and our national security interests at home and abroad.”
A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
The FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; DCIS; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Sarah E. Gerdes of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the U.S. Department of Justice National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting this case.
Okmulgee County Resident Pleads Guilty to Felon in Possession of an ExplosiveRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Steven William Burden, age 46, of Henryetta, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of an Explosive.
The Indictment alleged that on November 16, 2020, Burden knowingly possessed thirty-one semi-gelatin dynamite sticks after having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Tulsa Police Department.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Satter represented the United States.
New York man pleads guilty after drunken behavior forced flight to be divertedRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A New York man who threatened flight attendants and fellow passengers pled guilty today to interference with a flight crew.
According to court documents, on May 13, 2023, James Tyqwon Ford, 31, was a passenger on a nonstop flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to New York. Prior to the first beverage service, flight crew members smelled the odor of alcohol aboard the aircraft and made a general announcement that passengers are prohibited from consuming personal alcohol aboard the aircraft. Following the announcement, Ford became disruptive, being disrespectful toward to and using profanity against the flight crew.
A flight attendant advised Ford that cursing at the flight crew is not tolerated, reiterated that he could not consume personal alcohol aboard the aircraft, and notified him that law enforcement would be called when the flight landed. Ford responded with additional lewd comments and stated that the police would have to catch him first. Ford later walked to the rear galley of the aircraft and approached another flight attendant. Ford made physical threats against the first flight attendant, including that he wished to punch her in the face and shoot her.
Passengers informed flight crew members that Ford was making them fear for their safety by making lewd comments, stating that he brought a firearm aboard the plane, and threatening to “tear the plane apart.”
Ford’s wife attempted to remove a bottle of Hennessy from his possession, leading to an altercation and Ford had to be separated from her by other passengers for her to escape to a different section of the aircraft.
Ford then approached crew members at the rear galley of the plane a second time, threatening to have friends in New York follow the crew members to their hotel and “destroy them.”
Ford’s disruptive behavior, threats, and actions towards his wife forced the flight to divert from its intended destination of New York, landing instead in Richmond. Law enforcement officers met the flight upon landing and removed Ford from the plane.
Ford is scheduled to be sentenced on April 2, 2025, and faces up to 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carla Jordan-Detamore is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-142.
Nashua Man Indicted for Robbery and Interstate Transportation of Stolen Vehicles and MoneyRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Nashua man was indicted in connection with a robbery and transportation of stolen vehicles and money, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Barry English, 37, was indicted on one count of Hobbs Act Robbery, two counts of Interstate Transportation of a Stolen Vehicle, and one count of Interstate Transportation of Stolen Money. English was arrested on June 24, 2024. He appeared in federal court today and is detained.
According to the charging documents, on May 23, 2024, English drove a stolen Honda Fit from Massachusetts to New Hampshire. On June 23, 2024, he robbed a Cumberland Farms in Nashua. The following day, June 24, English drove a stolen BMW, along with more than $5000 in stolen cash, from Vermont to New Hampshire.
The charge of Hobbs Act Robbery provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of not more than $250,000. The charge of Interstate Transportation of a Stolen Vehicle provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of not more than $250,000. The charge of Interstate Transportation of Stolen Money provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of not more than $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Nashua Police Department led the investigation. The Manchester Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, the Lowell (Massachusetts) Police Department, and the Newport (Vermont) Police Department all provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Scanlon is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Morgan County Man Sentenced for Role in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A West Virginia man has been sentenced for his role and a Virginia woman has admitted to her involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy operating in Berkeley, Morgan, and Hampshire Counties.
Andrew Scott Sager, 55, of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine hydrochloride, also known as “ice.” Sager has a criminal history that includes multiple DUIs, drug possession, firearms violations, and domestic battery.
Whitney Lynn, Mathias, 35, of Cross Junction, Virginia, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine hydrochloride, fentanyl, cocaine hydrochloride, and cocaine base. She faces up to 20 years in prison. She will be sentenced at a later date.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government.
The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. If convicted, a federal district court judge would determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided over the plea hearing.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided over the sentencing hearing.
Moorhead, Minnesota, Real Estate Company Sentenced for Failing to Provide Lead-Based Paint DisclosureRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that on December 3, 2024, U.S. Magistrate Judge Alice R. Senechal sentenced Valley Property Partners LLC, d/b/a “House Dudes,” a Moorhead, Minnesota, based real estate company, to: 1) pay $4,274.78. in restitution and $10,000 in fines; 2) serve one-year probation; and 3) perform 50 hours of community service for failing to provide a home purchaser with lead-based paint disclosures as required by the Toxic Substances Control Act. As part of the sentence in this case, Valley Property Partners LLC has agreed to include a notice on its website about the harmful effects of lead-based paint exposure and its required obligations to home buyers pertaining to lead-based paint disclosures.
As stated in the information and plea agreement, On October 16, 2019, Valley Property Partners LLC sold a pre-1978 built home, located in Hillsboro, North Dakota, to a purchaser but failed to provide this purchaser with required lead-based paint disclosures in violation of the Toxic Substances Control Act. In April 2022, medical personnel diagnosed two children, aged between one and two years old at the time, who were living at the residence, with elevated blood lead levels. In June 2022, the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (NDDEQ) conducted an inspection for the presence of lead-based paint at the home located in Hillsboro, North Dakota. During this inspection, NDDEQ obtained positive results for lead-based paint in multiple areas of the home, including in areas of the children’s playroom.
“The Toxic Substances Control Act protects kids and homebuyers, and while most sellers make the required disclosures in good faith, there can be serious health impacts on children when the law is violated,” Schneider said. “As this case shows, there are also legal consequences for the violators. I want to thank our career prosecutors and their federal and state partners for providing accountability and reaching a fair outcome in this case.”
“Childhood lead exposure remains a significant public health concern and the EPA is committed to reducing lead exposures among children, who are the most vulnerable to the effects of lead,” said Special Agent in Charge Lance Ehrig of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division (EPA CID) in North Dakota. “The actions of the defendant in this case resulted in two childhood lead exposures, which could have been prevented if the defendant had followed the law. Today’s sentencing demonstrates that those who violate our nation’s environmental laws and place children at risk will be held accountable for their actions.”
This case was investigated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency – Criminal Investigation Division with assistance from the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan J. O’Konek prosecuted this case.
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Minnesota Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Escape from CustodyRead the Press Release
A man who escaped from custody in the Gerald R. Hinzman Center was sentenced today to 18 months in federal prison.
Joshua Taylor Watson, age 35, from Rochester, Minnesota, received the prison term after a June 10, 2024 guilty plea to one count of escape from federal custody.
At the plea hearing, Watson admitted that he was in custody at the Hinzman Center under a federal court order pursuant to his prior conviction for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. On January 22, 2024, Watson left the facility without permission and did not return. Watson was found in Rochester, Minnesota, and he was arrested on January 25, 2024.
Watson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Watson was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Watson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and the Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-9.
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Minneapolis Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison for Kidnapping, Bank Fraud, and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 288 months in prison, five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution for kidnapping, bank fraud, and identity theft after robbing two women at gunpoint and stealing from another, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to evidence presented at trial, on September 13, 2022, at approximately 7:30 a.m., Raphael Raymond Nunn, 58, approached a woman in Arden Hills who had just parked her vehicle. Nunn, who was wearing a mask, gloves, and carrying a handgun, forced the victim at gunpoint to drive him to an ATM in Minneapolis and withdraw cash for his own benefit. Nunn then ordered the victim to drive to Matthews Park, where he then ordered her to give him her keys so he could get away.
According to court documents, Nunn was later captured on surveillance videos from surrounding businesses and seen exiting the victim’s vehicle, removing his hood and mask, and entering a nearby corner grocery store. Four days later, Nunn returned to the store driving a vehicle registered in his name which led to the discovery of his address, where he was ultimately arrested on September 22, 2022
A search of his residence recovered evidence from the kidnapping and revealed Nunn had stolen from a second victim and robbed a third at gunpoint before fraudulently using the victims’ stolen credit cards to obtain money from their bank accounts.
On May 23, 2024, Nunn was convicted by a federal jury on one count of kidnapping, two counts of bank fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft following a four-day trial. He was sentenced last week in U.S. District Court by Judge Eric C. Tostrud. In handing down the sentence, Judge Tostrud commented that Nunn was “incorrigible,” and issued an upwards variance in his sentence noting that Nunn “posed an escalating danger to the public.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, Oak Park Police Department, the City of Hudson Police Department, and the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Albania Concepcion and Lauren O. Roso prosecuted the case.
Mexican Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being DeportedRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced December 2, 2024, to six months in federal prison.
Arturo Reyna-Arajo, age 31, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Postville, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 12, 2024, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.
At the guilty plea, Reyna-Arajo admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Reyna-Arajo was previously deported in February 2016. On June 22, 2024, immigration officials learned Reyna-Arajo had illegally returned to the United States following Reyna-Arajo’s arrest in Allamakee County on state charges. Reyna-Arajo was previously convicted in 2015 in the Clayton County, Iowa of falsifying public documents, a felony.
Reyna-Arajo was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Reyna-Arajo was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Reyna-Arajo is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-1022.
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Maine’s U.S. Attorney’s Office Reaches Agreement with Lowe’s to Improve Customer Accessibility NationwideRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine has reached a settlement agreement with Lowe’s Companies, Inc. to resolve allegations that the retailer did not provide compliant access for customers with disabilities at many of its Maine locations.
The settlement agreement resolves an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) complaint filed by a Lowe’s customer with a mobility impairment who alleged that a Lowe’s location in Brewer did not provide accessible parking located on the shortest accessible route from the parking to an accessible entrance. The complaint also indicated that the same allegation may be applicable to other Lowe’s locations. As a result of its investigation, the United States contended that several Lowe’s locations in Maine, including in Brewer, Brunswick, Portland and Windham, failed to provide accessible parking spaces located on the shortest accessible route from the parking to an accessible entrance.
Title III of the ADA mandates that “[n]o individual shall be discriminated against on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation by any person who owns, leases (or leases to), or operates a place of public accommodation.”
Under the settlement agreement, Lowe’s has agreed to make certain modifications to improve accessibility at its retail locations for persons with mobility impairments. These include providing accessible parking spaces located on the shortest accessible route to the main customer entrance, providing groups of accessible parking spaces near all accessible entrances, keeping accessible parking spots operational and clear of obstructions, and providing improved and proper signage. In addition, Lowe’s agreed to designate at least one employee to serve as ADA Compliance Manager who will have a working knowledge and understanding of Title III of the ADA and to train current and future employees responsible for parking about ADA requirements. Lowe’s will compensate the complainant $5,000. In addition to making the improvements at the identified locations in Maine, Lowe’s has agreed that, within six months, it will provide the Department a plan on surveying the remainder of its locations nationwide for compliance regarding ADA accessible parking.
“No one living with a disability should be unlawfully denied safe and unencumbered access to a retail location,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “Ensuring that commercial retail locations do not discriminate against persons with disabilities is a priority for the Department of Justice and for my office. The remedial measures agreed to by Lowe’s, which will have nationwide effect, will give individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to shop, as required by the ADA. I hope that other retailers will proactively comply with this important civil rights law.”
Lowe’s cooperated fully with the U.S. Attorney’s Office during its investigation.
Individuals who believe their civil rights may have been violated: Submit complaints by accessing https://civilrights.justice.gov/. For more information on the ADA, or to access publications available to assist entities in complying with the ADA, visit ada.gov or call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 1-800-514-0301 or 1-800-514-0383 (TDD).
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Leader of $200 Million Ponzi Scheme Sentenced to 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Johanna Michely Garcia, the former Chief Executive Officer of MJ Capital Funding, LLC was sentenced to 240 months in prison today.
On July 16, Garcia, 41, from Broward County, Fla., pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. The conspiracy involved Garcia leading others, including Pavel Ramon Ruiz Hernandez, in an investment Ponzi fraud scheme totaling approximately $190,700,000.
According to court records, Garcia’s MJ Capital Funding was purportedly engaged in providing merchant cash advances, or MCAs, a type of short-term financing typically used by small businesses. Beginning in October 2020, and continuing through August 2021, Garcia conspired with others to fraudulently solicit money from investors to fund MJ Capital Funding’s MCAs. Garcia and her co-conspirators recruited other people to solicit investors for MJ Capital Funding’s investment offering and paid those recruiters commissions.
Court records state that Garcia and her co-conspirators, directly and indirectly, made false statements and fraudulent representations to investors concerning the nature of the MJ Capital Funding investment and the use of investor funds. Garcia and others falsely told investors that their money would be used to fund MCAs and that investor returns would be paid from the profits of MJ Capital Funding’s MCA business. However, the company made few loans and failed to earn anywhere near the profits it needed to pay the investors the promised returns. As a result, Garcia paid investors by running a large Ponzi fraud scheme, paying existing investors using new investor funds while misappropriating millions of dollars for her own personal benefit. Of the nearly $200 million raised, investors lost nearly $90 million.
According to Court records, after the FBI and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) effectively shut down MJ Capital Funding, in the fall of 2021, Garcia, Ruiz Hernandez, and others began operating a new Ponzi scheme that was comparable to the MJ Capital Funding criminal enterprise. Garcia led this new scheme from its inception, up until her arrest, and after, while in Bureau of Prisons custody. The entities utilized by Garcia and her co-conspirators for the new fraud scheme included New Beginning Global Funding LLC, New Beginning Capital Funding LLC, Lion Heart Capital Group L.L.C., GMR Remodeling LLC, and Group Management LLC. Similar to the MJ Capital Funding fraud, Garcia and her partners told victims that their money would be used to fund commercial loans. In truth, the money raised was used to pay off previous investors, and fund Garcia and her coconspirators' lifestyles.
Ruiz Hernandez was charged in August 2022, pled guilty in April 2023, and was sentenced in September 2023 to 110 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri, FBI Miami, and Russell C. Weigel, III, Commissioner, Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) made the announcement.
FBI Miami and OFR investigated this case. SEC’s Miami Regional Office and Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation provided invaluable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Cruz prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon is handling asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-20350.
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Las Vegas Man Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding More Than $7 Million from Loan LendersRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas resident was sentenced today by United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro to 51 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for orchestrating a scheme to defraud loan lenders and cause more than $7 million in losses.
According to court documents, from February 1, 2017 to October 1, 2018, Brandon David Sattler, 47, devised a scheme to defraud and obtain loans from three individual lenders. As part of the scheme, Sattler made false representations that his company needed loans to fulfill renovation contracts that he had with one hotel and casino and claimed to hold with other hotels and casinos. Sattler altered information from his bank to show his bank account held more than it actually did in order to influence the three individual lenders to loan money to his company. After obtaining the loans, Sattler made misrepresentations in order to extend the maturity date of the loans and delay the deadline for repayment. In total, Sattler caused a loss of more than $7 million.
Sattler pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. He has two prior convictions for fraud in California and Texas.
United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI, and Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Schiess prosecuted the case.
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Kalamazoo Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
LANSING – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Lonnie Morrow, 33, of Kalamazoo, Michigan pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Morrow is scheduled to be sentenced on March 19, 2024, and faces a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison.
“As little as two milligrams of fentanyl (a few grains of sand) can kill,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “The trafficking of illegal drugs, especially fentanyl, is driving the ongoing epidemic of drug poisoning deaths here at home and across the United States. My office is committed to disrupting the flow of these poisons into our communities.”
According to the plea agreement, Morrow possessed approximately 10,800 pills containing fentanyl, weighing over 1,100 grams, which he intended to distribute. During a traffic stop on March 9, 2024, officers with the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS) and the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team (KVET) located the fentanyl pills in a bag concealed under Morrow’s seat. During a subsequent search, law enforcement also found three firearms, ammunition, cocaine, and over $12,000 in U.S. currency in Morrow’s apartment.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (see here), in 2023 at least 107,543 people died from drug poisoning across the United States, which is near the all-time high of 111,029 deaths in 2022. In Michigan, at least 2,931 people died from drug poisoning in 2023. Approximately 75% of the 2023 drug poisoning deaths across the United States were due to fentanyl. While current data shows a noticeable decrease in drug-related deaths across the nation, the numbers remain high.
The following services are available for people experiencing addiction, or their friends and loved ones:
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Helpline, 1-800-662-4357, www.samhsa.gov/find-support/in-crisis.
- Cope Network (providing free Naloxone and other harm reduction services in Barry, Berrien, Branch, Cass, Calhoun, St. Joseph, and Van Buren Counties), 269-580-8290, www.copenetwork.org.
- The Grand Rapids Red Project (providing free Naloxone and other harm reduction services in Kent and Muskegon Counties), 616-456-9063 (Kent County), 231-563-6865 (Muskegon County), www.redproject.org.
- The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has a webpage that identifies county-by-county services.
The KDPS and KVET investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
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Justice Department Sues Kentucky Rental Property Owner for Sexual HarassmentRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against Joseph E. Johnson, also known as Joe Johnson, the owner and operator of rental properties in Lexington, Kentucky, for engaging in sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
“For decades, this landlord used his position of power to sexually harass vulnerable women who simply wanted roofs over their heads,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Women should not live in fear when they pay their rent or seek repairs. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously enforce the Fair Housing Act’s prohibition on this conduct.”
“Sexual harassment in housing deprives its victims of the safety and security that a home is supposed to provide,” said U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Shier IV for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “That makes compelling enforcement of the Fair Housing Act critical to ensuring that victims can gain relief from such inexcusable conduct and seek a safe and secure home for their families.”
The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky alleges that, for decades, Johnson has sexually harassed numerous female tenants. According to the complaint, Johnson has offered housing-related benefits in exchange for sexual contact, made unwelcome sexual comments and advances to female tenants, subjected female tenants to unwelcome touching and groping, taken adverse housing-related actions against female tenants who refused his sexual advances and failed to act when made aware of similar harassing behavior by one or more of his employees.
The lawsuit, which is the result of a joint investigative effort of the Justice Department with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Office of Inspector General, seeks monetary damages to compensate persons harmed by the alleged harassment, a civil penalty against the defendant to vindicate the public interest and a court order barring future discrimination.
“It is unacceptable for landlords to threaten or commit sexual harassment or abuse against tenants,” said HUD Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis. “The defendant allegedly preyed upon vulnerable tenants and retaliated against them when they spurned his sexual advances. My office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold housing providers accountable for this type of horrible conduct.”
The Justice Department launched its Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative in October 2017. The initiative, which is led by the Civil Rights Division in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers or others who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the Justice Department has filed 47 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing, recovering damages and civil penalties from those violating the law.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other types of housing discrimination at rental dwellings owned or managed by Joe Johnson, or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, should contact the Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-833-591-0291, select 1 for English and select option number 2 then option number 00 to leave a message. To leave a message in Spanish, select 2 for Spanish, and select option number 1 and then option number 00 to leave a message. Individuals may also email the Justice Department at [email protected] or submit a report online. Reports also may be made by contacting HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online.
Justice Department Announces Successful Conclusion of Agreement with the City of Yonkers, New York and the Yonkers Police Department to Ensure Constitutional PolicingRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today the successful conclusion of its agreement with the City of Yonkers, New York, and the Yonkers Police Department (YPD). The agreement required YPD to improve its policies and practices regarding the use of force, stops, searches, and arrests, the protection of First Amendment rights, misconduct investigations and discipline, and community policing. Over the past eight years, the city and YPD have implemented all of the reforms required by the agreement and sustained those reforms for more than a year. Today, the Justice Department agreed to terminate the agreement and commends the city and YPD on their achievements.
“The success of Yonkers and the Yonkers Police Department under this agreement demonstrates the fundamental truth that fair, constitutional and effective policing can enhance public safety and promote trust between police and the community they are sworn to protect and serve,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Through this agreement, the city and YPD have significantly decreased settlement payouts on excessive force claims, and from 2017 to 2023, violent crimes in Yonkers also fell substantially. We commend YPD leadership, including former YPD Commissioners Charles Gardner and John Mueller, current YPD Commissioner Christopher Sapienza, as well as civilian staff and officers for their commitment to ensure constitutional policing for the people of Yonkers. Our settlements with police departments are of little utility unless real work and effort is put in to ensure that reforms are brought to life and successfully implemented.”
“Since the commencement of our investigation in 2007, the Yonkers Police Department has worked assiduously and cooperatively to implement significant reforms which ensure that its officers are well trained, well informed and guided on appropriate uses of force, and that a thorough and robust review system is in place to identify potentially problematic incidents, officers, training and tactics,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “The Yonkers Police Department has achieved substantial compliance with all provisions of the agreement and established policies and programs that demonstrate a dedication and commitment to serving the community and ensuring its safety and well-being. I commend the Yonkers Police Department for its efforts.”
Over the period the agreement has been in place, there are substantial indications that the agreement has led to improvements in the constitutionality and effectiveness of YPD’s policing.
- The city has experienced a significant reduction in excessive force settlement payouts due to a marked decrease in allegations of unlawful uses of force.
- YPD’s Internal Affairs Department has dramatically improved its average times to complete critical use-of-force investigations, from 245 days in 2019, down to 69 days in 2023.
- YPD’s Internal Affairs Department has significantly reduced its average times for completing civilian misconduct complaint investigations, from 236 days in 2019, to 72 days in 2023.
- The City of Yonkers has also experienced a 22% reduction in violent crimes over the last five years.
The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York jointly handled the matter.
The Justice Department’s investigations have led to significant reforms of law enforcement agencies nationwide. For example, the Seattle Police Department reduced the use of serious force by 60%, and Seattle officers now use force in less than one-quarter of 1% of all events to which they respond. In Baltimore, the independent consent decree monitor found that officers use force less often and the force they do use is more likely to be consistent with department policy and the law. And under the consent decree in Albuquerque, use of force declined by 25% and violations of the force policy fell by half.
The technical assistance letter for Yonkers can be found here.
The settlement agreement with Yonkers can be found here.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s work can be found here.
Jury finds Columbus man guilty on all charges, including murdering 3 victims, directing others to dismember & bury 2 of the bodiesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal jury has convicted a Columbus man of murdering three victims as part of a narcotics conspiracy to rob a local marijuana dealer of drugs and cash. Williams had others dismember and bury two of the bodies to dispose of evidence of his crimes.
Larry J. Williams, Jr., also known as “J Streets” and “J”, 43, was found guilty of all 16 counts as charged against him in a second superseding indictment in September 2021.
The verdict was announced today following a three-week trial before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.
According to court documents and trial testimony, Williams was a leader of a narcotics conspiracy in 2018 to rob a local marijuana dealer of drugs and cash in his residence, which ultimately resulted in the shooting death of another person within that house. To cover up for this murder, Williams murdered a man and a woman with knowledge of the first murder.
Williams had solicited others in the conspiracy to learn of potential drug traffickers to rob of their drugs and drug proceeds.
As a result, on June 27, 2018, defendants robbed at gunpoint a drug premises at 847 E.N. Broadway in Columbus. The coconspirators planned and carried out the robbery to steal one of the resident’s marijuana and cash and then profit from the sale of the drugs; they recruited Williams to help in the robbery. During the robbery, Williams murdered a different individual present at the residence, Connor Reynolds, a 23-year-old from Grove City.
In August 2018, Williams then murdered Henry Watson, a 52-year-old from Columbus, to prevent him from providing information regarding Connor Reynolds’s murder to law enforcement.
On the same day, and immediately following the murder of Henry Watson, Williams murdered Tera Pennington, a 48-year-old from Columbus, to prevent her from serving as a witness to the previous crimes.
Williams then instructed individuals to clean the crime scene with bleach and other chemicals. Williams conspired to obstruct justice by concealing the bodies of Henry Watson and Tera Pennington. He directed others to dismember and remove the bodies from the crime scene and bury the victims’ remains at a different location.
Williams used the residence at 121 Stevens Ave. as a drug premises to sell fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine and allow addicts to use narcotics. On more than one occasion, users overdosed in the basement of the home and coconspirators provided Narcan to revive the users.
A total of 13 defendants have been charged in this case.
Williams was found guilty today of:
- Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances
- Murder related to drug trafficking crime
- Robbery
- Murder related to crime of violence (3 counts)
- Conspiracy to destroy evidence
- Murder of a witness (2 counts)
- Obstruction of justice
- Conspiracy to obstruct justice
- Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin
- Possession with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin
- Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
- Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl
- Distribution of cocaine
“We hope this verdict brings closure to the victims’ families and serves as a significant step towards justice for our Ohio communities,” said HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Angie M. Salazar. “Drug traffickers will go to any lengths to further their violent enterprise, but thankfully Larry Williams’ crimes have come to an end. HSI Special Agents and task force officers worked tirelessly over the course of five years to investigate this case. These agents call central Ohio home and are fully committed to safeguarding the communities where they work and live. I’d like to thank the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Columbus Police Department and all our law enforcement partners across Ohio for their efforts and relentless pursuit of justice in this case."
Williams faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment.
Congress sets minimum and maximum statutory sentences and sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court at a future hearing based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Angie M. Salazar, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations Detroit (HSI); Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced today’s verdict. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth A. Geraghty and Timothy D. Prichard are representing the United States in this case.
The joint investigation includes assistance from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), Franklin County Coroner’s Office, Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center (ONIC), U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Columbus Division of Fire and the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office.
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Johnstown Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to a total of 120 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on Nathaniel Jackson, 49.
According to information presented to the Court, on or about April 29, 2019, and on or about May 1, 2019, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Jackson distributed and possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cambria County Drug Task Force for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Jackson.
Jacksonville Convicted Child Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Producing Videos and Photos Depicting the Sexual Abuse of A ChildRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Kevin John Merritt (63, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to producing videos and photos of him sexually abusing a child. Merritt faces a minimum penalty of 25 years, up to 50 years, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. Merritt is a registered sex offender, having been convicted in August 2011 of possessing child sexual abuse materials. Merritt was arrested on March 16, 2023, and has been in custody since that time. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 18, 2025.
According to court documents, an investigation began when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a “CyberTipline Report” from an online social media app advising that certain files depicting child sexual abuse materials had been sent through the messaging function on the app on September 14, 2022, by user “Jackie Frost” to another user who was ultimately identified and located in Jacksonville. This information was forwarded to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) for further investigation. JSO detectives obtained search warrants and subpoenas for the internet and cellphone service providers and social media apps that were connected to Merritt. The investigation confirmed that the user “Jackie Frost” was Merritt, and that Merritt had distributed child sexual abuse materials to another individual.
On March 16, 2023, JSO detectives and other personnel executed a search warrant at Merritt’s residence. Merritt was at the home and was arrested. Several of Merritt’s electronic devices were seized, including his cellphone. Forensic examination of the cellphone revealed an email account that was linked to the “Jackie Frost” social media account. It also contained more than 100 photos and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor child who was later identified.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys D. Rodney Brown and Elisibeth Adams.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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.justice.gov/psc.
Head of Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 14 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Heriberto Lopez-Landeros, 44, of Avondale, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Steven P. Logan to 14 years in prison. Lopez-Landeros pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on August 5, 2024.
Lopez-Landeros was the head of an Arizona-based drug trafficking organization responsible for importing large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin from Mexico and transporting drugs across the United States. In order to transport the drugs, Lopez-Landeros recruited semi-truck drivers to transport drugs throughout the United States. The semi-truck drivers often carried the drugs inside the cab of their trucks. During a year-and-a-half long investigation, investigators were able to seize several large loads of drugs connected with Lopez-Landeros, including 83 kilograms of methamphetamine, 12 kilograms of fentanyl, and 645 grams of heroin.
This investigation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, and Avondale Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan McCarthy, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-00212-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-170_Lopez-Landeros# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Hays man admits to felony child abuseRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Hays area man accused of assaulting children on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation admitted to child abuse charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Catcher Cuts The Rope, 52, pleaded guilty to four counts of felony child abuse. Cuts The Rope faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on each count.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for April 10, 2025. Cuts The Rope was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that in May, Fort Belknap law enforcement notified the FBI that tribal social services had received a report from Jane Doe 1 about abuse committed by Cuts The Rope against her and two other children, John Doe and Jane Doe 2. John Doe disclosed that Cuts The Rope pointed a rifle at him during 2015 to 2017, when he was approximately 7 or 8 years old, and that two years ago, Cuts The Rope kicked him with boots and punched him, causing injuries. In approximately 2019, Cuts The Rope choked Jane Doe 1, when she was approximately 9 years old, and during 2021 to 2022, Cuts The Rope held a knife against the throat of Jane Doe 2, when she was approximately 10 years old.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
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Hartford Man Sentenced to 34 Months in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing Multiple FirearmsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that WESLEY S. PEARSON, 26, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 34 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for unlawfully possessing firearms.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 16, 2023, Bloomfield Police arrested Pearson after a domestic violence incident. Later that day, having applied for and received a Risk Protection Order from the Connecticut Superior Court, police searched the Bloomfield home where Pearson had been residing and seized three Glock handguns, two that were affixed with a “switch” that converted them to fully automatic firearms and a third that had an obliterated serial number; an L.A.R. Mfg. Grizzly15, multicaliber, short-barreled rifle; a privately manufactured AR-style pistol (“ghost gun”); 24 firearm magazines, including two high-capacity magazines; approximately 280 rounds of ammunition; and other firearm accessories.
The investigation revealed that Pearson directed music videos, under the name “The Kid Wes,” which featured suspected Hartford gang members celebrating gang violence and drug trafficking, among other topics. He also created his own videos, including one titled “Pray for Me” in which he raps “we outside every day on that strip…we got them Glocks with a switch, come out and play us, at least a hundred shots.”
Pearson was previously convicted in state court of a felony drug offense. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Pearson has been detained since May 16, 2023. On June 3, 2024, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
This investigation was conducted by the Bloomfield Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Dearington.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.
High Ranking Tren De Aragua Fugitive from Venezuela Arrested in Tennessee Thanks to Interpol CollaborationRead the Press Release
High Ranking Tren de Aragua Fugitive from Venezuela Arrested in Tennessee Thanks to INTERPOL Collaboration
In a powerful demonstration of international law enforcement coordination, INTERPOL Washington announced the successful apprehension of Luis Alejandro Ruiz Godoy, a high-ranking Tren de Aragua fugitive from Venezuela with a history of violent crimes, including human trafficking, robbery, terrorism, weapons offenses, and escape.
“Through the immediate exchange of critical information and unparalleled cooperation with our international and domestic partners, this dangerous gang leader has been apprehended and will be held accountable for his crimes,” said INTERPOL Washington Acting Director Jeffrey A. Grimming. “Tren de Aragua has emerged as a significant threat to the United States as it infiltrates migration flows from Venezuela. INTERPOL Washington will continue to provide critical intelligence to our police partners across the continent to strengthen border and national security, ensuring these violent gang members find no safe harbor in our country.”
On November 7, INTERPOL Washington received an urgent alert from the INTERPOL Command and Coordination Center (CCC) in Lyon, France, regarding a notice for an international fugitive, issued by the INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Caracas, Venezuela. Ruiz Godoy, identified as a prominent gang leader, had been traveling toward the United States via Mexico.
Despite his entry into the United States prior to the publication of notice, swift action by INTERPOL Washington’s Global Police Services Division (GPS) ensured his location was identified. GPS Investigative Analysts helped trace Ruiz Godoy to a location in Tennessee. On a November 19 joint operation involving INTERPOL Washington, Ruiz Godoy was arrested in Memphis. He is currently in ICE custody.
Great Falls woman admits to trafficking meth in communityRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Great Falls woman accused of distributing methamphetamine and traveling outside of Montana to pick up the drug admitted to a conspiracy charge on Monday, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
The defendant, Melissa Ann Barone, 55, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth. Barone faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for March 26, 2025. Barone was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that Barone was involved in distributing meth in the Great Falls area and elsewhere from January 2020 until about April 2024. Numerous individuals who purchased or received meth from Barone corroborated Barone’s involvement. The government alleged that Barone was a drug runner for her co-defendant, Daniel Allen Wakeford, who pleaded guilty to charges and is pending sentencing, and that she borrowed vehicles to travel outside of Montana to pick up meth.
As part of her guilty plea, Barone agreed to forfeit cash totaling $74,951 that was seized from a motorhome and two BMWs, an AK-47 pistol and magazine, a 2016 BMW and a 2002 40-foot motorhome.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS, Great Falls Police Department and Russell Country Drug Task Force conducted the investigation.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Grass Valley Woman Sentenced to Jail for Trespassing at Beale Air Force BaseRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Today, after a one-day bench trial, Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Carolyn K. Delaney found Shirley L. Osgood, 76, of Grass Valley, guilty of two-counts of unauthorized entry onto a military installation and sentenced her to five days in jail, 100 hours of community service, and a one-year term of probation, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to evidence presented at trial, Osgood was arrested on Oct. 19, 2023, and again on March 14, 2024, after entering onto Beale Air Force Base without lawful authority. On both dates, Osgood was specifically advised that she was trespassing on the base, but she ignored law enforcement commands to stay off base property. Osgood testified at trial and admitted that she knew that she was trespassing and that she was not authorized to enter onto the base. Osgood said that she was protesting and trespassed because she wanted to speak to the base commander.
Osgood has previously been arrested and convicted for trespassing on Beale Air Force Base. In 2013, Osgood was convicted in federal court for trespassing at the base, and she was barred from entering.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Air Force Security Forces. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee prosecuted the case.
Gang member sentenced for possessing grenades and firearmRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A self-admitted member of the Westside gang has been sentenced for possessing destructive devices and utilizing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking activity, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Jamez Aaron Sandoval, 26, of San Juan, pleaded guilty on Sept. 19.
U.S. Chief District Judge Randy Crane has now imposed a total sentence of 120 months in the Bureau of Prisons to be immediately followed by 3 years of supervised release. At the hearing, the Court learned Sandoval attempted to make a homemade grenade, carried a firearm during a grenade transaction and recorded himself firing fully automatic weapons. In handing down the prison terms, Judge Crane noted that Sandoval promoted violence with his social media post of an individual firing a firearm equipped with a machinegun conversion device towards law enforcement.
On Aug. 1, authorities arrested Sandoval after he purchased two grenade-style destructive devices from an ATF undercover agent. Law enforcement then conducted a search of his residence and found cocaine, marijuana, drug dealing paraphernalia as well as firearms. Sandoval previously sold law enforcement machinegun conversion devices before asking to purchase the grenades.
Further investigation revealed Sandoval used a firearm found in the residence for protection during the commission of drug trafficking activities.
Sandoval has been and will remain in custody pending his transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Texas Department of Public Safety, and Alamo Police Department conducted the joint investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cahal P. McColgan prosecuted the case as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old, evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
Former police officer and felon admits to illegally possessing firearmRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 44-year-old resident of McAllen has pleaded guilty to unlawfully being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
On June 25, 2023, Michael Gallegos-Martinez was driving a Cadillac CTS when he failed to come to a complete stop. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop, at which time they noticed Gallegos-Martinez appeared nervous. He claimed there were no firearms or narcotics within the vehicle. However, a K-9 alerted, and authorities conducted search of the vehicle which resulted in the discovery of a firearm Rossi, Model 461, .357 caliber magnum revolver in a grocery bag hanging from the gear shift. They also discovered 25 grams of cocaine, a bottle of Xanax pills and approximately $25,000 in cash.
The investigation revealed Gallegos-Martinez had previously served as a police officer before being convicted of a felony for possession of a controlled substance. As a felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition per federal law.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane accepted the plea and has set sentencing for Feb. 2, 2025. At that time, Gallegos-Martinez faces up to 15 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with assistance from the Alamo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Former local police officer sentenced to more than 5 years in prison for conspiring to traffic drugsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former Columbus police officer was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 65 months in prison for conspiring with another police officer to traffic more than eight kilograms of fentanyl and for conspiring with a confidential informant to traffic 40 kilograms of cocaine.
John J. Kotchkoski, 36, of Marengo, Ohio, conspired to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
“Failing to uphold his oath to serve the residents of this great community, Kotchkoski forever stained his badge, not the badge of all the incredible men and women of the Columbus Division of Police. He should be held accountable for his misdeeds. This sentence of more than five years in prison for conspiring to distribute this poison in our community should send a message to every member of law enforcement that any such failure to uphold our oath to the community will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker.
According to court documents, from at least June 2021 through his September 2021 arrest, while assigned to investigate drug crimes, Kotchkoski conspired with a fellow Columbus police officer and with a confidential informant to illegally traffic drugs.
Kotchkoski provided the confidential informant approximately 40 kilograms of cocaine to be sold and then kept most of the proceeds.
The defendant conspired with the other officer to receive a portion of the drug proceeds made from selling kilogram quantities of fentanyl. For example, on at least three occasions, the coconspirator distributed fentanyl to another individual and accepted $32,500 for approximately one of the kilograms of fentanyl. Kotchkoski received a portion of these drug proceeds.
In late August 2021, Kotchkoski expected to receive an additional portion of drug proceeds for more than eight kilograms of fentanyl being provided by his coconspirator but was arrested before he was able to do so.
Kotchkoski pleaded guilty to a bill of information in April 2022.
As part of his conviction, Kotchkoski will forfeit a Cadillac Escalade, a Chevrolet Corvette, more than 20 firearms and a money judgment totaling half a million dollars.
Coconspirator Marco R. Merino was sentenced in February 2023 to nine years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the FBI’s Public Corruption Task Force, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate and Elizabeth A. Geraghty are representing the United States in this case.
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Florida Physician Assistant Pleads Guilty to a $7.3 Million Health Care Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Florida man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Concord for his role in a conspiracy to defraud Medicare of $7.3 million, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Shane Jordan, 38, of Orlando, Florida, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante scheduled sentencing for March 13, 2025. Jordan was charged on September 20, 2024.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Jordan was a physician assistant licensed in multiple jurisdictions, including New Hampshire. From February 2021 until May 2024, Jordan worked for a Florida-based telemedicine company and agreed to electronically sign doctor’s orders for cancer genetic testing regardless of the medical necessity for the testing, in the absence of a pre-existing medical provider-patient relationship with the Medicare beneficiary, and frequently based solely on a short telephone conversation. Jordan was paid approximately $25 per patient telemedicine “consultation” – totaling more than $212,000. The doctor’s orders signed by Jordan were then used to submit more than $7.3 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for cancer genetic testing.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the pecuniary gain. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General led the investigation. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack and Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Ward are prosecuting the case.
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Federal Inmate Admits to Stabbing, SentencedRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Sean Robin Howard, 22, an inmate at Federal Correctional Institution Hazelton in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia, was sentenced to 36 months in prison for stabbing another inmate.
Howard pled guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon resulting in serious bodily injury. According to court documents, Howard was involved in a verbal dispute with another inmate in a housing unit. Howard stabbed the inmate in the neck area and caused a serious wound. The inmate was transported to a hospital and was treated for his injuries.
Howard’s sentence is to be served consecutively to his current sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Environmental Manager Sentenced to Prison for Stealing from EmployerRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, Ga. - Michael Mayfield has been sentenced to prison for defrauding his employer of over $1.2 million.
“Mayfield devised a false invoicing scheme to betray and defraud his employer of more than $1 million,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “This sentencing sends a clear message to others that our office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold criminals accountable for stealing from employers who trust them.”
“Mayfield betrayed the trust his company had in him then used the fraudulently gained money for personal use and to try and build his reputation in the community,” said FBI Atlanta’s Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Burke. “Our agents work every day to hold criminals like Mayfield accountable for their actions.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Michael Mayfield was an environmental manager at the Mars Wrigley factory in Flowery Branch, Georgia. In that role, he oversaw the Health, Safety, and Environmental and Recycling Programs.
The recycling waste produced at the factory was valuable and companies often made direct payments or sent Mars Wrigley rebate checks after disposal of the material. But unbeknownst to Mars Wrigley, Mayfield diverted the checks to his own company, WWJ Recycling. The fraudulently obtained checks totaled over $500,000. Mayfield used the funds to pay for hunting trips worth more than $100,000, a donation to his church for more than $80,000, and more than $200,000 in personal checks.
Mayfield also directed his co-conspirator to create false invoices from ASA Safety Supply, a supplier to Mars Wrigley. The co-conspirator sent the invoiced items to Mayfield for his personal use and then submitted false invoices from ASA Safety Supply to Mars Wrigley for payment. The purchased items included football supplies for the Flowery Branch High School football team, such as cleats and clothing, improvements to the stadium, tickets to a University of Georgia football game, and gift cards. These false invoices totaled over $199,000.
Mayfield also sent invoices from WWJ Recycling to ASA Safety Supply. His co-conspirator directed ASA Safety Supply to pay those invoices and then submit the false invoices to Mars Wrigley for payment for work that was not done. The WWJ Recycle invoices totaled over $750,000.
Mayfield engaged in this scheme from as early as December 2016 until sometime in 2022. Ultimately, Mars paid over $1.2 million because of Mayfield’s fraudulent scheme.
Michael Mayfield, 55, of Flowery Branch, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard W. Story to three years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,269,457.56. Mayfield was convicted of these charges on August 19, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Huber prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
El Departamento de Justicia demanda a un propietario de propiedades de alquiler de Kentucky por acoso sexualRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha entablado una demanda contra Joseph E. Johnson, también conocido como Joe Johnson, propietario y operador de propiedades de alquiler en Lexington, Kentucky, por acoso sexual y represalias, en contra de la ley de Vivienda Justa.
“Durante décadas, este propietario utilizó su posición de poder para acosar sexualmente a mujeres vulnerables que simplemente querían un techo sobre su cabeza”, afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. “Las mujeres no deben vivir con miedo cuando pagan su alquiler o buscan reparaciones. El Departamento de Justicia continuará haciendo cumplir con firmeza la prohibición de esta conducta en virtud de la ley de Vivienda Justa”.
“El acoso sexual en la vivienda priva a sus víctimas de la seguridad que se supone que una casa les debe proporcionar”, declaró Carlton S. Shier, IV, el Fiscal Federal para el Distrito Este de Kentucky. “Esto hace que la aplicación convincente de la ley de Vivienda Justa sea fundamental para garantizar que las víctimas puedan obtener compensación por esta conducta tan imperdonable y buscar un hogar seguro para sus familias”.
La demanda, presentada en el Tribunal Federal de Distrito para el Distrito Este de Kentucky, alega que durante décadas, Johnson ha acosado sexualmente a numerosas inquilinas. De acuerdo con la queja, Johnson ha ofrecido beneficios relacionados con la vivienda a cambio de contacto sexual, ha hecho comentarios y avances sexuales no deseados a inquilinas, ha sometido a inquilinas a contacto y manoseo no deseados y ha tomado medidas adversas relacionadas con la vivienda contra inquilinas que rechazaron sus insinuaciones sexuales y no tomó ninguna medida correctiva al enterarse de conductas acosadoras por parte de uno o más de sus empleados.
La demanda, que es el resultado de un esfuerzo de investigación conjunto del Departamento de Justicia con la Oficina del Inspector General del Departamento de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano (HUD, por sus siglas en inglés), busca daños monetarios para compensar a las personas perjudicadas por el supuesto acoso, una sanción civil contra el demandado para vindicar el interés público y una orden judicial que prohíbe la discriminación futura.
“Es inaceptable que los propietarios amenacen con o cometan actos de acoso sexual o abuso contra las inquilinas”, dijo la Inspectora General del HUD, Rae Oliver Davis. “El demandado supuestamente se aprovechó de inquilinas vulnerables y tomó represalias contra ellas cuando rechazaron sus insinuaciones sexuales. Mi oficina continuará trabajando con nuestros socios de aplicación de la ley para responsabilizar a los proveedores de vivienda por este tipo de conducta horrible”.
El Departamento de Justicia lanzó su Iniciativa contra el acoso sexual en la vivienda en octubre del 2017. La iniciativa, dirigida por la División de Derechos Civiles en coordinación con las Fiscalías Federales por todo el país, busca abordar y aumentar la concientización sobre el acoso sexual por parte de propietarios, administradores de propiedades, trabajadores de mantenimiento, oficiales de préstamos u otras personas que tienen control sobre la vivienda. Desde el lanzamiento de la iniciativa, el Departamento de Justicia ha presentado 47 demandas que alegan acoso sexual en la vivienda, así recuperando daños y sanciones civiles de aquellos que infringen la ley.
La ley de Vivienda Justa prohíbe la discriminación en las viviendas por motivos de raza, color de piel, religión, nacionalidad, sexo, discapacidad y situación familiar. Hay más información sobre la División de Derechos Civiles y las leyes que hace cumplir en su sitio web en www.justice.gov/crt.
Aquellas personas que crean que pueden haber sido víctimas de acoso sexual u otros tipos de discriminación en la vivienda en viviendas de alquiler de los que Joe Johnson es propietario o administrador, o que tienen otra información que puede ser relevante para este caso, deben comunicarse con la línea informativa para discriminación en la vivienda al 1-833-591-0291, seleccionar 1 para inglés y seleccionar la opción número 2 y luego la opción número 00 para dejar un mensaje. Para dejar un mensaje en español, hay que seleccionar 2 para español, seleccionar la opción número 1 y luego la opción número 009 para dejar un mensaje. También se puede enviar un correo electrónico al Departamento de Justicia a [email protected] o entregar un informe en línea. Los informes también se pueden realizar comunicándose con el HUD al 1-800-669-9777 o rellenando una queja en línea.
Eastern Panhandle Man Sentenced for Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Steven James Priore, 41, of Hedgesville, West Virginia, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for the possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a cyber tip of uploaded child pornography from an email address traced back to Priore. A search of Priore’s home resulted in the seizure of devices that contained images and videos depicting child pornography.
Prior was also ordered to pay $65,000 in restitution. He will serve supervised release for life following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Crockett prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The West Virginia State Police investigated.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Deputy Attorney General Announces over 50 Actions to Reduce the Risk of Suicide for Adults in the Department’s CustodyRead the Press Release
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco today announced over 50 new actions the Justice Department will take to reduce the risk of death by suicide of adults who are detained or incarcerated in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) or Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP). These actions follow from recommendations developed by a working group of experts, from across the Department, tasked by the Deputy Attorney General with creating a multifaceted approach to reducing the risk of suicide and self-directed violence among those in the Department’s care and custody.
The Justice Department’s mission to uphold the rule of law, keep our country safe, and protect civil rights includes safely and humanely caring for those in its custody. While the Department has long worked to reduce the risk of suicide in the populations it serves, too many individuals die by suicide in federal custody while they await trial or serve a sentence. Even though the suicide mortality rate in federal custody is generally lower than that in local jails and state prisons, the Department must strive to avert every preventable death of an individual in its custody.
As detailed in the “Report on Actions to Reduce the Risk of Suicide by Adults in Federal Custody and Advance a Culture of Safety” issued today, the Deputy Attorney General directed components to take corresponding action to implement the following five objectives to improve suicide prevention policy and protocols for individuals in the Department’s custody:
- Focusing prevention efforts through enhanced information sharing;
- Improving access and delivery of suicide prevention-related care;
- Promoting a healthy culture in facilities for employees and adults in custody;
- Reducing opportunity for and lethality of incidents of self-directed violence; and
- Using data and research to refine suicide prevention policies.
“The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the health and safety of every individual in our custody,” said Deputy Attorney General Monaco. “Today’s reforms — recommended by experts from across the Department’s litigation, law enforcement, and policy operations — will reduce the risk of suicide among adults in federal facilities. Simply put, these measures can help us save lives. I’m grateful not only to our Department experts, but also to the research, law enforcement, judicial, and suicide prevention organizations and advocates that contributed to this effort.”
The report was developed following a comprehensive review by experts from USMS, FBOP, the Civil Rights Division, Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, National Institute of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Justice Management Division, Office of Legal Policy, and Office of the Deputy Attorney General. The review also included consultation with the Office of Inspector General, which recently completed an evaluation of inmate deaths at FBOP institutions and has identified institutional safety and security as a critical Department challenge.
In addition to reviewing existing policy, independent research, and data, the Department convened listening sessions with external experts and partners — including:
- Researchers who specialize in suicide prevention in custodial settings;
- Representatives from federal, state, and local law enforcement from across government;
- Representatives from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts as well as federal defender and national defense counsel organizations; and
- Suicide prevention and prison reform organizations that advocate on behalf of individuals in the Department’s custody.
DOJ sends nearly $12 million to Washington State for drug treatment programsRead the Press Release
Seattle – Nearly $12 million is headed to Washington State from the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs (OJP) to support drug treatment programs statewide, in specific counties, and tribal communities, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman.
“These DOJ grants recognize the need for treatment in our state, and also highlight the good work being done here to break the cycle of addiction,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “It is a competitive process to get this funding and I congratulate the counties, tribes and organizations who successfully applied for these grants.”
The largest award, $7 million, is to the Washington State Health Care Authority to bolster and support substance use treatment programs in the community as well as in state jails and correctional institutions. The grant also pays for opioid overdose training for law enforcement and a peer mentoring program for those leaving prison with substance use disorder.
Pierce County was awarded $1.6 million to improve substance abuse treatment options in rural areas. The program will focus on justice involved adults. The results will be studied for best practices.
Grays Harbor County was awarded $1 million to enhance the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment available in the Grays Harbor County Jail. With these additional grant funds, the county will provide mental health as well as substance use disorder treatment and will work with the Coastal Community Action Program to make services available to those transitioning from jail and prison to the community.
The private non-profit Progress House Association was awarded $833,000 to enhance treatment and recovery services for 170 people across King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Thurston Counties who are currently incarcerated. The funding will enhance treatment for substance use disorder as well as co-occurring mental health disorders.
Finally, two tribal nations were awarded grants for their substance use and mental health treatment programs.
The Tulalip Tribes of Washington was awarded $718,151 to expand the Tulalip Tribes Family Wellness Court. The money will provide for a dedicated Social Worker and Recovery Support specialist to provide services directly to families impacted by substance abuse disorder. The goal is to reunify families and reduce the number of children in long-term out of home care.
The Lummi Nation received $550,000 to implement a Mental Health Court for tribal citizens impacted by both mental health challenges and substance use disorder. The program is designed to enhance treatment support with integrated treatment plans.
Cuba couple arrested, charged with operating marijuana grow operationRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Daniel S. Ackerman, 58, and Ana L. Maldonado-Delgado, 31, both of Cuba, NY, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with manufacture and possession with intent to distribute 100 or more marijuana plants, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a $5,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna Duncan, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, the Cuba Police Department became aware of an operation cultivating marijuana for large scale distribution and launched an investigation. On October 10, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ackerman and Maldonado-Delgado’s Farnsworth Road residence. During the search, it was apparent that marijuana was being grown on a large scale, processed, and packaged. Investigators seized 475 growing marijuana plants, 124 dried marijuana plants, a large quantity of processed marijuana, 10 glass jars containing liquid concentrated cannabis, a 9mm pistol, suspected psilocybin mushrooms, two cell phones and drug paraphernalia.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, the Cuba Police Department, under the direction of Chief Dustin Burch, the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Scott Cicirello, the Olean Police Department, under the direction of Chief Ron Richardson, and the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Whitcomb.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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