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Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Wednesday 25 September 2024
Bộ Tư Pháp Đạt Được Thỏa Thuận Tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ với Văn Phòng Cảnh Sát Trưởng Quận Alameda tại CaliforniaRead the Press Release
Bộ Tư Pháp hôm nay thông báo rằng Bộ đã đạt được thỏa thuận giải quyết với Văn Phòng Cảnh Sát Trưởng Quận Alameda (Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, hoặc ACSO) tại California để giải quyết cuộc điều tra về việc liệu ACSO có tuân thủ các nghĩa vụ không phân biệt đối xử theo Tiêu Đề VI của Đạo Luật Dân Quyền Năm 1964 (Tiêu Đề VI) hay không.
Theo các điều khoản của thỏa thuận, ACSO đã đồng ý thực hiện một số bước để cải thiện khả năng tiếp cận ngôn ngữ cho những Cá Nhân Có Trình Độ Tiếng Anh Hạn Chế (Limited English Proficiency, hoặc LEP) trong phạm vi quyền hạn của mình. Tiêu Đề VI cấm các tổ chức nhận hỗ trợ tài chính liên bang phân biệt đối xử dựa trên chủng tộc, màu da và quốc gia xuất thân. Sự đối xử khác biệt dựa trên ngôn ngữ nói, bao gồm việc loại trừ hoặc từ chối các quyền lợi của các chương trình và dịch vụ dành cho người LEP, có thể cấu thành hành vi phân biệt đối xử dựa trên quốc gia xuất thân vi phạm Tiêu Đề VI.
Trợ Lý Tổng Chưởng Lý Kristen Clarke thuộc Bộ Phận Dân Quyền của Bộ Tư Pháp cho biết: "Bộ Phận Dân Quyền của Bộ Tư Pháp cam kết đảm bảo rằng các cơ quan thực thi pháp luật của quốc gia chúng ta có thể phục vụ và bảo vệ mọi người trong cộng đồng của họ, bất kể trình độ Tiếng Anh của họ có hạn chế hay không". “Thông qua thỏa thuận này, Văn Phòng Cảnh Sát Trưởng Quận Alameda đã chứng minh cam kết của mình và đã thực hiện những bước tiến lớn hướng tới việc cải thiện các dịch vụ cho cộng đồng mà văn phòng này phục vụ.”
Cuộc điều tra của bộ phận này về ACSO bắt đầu sau khi nhận được thông tin nêu lên mối lo ngại rằng những cá nhân LEP có thể không nhận được các dịch vụ ngôn ngữ đầy đủ trong các cuộc gặp gỡ với nhân viên ACSO.
Thông qua thỏa thuận này, ACSO sẽ thiết lập chỉ thị tiếp cận ngôn ngữ chính thức trên toàn văn phòng, chỉ định một thành viên trong đội ngũ nhân viên làm Điều Phối Viên LEP cho ACSO, cung cấp đào tạo cho nhân viên về hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ, cải thiện kiểm soát chất lượng để yêu cầu các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ chính xác và được đánh giá chất lượng đồng thời trải qua giai đoạn giám sát của bộ.
Thỏa thuận này là một phần của Sáng Kiến tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ Cho Cơ Quan Thực Thi Pháp Luật (Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative, hoặc LELAI) của bộ, một nỗ lực trên toàn quốc nhằm hỗ trợ các cơ quan thực thi pháp luật vượt qua rào cản ngôn ngữ để phục vụ và bảo vệ cộng đồng tốt hơn cũng như đảm bảo an toàn cho các sĩ quan. Dưới sự chỉ đạo của Bộ Phận Dân Quyền, sáng kiến này cung cấp các nguồn lực hỗ trợ kỹ thuật và các công cụ có thể giúp cơ quan thực thi pháp luật của tiểu bang và địa phương cung cấp quyền tiếp cận ngôn ngữ có ý nghĩa cho những cá nhân LEP; tích cực thu hút các cơ quan thực thi pháp luật muốn xem xét, cập nhật và/hoặc củng cố các chính sách, kế hoạch và đào tạo về quyền tiếp cận ngôn ngữ của họ; và củng cố sự kết nối giữa các cơ quan thực thi pháp luật, các bên liên quan trong cộng đồng và những nhóm dân số LEP.
Thông tin bổ sung về Bộ Phận Dân Quyền có tại trang mạng www.justice.gov/crt và thông tin về trình độ Tiếng Anh hạn chế và Tiêu Đề VI có tại trang mạng www.lep.gov. Để biết thêm thông tin về LELAI, vui lòng truy cập trang mạng www.lep.gov/law-enforcement. Công chúng có thể báo cáo các trường hợp có khả năng vi phạm quyền công dân tại trang mạng civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
Bronx Man Sentenced to 151 Months’ Imprisonment for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Christian Brazoban, also known as “Bison,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack to 151 months in prison for distributing child pornography to three minor victims. Brazoban pleaded guilty to the charge in January 2024.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William S. Walker, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), and Patrick J. Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD), announced the sentence.
“Today’s sentence brings justice to a minor victim whom the defendant terrorized with a barrage of sickening images of child pornography and death threats,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The defendant’s actions with respect to this victim, and others with whom he also communicated, illustrate the menace of sexual predators preying on children on the Internet. I urge parents and caregivers to talk to their children about the dangers of communicating online with strangers and anyone who may exploit them.”
“Christian Brazoban’s depraved crimes are among every parent’s worst nightmare. This case highlights HSI's commitment to protect the most vulnerable members of our community, especially against a perpetrator like Brazoban who not only exploited young children, but threatened their lives through his sextortion scheme,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Walker. “HSI New York stands united with our law enforcement partners in our mission to protect the public wherever and whenever possible.”
“Thanks to the hard work of detectives from the NCPD Special Victim’s Unit, in cooperation with HSI and all our federal partners, a dangerous threat to the children of Nassau County has been caught and brought to justice,” stated NCPD Commissioner Ryder. “We are dedicated to keeping the internet safe from disturbed individuals like the defendant who prey on the vulnerable and we hope this case serves as a warning to those that target children that we will never lower our resolve. You will be found and punished.”
As set forth in court filings, between approximately March 2021 and March 2023, Minor Victim 1, a minor who resided in Nassau County, engaged in online communications, including video chats, with Brazoban. On March 3, 2023, after Minor Victim 1 rebuked Brazoban for expressing sexual interest in a friend of Minor Victim 1’s who was in the seventh grade, Brazoban sent online messages to Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victims 2 and 3 (a relative and a friend of Minor Victim 1), which contained numerous images of child pornography. When Minor Victim 1 told Brazoban to stop, he sent her additional online messages threatening to kill her and her family. For example, Brazoban wrote: “lil girl shot dead on Long Island”; “I’m thinkin I tie you and just beat you to death with a mallet.”
On March 15, 2023, HSI agents and NCPD officers executed a search warrant at Brazoban’s residence in the Bronx and recovered a cellphone containing images of child pornography and threats that he had sent to Minor Victim 1. The search also revealed that the defendant had distributed child pornography to two other minor victims.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorney Bradley T. King is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
CHRISTIAN BRAZOBAN (also known as “Bison”)
Age: 26
Bronx, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-138 (JMA)
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Delivers Remarks at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of MississippiRead the Press Release
Remarks as Delivered
Thanks, Todd, and thanks for the warm welcome.
I am very happy to be here in Mississippi.
In just a few moments, Todd and I will meet with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to talk about the work that everyone is doing to keep Mississippi safe.
I am grateful that I have the chance to meet with our law enforcement partners here today. You do the work, the most dangerous work, protecting people in Mississippi. You are indispensable partners for us.
I am very happy to hear that the sheriff’s investigator is okay, and that the perpetrators have been arrested. Just another piece of evidence about how dangerous the work that local law enforcement does, and we are grateful for everything that you do to protect the citizens of these communities and to work with our law enforcement and our U.S. Attorney’s Office on the same mission. Thank you.
I am also grateful to have the chance to recognize the extraordinary public servants of this office for their extraordinary work and their extraordinary hard work.
This U.S. Attorney’s Office is the face of the Justice Department here in the Southern District of Mississippi. When people in this District look to see what the Justice Department stands for, they look to this U.S. Attorney’s Office. I have been consistently impressed with the work that you guys do.
That work, and the work of our state and local law enforcement partners, is making a difference.
Three-and-a-half years ago, the Justice Department launched an ambitious strategy to combat violent crime. That strategy is rooted in exactly the kinds of partnerships we see around this table. Today, we are seeing results.
Just earlier this week, the FBI released a report noting an 11.6% drop in homicides last year and one of the lowest violent crime rates nationwide in 50 years.
And newly released data indicates that this trend is continuing. Earlier this month, the Justice Department’s Violent Crime Reduction Steering Committee announced data from across 88 cities that indicates that violent crime has continued to decline considerably in 2024. That included a further 16.9% drop in homicides.
But we know that progress in many communities is still uneven. And, of course, there is no acceptable level of violent crime.
That is why the Justice Department is continuing to work with our partners here in Mississippi and across the country to combat violent crime, and drug trafficking, and gun trafficking.
Last month, working with the DEA, this office secured a guilty plea from a member of a drug-trafficking organization in California that sent packages of narcotics to Mississippi. During the investigation, we seized more than 5,700 grams of methamphetamine, 236 grams of fentanyl, and 84 grams of cocaine.
In July – following a joint operation with ATF, DEA, and other federal agencies – this office secured guilty pleas from five men who participated in a scheme to purchase firearms, machinegun conversion devices, and explosives for delivery to Mexico. Three of the men sought to barter the weapons in exchange for cocaine.
In March – working with the ATF and the Clinton Police Department – this office secured a 10-year sentence for a man who illegally possessed a firearm and fired a weapon at a law enforcement officer during a high-speed chase in Jackson.
As we work together to reduce violent crime, we know that building and maintaining public trust is essential to public safety. That is why the Justice Department has taken action when that trust has been violated.
Earlier this year, the Department worked to secure [10 to 40-year] sentences against six law enforcement officers in Rankin County who violated the civil rights of Black men.
The officers kicked in the door of a home where the men were residing; handcuffed and arrested them without probable cause; called them racial slurs; and punched, kicked, tased, and assaulted them. After one of the officers fired his gun in the mouth of a victim, the group went outside to come up with a cover story.
Those actions were a betrayal of the community the officers were sworn to protect, a betrayal of their profession, and a betrayal of their fellow officers.
To help the community rebuild trust, the Justice Department launched a civil pattern or practice investigation to examine allegations that the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department systematically violates people’s constitutional rights. We are committed to working with local officials, deputies, and the community to conduct a comprehensive investigation.
The Justice Department is also committed to providing resources necessary to support public safety here in Mississippi.
Earlier this year, the Justice Department added Jackson to its Violent Crime Initiative. That initiative surges law enforcement tools and resources to target gangs and other violent groups that threaten our communities. In particular, it directs prosecutors from the Justice Department’s headquarters Criminal Division to partner with our prosecutors here on the ground in Jackson to target the individuals who are most responsible for the violence.
In addition to using our investigative and prosecutorial resources, we are also committed to using our grantmaking capabilities to invest in public safety.
For example, today, the Justice Department awarded nearly $300,000 to enhance the City of Jackson’s forensic science capabilities. We also awarded nearly $900,000 under our Coordinated Tribal Assistance Program, which funds Tribes’ efforts to develop comprehensive and coordinated approaches to public safety.
These grants are part of the more than $29 million that the Justice Department is awarding to organizations and government agencies in Mississippi this month to support law enforcement activities and community initiatives.
These funds will, among other things, help law enforcement agencies in Mississippi hire more officers, prevent and combat violent crime and drug trafficking, and improve services for survivors of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and other crimes.
We remain committed to providing our law enforcement and community partners with the resources they need to protect their communities.
The examples I have shared today are just a snapshot of the extraordinary work that this office is doing every day to protect people in the District, and to fulfill the Justice Department’s mission to ensure the rule of law, to keep our communities safe, and to protect civil rights.
I am very proud of the public servants who make up this office. And I am equally proud of the relationships that they have built with the law enforcement agencies around this table. Those partnerships are the essence of the way in which we combat violent crime and protect our communities.
I thank you. I am looking forward to our meeting now.
Ang Departamento ng Hustisya ay Nakakuha ng Kasunduan sa Pag-access sa Wika sa Opisina ng Alameda County Sheriff sa CaliforniaRead the Press Release
Inanunsyo ngayon ng Departamento ng Hustisya na naabot nito ang isang kasunduan sa pagresolba sa Opisina ng Alameda County Sheriff (ACSO) sa California na nagresolba sa pagtatanong kung ang ACSO ay sumusunod sa mga obligasyon nito na walang diskriminasyon sa ilalim ng Title VI ng Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI)
Sa ilalim ng mga tuntunin ng kasunduan, sumang-ayon ang ACSO na gumawa ng ilang hakbang upang mapabuti ang pag-access sa wika para sa mga indibidwal na may limitadong kasanayan sa Ingles (LEP) sa nasasakupan nito. Ipinagbabawal ng Title VI ang mga entity na tumatanggap ng pederal na tulong pinansyal mula sa diskriminasyon batay sa lahi, kulay at bansang pinagmulan. Ang pagkakaiba-iba ng pagtrato batay sa wikang sinasalita, kabilang ang pagbubukod o pagtanggi sa mga benepisyo ng mga programa at serbisyo sa mga taong may LEP, ay maaaring bumuo ng diskriminasyon sa pinagmulang bansa na lumalabag sa Title VI.
“Ang Dibisyon ng Mga Karapatang Sibil ng Departamento ng Hustisya ay nakatuon sa pagtiyak na ang mga ahensyang nagpapatupad ng batas ng ating bansa ay maaaring maglingkod at maprotektahan ang lahat sa kanilang mga komunidad, hindi alintana kung mayroon silang limitadong kasanayan sa Ingles,” sabi ni Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke ng Dibisyon ng Mga Karapatang Sibil ng Departamento ng Hustisya. “Sa pamamagitan ng kasunduang ito, ipinakita ng Opisina ng Alameda County Sheriff ang kanilang pangako at gumawa ng mga pangunahing hakbang patungo sa pagpapabuti ng mga serbisyo sa mga komunidad na pinaglilingkuran nito."
Ang pagtatanong ng departamento sa ACSO ay nagsimula pagkatapos makatanggap ng impormasyong naghahayag ng mga alalahanin na ang mga indibidwal na may LEP ay maaaring hindi makatanggap ng sapat na mga serbisyo sa wika sa panahon ng pakikipagtagpo sa mga tauhan ng ACSO.
Sa pamamagitan ng kasunduang ito, ang ACSO ay magtatatag ng isang pormal, pang-opisina na direktiba sa pag-access sa wika, magtatalaga ng miyembro ng mga tauhan nito bilang LEP Coordinator para sa ACSO, magbibigay ng mga pagsasanay sa kawani sa tulong sa wika, pagbutihin ang mga kontrol sa kalidad upang mangailangan ng tumpak at kalidad ng mga serbisyo ng tulong sa wika at sumailalim sa isang panahon ng pagsubaybay ng departamento.
Ang kasunduang ito ay bahagi ngLaw Enforcement Language Access Initiative(LELAI) ng departamento, isang pagsisikap sa buong bansa na tulungan ang mga ahensyang nagpapatupad ng batas sa pagharap sa mga hadlang sa wika upang mas mapagsilbihan at maprotektahan ang mga komunidad at panatilihing ligtas ang mga opisyal. Sa pangunguna ng Dibisyon ng Mga Karapatang Sibil, ang inisyatiba ay nagbibigay ng mga mapagkukunan ng teknikal na tulong at mga tool na makakatulong sa estado at lokal na pagpapatupad ng batas na magbigay ng makabuluhang access sa wika sa mga indibidwal na may LEP; apirmatibong nakikipag-ugnayan sa mga ahensyang nagpapatupad ng batas na gustong suriin, i-update at/o palakasin ang kanilang mga patakaran sa pag-access sa wika, mga plano at pagsasanay; at pinapalakas ang koneksyon sa pagitan ng mga ahensyang nagpapatupad ng batas, mga stakeholder ng komunidad at mga populasyon na may LEP.
Ang karagdagang impormasyon tungkol sa Dibisyon ng Mga Karapatang Sibil ay makukuha sa www.justice.gov/crt at ang impormasyon tungkol sa limitadong kasanayan sa Ingles at Title VI ay available sa www.lep.gov. Higit pang impormasyon sa LELAI ay available sa www.lep.gov/law-enforcement. Maaaring mag-ulat ang mga miyembro ng publiko ng mga posibleng paglabag sa karapatang sibil sa civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
Alva Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Richardson Bien Aime (35, Alva) to 24 years and 4 months in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine and possessing firearms as a convicted felon. Bien Aime pleaded guilty on June 11, 2024. Earlier this year, his wife, Christi Bien Aime (31, Alva) was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison in a separate but related federal case involving 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, law enforcement began investigating Richardson Bien Aime in August 2023 after learning from a source that he was obtaining large shipments of methamphetamine from California via the U.S. Mail. During the investigation, law enforcement purchased methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl from Bien Aime during multiple undercover transactions at his Alva residence. Investigators also seized a parcel from the mail stream containing more than two pounds of pure methamphetamine destined for Bien Aime.
In November 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Bien Aime’s residence and seized more than a half a pound of methamphetamine, $6,000 in cash, and two firearms. Bien Aime, who had a lengthy criminal history including convictions for manslaughter and 10 felony drug offenses, was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.
Air National Guardsman Pleads Guilty in Murder-For-Hire SchemeRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Josiah Ernesto Garcia, 23, of Toledo, Ohio, formerly of Hermitage, Tennessee, has pleaded guilty to federal charges after meeting with an undercover FBI agent to finalize a deal to murder an individual for payment, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Garcia pleaded guilty to using interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire.
According to court records, Garcia needed money to support his family and in mid-February 2023 began searching online for contract mercenary jobs and found the website www.rentahitman.com. Originally created in 2005 to advertise a cyber security startup company, the company failed and over the next decade it received many inquiries about murder-for-hire services. The website’s administrator then converted the website to a parody site that contains false testimonials from those who have purported to use hit man services, and an intake form where people can request services. The website also has an option for someone to apply to work as a hired killer.
Garcia submitted an employment inquiry indicating that he was interested in obtaining employment as a hit man and that he had “military experience, and rifle expertise.” Garcia followed up on this initial request and submitted other identification documents and a resume indicating he was an expert marksman and had been employed in the Air National Guard since July 2021. The resume also provided that Garcia was nicknamed “Reaper” which was earned from military experience and marksmanship. Garcia continued to follow up with the website administrator indicating that he wanted to go to work as soon as possible.
An FBI undercover agent spoke with Garcia by phone then met him in person to discuss his application. Both conversations were recorded. The agent then met with Garcia at a park in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and provided him with a target packet of a fictional individual, which included photographs and other information about the individual to be killed, and a down payment of $2,500. After agreeing to the terms of the murder arrangement, Garcia asked the agent if he needed to provide a photograph of the dead body. Garcia was then arrested by FBI agents, who in a subsequent search of his home, recovered an AR style rifle.
Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced on February 7, 2025. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Resident Agency, Memphis Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke K. Schiferle prosecuted the case.
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Activity in the U.S. Attorney's Office Recent SentencingsRead the Press Release
Crimes on Public Lands
Curtis Jeffery, age 27, from Socorro, New Mexico, was sentenced to 10 days incarceration with credit for 3 days served for assaulting a Xanterra co-worker by pushing her head into a wall. He was also convicted of a second count of assault on a second individual and being under the influence of alcohol to a degree that rendered him a danger to others. In addition to the term of incarceration he was sentenced to five years of unsupervised probation. His terms of probation include that he not be permitted to enter Yellowstone National Park during his term of probation. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick imposed the sentence on Sept. 11, in Mammoth. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel C. Calmes prosecuted the case.
Clarence Yoder, 40, from Idaho Falls, Idaho, pleaded guilty to three separate charges last week. The first offense was for intentionally disturbing bison for which he was sentenced to a ten-day term of incarceration with credit for two days served and was fined $3,000. He also pleaded guilty to being under the influence of alcohol to a degree that rendered him a danger to himself and others and was fined $200. Finally, he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and was fined $250. Yoder was placed on two years of unsupervised probation. He is not permitted to enter Yellowstone National Park during his term of probation. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick imposed the sentence on Sept. 10, in Mammoth. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel C. Calmes prosecuted the case.
Drug Trafficking
Christopher Isgrigg, 38, of Cheyenne, Wyoming was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment with five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, on March 11, 2024, Cheyenne Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a Ford sedan belonging to the driver identified as Isgrigg. During the traffic stop, another officer arrived on scene with his narcotics certified canine which alerted to the presence of controlled substances inside the vehicle. Approximately 600 grams of methamphetamine and 34.2 grams of suspected fentanyl pills were located inside sedan. Isgrigg was indicted on May 16, pleaded guilty on July 2, and U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Sept. 19. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Cheyenne Police Department investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Forwood prosecuted the case. Case No. 24-0060
Bank Robbery
Roosevelt Rashaud Keys, 27, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced to 27 months for bank robbery and aiding and abetting, with three years of supervised release. According to court documents, on Oct. 14, 2023, an ATM robbery occurred at a financial institution in Jackson, Wyoming. Several male hooded and masked subjects stole ATM cash cassettes containing U.S. currency while a service repair technician was attempting to repair the ATM. Keys was later stopped for a traffic violation and the deputy was able to gain his personal information, travel plans, and rental car agreement. Further investigation determined that Keys and his vehicle matched the description of one of the bank robbers. Keys was ultimately arrested in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on unrelated charges. A search warrant was authorized for Keys’ cell phone and revealed photographs taken on Oct. 14, 2023 showing Keys with bundles of U.S. Currency. Senior U.S. District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal imposed the sentence on Sept. 12, in Cheyenne. The FBI and Jackson Police department investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist prosecuted the case. Case No. 24-00019
llegal Re-entry of a Previously Deported Alien
Isamar Tellez-Blancas, 24, of Tlaxacala, Mexico, was sentenced to time served plus 10 days to allow for deportation proceedings, for illegal entry into the United States. According to court documents, on Feb. 12, Tellez-Blancas was arrested by Teton County Sheriff’s Office for driving under the influence of alcohol, no driver’s license, and unauthorized use of a vehicle. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was contacted. A Deportation Officer processed the defendant and obtained fingerprints matching pre-existing fingerprints in their database indicating Tellez-Blancas was in the U.S. illegally. ICE investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Sept. 4. Case No. 24-CR-00109Hilario Mendoza-Rodriguez, 39, of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, was sentenced to time served for illegal entry into the United States. According to court documents, on July 13, 2023, Mendoza-Rodriguez was arrested by the Rock Springs Police Department for assault and battery causing injury. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was contacted. A Deportation Officer processed the defendant and obtained fingerprints matching pre-existing fingerprints in their database indicating Mendoza-Rodriguez was in the U.S. illegally. ICE investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Sept. 19. Case No. 24-CR-00036
About the United States Attorney’s Office
The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include:
Environmental Justice
The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
Project Safe Childhood
Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide commitment to reducing gun and gang crime in America by networking existing local programs that target gun crime and providing these programs with additional tools necessary to be successful.
Victim Witness Assistance
The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to making sure that victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect.To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime#trafficking
27 Individuals Indicted for Buying and Selling Wholesale Quantities of Misbranded and Diverted Prescription Drugs Resold to the Public Through Retail Pharmacies in Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On September 19, 2024, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 25 individuals with conspiracy to introduce misbranded drugs and to defraud the United States. In separate indictment, another individual was charged with unlicensed wholesale distribution of prescription drugs. In a separate charging instrument, another individual was charged with and pleaded guilty to unlicensed wholesale distribution of prescription drugs.
According to court documents, from 2018 to the present, the defendants engaged in the unlicensed wholesale distribution of misbranded and diverted prescription drugs for financial gain. This unlicensed wholesale distribution included the sale of misbranded and diverted prescription drugs to local pharmacy employees and owners for subsequent sale to pharmacy customers, without the customers’ knowledge that the products were misbranded and diverted.
Diversion refers to processes by which prescription drugs are removed from, and then reintroduced into, the legitimate chain of distribution. Once a prescription drug is diverted outside of the regulated distribution channels, it becomes difficult, if not impossible, for regulators such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), law enforcement, or end-users to know whether the prescription drug package actually contains the correct drug or the correct dose. A drug is misbranded under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) if its labeling: (1) lacked “adequate directions for use;” or (2) failed to bear “adequate warnings against use in those pathological conditions or by children where its use may be dangerous to health, or against unsafe dosage or methods or duration of administration or application, in such manner or form as are necessary for the protection of users.” 21 U.S.C. § 352(f). Additionally, a drug is misbranded if it was a prescription drug and was dispensed without a lawful written or oral order of a licensed practitioner. 21 U.S.C. § 353(b).
The defendants purchased and sold prescription drugs in resealable plastic bags without any labels, markings, lot numbers, expiration dates or adequate directions as required by law, creating a significant risk of harm. These prescription drugs were often stored in personal residences and/or transported via United States mail. The co-conspirators and others engaged in this scheme unlawfully generated revenue in an amount exceeding $13,000,000 by selling and distributing misbranded and diverted prescription drugs.
In addition to the unlicensed wholesale distribution of prescription drugs, eleven pharmacy owners and employees from five separate pharmacies were also charged with a health care fraud conspiracy. These defendants caused materially false and fraudulent claims to be submitted to healthcare benefit plans representing that the products sold to customers were authentic and obtained through licensed pharmaceutical distribution channels. By selling diverted prescription drugs and billing healthcare benefit plans for authentic drugs, these defendants financially enriched the pharmacy owners and defrauded both the healthcare benefit plans and the pharmacies’ unsuspecting retail customers.
The defendants and their roles in the conspiracy were:
A. Pharmacy Owners and Employees- Pharmacy owners or employees who purchased drugs from unlicensed wholesale distributors and were involved in the buying and selling of misbranded and diverted prescription drugs:
[1] Valerie M. Cintrón-Rivera: co-owner of Farmacia Monte Verde in Bayamón, PR
[2] María T. Rivera-Fuentes: co-owner of Farmacia Monte Verde in Bayamón, PR
[3] Jaime Figueroa-Ramos: owner of Farmacia Santa Olaya in Bayamón, PR
[4] Elisa Cruzado-Ramos: pharmacist of Farmacia Santa Olaya in Bayamón, PR
[5] Nivia Ríos-Matos: pharmacy technician of Farmacia Santa Olaya in Bayamón, PR
[6] Raul Morera-Llera: co-owner of Farmacia Unity in Aibonito, PR
[7] Enid M. Rivera-Rosario: co-owner of Farmacia Unity in Aibonito, PR
[8] Gerardo A. Romero-Marcano: co-owner of Farmacia San Antonio in Canóvanas, PR
[9] Sheila Rodríguez-Agosto: co-owner of Farmacia San Antonio in Canóvanas, PR
[10] Gabriel A. Rodríguez-Malavé: co-owner of Farmacia Brisas del Mar in Luquillo, PR
[11] Rosaida Torres: co-owner of Farmacia Brisas del Mar in Luquillo, PR
B. Unlicensed Wholesale Distributors- Individuals involved in the unlicensed wholesale distribution and selling of misbranded and diverted prescription drugs:
[12] Alberto Meléndez-Nieves, a.k.a. “Bertin”
[13] Ángel L. Santiago-Cruz, a.k.a. “Aguacate”
[14] Eddin Orlando Santiago-Cordero, a.k.a. “Guayacán”
[15] Eric J. Collazo-Rivera, a.k.a. “Eric Manía”
[16] Javier E. Ortiz-Rivera, a.k.a. “Tato”
[17] Holvin E. Avilés-Carmona, a.k.a. “Holvin”
[18] Marlon E. Marino-Leal, a.k.a. “Chamo”
[19] José M. Amalbert-Rohena, a.k.a. “Chema”
[20] Miguel A. Rojas-Reyes, a.k.a. “Dr. Hacienda”
[21] Rosa M. Méndez-González, a.k.a. “Puruca”
[22] Antonio F. Portilla-Arzola, a.k.a. “Portilla”
[23] Reynaldo Guzmán-Martínez, a.k.a. “Bebo Canales”
[24] Moisés O. Heredia-Tineo, a.k.a. “Billy”
[25] José A. González-Maldonado, a.k.a. “Potala”
According to the investigation, the FDA approved prescription drugs that the defendants illegally distributed were:
Advair, Albuterol, Alphagan, Anoro Ellipta, Arnuity Ellipta, Aspen Dexamfetamine, Atripla, Atrovent, Azopt, Bepreve, Biktarvy, Breo Ellipta, Brilinta, Budesonide, Bumetanide, Byrdureon Pen, Cialis, Chloramphenicol, Collagenase Santyl, Combigan, Combivent Respimat, Daliresp, Delstrigo, Descovy, Dovato, Edurant, Eliquis, Enbrel, Entresto, Famotidine, Farxiga, Flavfour HFA, Flovent, Fluticasone, Fluticatone, Genvoya, Glyxambi, Humalog, Humira, Humulin, Hydroxyzine Hydrochloride, Incruse Ellipta, Invokamet, Invokana, Isentress, Janumet, Januvia, Jardiance, Jentadueto, Juluca, Ketorolac, Kombliglyze, Lantus, Latuda, Levalbuterol, Linzess, Lumigan, Malarone, Methimazole, Modafinil, Mounjaro, Naltrexone, Nebivolol, Neurin, Novolog, Odefsey, Onglyza, Ozempic, Pifeltro, Premarin, Prezista, Pro Air, Qvar, Restasis, Rinvoq, Rocklatan, Rosuvastatine, Rukobia, Rybelsus, Segluromet, Selegline, Silver, Soliqua, Spiriva, Steglatro, Stiolto Respimat, Stribild, Symbicort, Symtuza, Synjardy, Synthroid, Tivicay, Toujeo Pen, Tradjenta, Trelegy Ellipta, Tresiba, Trijardy, Triumeq, Trulicity, Ventolin, Victoza, Wixela, Xarelto, Xigduo, Zeal, among others.
In a separate indictment, Jorge Rivera-Pérez, a.k.a. “Jorge Pastilla”, was charged in a six-count indictment with unlicensed wholesale distribution of prescription drugs, misbranding of prescription drugs with intent to mislead and defraud, and theft, trafficking, and sale of pre-retail medical products. Defendant Jorge Rivera-Pérez was a purchasing and procurement department employee for Company A, a medical facility located in Manatí, Puerto Rico, and an entity that purchased prescription drugs from legitimate licensed wholesale distributors of prescription drugs kept as a pre-retail medical product to be used in the operations of the medical facility. Rivera-Pérez was not a licensed wholesale distributor for prescription drugs. The defendant used his position to obtain pre-retail medical products unlawfully and intentionally, to wit, prescribed medications, from the Company A storage warehouse access-controlled area located at the basement of the building and to subsequently sell them to individual pharmacy owners at a steep price discount when compared to legitimate wholesalers.
On September 23, 2024, Eric Aquino-García was charged via information and pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Gina M. Méndez to misbranding prescription drugs and unlicensed wholesale distribution of prescription drug. Aquino-García admitted that from 2018 through 2024, he was a member of this network of individuals and pharmacy owners who knowingly conspired to buy and sell wholesale quantities of misbranded and diverted prescription drugs for financial gain.
On November 14, 2023, a federal search warrant was executed at Aquino-García’s residence where misbranded and diverted prescription drugs were seized having a value in excess of $3.4 million. These drugs were destined to be purchased and resold via retail pharmacies in Puerto Rico.
“The defendants enriched themselves through a fraudulent scheme that cost Medicare and Medicaid over $7.6 million,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “Moreover, the defendants, in clear disregard of the patients’ needs and medical conditions, distributed medications without the proper procedure and instructions on how to administer such medications. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting the community from people who abuse their positions to enrich themselves illegally through health care fraud.”
“Individuals who exploit federal health care programs to seek personal financial gain put the health and safety of communities at risk. Prescription drugs are intended to be distributed from the manufacturer to licensed wholesale distributors, to pharmacies, and then to patients,” stated Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Today’s indictment illustrates HHS-OIG’s staunch commitment to combating health care fraud with our law enforcement partners.”
“The FDA oversees the prescription drug supply chain so that patients and consumers can expect their prescribed medications to be safe and effective. The defendants in this case undermined the FDA safeguards designed to protect the public, introduced diverted prescription drugs into the supply chain, and compromised patient safety for personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin Fielder of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Office of Criminal Investigations Miami Field Office. “Thanks to the efforts of our FDA-OCI agents, and our HHS OIG and USAO partners, this scheme was identified, investigated and dismantled. These indictments are a clear demonstration that FDA will not stop pursuing and bringing to justice those who would put the public health at risk through their criminal actions.”
The defendants are scheduled for their initial court appearances today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marcos E. López of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. If convicted, the defendants face the following sentences: up to five years in prison for the conspiracy to introduce misbranded drugs and to defraud the United States; up to 10 years in prison for the conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and unlicensed wholesale distribution of prescription drugs; up to three years in prison for unauthorized trading partner and misbranding of prescription drugs with intent to mislead and defraud; and up to 20 in prison for theft, trafficking, and sale of pre-retail medical products. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI) are investigating the case. The collaboration and assistance of the U.S. Marshal Service and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau in executing the corresponding arrests is appreciated.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Wallace A. Bustelo is prosecuting these cases.
Patients are encouraged to speak to their health care provider or report an adverse event to the FDA. Health care providers can report adverse events to the FDA through FDA’s online reporting portal on the FDA website. If someone is having a medical emergency, please call 911.
To report adverse events and quality control issues, please contact:
FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting Line:1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332) and Press 2 to report to MedWatch or for instructions.
FDA MedWatch Online: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch
To report illegal conduct, please contact:
HHS-OIG Hotline: 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477) or https://tips.oig.hhs.gov
To file a voluntary self-disclosure, please access the link below:
https://oig.hhs.gov/compliance/self-disclosure-info/self-disclosure-protocol/
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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16 defendants guilty in narcotics, firearms conspiraciesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – The leader of a drug trafficking organization pleaded guilty in federal court. He was the final of 16 individuals who have agreed to plead guilty in a narcotics and firearms conspiracies case.
Ryan Haskamp, 36, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty yesterday afternoon before U.S. District Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins to conspiring to distribute controlled substances, conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes and possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
A federal grand jury indicted all 16 defendants in July 2021, charging the defendants in a firearms conspiracy and in a narcotics conspiracy involving 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and cocaine and 10 grams or more of LSD, as well as detectable amounts of MDMA, DMT, marijuana and ketamine.
In total, as part of this case, law enforcement seized 11 firearms and more than one kilogram of methamphetamine, more than 200 pounds of DMT, more than five kilograms of marijuana, more than 15 kilograms of hashish and hashish oil, more than one kilogram of MDMA, more than 19,000 dose units of LSD, fentanyl, cocaine, and other synthetic and counterfeit drugs.
The case originated with two individuals involved in an Aug. 7, 2020, police chase through Cincinnati that resulted in the deaths of two bystanders in Newport, Kentucky. Mason Meyer, 32, and Kirsten Johnson, 26, both of Cincinnati, were charged federally in August 2020. Ongoing investigation led to the additional 14 defendants and charges.
According to court documents, officials with the ATF, Cincinnati Police and the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force were surveilling Meyer in Cincinnati on Aug. 7, 2020, when Meyer drove away. Cincinnati Police officers attempted to stop Meyer when he fled, causing a police chase through Cincinnati and into Covington and Newport, Kentucky.
Local court documents detail that Meyer’s vehicle struck and killed a couple dining on the patio of Press on Monmouth in Newport, Kentucky. Two other pedestrians were struck and suffered minor injuries.
At the time of the chase, Meyer and Johnson possessed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, two loaded handguns and a loaded rifle.
Additional investigation tied Meyer and Johnson to Haskamp’s drug trafficking organization. Haskamp was Meyer’s source of supply of methamphetamine. Haskamp used at least five Cincinnati residences as stash houses to store and sell drugs. He also had others rent Airbnb locations and hotel rooms to further his drug trafficking. Haskamp had packages of drugs delivered to the Airbnb rental properties. Haskamp supplied drugs for redistribution in Cincinnati and Dayton via numerous co-defendants.
Haskamp faces a potential sentence of at least 15 years and up to life in prison.
Others convicted in this case include:
NameAgeCity of ResidenceWilliam Keith Jenkins37CincinnatiMichael Alden Mobley42Ghent, Ky.Michael Tyler Boeh35CincinnatiVictoria Stauffer30CincinnatiQuincy Pemberton33CincinnatiDamon Gene Wade31California, Ky.Kelly Marie Smart35CincinnatiKevin Patrick Thiery44CincinnatiCrystal Randall37CincinnatiRory Hartmann30CincinnatiJulie Renae Wetzel34CincinnatiAshley Long30CincinnatiHaley Pennington26Moraine, OhioKenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge and agencies with the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force and Drug Abuse Reduction Task Force (DART) announced the convictions. Assistant United States Attorney Ashley N. Brucato is representing the United States in this case.
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10-Count Superseding Indictment Charges DuBois City Manager and Employee with Theft and Misappropriation of More Than $1.5 Million in City FundsRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A federal grand jury in Johnstown has returned a Superseding Indictment that charges two residents of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, with conspiracy, federal program fraud, and money laundering, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The 10-count Superseding Indictment named John “Herm” Suplizio, 64, and Roberta Shaffer, 59, both of DuBois, as the defendants. The pair was initially indicted and arrested in November 2023 on conspiracy and federal program fraud charges (read the earlier news release here). The Superseding Indictment expands the time frame of the federal program theft conspiracy in the original indictment, with allegations of an additional approximately $700,000 in theft, and also adds money laundering charges.
According to the Superseding Indictment, from in and around May 2008 to in and around March 2022, Suplizio, the City Manager for DuBois, and Shaffer, the Secretary to the City of DuBois, knowingly conspired to embezzle, steal, convert, and misapply over $1.5 million owned by the city. To accomplish this theft, Suplizio and Shaffer opened bank accounts without the knowledge of the DuBois City Council or auditors, and then funneled fees intended for the city from a waste management company and two oil and gas companies into those secret accounts. Suplizio and Shaffer used the stolen money to, among other things, make large cash withdrawals, write checks to themselves and others, obtain cashier’s checks with themselves listed as payees, and make payments to Suplizio’s personal credit card. The purchases on Suplizio’s credit card included Suplizio’s vacation expenses, utility expenses for Suplizio’s residence, department store purchases, jewelry store purchases, political dinners, and other personal expenses. The Superseding Indictment alleges that many of the transactions in which Suplizio and Shaffer engaged with the proceeds of their theft were over $10,000, which constitutes money laundering under federal law.
The law provides for a maximum sentence of up to either five or 10 years in prison, a fine of up to either $250,000 or $500,000, or both, on each count. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt and Special Assistant United States Attorney Summer F. Carroll are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Superseding Indictment.
A Superseding Indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
$2,125,640 Recouped in Civil Settlements for Violations of the False Claims Act from Local Pharmacies in Cidra and Florida, Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The United States Attorney’s Office reached two settlement agreements with local pharmacies and their respective owners to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting or causing to be submitted fraudulent claims for payment to the Medicare and Medicaid Programs from October 1, 2021, through September 30, 2023. Farmacia Beatriz, LLC, from Cidra, PR, and Edwin Valentin-Rosario paid $725,640 while CDT Policlínica Familiar Florida and Jesús Vázquez agreed to pay $1.4 million, of which $1.3 million has already been collected.
The allegations involve the pharmacies’ submission for payment of prescription drugs dispensed to patients, under their owner’s direction, in excess of the inventory of prescription drugs purchased by the pharmacies from legitimate wholesalers. As a result, a substantial number of unique claims were submitted for pharmacy services to the Medicare and Medicaid Programs as false representations in violation of the False Claims Act. These transactions could not be tracked to purchases of prescription medications from legitimate wholesalers.
This practice of diverting medications from legitimate channels affects the pedigree of the medications that are ultimately dispensed to patients. It creates uncertainty as to their proper handling, including storage in compliance with regulations and sanitary conditions, thereby potentially affecting the potency and efficacy of the medications. Additionally, federal health care programs were induced to pay for medications that may have been compromised and do not comply with Federal Drug Administration inventory and handling regulations.
The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations. Other federal and local agencies have also provided support to the investigation.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rafael López Rivera investigated and prosecuted the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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Tuesday 24 September 2024
“Operation Sonic Boom” Targeting Violent Crime in Oklahoma City Results in 50 Defendants Charged with Firearms and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
Law Enforcement Seize 193 Firearms, including 83 Machinegun Conversion Devices, Two 3-D Printers, and More Than 63 Kilograms of Drugs
OKLAHOMA CITY – Following a two-month targeted initiative called “Operation Sonic Boom” to reduce violent crime in Oklahoma City, 50 individuals have been charged in federal and state court with various firearms and drug offenses.
Today’s announcement was made by Robert J. Troester, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma, and Jeff Boshek, Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives (ATF), who led the investigation. Other critical partners in this operation include:
- Vicki Behenna, Oklahoma County District Attorney,
- Ron Bacy, Chief, Oklahoma City Police Department,
- Johnny Kuhlman, United States Marshal,
- Eduardo A. Chávez, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration Dallas Field Division,
- Tim Tipton, Commissioner, Oklahoma Department of Public Safety,
- Donnie Anderson, Director, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotic and Dangerous Drugs, and
- Keith Brown, Executive Director, Texoma High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.
Federal Defendants: Forty-two defendants have been charged in federal court, some together, while others were charged individually. Offenses with which individuals have been charged include illegal firearms trafficking, unlawful possession and transfer of machineguns, unlawful possession of firearms, making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm, using a firearm during and in relation to a drug-trafficking crime, and conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. The names, specific charges, and potential sentences of these federal defendants, if convicted, are in the attached chart. Reference is made to public records, including related, recently unsealed federal Indictments, for additional information.
State Defendants: Eight defendants have been charged in Oklahoma County District Court. Offenses with which they have been charged include aggravated trafficking of fentanyl, trafficking of methamphetamine, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm after juvenile adjudication. The names, specific charges, and potential sentences of these state court defendants, if convicted, are in the attached chart. Reference is made to public records for additional information.
Seizures: In addition to charging 50 defendants, law enforcement recovered the following items:
- 193 firearms, including:
- 81 Pistols
- 4 Revolvers
- 10 Rifles
- 6 Shotguns
- 9 Machineguns, and
- 83 Machinegun conversion devices (MCDs), including 30 partially completed MCDs
- Two 3-D printers (used to print MCDs)
- More than 63 kilograms of drugs, with an approximate street value of nearly $750,000, including:
- 53 kilograms of methamphetamine
- 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl
- 5.2 kilograms of cocaine, and
- 3.8 kilograms of marijuana
Please note that these numbers are the collective recoveries over the course of Operation Sonic Boom and are not attributable to each individual defendant.
MCDs, commonly known as “switches” or “auto sears,” unlawfully convert semi-automatic handguns into fully automatic weapons (i.e., machineguns). The possession, manufacturing, and sale of MCDs violates federal law as illegal possession of a machinegun. Those charged with MCD-related offenses face up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
“There is no doubt that Operation Sonic Boom has had a resounding impact to make Oklahoma City safer,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. “This Operation alone removes from our streets nearly 200 dangerous firearms and machineguns, and over 63 kilos of deadly drugs. I commend ATF’s leadership with this effort and our law enforcement partners who worked together to make Operation Sonic Boom successful.”
“Early mornings, late nights, time away from family, dangerous situations are all worth it for law enforcement officers when the outcome is life changing for the citizens and communities they protect. The streets of Oklahoma City are forever altered due to the excellent work by the United States Attorney’s Office, ATF, and our law enforcement partners during Operation Sonic Boom,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II. “Operations like this highlight the importance of authentic relationships between law enforcement agencies to keep our communities safe. ATF will remain vigilant and steadfast in our fight against violent crime in Oklahoma City and surrounding areas and will continue to pursue the worst of the worst lawbreakers living amongst us.”
“We appreciate the efforts of local, state and federal law enforcement officials during this months-long operation,” said Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Zemp Behenna. “The invaluable work they did to get these guns and drugs off the streets and out of hands of dangerous felons will ultimately keep our city and citizens safer.”
“This operation demonstrates the positive outcomes that can occur when law enforcement agencies work together to address a specific problem,” said Oklahoma City Police Chief Ron Bacy. “The partnership we have with these agencies help dismantle the networks that fuel violence by taking dangerous criminals, drugs, and firearms off the streets making our community a safer place.”
Operation Sonic Boom was funded by the Texoma High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) which is made up of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in North Texas and Oklahoma. HIDTA fosters and supports intra-agency cooperation strategies to target the region's drug-related and violent crime threats to public safety by using funding provided by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, out of the Executive Office of the President of the United States.
This Operation is the result of collaboration and partnership among ATF, Oklahoma City Police Department, Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office, U.S. Marshal’s Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotic and Dangerous Drugs, and the Texoma HIDTA.
The public is reminded these charges are merely allegations, and that each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Defendant lists attached below:
Federal Defendants
State Defendants
Winnebago Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Richard T. Walker II, 31, of Winnebago, Nebraska, was sentenced on September 24, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for failure to register as a sex offender. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Walker to 33 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Walker’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On December 11, 2020, Walker was convicted in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska of abusive sexual contact with a child under 12. As a result of his 2020 federal conviction, Walker is required to register as a sex offender for life, to include in-person appearances every 3 months to update his registration information. After his release from prison for the 2020 conviction in May 2023, Walker registered a specific address as his residence with the Winnebago Police Department in Winnebago, Nebraska. Walker later appeared at the Winnebago Police Department in July 2023 and certified the same address was still valid, yet Walker had not lived at the registered address since the end of May 2023. Walker lived in a variety of locations during June and July of 2023 and failed to update his sex offender registration to reflect his change in address.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.
Whitehall man sentenced to more than 16 years in federal prison for role in large meth, fentanyl trafficking ring that distributed drugs in Butte, Helena communitiesRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Whitehall man convicted by a federal jury of trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl as part of a large drug ring that distributed drugs in the Butte and Helena communities was sentenced today to 16 years and eight months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, James Andrew Stringari, 52, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances in a jury trial in April.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
“Stringari played a critical role as the point-person between the leaders and lower-level dealers in this large drug trafficking conspiracy that brought at least 13 pounds of methamphetamine and thousands of fentanyl pills to the Butte and Helena areas. He was especially dangerous because he possessed a firearm and encouraged others to do the same. But his extensive federal prison sentence means he will no longer be a danger to our communities, for which I am grateful,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
In court documents, the government alleged that from June 2022 until about January 2023 in Butte and Helena, Stringari and seven other co-defendants conspired to traffic meth and fentanyl. In June 2022, the Utah Highway Patrol stopped an individual traveling in a vehicle carrying 3.5 pounds of meth and 6,000 pills containing fentanyl and learned that the individual was transporting the drugs to Butte for distribution by “Esco,” who was co-defendant Juan Felipe Vidrio Fuentes, of Anaheim, California. Law enforcement further learned that Fuentes was staying at Whitehall residence along with at least one co-defendant, Stringari, and that Fuentes was supplying both fentanyl and meth throughout the Butte area from the Whitehall residence. In addition, law enforcement corroborated information about meth and fentanyl trafficking that implicated Fuentes, Stringari, co-defendant Janet Dean White and another co-defendant.
Fuentes and White also were convicted in the April trial of conspiracy and possession charges. Fuentes was sentenced recently to 30 years in prison, while White was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
The government alleged Stringari was long-term, high-level participant in the six-month conspiracy. Stringari procured drugs and guns, facilitated communication between the leaders of the conspiracy and the lower-level dealers and connected multiple parts of the conspiracy together. Without Stringari, the government continued, the conspiracy would not have been able to reach as far into the Butte and Helena communities as quickly as it did, as his local contacts were integral to the conspiracy’s success.
During the investigation, law enforcement intercepted packages containing thousands of pills that were mailed from California to the Whitehall address and to a Butte address. Law enforcement also learned that Fuentes had relocated to a house in Helena.
Law enforcement conducted coordinated raids of the Helena and Butte addresses. In the Butte residence, law enforcement located approximately six pounds of meth, 208 grams of fentanyl, $15,000 cash and seven firearms. In the Helena residence, law enforcement located approximately seven pounds of meth and 68 grams of fentanyl.
Co-defendants Martin Topete Garcia and his brother, Johnathan Topete, both of Mira Loma, California, pleaded guilty and are pending sentencing. Co-defendant Trevor Allen Handy, of Butte, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years and six months in prison. Co-defendant Anthony Wayne Johnson II, of Santa Ana, California, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, and co-defendant Agatha Noriz Carranza, of Whitehall, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Southwest Montana Drug Task Force, Montana Highway Patrol, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Missouri River Drug Task Force, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Utah Highway Patrol and Utah State Bureau of Investigations 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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Virginia-Based Defense Contractor to Pay $2.25 Million Fine for Bribery ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Cambridge International Systems, Inc., a defense contractor headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, was sentenced in federal court today to pay a criminal fine of $2,250,000 after admitting that it participated in a scheme to bribe a public official at Naval Information Warfare Center in exchange for winning and maintaining hundreds of millions of dollars in government contracts.
According to Cambridge’s April 2024 plea agreement, the company – acting through its former Executive Vice President Russell Thurston and an unnamed employee – gave various things of value to former Naval Information Warfare Center employee James Soriano, including jobs for Soriano’s family and friends, meals, and a ticket to the 2018 MLB All Star Game held at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.
In return, Soriano, acting in his position as a contracting officer’s representative at the Naval Information Warfare Center, ensured that Cambridge was awarded two large task orders. Soriano further ensured Cambridge was able to capture a steady stream of government funds by approving various additional projects on the task orders, including more than 70 projects on one of the task orders.
As a result of the conspiracy, the government obligated more than $32 million on one of the task orders and more than $100 million on the other. Although $132 million was obligated, only $1,672,102.23 had been paid out by the government at the time the fraud was uncovered.
Since pleading guilty, Cambridge was ordered to forfeit $1,672,102.23. The fine imposed today further penalizes the company for its criminal scheme, while acknowledging its diminished financial condition as a result of its guilty plea. The company was also placed on a two-year period of probation, during which time it will be closely monitored. As a condition of probation, the company is also setting up a fund to benefit the family of a slain employee.
“With a fine of over $2 million, the court sent a message to government contractors,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Cheating the system doesn’t pay out in the end.”
“Cambridge International Systems’ sentencing brings closure to its part in an illicit scheme to enrich the company and others with the assistance of corrupt government officials,” said Bryan D. Denny, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Western Field Office. “This outcome, and others associated with this investigation and prosecution, should serve as a warning to those who would subvert the proper government acquisition process for their own personal gain at the expense of the American taxpayer and our nation’s warfighters.”
“The sentencing of Cambridge International Systems, Inc. should serve as an example and a warning to other companies seeking defense contracts that corrupting the acquisition process will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “The culture of complicity demonstrated by Cambridge International is just as detrimental to national security as actively handing over bribes, and IRS CI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to protect our warfighters from such corruption.”
“Cambridge deserves to be held accountable for perpetuating an illegal bribery scheme that undermined the fairness of the defense procurement process,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the NCIS Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS appreciates our investigative partners for their continued efforts to protect our nation's warfighters from the threats posed by such corruption.”
Thurston is separately charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and bribery in case number 24CR341-TWR; a motion hearing is scheduled for April 11, 2025. Soriano pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery and bribery in case numbers 23CR2282-TWR and 24CR341-TWR; his sentencing is scheduled for May 9, 2025.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24-cr-759-TWR
Cambridge International Systems, Inc. Arlington, VA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Commit Bribery - Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371
Maximum penalties: Five years corporate probation; a maximum $500,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greatest
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Defense Criminal Investigative Service
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General
Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation
Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General
If you have information regarding fraud, waste, or abuse relating to Department of Defense personnel or operations, please contact the DoD Hotline at 800-424-9098.
U.S. Department of Justice and Hartland Consolidated School District Extend Agreement to Protect Students from Racial HarassmentRead the Press Release
U.S. Department of Justice and Hartland Consolidated School District Extend Agreement to Protect Students from Racial Harassment
Today, the United States Department of Justice entered into a two-year agreement with Hartland Consolidated School District to strengthen Hartland’s ongoing response to allegations of student-on-student racial harassment.
In July 2022, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan entered into a letter of resolution with Hartland to resolve an investigation into student-on-student harassment. The underlying complaint alleged that Hartland failed to address pervasive race-based harassment of black students in the district. Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 authorizes the Department of Justice to address complaints that a school is depriving students of equal protection based on race, color, and other protected characteristics. Hartland cooperated fully with the investigation.
Through the July 2022 letter of resolution, Hartland voluntarily agreed to take several steps to address concerns raised during the investigation. As described in that letter, the Department of Justice reviewed Hartland’s compliance at the end of the 2022-23 school year. The Department of Justice determined that the compliance period should be extended for an additional two years to continue Hartland’s efforts. Under the new agreement, Hartland will also take additional steps during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years.
The extension agreement builds on Hartland’s previous efforts, adding more training for staff to identify and respond to racial harassment. Hartland also agreed to conduct age-appropriate, district-wide training programs for students, focused on preventing racial harassment and improving the school environment. Hartland further agreed to enhance its logging and response to allegations of racial harassment and to provide supportive measures to any affected students.
“I applaud the measures already taken by Hartland to address student-on-student racial harassment, but more needs to be done. We look forward to working hand-in-hand with Hartland to strengthen their response to racial harassment,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison. “We commend Hartland Consolidated School District for its willingness to improve the learning environment for all students.”
“Our public schools have a duty to foster a safe and welcoming learning environment for students,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “No student should have to endure racial slurs, derogatory treatment, or threats in a school. Racial harassment undermines a student’s chance to succeed and has no place in our Nation’s schools.”
The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sunita Doddamani of the Civil Rights Unit of the U. S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
The Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan was established in 2010 with the mission of prioritizing federal civil rights enforcement. For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s civil rights efforts, including a copy of the Extension Agreement with the Hartland Consolidated School District, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/programs/civil-rights. Civil rights complaints may be emailed to [email protected] or by contacting the U.S. Attorney's Office’s civil rights hotline at (313) 226-9151.
The Educational Opportunities Section of the Civil Rights Division leads enforcement of Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Additional information about the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt and additional information about the work of the Educational Opportunities Section is available at www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations to the Civil Rights Division at www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
U.S. Attorney Thompson and Law Enforcement Partners to Announce Major Development in Operation Smoke & Mirrors CaseRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson will hold a press conference with law enforcement partners today, Tuesday September 24, at 3:30 p.m. to announce a major development in the Operation Smoke and Mirrors drug trafficking case.
Dubbed Operation Smoke and Mirrors, this major drug trafficking investigation resulted in the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history.
WHO: U.S. Attorney Will Thompson and law enforcement partners
WHEN: Tuesday, September 24, 2024, at 3:30 p.m.
WHERE: Fifth floor, Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse, Charleston
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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Two men sentenced to prison for armed robbery of a check-cashing businessRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Two men have been sentenced to prison for the armed robbery of a check-cashing business in Chantilly.
According to court documents, on Nov. 18, 2023, Antonio Chester Lewis, 49, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, and Al Gibran Taylor, 42, of Reston, entered the store intending to rob it of its cash. Lewis had entered the store previously to survey it. Lewis was armed with a .223/5.56 mm caliber semi-automatic rifle, which he pointed at customers and ordered them to put their hands in the air. Taylor attempted to open a cashier booth, which contained the store’s register and safe. When Taylor found the booth locked, Lewis identified the store’s cashier, grabbed her by the neck, and brought her to the cashier booth. The cashier opened the booth, and Taylor removed a large amount of cash from the store’s safe.
Lewis was arrested on March 26. That day, law enforcement conducted a search of Lewis’ residence and recovered the rifle used during the robbery as well as a privately made firearm with no serial number, a shotgun, and ammunition. On April 4, law enforcement also searched Lewis’ vehicle and recovered a handgun and additional ammunition.
On June 13, Lewis pled guilty to interference with commerce by robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm. Lewis was sentenced on Sept. 3 to 15 years and eight months in prison.
On June 21, Taylor pled guilty to use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Taylor was sentenced today to 25 years in prison.
Both Lewis and Taylor have multiple prior convictions. On Aug. 9, 1994, Lewis was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. On May 30, 1997, he was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine while armed. On Oct. 20, 2005, Lewis was convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base. As a previously convicted felon, Lewis cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Taylor previously was convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia on Dec. 21, 2006, of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence during which the firearm was discharged. On June 30, 2006, Taylor was convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia of possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a felony.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David E. Geist, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division; and Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after Taylor was sentenced by U.S. District Chief Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel K. Amzallag 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 Cases No. 1:24-cr-139 and 1:24-cr-130.
Sussex County Man Sentenced to 146 Months in Prison for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Sussex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 146 months in prison for his involvement in a drug trafficking organization distributing methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced today.
Steven R. Kristiansen, 54, of Byram Township, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. Circuit Judge Stephanos Bibas, to a five-count information charging him with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution and possession of methamphetamine, and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. Judge Bibas imposed the sentence on Sept. 20, 2024, in Camden federal court.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In January 2022, law enforcement determined that Kristiansen was a member of a drug trafficking organization and distributed methamphetamine. From Jan. 14, 2022, to Jan. 18, 2022, Kristiansen sold over 60 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover police office. On Jan. 25, 2022, law enforcement executed search warrants at Kristiansen’s residence and car and recovered over 50 grams of methamphetamine and ammunition.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Bibas sentenced Kristiansen to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the diection of Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas, with the investigation leading to the sentence.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Linares of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
Summers County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Matthew Harris England, 38, of Meadow Bridge, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of an unregistered short-barreled shotgun.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 3, 2023, law enforcement responded to reports of a domestic disturbance at England’s residence in Meadow Bridge. When law enforcement entered the residence, they found and seized a Savage model Stevens 94F 20-gauge shotgun with a modified and shortened barrel and a modified and shortened stock on a chair in the living room. England was arrested, and told officers he knew the firearm was in the residence and that the length of its barrel appeared to be illegal.
The short-barreled shotgun was not registered to England in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by federal law. Federal law also prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. England knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for aiding and abetting the possession of stolen firearms in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on May 9, 2014.
England is scheduled to be sentenced on January 24, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Summers County Sheriff’s Department, the West Virginia State Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin is prosecuting the case.
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 violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-93.
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St. Louis Men Admit Involvement in Armed Robbery of StoreRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two men from St. Louis have admitted participating in the armed robbery of a store in St. Louis last year.
Orlando Perez, 37, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Tuesday to accessory after the fact to a robbery. Jason Fox, 39, pleaded guilty on September 10 to one count of possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Both men admitted that Fox robbed the store in the 3700 block of South Kingshighway Boulevard on Jan. 20, 2023. Fox brought merchandise to the counter, then produced a handgun and demanded “all the money from the registers.” The robber also stole video games and two Xbox consoles. Police traced the robber to a nearby shopping center, where they caught Perez with the keys to the vehicle used for the robbery, as well as cash and ammunition. The stolen merchandise was in the backseat of the car, and Fox was arrested nearby. Perez had 3.54 grams of methamphetamine in his pocket and admitted owning the gun.
Fox is scheduled to be sentenced December 9 and Perez is scheduled to be sentenced January 6.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.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 violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the 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.
Seven People Charged with over $40 Million in Medicare and Medicaid FraudRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Ronald King, 51, formerly of Berlin, New Hampshire, and now residing in Bangor, Maine, Victor Roiter, 55, of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, Tina Wellman, 51, of Mayfield, New York, Adam Shorr, 55, of Dunedin, Florida, Robert O’Sullivan, 55, of Lake Sherwood, California, Bradley Edson, 66, of Mesa, Arizona, and John Gautereaux, 59, of Temecula, California were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to defrauding Medicare and Colorado Medicaid.
According to the indictment, the defendants were involved together through a variety of corporate entities including as owners of Tesis Labs, LLC, a parent company that owned and operated genetic testing labs, including Claro Scientific Laboratories, Inc., based in Lafayette, Colorado, and 303 Diagnostics LLC, based in Aurora, Colorado. The indictment alleges that defendants King, Roiter, Wellman, and Shorr conspired to defraud Medicare and Colorado Medicaid through several means, including by paying kickbacks and bribes to purported marketing companies for referrals for fraudulent and medically unnecessary genetic testing. These referrals in turn led to more than $40 million in false and fraudulent claims paid by Medicare and Colorado Medicaid to the laboratories for the genetic testing claims. The indictment alleges that all seven defendants participated in a conspiracy to offer and pay illegal bribes and kickbacks in connection with health care benefit programs, including Medicare, Colorado Medicaid, and private health insurance plans. The defendants agreed to pay kickbacks and bribes to individuals and entities they identified as “marketers” to solicit patients, including elderly Medicare beneficiaries, to participate in unnecessary genetic testing and to obtain doctors’ signatures on testing order forms for these patients. Many of these kickback recipients used call centers to target elderly Medicare beneficiaries. Finally, the indictment alleges that defendants King, Roiter, and Wellman conspired to launder the proceeds of the first two conspiracies described above.
Defendants King, Wellman, Shorr, O’Sullivan, Edson, and Gautereaux made initial appearances in Denver, Colorado, between August 26 and September 5, 2024, in front of Magistrate Judge Susan Prose.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent of the charges unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Denver Field Division, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Anna Edgar.
Saratoga County Man Sentenced to Prison for Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jacob Boldt, age 35, of Gansevoort, New York, was sentenced today to 51 months in prison for dealing in firearms without a license and possessing a firearm as a felon.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo, New York Field Office; and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.
In pleading guilty, Boldt admitted he sold multiple firearms without a license, identified criminals as good customers for “ghost guns,” and possessed a firearm that he knew was stolen. At the time of the offenses, Boldt could not possess firearms because of a prior felony conviction.
In addition to the imprisonment, United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci fined Boldt $5,000, ordered him to serve 2 years of supervised release and forfeit a shotgun seized by law enforcement.
HSI and ATF investigated the case with assistance from the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner prosecuted the case.
San Diego Man Receives First Conviction in Nation for Illegally Importing Harmful Greenhouse Gases into the United StatesRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Michael Hart of San Diego pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting he conspired to illegally import potent greenhouse gases known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) into the United States from Mexico and sell them for a profit in violation of regulations intended to slow climate change. In addition to greenhouse gases, Hart admitted to conspiring to illegally import hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), namely HCFC 22, an ozone-depleting substance banned under the Clean Air Act.
HFCs are used in applications such as refrigeration, air-conditioning, building insulation, fire extinguishing systems, and aerosols. The global warming impact of an HFC can be hundreds to thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide. Because of this, there has been an international phasedown of HFCs by 85 percent, resulting in an increase in the illegal smuggling and importation of HFCs.
This case is the first prosecution in the United States under the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2020 (AIM Act). The AIM Act prohibits importing HFCs without allowances issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and also prohibits selling, distributing, or offering for sale or distribution HFCs imported without allowances issued by the EPA.
“Congress made it illegal to import certain refrigerants into the United States without allowances because of their documented and significantly greater contribution to climate change,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The Justice Department is committed to enforcing the AIM Act and other laws that seek to prevent environmental harm.”
As set forth in court documents, from about June to December 2022, Hart offered HFCs and HCFCs for sale via OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace and other internet sites. He then communicated with conspirators in the United States, who placed purchase orders for the refrigerants with Hart. Once the orders were placed, Hart purchased the refrigerants in Mexico with the help of his conspirators and illegally imported them into the United States concealed in his vehicle. Thereafter, Hart illegally sold the refrigerants to others in the United States, profiting from the black market for such refrigerants in the United States.
“Clean air is not for sale to the highest bidder,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “The Department of Justice will use every tool at our disposal to protect air quality and hold criminal polluters accountable.”
“During Climate Week, the United States recognizes the urgent need to limit climate super pollutants like HFCs to help address the existential threat of climate change," said David M. Uhlmann, EPA Assistant Administrator of the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "Today's guilty plea for the first-ever HFC arrest demonstrates EPA's commitment to vigorously enforcing our laws at all U.S. borders and ports to prevent illegal HFC canisters from entering the U.S."
Hart is scheduled to be sentenced December 9, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Marilyn Huff.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark W. Pletcher and Department of Justice Environmental Crimes Section Senior Trial Attorney Stephen DaPonte.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 24-CR-0383-H
Michael Hart Age: 58 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Violate the Clean Air Act Regulations (Title 42, U.S.C., Secs. 7671, 7413) and the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act Regulations (Title 42, U.S.C., Secs. 7675, 7413) – Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 371
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division
Homeland Security Investigations
St. Croix Man Indicted After Threatening to Murder Federal AgentsRead the Press Release
St. Croix, VI - United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Jamoi Weekes, 30, of St. Croix, with making threats to assault and murder federal and local law enforcement officers.
“Heinous threats of violence that target our partners in law enforcement will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Smith. “Law enforcement officials must be free to perform their duties without fear or intimidation, and as evidenced in the case against Weekes, we will steadfastly prosecute threats against public servants and aggressively seek penalties against those who engage in such abhorrent crimes.”
According to court documents, on August 31, 2024, Weekes attempted to board a flight at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix. Weekes was referred to Customs and Border Protection for a secondary inspection before boarding his flight. Weekes then became extremely irate and combative and began threatening to murder and retaliate against the officers if he ever saw them again. Weekes was then determined to be unsuitable to board his flight and was ordered to leave the airport. While exiting the airport, Weekes encountered two Virgin Islands Port Authority officers who he also threatened to murder. Rather than leave the airport, Weekes then followed two Customs and Border Protection officers from the airport terminal to the parking lot and again threatened to murder the officers.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Evan Rikhye.
United States Attorney Smith reminds the public that an indictment is merely a formal charging document, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ryan Wesley Routh Indicted for Attempted Assassination of Former President TrumpRead the Press Release
Note: View the indictment here.
A federal grand jury in Miami late this afternoon returned an indictment charging Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii, with attempting to kill former President Donald J. Trump at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15.
“Violence targeting public officials endangers everything our country stands for, and the Department of Justice will use every available tool to hold Ryan Routh accountable for the attempted assassination of former President Trump charged in the indictment,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will not tolerate violence that strikes at the heart of our democracy, and we will find and hold accountable those who perpetrate it. This must stop.”
“This alleged attempted assassination of the former President at his golf course was a direct attack on our democracy. Political violence has no place in this country — not then, not now, not ever,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “The charges today reflect the Department’s continued resolve to deploy every available resource to ensure public officials remain safe and to hold accountable those who target public officials to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Routh is charged with attempted assassination of a presidential candidate, which strikes at the very heart of our democratic system,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI is continuing our investigation into this alleged plot and will use the full weight and resources of the FBI to uncover and provide as much information as possible about what led to the events in West Palm Beach. In our country, we have to hold accountable people who resort to violence.”
According to allegations in a complaint affidavit and a factual proffer filed with the court, former President Trump was golfing at Trump International on Sept. 15, and a Secret Service agent conducting a perimeter security sweep saw the partially obscured face of a man — later identified as Routh — in the brush along the fence line near the sixth hole. The agent observed the barrel of a rifle aimed directly at him. As the agent began backing away, he saw the rifle barrel move, and the agent fired at Routh.
A witness saw Routh running across the road from the golf course and getting into a black Nissan Xterra. Based on information provided by the witness, Routh was later apprehended heading northbound on I-95 by officers from the Martin County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
Court documents allege that in the area where Routh had been hiding in the tree line, FBI agents located an SKS semiautomatic rifle with a scope attached and an extended magazine. The serial number on the rifle was obliterated and unreadable. Hanging from the fence was a backpack and a reusable shopping bag that each contained a plate capable of stopping small arms fire.
According to the allegations filed with the court, FBI agents found documents that contained a handwritten list of dates in August, September, and October and venues where the former President had appeared or was expected to be present. Cell records for two of the cell phones found in the Nissan Xterra showed that on multiple days and times from Aug. 18 to Sept. 15, Routh’s cell phone accessed cell towers located near Trump International and the former President’s residence at Mar-a-Lago.
According to the factual proffer filed with the court, a civilian witness contacted law enforcement stating that Routh had dropped off a box at his residence several months ago. Included in the box was a handwritten letter from Routh addressed “Dear World,” which stated, among other things, “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you.”
Routh was charged with attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer (a Secret Service Agent), felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. At a detention hearing on Sept. 23, Routh was ordered to remain in federal custody pending trial. If convicted, Routh faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
According to court records, Routh was convicted of felonies in North Carolina in December 2002 and March 2010.
The FBI is investigating the case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Secret Service.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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 24-cr-80116.
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Ryan Wesley Routh Indicted for Attempted Assassination of Former President TrumpRead the Press Release
Note: View the indictment here.
A federal grand jury in Miami late this afternoon returned an indictment charging Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii, with attempting to kill former President Donald J. Trump at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15.
“Violence targeting public officials endangers everything our country stands for, and the Department of Justice will use every available tool to hold Ryan Routh accountable for the attempted assassination of former President Trump charged in the indictment,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will not tolerate violence that strikes at the heart of our democracy, and we will find and hold accountable those who perpetrate it. This must stop.”
“This alleged attempted assassination of the former President at his golf course was a direct attack on our democracy. Political violence has no place in this country — not then, not now, not ever,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “The charges today reflect the Department’s continued resolve to deploy every available resource to ensure public officials remain safe and to hold accountable those who target public officials to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Routh is charged with attempted assassination of a presidential candidate, which strikes at the very heart of our democratic system,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI is continuing our investigation into this alleged plot and will use the full weight and resources of the FBI to uncover and provide as much information as possible about what led to the events in West Palm Beach. In our country, we have to hold accountable people who resort to violence.”
According to allegations in a complaint affidavit and a factual proffer filed with the court, former President Trump was golfing at Trump International on Sept. 15, and a Secret Service agent conducting a perimeter security sweep saw the partially obscured face of a man — later identified as Routh — in the brush along the fence line near the sixth hole. The agent observed the barrel of a rifle aimed directly at him. As the agent began backing away, he saw the rifle barrel move, and the agent fired at Routh.
A witness saw Routh running across the road from the golf course and getting into a black Nissan Xterra. Based on information provided by the witness, Routh was later apprehended heading northbound on I-95 by officers from the Martin County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
Court documents allege that in the area where Routh had been hiding in the tree line, FBI agents located an SKS semiautomatic rifle with a scope attached and an extended magazine. The serial number on the rifle was obliterated and unreadable. Hanging from the fence was a backpack and a reusable shopping bag that each contained a plate capable of stopping small arms fire.
According to the allegations filed with the court, FBI agents found documents that contained a handwritten list of dates in August, September, and October and venues where the former President had appeared or was expected to be present. Cell records for two of the cell phones found in the Nissan Xterra showed that on multiple days and times from Aug. 18 to Sept. 15, Routh’s cell phone accessed cell towers located near Trump International and the former President’s residence at Mar-a-Lago.
According to the factual proffer filed with the court, a civilian witness contacted law enforcement stating that Routh had dropped off a box at his residence several months ago. Included in the box was a handwritten letter from Routh addressed “Dear World,” which stated, among other things, “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you.”
Routh was charged with attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer (a Secret Service Agent), felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. At a detention hearing on Sept. 23, Routh was ordered to remain in federal custody pending trial. If convicted, Routh faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
According to court records, Routh was convicted of felonies in North Carolina in December 2002 and March 2010.
The FBI is investigating the case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Secret Service.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Repeat offender imprisoned for having over 6,000 child pornography imagesRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 43-year-old McAllen resident has been sent back to prison for possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Rene Javier Sarmienta pleaded guilty March 20, 2023.
U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Sarmienta to serve 120 months in federal prison. In handing down the prison term, the court noted it was unfortunate Sarmienta relapsed and needs therapy. Sarmienta was further ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to each of 12 victims and will serve five years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. The court also noted his previous conviction of possessing child pornography in 2002 and that he would be spending another significant amount of his life in prison.
The investigation began when law enforcement discovered Sarmienta had been purchasing child pornography using a PayPal account. He also failed to report having several social media accounts to local authorities as required due to status as a sex offender.
A forensic examination of Sarmienta’s cell phone revealed 6,300 images of child pornography. Several of the images included prepubescent minors and sadomasochistic conduct.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the McAllen Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys M. Alexis Garcia and Tyler Foster prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
Recidivist Pittsburgh Drug Trafficker Convicted at Trial on Cocaine and Fentanyl ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - On September 23, 2024, a federal jury found Leon C. Ford guilty on two counts of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Ford, 58, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was tried before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab in Pittsburgh.
According to evidence presented at trial, Ford, who has a prior federal conviction for drug trafficking, conspired to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl between March 2021 and September 2021. Ford also possessed with the intent to distribute a kilogram of fentanyl on September 16, 2021. Ford was the subject of a long-term Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, which included, among other evidence, the seizure of a kilogram of fentanyl from a co-defendant’s residence that Ford was using as a stash house. The markings on the seized fentanyl were consistent with coded references Ford used in conversations intercepted pursuant to Title III wiretaps. Investigators also seized approximately $240,000 in drug proceeds from Ford’s own residence and vehicle.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for January 29, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 15 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $20 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court remanded Ford to the custody of the United States Marshals Service.
Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine C. Jordan and Jonathan D. Lusty are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, McKeesport Police Department, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Fort Worth Police Department, and Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Ford.
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.
Owners of Florida Labor-Staffing Companies Make Initial Appearance on Tax and Immigration Fraud and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
Two Ukrainian nationals made their initial appearance yesterday on a superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Miami charging them with crimes related to labor-staffing companies they operated in Florida. The two men were extradited from the Kingdom of Thailand to the United States last week.
According to the superseding indictment, between August 2007 and July 2021, Oleg Oliynyk, Oleksandr Yurchyk and others owned and operated a series of labor-staffing companies in South Florida, including Paradise Choice LLC, Paradise Choice Cleaning LLC, Tropical City Services LLC and Tropical City Group LLC. The indictment alleges that the defendants, through these staffing companies, facilitated the employment in the hospitality industry of non-resident aliens who were not authorized to work in the United States. In addition, Oliynyk and Yurchyk allegedly conspired to defraud the IRS by, among other things, not withholding Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from these workers paychecks, and causing false corporate tax returns for the labor-staffing companies to be filed with the IRS.
Both defendants were charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to harbor non-resident aliens and induce them to remain in the country and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the conspiracy to defraud the United States charge, a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the conspiracy to harbor aliens and induce them to remain in the United States charge and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the money laundering conspiracy charge. Each count also carries the possibility of a fine and supervised release upon completion of any sentence of incarceration. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.
The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Oliynyk and Yurchyk. The United States also thanks the Embassy of the United States in Thailand - Regional Security Office and Thai law enforcement partners including the Royal Thai Police and Office of the Attorney General for their valuable assistance.
Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorneys Matthew C. Hicks and Wilson R. Stamm of the Tax Division and Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Clark of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Owners of Florida Labor-Staffing Companies Make Initial Appearance on Tax and Immigration Fraud and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
Ukrainian Nationals Extradited from Thailand
MIAMI - Two Ukrainian nationals made their initial appearance yesterday on a superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Miami charging them with crimes related to labor-staffing companies they operated in Florida. The two men were extradited from the Kingdom of Thailand to the United States last week.
According to the superseding indictment, between August 2007 and July 2021, Oleg Oliynyk, Oleksandr Yurchyk and others owned and operated a series of labor-staffing companies in South Florida, including Paradise Choice LLC, Paradise Choice Cleaning LLC, Tropical City Services LLC and Tropical City Group LLC. The indictment alleges that the defendants, through these staffing companies, facilitated the employment in the hospitality industry of non-resident aliens who were not authorized to work in the United States. In addition, Oliynyk and Yurchyk allegedly conspired to defraud the IRS by, among other things, not withholding Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from these workers paychecks, and causing false corporate tax returns for the labor-staffing companies to be filed with the IRS.
Both defendants were charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to harbor non-resident aliens and induce them to remain in the country and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the conspiracy to defraud the United States charge, a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the conspiracy to harbor aliens and induce them to remain in the United States charge and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the money laundering conspiracy charge. Each count also carries the possibility of a fine and supervised release upon completion of any sentence of incarceration. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Oliynyk and Yurchyk. The United States also thanks the Embassy of the United States in Thailand - Regional Security Office and Thai law enforcement partners including the Royal Thai Police and Office of the Attorney General for their valuable assistance.
Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Clark for the Southern District of Florida and Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorneys Matthew C. Hicks and Wilson R. Stamm of the Tax Division and are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
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 21-cr-10009.
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Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Final Major Defendant Pleads Guilty to Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – U.S. Attorney Will Thompson joined with law enforcement partners today to announce the guilty plea by the final major defendant in a four-indictment drug trafficking organization (DTO) case that yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history.
Tres Avery Davis, 36, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl. Davis is among 31 defendants convicted in the case. Dubbed Operation Smoke and Mirrors, this major drug trafficking investigation resulted in law enforcement seizing well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine, 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash.
The DTO used tractor-trailers to transport the drugs, often several hundred pounds for each trip, from the West Coast to the Southern District of West Virginia. The drugs were usually exchanged for hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, which was delivered back to California.
“Investigators followed the trail of methamphetamine being sold here in Charleston and traced it all the way back to Los Angeles, California, and our southern border,” Thompson said. “The investigation revealed this organization was bringing methamphetamine across our southern border on pallets containing hundreds of pounds at a time.”
The shipments trucked to West Virginia included approximately 196 pounds of methamphetamine and 4 kilograms of cocaine driven from California to Bluefield in March 2023 by Ildiberto Gonzalez Jr. In exchange for that shipment, Gonzalez received a box that he believed contained approximately $400,000 as payment. Gonzalez was driving away from the transaction when law enforcement pulled him over and seized his 2009 Freightliner semi-truck with attached trailer.
Gonzalez, 30, of San Bernadino, California, was sentenced on July 22, 2024, to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine. Gonzalez admitted that he made the March 2023 delivery at the direction of co-conspirator Alejandro Gallegos, and previously delivered boxes containing controlled substances for Gallegos in or about January 2023. Gallegos, also known as “Alex,” “Rooster,” “G” and “Primo,” 42, of Hacienda Heights, California, pleaded guilty on June 20, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine. Gallegos awaits sentencing.
“For the purpose of sentencing, Mr. Gallegos is personally responsible for more damage done to our communities by methamphetamine than any other single defendant who has ever appeared in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia,” Thompson said.
Gallegos also sent large amounts of controlled substances to South Carolina, Georgia and other areas. The DTO was directly involved in price fixing in the methamphetamine trade by raising the price of methamphetamine coming into the United States from Mexico based on fluctuations in the currency conversion rate.
“Operation Smoke and Mirrors marked the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history, however the FBI’s work, and that of our local, state, and federal partners, is far from finished,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek. “Today’s sentencing sends a message. To those who think southern West Virginia can be a place to traffic dangerous drugs, know that we are using every tool at our disposal to rid our communities of these substances. Our neighborhoods, businesses, schools, and streets deserve to be free of this poison, and the men and women of the FBI remain fiercely committed to that mission.”
With today’s guilty plea, Davis admitted that he delivered approximately 2,000 blue pills containing fentanyl to a Kemp Avenue residence in Charleston on March 7, 2023. Law enforcement seized the pills at the residence on March 9, 2023. Davis admitted that he intended to distribute at least some of these pills to other people. Davis is scheduled to be sentenced on January 9, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least eight years of supervised release, and an $8 million fine.
Among the other defendants sentenced to prison in the case:
- Jasper Wemh, 39, of Charleston, was sentenced to 16 years and eight months in prison on May 2, 2024, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
- Michael Allen Roberts Jr., 41, of St. Albans, was sentenced to 14 years in prison on March 6, 2024, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine.
- Justin Allen Bowen, 42, of Charleston, was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in prison on August 31, 2023, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
- Perry Johnson Jr., 30, of Dunwoody, Georgia, was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison on April 11, 2024, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
- Todd Tyler Snead, 58, of Waynesboro, Virginia, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on September 6, 2023, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
- Ryan Keith Kincaid, 47, of South Charleston, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on December 8, 2023, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug Program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over today’s hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-4 (Wemh et al.), 2:23-cr-31 (Jeffries et al.), 2:23-cr-33 (Estep et al.) and 2:23-cr-32 (Gonzalez et al.).
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Omaha Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl PillsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Zacharie Stinson, 31, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced September 24, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Stinson to 57 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Stinson’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On three occasions in March and April of 2023, DEA agents and task force officers saw Stinson meet with an individual who later sold fentanyl pills to a cooperator and an undercover agent. On April 7, 2023, agents executed a search warrant at Stinson’s residence in Omaha. Inside, agents found approximately 250 fentanyl pills. Agents also recovered approximately 135 fentanyl pills from Stinson’s person. During a post-Miranda interview, Stinson admitted that he was a fentanyl pill user who had started selling pills within the last year. Stinson told agents that he would purchase approximately 500 pills every two weeks and sell some to other people.
Co-defendants Rafael Magana and Lucas Ehly, both 31 and from Omaha, have pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced in December.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Metro Drug Task Force.
North Providence Man Detained on Federal Child Pornography Production ChargeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A North Providence man has been charged in federal court and ordered detained following an investigation by the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force for the alleged production of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Larry W. Albino, 50, was ordered detained following his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on Monday on federal charges for production of child pornography.
According to charging documents, on September 16, 2024, a Rhode Island State Police Detective assigned to the ICAC Task Force received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an IP address, later determined by the Detective to belong to Albino’s residence, was used to upload ten files depicting the abuse of a pre-pubescent child. Further investigation revealed that that the location where the videos were recorded matched images of rooms recently displayed in an online property rental listing where Albino resides.
As related in court documents and information presented to the court, on September 17, 2024, members of the ICAC Task Force executed a court-authorized search of Albino’s residence and, it is alleged, immediately recognized that some of the furnishings of rooms inside Albino’s residence matched those depicted in the videos of child sexual abuse, and that sandals worn by the defendant at the time officers arrived matched those allegedly worn by the abuser in some of the videos.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John P. McAdams.
The matter was investigated by the Rhode Island State Police ICAC Task Force, with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations.
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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc
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North Port Man Sentenced to 70 Years in Federal Prison for Producing and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse VideosRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber today sentenced Raul Colon-Ocasio (32, North Port) to 70 years in federal prison for production and possession of videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Colon-Ocasio was also sentenced to a term of supervised release for life and ordered to register as a sex offender. A federal jury found Colon-Ocasio guilty on June 5, 2024.
According to court documents, between December 2021 and May 5, 2022, Colon-Ocasio used two minors to produce numerous videos of sexual abuse.
In 2022, a parent of Minor Victim 1 reported her daughter missing to law enforcement in Charlotte County. While investigating, law enforcement uncovered communications on social media between Colon-Ocasio and the child that were sexual in nature. In October 2022, an FBI Task Force Officer assumed the social media account of Minor Victim 1 and began communicating with Colon-Ocasio. On October 18, 2022, instead of Colon-Ocasio meeting Minor Victim 1, he encountered law enforcement. Colon-Ocasio’s cellphone was seized. Subsequent to a search warrant for his cellphone, law enforcement located sexually explicit videos that Colon-Ocasio had produced of Minor Victim 1.
Additionally, law enforcement located numerous videos that Colon-Ocasio had produced of another child engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Subsequent to further investigation, Minor Victim 2 was located by law enforcement.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, with includes the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office that assisted with this investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Nigerian Man Pleads Guilty After Extradition to Participating in Romance Scams and Other Fraud Schemes Targeting Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ISAIAH OKERE plead guilty today before U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman to charges stemming from his participation in an international conspiracy to defraud at least 15 victims of romance schemes, lottery scams, and business email compromise schemes.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Isaiah Okere and his co-conspirators preyed on elderly and vulnerable victims, some of whom lost their entire life savings. Even though he operated his scams from a country halfway around the world, this Office’s global reach ensures that he will be held accountable in the United States for his crimes.”
According to Count One of the Information to which OKERE pled guilty and other statements and submissions made in Court:
From at least in or about 2015 up to and including November 2019, OKERE and co-conspirator Timy Hakim conspired with members of the “Black Axe” transnational criminal organization to engage in fraudulent schemes that left at least 15 people and entities with over a million dollars in losses. OKERE facilitated the laundering of proceeds of three types of fraud schemes, a “Romance Scheme,” a “Lottery Scheme,” and a “BEC Fraud Scheme.” Through the Romance Scheme, a vulnerable individual was led to believe she or he was in a romantic online relationship with a perpetrator of the Scheme when, in fact, the perpetrator merely used this as a mechanism to build the victim’s trust and solicit the victim’s money. Through the Lottery Scheme, the scheme participants informed certain victims that they had won a cash prize but first needed to make certain payments to access the funds. Through the BEC Fraud Scheme, the scheme participants induced a corporate victim located in Manhattan to release company funds under fraudulent pretenses by impersonating the founder of the company.
OKERE used accounts under false identities to communicate directly with his U.S. victims. He also controlled multiple foreign bank accounts in South Africa that received funds from victims targeted by these schemes.
At least 15 individual and corporate victims lost money as part of OKERE, Hakim, and their co-conspirators’ schemes. They include vulnerable, isolated, and elderly victims who entered into relationships after the deaths of their spouses and, over a period of several years, were induced to drain their entire retirement savings and take out loans from family and friends. Many victims experienced severe emotional harm, including a woman who reported becoming suicidal after losing her retirement savings to this scheme.
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OKERE, 42, a citizen of the Republic of Nigeria, was arrested in South Africa on the basis of a provisional arrest warrant in December 2021 and was extradited on August 23, 2024. He pled guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
On September 27, 2023, co-defendant Timy Hakim was sentenced to two years in prison and was ordered to pay $1,414,043 in restitution and forfeit $671,452.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Williams also thanked the South African Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa, and the South African Police Service. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from South Africa.
The criminal case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vladislav Vainberg is in charge of the prosecution.
Nicaraguan Man Sentenced to Prison for Document FraudRead the Press Release
A man who used a fraudulent social security card was sentenced today to four months in federal prison.
Sen Sequeira-Miranda, age 45, a citizen of Nicaragua residing in the Cresco, Iowa, area, received the prison term after a June 26, 2024, guilty plea to one count of unlawful use of an identification document and one count of misuse of a social security number.
At the guilty plea, Sequeira-Miranda admitted he used a fraudulent Social Security card bearing an alias name, to prove his authorization to work in the United States when he completed employment and tax forms in April 2024 at a business in Charles City, Iowa. The number on the Social Security card was assigned to the person whose name was on the Social Security card.
On January 11, 2024, Sequeira-Miranda was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol after he illegally entered the United States near Eagle Pass, Texas. On February 8, 2024, defendant was released from immigration custody with a GPS ankle bracelet and ordered to report to immigration officials in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. GPS data appeared to show Sequeira-Miranda was working and ICE agents were able locate him at his place of employment in Charles City. As an alien, Sequeira-Miranda was not authorized to work in the United States. ICE officers were able to obtain copies of the fraudulent documents Sequeira-Miranda used from his employer, which included the fraudulent Social Security card and a fraudulent California ID card with his alias name and bearing his photo.
Sequeira-Miranda was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Sequeira-Miranda was sentenced to 125 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Sequeira-Miranda 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-2022.
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New York Man Charged with Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Bruce Neil Kresin, age 51, of Binghamton, New York, was indicted by a federal grand jury for failing to register as a sex offender upon relocating to Pennsylvania.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that from July 2024 and continuing to at least August 27, 2024, despite being required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”), upon relocating to Lackawanna County, PA, Kresin failed to register his address in Pennsylvania as required by SORNA.
This matter was investigated by the United States Marshals Service (USMS). Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery St John is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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New York Acupuncturist Sentenced to 34 Months in Prison for Role in $9 Million Health Care Fraud Targeting AmtrakRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New York acupuncturist was sentenced today to 34 months in prison for participating in a $9 million health care fraud scheme to defraud Amtrak, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Punson Figueroa, aka “Susie,” 58, of Long Island City, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to an information charging her with conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
“Submitting fraudulent claims to steal money harms the public and the health care system. This defendant admitted fleecing the health care system for millions of dollars in illicit claims, and today she learned the punishment for her offense. My office and our partners are committed to stopping health care scams and ensure that guilty participants are punished.”
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger
“We remain fully committed to bringing justice to health care providers who target Amtrak’s health care plans as well as Amtrak employees who collude with them,” said Amtrak’s Inspector General, Kevin H. Winters. “We hope this case serves as a deterrent for health care providers and Amtrak employees who may choose to engage in such schemes, and we ask anyone who suspects or observes such fraud to report it to our fraud, waste, and abuse hotline.”
“This investigation unveiled the mastermind behind a $9 million health care fraud scheme,” DEA – New York Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino said. “I applaud our law enforcement partners whose diligent work put an end to this conspiracy and brought Punson Figueroa to justice to face the consequences of her illegal actions.”
“This case demonstrates Amtrak’s resolve to work alongside all our law enforcement partners to investigate and hold accountable those who attempt to defraud the system,” Chief Sam Dotson said. “We are grateful for the collaborative law enforcement effort that led to this guilty plea, and we will continue to be vigilant in safeguarding Amtrak’s assets.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From January 2019 through June 2022, Figueroa and her conspirators agreed to engage in a scheme to bill the Amtrak health care plan for fraudulent claims for services that never were provided and were medically unnecessary. Figueroa recruited Amtrak employees to participate in the scheme by paying them cash in return for allowing her to use their personal and insurance information to submit false and fraudulent claims. Figueroa conspired with dozens of Amtrak employees and paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash kickbacks to Amtrak employees over the course of the scheme.
On June 16, 2021, an undercover law enforcement agent posing as an Amtrak employee met with Figueroa at Figueroa’s office in New York. Figueroa instructed the undercover agent to sign his name about 30 times for services received and instructed the undercover agent not to date the signatures. Figueroa caused false claims to be submitted to Amtrak’s health care plan indicating that the undercover agent had visited providers at least seven times in May 2021, purportedly receiving acupuncture and physical therapy services.
The undercover agent visited Figueroa’s office on only one other occasion, on July 29, 2021. At this meeting, Figueroa handed the undercover agent an envelope filled with $1,000. Thereafter, Figueroa continued to use the undercover agent’s personal and insurance information to submit dozens of fraudulent claims to the Amtrak health care plan.
In total, Figueroa caused Amtrak to pay out over $9 million in false and fraudulent insurance claims.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Arleo sentenced Figueroa to three years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $9.05 million.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Waters, special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III in New York, and the Amtrak Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Sam Dotson, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine M. Romano and Jessica R. Ecker of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
New Haven Man Who Sold Fentanyl-Laced Cocaine to Overdose Victim Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JERRARD SANTIAGO, 44, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 96 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for narcotics distribution offenses stemming from an overdose death investigation in 2021.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 18, 2021, Santiago sold cocaine laced with fentanyl to a 22-year-old male in a restroom of the Mohegan Sun Casino. The purchaser overdosed on the casino floor and died approximately 11 days later. On February 3, 2023, investigators made a controlled purchase of fentanyl and heroin from Santiago. On February 14, 2023, investigators made a controlled purchase of fentanyl and cocaine from Santiago.
Santiago has been detained since his arrest on March 30, 2023. On January 29, 2024, he pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, a controlled substance. After an evidentiary hearing in April 2024, Judge Meyer concluded that Santiago knowingly distributed the narcotics that caused the victim’s overdose and death.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mohegan Tribal Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Weingarten and Christopher W. Schmeisser.
New Castle Man Sentenced to More Than Nine Years in Prison on Drug Trafficking and Firearm ConvictionsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 110 months in prison for trafficking fentanyl and cocaine and possessing a firearm after a felony conviction, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Donald Jeter, 34. Judge Schwab also ordered Jeter to serve six years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Jeter previously pleaded guilty in this case to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and cocaine between May 2021 and October 2022, and to possessing a firearm on August 10, 2022, after a felony conviction. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Mercer County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Sharon Police Department, and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Jeter.
Missoula man sentenced to five years in prison for receiving child pornographyRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Missoula man who admitted to receiving and storing thousands of images and videos of child sexual abuse material from the internet was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Bryan Michael Balog, 31, pleaded guilty in May to receipt of child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. The court also ordered $39,000 restitution to 13 victims.
In court documents, the government alleged that in September 2022, Dropbox reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that a Dropbox user had uploaded images of child sexual abuse materials to its server. The Missoula Police Department investigated and determined that the Dropbox account belonged to Balog. Images in Balog’s account included children as young as babies engaged in sexually explicit conduct. A Missoula Police detective executed a search warrant at Balog’s home and spoke with Balog, who admitted he had been “saving” images and videos of child pornography from the internet since 2011. Electronic devices seized from Balog’s home contained thousands of images and videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Missoula Police Department, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and FBI conducted the investigation.
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.
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Meriwether County Resident Convicted of Armed Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ga. – A resident of Meriwether County with several previous felony convictions was found guilty of illegal gun possession and drug trafficking charges following a bench trial this week.
Howatdrick Jamal Jones, 30, of Woodbury, Georgia, was found guilty of one count of possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute, one count of possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon following a bench trial before U.S. District Judge Clay Land that began and ended on Monday, Sept. 23. Jones faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 12. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Repeat armed felons tied to violent criminal gangs will find themselves being held accountable at the federal level,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Law enforcement across the Middle District of Georgia is working closely with our office to bring the most dangerous offenders in our communities to justice and make our communities safer for all.”
“Guns, drugs and violence are unfortunately all too common tools of the drug trafficking organizations operating in our communities,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Cases like this clearly demonstrate the resolve of the DEA to hold violent drug traffickers accountable.”
“I would like to thank all of the law enforcement entities involved for their hard work on this case,” said Waverly Hall Police Chief Jason Durham. “This is another proven example that illegal drugs and guns will not be tolerated.”
According to the evidence at trial, Jones was stopped by a Waverly Hall Police Department officer on Oct. 16, 2019, after the officer’s automatic license plate reader triggered an alert that the owner of the car had active arrest warrants. The officer smelled marijuana and searched the vehicle, finding cocaine, a digital scale and a razor blade next to the drugs. Jones was concealing a .45 caliber pistol. At the time, Jones had several prior felony drug convictions; it is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm. Jones was convicted of bank robbery on Sept. 20, 2023, in the Superior Court of Pike County, Georgia and is serving a life sentence for his crime.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Waverly Hall Police Department with valuable assistance from the FBI and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Williams and Crawford Seals are prosecuting the case for the Government.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 180 Months for Drug and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Brandon Bartley, age 26, of Laurel, Maryland, was sentenced today to 180 months in prison and to pay a $5,000 fine for drug and gun crimes in connection with his trafficking of large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine, and his possession of more than 30 firearms.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Field Division, and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.
Bartley previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl; possession with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl; and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
Bartley admitted that he engaged in a conspiracy to distribute, and that he possessed with intent to distribute, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, from an apartment on Western Avenue in Albany. On May 23, 2023, law enforcement searched his apartment and found 34 firearms, including a loaded Glock on his bed that he used to protect his drugs and drug proceeds, and other firearms, as well as more than 400 grams of fentanyl pills, more than 7,000 grams of pills containing methamphetamine, and more than 700 grams of cocaine.
United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also ordered that Bartley serve a 5-year term of supervised release following his release from prison.
The following defendants have also been charged in connection with this investigation:
- Anthony Luizzi pled guilty on March 18, 2024, to drug and gun crimes in connection with his trafficking of large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine, and his possession of more than 30 firearms, including drugs and guns found at the Western Avenue property. Luizzi is scheduled to be sentenced on October 1, 2024.
- Devon Newsome pled guilty on September 3, 2024, to unlawfully transferring firearms as part of the firearms trafficking conspiracy. Newsome is scheduled to be sentenced on January 6, 2025.
- Jabree Jones was charged with a violation of the terms of his supervised release on May 23, 2023, based on violations of federal gun and drug trafficking laws, and has been detained pending the resolution of the supervised release violation petition. A final revocation hearing is currently scheduled for December 17, 2024. The charges against Jones are merely accusations. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The DEA and the ATF are investigating the case, with assistance from the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG), and Henry County Police Department in Georgia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.
Leader of Gorilla Stone Mafia Gang Convicted of Two Murders on Staten Island and Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
Today, a federal jury in Brooklyn returned a guilty verdict against John Pena, leader of the Gorilla Stone Mafia (GSM), a subgroup of the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation (UGSN), which is a faction of the nationwide Bloods street gang. The jury convicted Pena, also known as “Tragedy,” “Don Tragg,” “Last Don” and “Money Baggz,” on all six counts of a second superseding indictment charging him with racketeering; murder in-aid-of racketeering; causing death through use of a firearm; unlawful possession, brandishing and discharge of a firearm; being a felon in possession of ammunition; and conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana and crack cocaine. Pena was convicted of murdering Mark Bajandas on March 10, 2021, and Francisco Gonzalez on June 22, 2021, on behalf of GSM. The verdict followed a seven-day trial before United States District Judge Ann M. Donnelly. When sentenced, Pena faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Thomas G. Donlon, Interim Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the verdict.
As the evidence proved, Pena was consumed by seeking revenge against rivals and maintaining his leadership position in the Gorilla Stone Mafia gang by any means necessary,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Killing a man as he slept in bed and shooting another man with a dozen bullets are shocking examples of Pena’s ruthlessness. Today’s verdict ensures he will spend the rest of his life in prison for his direct role in the extreme violence and drug trafficking wreaked on a Staten Island community.”
Mr. Peace thanked the U.S. Marshals Service for their assistance.
“Today’s guilty verdict is a direct result of the focused and collaborative efforts of dedicated investigators from the NYPD, FBI, and the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York,” stated Interim NYPD Commissioner Donlon. “Gang activity, especially the carrying and indiscriminate shooting of illegal guns on our streets, instills fear in the daily lives of New Yorkers. It is crucial that we and our law enforcement partners continue to target and dismantle these criminal groups, and work toward preventing the violence that is so often associated with their activities.”
As proven at trial, Pena committed the crimes of conviction in connection with his leadership of GSM, which operated out of the Stapleton Houses, a public housing development on Staten Island. Members of GSM use intimidation, threats of violence and acts of violence to preserve and protect GSM’s power, territory and criminal activities. They also use drug trafficking as a means of obtaining money.
In the early morning hours of March 10, 2021, Pena fired multiple gunshots from close range at Mark Bajandas, also known as “Drama,” a former GSM associate and perceived rival, killing him. Bajandas, a former GSM member who had defected to the rival Bugatti set of USGN, suffered at least 12 gunshot wounds. The murder occurred after Pena and Bajandas had attended a memorial earlier in the evening to commemorate the death of Avanti Brock, a former GSM member who was murdered allegedly by Bugatti approximately one year earlier.
On June 22, 2021, Pena murdered Francisco Gonzalez, a former GSM member, by shooting him three times in the head while Gonzalez was asleep in bed next to Pena’s ex-girlfriend.
Law enforcement recovered writings from Pena’s jail cell at the Metropolitan Detention Center that included statements in which he took responsibility for the murders of Bajandas and Gonzalez, such as: “Kuz I Turn all my opps into ghost / Francisco I mix them N / Mark / A … shhh / Gotta chill … they don’t Know / Lately how I feel / Like the reaper / If I spot em I’m snatching his soul.” Pena also wrote about killing Gonzalez, including: “left his brains on them sheets man what was he thinkin’?,” referring to the fact that he had shot Gonzalez in the head while Gonzalez was asleep in bed.
Witness testimony and evidence obtained from cell phones proved that GSM members enriched themselves by selling controlled substances in and around the Stapleton Houses and also in Vermont, and that Pena was involved in the sale and distribution of marijuana, crack cocaine and heroin.
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 violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. As part of the program, U.S. Attorney’s Offices work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and their local communities to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Dana Rehnquist, Andrew Roddin and Elias Laris are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Elizabeth Reed and Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Galeotti.
The Defendant:
JOHN PENA (also known as “Tragedy,” “Don Tragg,” “Last Don” and Money Baggz”)
Age: 32
Staten Island, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 21-CR-176 (S-2) (AMD)
Labelle Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Joshua Leon Tyree (39, Labelle) has pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Tyree faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Tyree has also agreed to forfeit the firearms and ammunition used to facilitate the offenses.
According to court documents, deputies from the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant on Tyree’s residence and located, among other drugs, nearly one pound of methamphetamine for distribution, and 24 assorted rifles and handguns. Tyree told deputies that the items located in his residence belonged to him.
This case was investigated by the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick L. Darcey.
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 violent crime and gun violence, and to make out neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the 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 first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Justice Department Sues Visa for Monopolizing Debit MarketsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department filed a civil antitrust lawsuit today against Visa for monopolization and other unlawful conduct in debit network markets in violation of Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act.
Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the complaint alleges that Visa illegally maintains a monopoly over debit network markets by using its dominance to thwart the growth of its existing competitors and prevent others from developing new and innovative alternatives.
According to the complaint, more than 60% of debit transactions in the United States run on Visa’s debit network, allowing it to charge over $7 billion in fees each year for processing those transactions. The complaint further alleges that Visa illegally maintains its monopoly power by insulating itself from competition. For example, Visa wields its dominance, enormous scale, and centrality to the debit ecosystem to impose a web of exclusionary agreements on merchants and banks. These agreements penalize Visa’s customers who route transactions to a different debit network or alternative payment system. In so doing, the complaint alleges, Visa locks up debit volume, insulates itself from competition, and smothers smaller, lower-priced competitors. Visa also induces would-be competitors to become partners instead of entering the market as competitors by offering generous monetary incentives and threatening punitive additional fees. As the complaint alleges, Visa coopted the competition because it feared losing share, revenues, or being displaced by another debit network altogether.
“We allege that Visa has unlawfully amassed the power to extract fees that far exceed what it could charge in a competitive market,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Merchants and banks pass along those costs to consumers, either by raising prices or reducing quality or service. As a result, Visa’s unlawful conduct affects not just the price of one thing – but the price of nearly everything.”
Debit transactions are an important and popular part of the U.S. financial system. Millions of Americans prefer or must use debit for online and in-person purchases. Visa dominates debit network markets that facilitate these transactions, charging significant fees and stifling competition in the process. Visa’s systematic efforts to limit competition for debit transactions have resulted in billions of dollars in additional fees imposed on American consumers and businesses and slowed innovation in the debit payments ecosystem. Through this lawsuit, the Justice Department seeks to restore competition to this vital market on behalf of the American public.
“Anticompetitive conduct by corporations like Visa leaves the American people and our entire economy worse off,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Today’s action against Visa reminds those who would stifle competition rather than competing on price or investing in innovation that the Justice Department will never hesitate to enforce the law on behalf of the American people.”
“Visa fears competition and innovation, and instead chooses unlawful cooperation and monopolization,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Doha Mekki of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Visa abuses its power over its customers and buys off would-be rivals at the expense of American consumers, merchants, banks, and the competitive process itself. Today’s lawsuit holds Visa accountable for its conduct in a market that forms the backbone of American commerce.”
Visa maintains enormous scale on both sides of the debit market — with merchants and their banks and with consumers and their banks — and the complaint alleges that Visa’s exclusionary practices extend, deepen, and protect what it refers to as an “enormous moat” around its business. When faced with the possibility that smaller debit networks or new technology entrants would threaten that position, Visa engaged in a deliberate and reinforcing course of conduct to cut off competition and prevent rivals from gaining the scale, share, and data necessary to compete for customers’ business:
- Smaller Debit Networks: Visa uses leverage based on the large number of transactions that must run over Visa’s payment rails to impose expansive volume commitments on merchants and their banks, as well as on financial institutions that issue debit cards. These agreements are priced so that, unless all or nearly all debit volume runs over Visa’s payment rails, large disloyalty penalties can be imposed on all Visa transactions. Merchants cannot afford to use Visa’s smaller competitors for transactions where options do exist, even when those competitors offer lower per-transaction prices.
- Tech Entrants: As Visa’s internal documents make clear, Visa feared that some technology companies and fintech startups with “network ambitions” would cut Visa out as the middleman between merchants, consumers, and their banks by offering a better or cheaper payment product. Visa aimed to stop that development by entering into agreements to pay potential competitors to partner instead of innovating. As Visa’s then-CFO put it: “Everybody is a friend and partner. Nobody is a competitor.”
In 2020, the Justice Department filed a civil antitrust lawsuit to stop Visa from acquiring Plaid, a technology company that powers fintech apps developing disruptive options for online debit payments. The companies abandoned their planned $5.3 billion merger.
Visa Inc. is a Delaware corporation headquartered in San Francisco. Visa has a global operating income of $18.8 billion and an operating margin of 64% in 2022. North America is among Visa’s most profitable regions with 2022 operating margins of 83%. Visa charges roughly $8 billion in network fees on U.S. debit volume annually. Globally, Visa processes $12.3 trillion in total payment volume.
Indianapolis Woman Sentenced to over Sixteen Years in Federal Prison for Selling Child Sexual Abuse Material Using Online ChatroomRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS—Anjelica Clark, 35, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 200 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to advertising and possession of child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, between May 21, 2022, and February 4, 2023, Clark used an adults-only chatroom website to advertise and sell child sexual abuse material. Clark uploaded more than 800 advertisements selling other users access to images and videos of child sexual abuse material in exchange payments through Venmo or CashApp. Approximately 400 of these advertisements contained images of the sexual abuse of children. Clark told some buyers that the material she had for sale included images of the sexual abuse of babies as young as seven-months-old.
Law enforcement officers also located a large collection of videos and photos on Clark’s cellphone, including files depicting adult men having sex prepubescent children.
“A civilized society is judged in large part by how we care for our children. This defendant demonstrated her utter disregard for children’s dignity or safety, instead working to profit from spreading depictions of their vile abuse,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Criminals who pollute the internet with these horrific videos and images of abuse will be found and held accountable. Our office will continue to use every tool and partnership we can to identify, investigate, and prosecute these dangerous predators.”
The U.S. Secret Service investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II. Clark must also register as a sex offender wherever she lives, works, and goes to school upon her release from federal prison, and has been ordered to pay $13,000 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Eakman, who prosecuted this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.
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Independence Man Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking, Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and for illegally possessing a firearm.
Wiser Key, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 25 years in federal prison without parole.
On March 27, 2024, Key pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
Key admitted that he engaged in drug transactions with an undercover law enforcement officer. In one transaction, for example, the undercover officer paid Key $8,500 in exchange for 1,000 counterfeit oxycodone tablets, which contained fentanyl. In another transaction, an undercover officer paid Key $6,000 in exchange for 750 counterfeit oxycodone pills, which contained fentanyl.
On April 30, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Key’s residence. Officers found multiple plastic bags that contained tablets, approximately 8 kilograms of suspected THC wax, approximately 39 grams of suspected cocaine, multiple bags of suspected marijuana, an FN handgun, a loaded Glock .40-caliber handgun, a loaded Springfield 9mm handgun, a loaded Sig Sauer .40-caliber handgun, a Harrington and Richardson 20-gauge shotgun, and $24,676 in cash.
According to court documents, Key distributed at least 120,000 counterfeit pills, which contained fentanyl, during the conspiracy. He and a co-defendant purchased 4,000 to 5,000 pills at a time from sources in Mexico.
Key is the first defendant to be sentenced in this case. Co-defendants Nilolas Albright, 30, of Cameron, Mo., and Demasjiay Cruse, 25, of St. Joseph, Mo., have pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and await sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen A. Brackett, Stephanie C. Bradshaw and John C. Constance. It was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the FBI; IRS-Criminal Investigation; the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department; the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department; the Buchanan County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department; and the St. Joseph, Mo., Police Department.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case 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.
Hogansburg Man Sentenced for International Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Carey Terrance, Sr., age 43, of Hogansburg, New York, was sentenced yesterday to time served and to pay a $350,000 fine in connection with a scheme to smuggle cut rag tobacco into Canada from the United States. Cut rag tobacco is tobacco cut into fine strips and used to make smoking tobacco.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Thomas Fattorusso, Executive Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), New York Field Office, made the announcement.
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Terrance, Sr. admitted that from approximately 2013 to 2016, he worked with co-conspirators to acquire cut rag tobacco and smuggle it into Canada, where it was made into contraband cigarettes. Members of the conspiracy sold the contraband cigarettes, making substantial profits by avoiding taxes and duties, and used some of their profits to buy more cut rag tobacco that they sent into Canada.
Funds to purchase the cut rag tobacco were sent from Canada, often through the Northern District of New York, to North Carolina. Once purchased, the cut rag tobacco was delivered to warehouses and buildings in the Northeastern United States, including on the St. Regis Mohawk Akwesasne Reservation, where it was staged for smuggling into Canada. Terrance admitted that he laundered $221,860.20 as part of the scheme; he forfeited that amount as part of sentence in addition to the fine imposed.
Senior United States District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr. also imposed a 2-year term of post-imprisonment supervised release.
HSI and IRS-CI investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allen J. Vickey and Alexander P. Wentworth-Ping prosecuted this case.