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Thursday 22 August 2024
Former State Employee Sentenced to 20 Months for Pandemic Unemployment Insurance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Carl J. DiVeglia III, age 36, of Albany, was sentenced today to 20 months in prison for engaging in a fraudulent scheme to obtain more than $1.6 million in unemployment insurance benefits by abusing his position with the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL).
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, Northeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG).
As part of his previously entered guilty plea to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, DiVeglia admitted that he and another former NYSDOL employee, Wendell Giles, abused their state computer access to create and approve false unemployment insurance applications in 2020 and 2021, including applications for the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. DiVeglia admitted responsibility for over $1.6 million in losses to NYSDOL and to personally receiving approximately $225,000 in fraud proceeds.
United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 2-year term of supervised release, to begin after DiVeglia is released from prison. Judge Suddaby also ordered DiVeglia to pay $1,662,819 in restitution to the State of New York and to forfeit a $225,000 money judgment to the United States.
Giles was previously sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment for his role in the scheme. Four related defendants—Todd Ward, a/k/a “Fats,” age 45, of Troy, New York; Christopher Ward, a/k/a “Reek,” age 46, of Troy; Rocco Resciniti a/k/a “Rock,” age 50, of Albany; and Jamaine Myers, age 46, of Troy—have also pled guilty to fraud charges for their involvement in DiVeglia’s scheme. Resciniti was sentenced to three years of probation on July 31, 2024, and the remaining defendants are scheduled to be sentenced in the fall.
The FBI and USDOL-OIG investigated these cases, with assistance from the NYSDOL Office of Special Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua R. Rosenthal and Joseph S. Hartunian are prosecuting the cases.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Former Hospital Employee Sentenced to 12 Months in Federal Prison for Embezzling over $100,000 in Intended Donations for the Jasper CommunityRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE—Michele M. Rose, 62, of Jasper, Indiana, has been sentenced to a year and one day in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, after pleading guilty to five counts of wire fraud. Rose was also ordered to pay $153,769 in restitution.
According to court documents, since 1991, Michele Rose was employed as Medical Staff Coordinator at a nonprofit health care organization headquartered in Jasper, Indiana. In this role, Rose had various responsibilities, including overseeing the medical staff checking account and preparing a monthly financial report of that checking account.
The medical staff checking account was funded through dues paid by physicians. The money contributed by the doctors was then donated to fund community initiatives including scholarships, food banks, and humane societies, as well as sponsoring events for local students such as after-prom celebrations, with a small portion used for operating expenses.
Between March 2011 and December 2020, Rose abused her position by writing fraudulent checks to herself out of the medical staff checking account, falsely representing that the money was intended to reimburse her for legitimate business expenditures. Rose then cashed the checks and used the money for personal living expenses.
Rose got signatures on the fraudulent checks lying to people with signature authority, telling them they were for legitimate business expenses. Once the blank checks were signed, Rose completed the checks by writing them to herself. Rose did not account for the fraudulent checks in the monthly financial reports that she prepared for her management. Over nearly a decade, Rose $153,769 from the medical staff fund. If Rose had not stolen the money, some or all of it would have been donated to the local community as intended.
“For nearly a decade, this woman stole from community-minded professionals who trusted her, lining her pockets at the expense of the Jasper community groups the doctors intended to support,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Embezzlement and fraud by trusted insiders can have devastating effects on businesses and ordinary people. That’s why our office will continue to prioritize federal prosecution of economic crimes. I commend the work of the U.S. Secret Service and the Jasper Police Department, alongside our federal prosecutor, to untangle this web of deceit and hold the defendant accountable for her crimes.”
“The U.S. Secret Service values our partnership with the Jasper Police Department and the United States Attorney’s Office - Southern District of Indiana,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Scott McGuckin, of the U.S. Secret Service’s Indianapolis Field Office. “The Secret Service will continue to prioritize these types of investigations to ensure that there are consequences for anyone who violates the public’s trust and takes advantage of charitable organizations.”
“I am proud of our Detectives’ work on this case, and our close collaboration with the United States Secret Service has been instrumental in successfully investigating cases of this caliber,” said Lieutenant Dave Burger of the Jasper Police Department.
The United States Secret Service and Jasper Police Department investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew B. Miller, who prosecuted this case.
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Former Energy Trader for Vitol Inc. Pleads Guilty to International Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
A former energy trader pleaded guilty yesterday for his role in a scheme to bribe Mexican government officials to secure contracts for his then-employer, Vitol Inc. (Vitol), the U.S. affiliate of the largest independent energy trading firm in the world.
According to court documents, Javier Aguilar, 50, of Houston, and his co-conspirators paid approximately $600,000 in bribes to two senior officials at PEMEX Procurement International, Inc. (PPI), a wholly owned affiliate of the Mexican state-owned oil company, Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), in exchange for assistance in winning business for Vitol.
“Javier Aguilar has now admitted that he bribed foreign officials to win business when he worked as an oil and gas trader at Vitol Inc., using shell companies, fake contracts, sham invoices, and alias email accounts,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Aguilar’s guilty plea yesterday follows his conviction at trial on related charges earlier this year. His illegal conduct netted Vitol hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts, and now he will pay the price.”
“With yesterday's guilty plea, the defendant admits his role in the widespread corruption of the international commodities market and to casting aside laws and rules that apply to all to unfairly line the pockets of the few,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “The actions of the defendant and his co-conspirators, and of those who act similarly, destroy people’s faith in their governments, disadvantage those who play by the rules, undermine confidence in American businesses worldwide, and will not be tolerated by this Office or our law enforcement partners.”
“The Southern District of Texas is ground zero in the fight against foreign bribery and corruption in Latin America,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas. “My office’s prosecutors — experts on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act — will continue to bring to justice those who damage the integrity of Texas’s vital energy sector with illegal advantages fueled by greed. This guilty plea begins the process of repairing the damage caused by Aguilar as well as putting on notice those who might seek to emulate him and his cohorts.”
“The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has been the law of the land, and enforceable worldwide, for decades. Yet unscrupulous businessmen still try to bribe their way to profit,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office. “My message to them is that the charges and penalties you will face are not worth the gain. I want to commend the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and Office of International Affairs; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas for their diligence pursuing this case, but especially the agents and analysts who leave no stone unturned in pursuit of FCPA violators.”
Between 2017 and 2020, Aguilar, who was a trader in Vitol’s Houston office, and his co-conspirators paid approximately $600,000 in bribes to two senior officials at PPI to obtain numerous contracts for Vitol to supply hundreds of millions of dollars of ethane to PEMEX. To conceal the scheme, Aguilar and his co-conspirators used a series of fake contracts, sham invoices and shell entities incorporated in Curaçao and Mexico. The defendant and his co-conspirators also used alias email accounts to communicate about the scheme and code words, including “shoes,” “medicine,” “invitations,” and “coffee,” to describe the bribes.
Aguilar pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and to a violation of the Travel Act. The FCPA conspiracy charge, which was brought by a grand jury in the Southern District of Texas, related to conduct that was initially charged in the Eastern District of New York. As part of his guilty plea, Aguilar consented to transfer the Texas case to New York, to consolidate the cases, and to forfeit $7,129,938. The plea follows Aguilar’s related conviction at trial in February 2024 for conspiracy to violate the FCPA, violating the FCPA, and conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with schemes to bribe Ecuadorian and Mexican officials. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on the money laundering offense and five years’ imprisonment on each of the other offenses. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
In December 2020, Vitol admitted to bribing officials in Ecuador, Mexico, and Brazil in violation of the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA. Vitol entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of New York. As a part of the resolution, Vitol agreed to pay a combined $135 million in penalties as part of a coordinated resolution with the Department of Justice, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and authorities in Brazil.
Seven of the defendant’s co-conspirators have pleaded guilty for their role in the scheme and are awaiting sentencing. These individuals have agreed to forfeit more than $63 million in connection with this and related schemes.
FBI Miami’s International Corruption Squad investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Clayton P. Solomon and Assistant Chiefs Derek J. Ettinger and Jonathan P. Robell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Trial Attorney D. Hunter Smith and Deputy Chief Adam J. Schwartz of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan P. Lax, Matthew R. Galeotti, and Nick M. Axelrod for the Eastern District of New York, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherin Daniel and Deputy Chief Suzanne Elmilady for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case. The MLARS Special Financial Investigations Unit and Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided substantial assistance.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
The Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative is led by a team of dedicated prosecutors in MLARS, in partnership with federal law enforcement agencies, and often with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, to forfeit the proceeds of foreign official corruption. Individuals with information about possible proceeds of foreign corruption located in or laundered through the United States should contact federal law enforcement or send an email to [email protected] or https://tips.fbi.gov/.
Former Corrections Officer Admits Providing Firearm to FelonRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Brian Mills, age 39, a resident of Dannemora, New York, pled guilty yesterday to knowingly providing a firearm to a felon.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office; and Plattsburgh Police Chief Peter Mitchell made the announcement.
Mills admitted that at various times during summer 2022, he traded a New England Firearms Company Model Pardner-SP1 .410-gauge shotgun, an Armalite rifle, ammunition, an ammunition magazine and two body armor vests to Dustin J. Manor at Manor’s apartment in Plattsburgh, New York, knowing that Manor was a felon. On October 20, 2022, the Plattsburgh Police Department seized the shotgun, one (1) .44 magnum round of ammunition, shotgun rounds, and a set of RTS Tactical Level IV ceramic body armor from Manor’s Plattsburgh apartment after responding to a domestic incident there.
Manor was federally prohibited from possessing the firearms and ammunition due to 2014 drug felony convictions for which he was sentenced to five years in state prison.
Mills had been employed as a corrections officer with the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision at Clinton Correctional Facility, but resigned his position following his arrest.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 19, 2024. Mills faces up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
Yesterday, Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn sentenced Manor to 57 months in prison and 3 years supervised release for possessing the .410-gauge shotgun and ammunition as a felon.
HSI and the Plattsburgh Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas G. Collyer is prosecuting the case.
Former Congressional Candidate Charged with Violating Campaign Finance LawsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Christie M. Curtis, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment today charging MICHELLE BOND with conspiring to cause and causing unlawful campaign contributions in connection with her unsuccessful run for Congress in 2022. BOND will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Michelle Bond and her co-conspirator romantic partner attempted to fund her campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives by illegally using hundreds of thousands of dollars from corporate coffers, among other sources, and then lying to Congress and others to cover it all up. Misconduct by those campaigning for public office undermines public trust in American elections and in representative government more broadly. This Office is committed to holding elected officials and candidates accountable if they break the law.”
FBI Acting Assistant Director Christie M. Curtis said: “Michelle Bond, a former congressional candidate, allegedly financed her campaign with illicitly obtained funds then made calculated efforts to conceal her misconduct, including lying to Congress about the deposits’ origin. Attempting to start a hopeful career in our government using unlawful transactions and lies erodes the integrity and credibility of our legislative system. Investigating all forms of corruption remains a top priority of the FBI, as those seeking to hold governing positions are expected to comport themselves honestly and transparently to preserve public confidence.”
As alleged in the Indictment:[1]
In 2022, BOND—then a high-level executive at a digital assets trade group (the “Trade Group”)—ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. BOND sought to represent New York’s first congressional district, which comprises the eastern portion of Long Island.
Shortly after launching her congressional campaign in May 2022, BOND’s romantic partner (“CC-1”)—then a high-level executive at a Bahamas-based subsidiary of a now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange (the “Exchange”)—orchestrated a sham consulting agreement between BOND and the Exchange, pursuant to which BOND was paid $400,000. BOND then used that money to illegally finance her campaign. Further, between June and August 2022, CC-1 wired hundreds of thousands of dollars to BOND’s personal bank account, which BOND then used to illegally fund her campaign. CC-1 and BOND discussed how CC-1 would pay the expenses for BOND’s campaign, and CC-1 was aware that BOND was using CC-1’s money to make large loans and contributions to her campaign.
BOND and CC-1’s conduct violated federal campaign finance laws prohibiting corporate contributions, excessive contributions by an individual, and conduit (or straw) contributions. BOND attempted to conceal her and CC-1’s conduct by, among other things, making false statements to a congressional committee and the Federal Election Commission, and lying to her employer at that time. For example, in a financial disclosure form filed with the House Ethics Committee, BOND described the $400,000 Exchange Payment as consulting income. However, in talking points BOND prepared for a meeting with the board of her Trade Group, BOND acknowledged that she did not work for the Exchange and that the Exchange gave the money for her campaign.
* * *
BOND, 45, of Potomac, Maryland, is charged with one count of conspiracy to cause unlawful campaign contributions; one count of causing and accepting excessive campaign contributions; one count of causing and receiving an unlawful corporate contribution; and one count of causing and receiving a conduit contribution. Each of the crimes charged carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The statutory maximum sentences in this case 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 FBI.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Simon and Sheb Swett are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment constitutes only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.
Former Anderson County Band Director Sentenced for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A former Anderson County High School Band Director and teacher, Patrick Howard Brady, 38, was sentenced on Thursday, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, to 25 years in prison, for production of child pornography.
Brady was a teacher at Anderson County High School and served as the band director until May 15, 2023. According to his plea agreement, Brady used text messaging, FaceTime, and a social media app (VSCO), to engage a minor into a romantic and sexual relationship. Specifically, beginning in the summer of 2022, Brady and the victim engaged in a sexually explicit relationship, starting via text, calls, and FaceTime, eventually occurring in person, multiple times, including at the high school.
Law enforcement began investigating the relationship between Brady and the victim in May 2023. When law enforcement arrested Brady and seized his cell phone, he had removed the VSCO application from his phone. Brady admitted that, on two or more occasions, he knowingly used a minor victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of transmitting live visual depictions of that conduct.
Under federal law, Brady must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Russell Coleman, Kentucky Attorney General; Col. Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Sheriff Joe Milam, Anderson County Sheriff's Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, Kentucky State Police, and the Anderson County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Melton is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Final Defendant Sentenced in $1M COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – The final codefendant convicted of a fraud scheme that illegally sought more than $1 million from pandemic relief funds was sentenced to federal prison.
Sharmaine Simpson, 37, of Pelham, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 30 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on Aug. 15, after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. On March 13, co-defendants Jeremy Russell, 38, of Pelham, was sentenced to serve 30 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud; Travon Duhart, 40, of Montgomery, Alabama, was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he previously pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud; Mario Meadows, 46, of Albany, was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud; and Johnderrious Lovett, 31, of Dacula, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 12 months and one day in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie Gardner presided over the case. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Pandemic relief funds were intended to provide critical help to small businesses, not enrich fraudsters,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “We will pursue justice against those who criminally abused this taxpayer funded program.”
“So many businesses needed federal emergency assistance to stay afloat during the pandemic, and Simpson and his co-defendants misdirected that assistance money to line their own pockets,” said Rich Bilson, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Albany office. “Their greed affects every American taxpayer, and the FBI will continue to hold accountable those who abused taxpayer dollars and diverted them from citizens who desperately needed them.”
According to court documents and statements referenced in court, from March 2020 to at least April 2021, the defendants joined a conspiracy to collectively submit at least 25 different fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans on behalf of companies they controlled individually or together, seeking a total of $1,079,233.02 plus unemployment benefits. In all, the defendants received and deposited $411,657.02 from the Small Business Administration (SBA) as a result of these falsified claims. The various loan applications were for corporations the defendants established, and included all manner of concocted information, including fabricated revenues, employees, payroll costs, rent, operational expenditures and fraudulent tax returns. The defendants continued to make false statements after several loans were denied due to fraud alerts and continued their attempts to gain funds through the SBA and other government entities.
One example of the pandemic fraud scheme was a $100,000 loan received for J.T.L.S. Music Group. Russell, Duhart, Lovett and Simpson were listed as 25% owners of the business on their EIDL application and claimed to have ten employees. However, the Georgia Department of Labor reported that J.T.L.S. Music Group did not pay any wages or unemployment insurance to any employees from 2017 to 2022. J.T.L.S. Music Group also reported gross revenues of $250,000 for the 12-months prior to the “date of disaster” on its EIDL application but did not report any income or paid taxes to the State of Georgia from 2017 to 2022, nor did they file taxes with the IRS. After the $100,000 loan was deposited, Russell recalled someone texting “y’all betta get y’all money out because I got mine,” in a group text with him, Duhart, Lovett and Simpson.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted by Congress in March 2020, to provide emergency financial support to the millions of Americans suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of this effort, the SBA was able to provide EIDLs to individuals, households and businesses in federally declared disaster areas. The PPP was established as a forgivable loan to small businesses for eligible expenses, like payroll.
The case was investigated by FBI and the Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General (DOJ-OIG).
Criminal Chief Leah McEwen prosecuted the case for the Government.
Felon Convicted of Illegal Firearm Possession after Altercation with PoliceRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal jury has convicted RONNIE GERALD WIGGINS, 60, of Norman, of illegal possession of a firearm after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On September 19, 2023, a federal grand jury charged Wiggins with being a felon in possession of a firearm. On August 14, 2024, a federal jury found Wiggins guilty on the charge.
According to evidence presented at trial, on October 30, 2022, an officer with the Norman Police Department made contact with Wiggins after multiple concerned citizens called 911 to report his erratic driving. During the interaction, officers learned that Wiggins had a warrant for parole violation on a 2001 Texas murder conviction. When they began to arrest him, Wiggins became argumentative and attempted to run. Once he was in custody, officers found a pistol and two loaded ammunition magazines in his vehicle.
Public record shows Wiggins has sustained multiple previous felony convictions including:
- First degree murder in Oldham County (Texas) District Court case number CR-01C-001;
- Felon in possession of a firearm in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma case number CR-00-74-C;
- Attempting to possess a prohibited object (heroin), in U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas case number 93-30006-02;
- Armed robbery and conspiracy to commit armed robbery in Bernalillo County (New Mexico) District Court case number CR-90-00165;
- Bank robbery in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico case number CR-89-517-02;
- Theft of a vehicle in Grants County (New Mexico) District Court case number CB 89-93-CR; and
- Robbery with a firearm in Cleveland County (Oklahoma) District Court case number CF-83-535.
As a result of these prior convictions, Wiggins qualified as an Armed Career Criminal. At sentencing, Wiggins faces up to life in federal prison on this conviction.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Norman Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Gridley and Danielle M. Connolly are 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. For more information about PSN, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Federal Jury Convicts Prior Felon for Distributing Meth and Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – After a three-day trial, a federal jury convicted Lee Holt, 60, of Collinsville. The jury found Holt guilty of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute after previously being convicted of a serious drug felony; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crimes.
Prior to trial, Holt’s co-defendant, Jennifer Charisa Harrington, 49, of Collinsville, pled guilty to Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises.
“Guns, drugs, and felons are a volatile combination that hurt communities within the Northern District of Oklahoma,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “This verdict is the direct result of the collaborative efforts of law enforcement and prosecutors’ prioritizing violent crime prosecutions to help reduce crime and build safer communities.”
In August 2023, law enforcement served a search warrant on Holt and Harrington’s home in Collinsville. Upon search of the home, agents found a firearm and ammunition, 110 grams of methamphetamine, marijuana, scales, and cash. Laboratory testing determined the methamphetamine was 94% pure. During the trial, experts testified that 110 grams of methamphetamine could be more than 500 doses of meth with a street value of approximately $1,500.
Court records show that Holt was previously convicted of several felonies, including conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine, possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and unlawfully possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony.
In Harrington’s plea agreement, she admitted to living with Holt and that they would distribute and use methamphetamine in their home. Harrington further admitted that they had a firearm, ammunition, scales, and cash from the proceeds of distributing methamphetamine.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, the Collinsville Police Department, and the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mike Flesher and Dennis Fries prosecuted 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. For more information about PSN, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Fayetteville Armed Drug Trafficker and Blood Gang Leader Sentenced to 30 YearsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Fayetteville Blood gang member who led a drug trafficking organization that distributed thousands of pounds of high-grade marijuana was sentenced to 360 months in prison for drug trafficking and firearm charges. On May 24, 2023, Terrence Michael Pittman, age 29, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than one thousand kilograms of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
“The FPD continues to work collaboratively with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, we continue to aggressively combat Fayetteville's gun violence and narcotic trafficking,” said Fayetteville Police Chief Kemberle Braden.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, in 2019, the Fayetteville Police Department began investigating Pittman after receiving information that he was trafficking significant amounts of marijuana out of a Fayetteville residence. One witness told police that Pittman was receiving as much as a hundred pounds of marijuana at a time. In surveilling Pittman’s residence, law enforcement observed individuals delivering large duffel bags believed to contain bulk marijuana to the house. Traffic stops of individuals associated with this drug trafficking organization yielded the seizure of over $165,000 from an individual seen leaving Pittman’s house in October 2019, and the seizure of 141 pounds of marijuana out of a vehicle on the way to Pittman’s house in November 2019. Witnesses who had been at the house when the duffel bags were delivered told law enforcement that the duffel bags contained bulk marijuana. Multiple witnesses also identified Pittman as the leader of a United Nation Blood gang subset.
Investigators received a warrant to conduct a wiretap on Pittman’s phones for three months in 2020 and learned that he was operating three stash houses used to store and distribute drugs in Fayetteville. In intercepted phone calls, Pittman was heard arranging to purchase hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of marijuana at a time from suppliers with connections to Charlotte, Washington, D.C., New York, and California. Pittman was also overheard bragging that he made “a band” ($1000) on every “bag” (pound) of marijuana that he sold, further stating that he sold five hundred pounds per week. On November 12, 2020, investigators conducted searches at all three stash houses in Fayetteville and Pittman’s primary residence in Clayton and seized nearly $100,000 in cash, approximately $300,000 worth of gold and diamond jewelry, more than 90 pounds of marijuana and six firearms, including four 9mm handguns, a 7.62 caliber rifle with a large capacity magazine, and a 7.62 caliber pistol.
Several other members of Pittman’s drug trafficking organization have been convicted, including Rahein Saekwan Little (5:22-CR-00138-D-RJ-2); Candace Cherelle Spencer (5:22-CR-00138-D-RJ-3); Maurice Manuel Charity (5:22-CR-00138-D-RJ-4); Jennifer Talbert (5:22-CR-00169-D), Donovan McCrimmon (5:22-CR-00151-D), and Shiiquan Anderson (5:21-CR-171-D).
This investigation was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Fayetteville Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Webb prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-00138-D-1.
Falmouth Woman Charged and Agrees to Plead Guilty to Embezzling More Than $1.3 MillionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former bookkeeper of a Falmouth flooring company has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty in connection with embezzling more than $1.3 million from her employer.
Susan Figuerido, 73, of Falmouth, was charged with wire fraud and filing a false tax return. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.
According to the charging documents, between June 2015 and February 2023, Figuerido embezzled more than $1.3 million from her employer by writing checks to herself drawn on her employer’s bank account. To conceal her scheme, Figuerido allegedly did not record the checks that she wrote to herself in her employer’s accounting system. It is further alleged that Figuerido did not report or include the funds that she embezzled on her federal income tax filings, resulting in a tax loss of approximately $353,000.
The charge of wire fraud provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. The charge of filing a false tax return provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Harry T. Chavis Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. The Falmouth Police Department provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dominican Republic Man Sentenced in Cocaine Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Rafael Martinez, 31, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced by Chief District Judge Robert A. Molloy to 70 months incarceration following his conviction on conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine on a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States charges.
According to court documents, on August 30, 2021, a United States Coast Guard Cutter intercepted two go-fast vessels traveling in international waters off the coast of the Dominican Republic. Onboard the vessels were Martinez, Carlos De La Rosa, Elvis Manuel Rodriguez, and Alexis Sanchez-Garcia. As the Coast Guard Cutter approached the vessels, the occupants were observed throwing bales of cocaine into the ocean. From one vessel, the Coast Guard seized 444 kilograms of cocaine wrapped in white burlap sacks but attempts to recover the bales that were thrown overboard from the second vessel were unsuccessful. On July 2, 2024, Chief Judge Molloy sentenced De La Rosa, Rodriguez, and Sanchez-Garcia to 70 months incarceration on their cocaine conspiracy convictions.
The case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard and Drug Enforcement Administration and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Everard E. Potter. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Conspiracy Hatched over Instagram Leads to Massachusetts Man’s Guilty Plea for Firearms TheftRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A West Springfield, Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to conspiring to steal firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer and stealing firearms from that dealer.
According to court records, in April 2022, Ryan Ansart, 22, and coconspirator Damiean Marcial-Alexander, 21, of Waterville broke into a Waterville firearms dealer and stole multiple firearms, including a Glock, Model 17 Gen5 9mm pistol and a Smith & Wesson .38 special revolver. According to an ATF Theft/Loss Report submitted by the store owner, 15 firearms in all were reported stolen, six revolvers and nine semi-automatic pistols. Evidence collected included Instagram and text messages planning the theft, including a map to the location from Marcial-Alexander’s apartment, as well as photos of the two men holding some of the stolen firearms.
Ansart faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine followed by up to three years of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Marcial-Alexander pleaded guilty on May 30, 2024, and also faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine followed by up to three years of supervised release.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case with assistance from the Waterville Police Department.
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Clean Harbors Inc. Agrees to Clean up Devil’s Swamp Lake Superfund Site Near Baton Rouge, LouisianaRead the Press Release
Clean Harbors Inc. and two of its subsidiaries, Clean Harbors Baton Rouge LLC and Baton Rouge Disposal LLC, have reached an over $5 million agreement with the Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to clean up decades-old contamination at the Devil’s Swamp Lake Superfund Site just north of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
A complaint filed today along with a proposed consent decree seeks an order requiring the Clean Harbors companies to perform a cleanup of pollution at Devil’s Swamp Lake, pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as Superfund. The cleanup is estimated to cost over $3 million. Additionally, the consent decree requires reimbursement of over $2 million in costs incurred by the United States in responding to the contamination at Devil’s Swamp Lake. The companies will also pay the United States for all costs it spends in the future for that purpose.
“The Devil’s Swamp Lake Superfund Site is located in an area that is unfortunately already overburdened by a variety of environmental problems,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This settlement will protect the public from the dangerous chemicals that have been contaminating Devil’s Swamp Lake for decades and bring the community one step closer to reclaiming this and other important natural resources.”
“The people of Louisiana deserve safe, clean natural resources,” said U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe Jr. for the Middle District of Louisiana. “This proposed consent decree will ensure that the Devil’s Swamp Lake Superfund Site is appropriately remediated and that the American taxpayers are reimbursed for costs incurred in responding to contamination at that site. I appreciate the hard work of our partners at EPA and at the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division toward achieving this settlement.”
“The East Baton Rouge community expects and deserves the full protection of EPA’s cleanup laws and standards. This settlement is a huge step in resolving a decades-long issue for families that experience a higher burden of environmental problems than other areas of the parish,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance of EPA Region 6. “Holding companies accountable and financially responsible for the harms they commit is one of our strongest tools for getting overburdened communities the relief they deserve. I would like to thank our federal partners for their support in ensuring the site is cleaned up and given back to the communities.”
Devil’s Swamp Lake is contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are extremely harmful chemicals that build up in the environment over time and have been linked to cancer. Due in part to the levels of PCBs, Louisiana state agencies have repeatedly issued advisories warning the public not to swim in or eat fish caught in Devil’s Swamp Lake.
The Devil’s Swamp Lake Superfund Site is located in East Baton Rouge Parish, an area with a population that disproportionately suffers from pollution in the water and the air. Ensuring cleanup of hazardous waste at sites such as Devil’s Swamp Lake is an important aspect of a broader fight to achieve environmental justice.
The Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section is handling the case, in conjunction with EPA.
The complaint and the proposed consent decree were filed with the U.S. District Court for Middle District of Louisiana. The settlement is subject to a public comment period and final court approval. The consent decree is available for viewing on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
Chicago Man Sentenced to 18 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Shawn Edwards, 34 years old, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to wire fraud announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Edwards was sentenced to 18 months in prison, 2 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $189,850 in restitution to the victims of the offense.
According to documents in the case, between July 2020 and September 2021, Edwards was the leader and organizer of a fraud ring which stole checks that had been placed in the care of the United States Postal Service intended to be sent to local Indiana businesses. The payee on each stolen check was then altered so that the check could be cashed by Edwards or one of his associates. In total, Edwards and his associates were able to cash or deposit $189,850 in stolen funds over the time period of the scheme. Edwards’ co-defendant is scheduled to be sentenced later this year.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Office of Inspector General for the United States Postal Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. McGrath.
Chautauqua County pleads guilty to meth chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Darin L. Butts, Jr., 31, of Celeron, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, a maximum of life and a 10,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis A. Testani, who is handling the case, stated that in July and August 2023, investigators conducted seven controlled purchases of methamphetamine and fentanyl from Butts. On August 23, 2023, search warrants were executed at Butts’ residence and his two vehicles. Law enforcement seized approximately 610 grams of methamphetamine, some of it packaged in smaller, individual-sized quantities, drug paraphernalia, and approximately $14,829.00 in cash, which represented proceeds of his methamphetamine trafficking. On May 3, 2024, law enforcement executed another search warrant at Butts’ residence, seizing multiple quantities of suspected methamphetamine and fentanyl, and drug paraphernalia.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone, the Ellicott Police Department, under the direction of Chief William Ohnmeiss Jr., and the Dunkirk Police Department, under the direction of Chief David C. Ortolano.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
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Career Offender Who Distributed Purported Heroin Containing Fentanyl Resulting in an Overdose Sentenced to over 13 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who sold purported heroin that contained fentanyl in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was sentenced today to 163 months in federal prison.
Rodney Eugene Lewis, age 49, from Chicago Heights, Illinois, received the prison term after a February 6, 2024 guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance.
Between February 2020 and June 2020, Lewis distributed purported heroin in Cedar Rapids. When Lewis was unavailable provide drugs to his customers, he provided his drug-trafficking cellphone to his sister and co-defendant, Marsha Celes Dismukes, so that Dismukes could supply his customers with controlled substances. During this time, Lewis provided an individual with purported heroin that also contained fentanyl. After using the controlled substance provided by Lewis, the individual overdosed. Lewis was previously convicted of two different drug trafficking offenses in Illinois.
Lewis was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Lewis was sentenced to 163 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Lewis is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the Cedar Rapids Police Department, at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 21-CR- 00068.
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Bowie County woman sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for fentanyl overdose deathRead the Press Release
TEXARKANA, Texas – A Texarkana woman who sold multiple fake oxycontin pills containing fentanyl has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison, announced Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.
Nickie Jo Mattison, also known as Nickie Hall, 34, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to 204 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder III, on August 21, 2024.
According to information presented in court, between September 2021 and August 2022, Mattison conspired with at least three others, to distribute fentanyl. Mattison and her co-conspirators distributed thousands of blue pills stamped to mimic 30mg oxycontin pills, known on the streets as “M-30s.” however, the pills were counterfeits that contained fentanyl. As a result, three people died and one person was seriously injured after using the drugs. Mattison sold the pills that killed one of the overdose victims.
Courtney Lewis was sentenced to 120 months and Darrell “Monty” Trotter was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for their roles in the conspiracy. Christopher “Candyman” Candelaria and Kolton Saulsbury have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by the Texarkana Texas Police Department, the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Locker and Jonathan Hornok.
Border Patrol Agent Charged with Civil Rights ViolationsRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Shane Millan, age 53, of Jefferson County, New York, was arrested today on four counts of deprivation of rights under color of law. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Vance Kuhner, Special Agent in Charge for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Professional Responsibility, New York, NY, made the announcement.
The misdemeanor information alleges that Millan, while acting under color of law as a Border Patrol Agent, willfully deprived four different victims of their constitutional right to be free from unreasonable searches when, during virtual processing concerning their admission to the United States, he commanded three women to expose their bare chests to him over webcam and a fourth woman to expose her breasts to him while her bra remained on. The information further alleges that Millan told the women that these were legitimate searches incident to admission into the United States, though Millan’s demands to see the victims’ breasts were for his own gratification.
Millan was arraigned today in Syracuse, before United States Magistrate Judge Thérèse Wiley Dancks and released pending a trial.
The charges in the information are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility Investigative Operations Directorate is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael F. Perry and Michael D. Gadarian are prosecuting the case.
Billings man admits trafficking fentanyl, assaulting federal law enforcement officerRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings man accused of trafficking fentanyl pills in the community and ramming an occupied U.S. Marshals Service vehicle during his arrest admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Luke Michael Dovel, 29, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and to assault on a federal officer. Dovel faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release on the drug charge and a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the assault charge.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Dovel was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that in August and September of 2023, law enforcement learned that Dovel was selling large quantities of fentanyl and that there was a warrant for his arrest because he had absconded while on state probation. On Sept. 18, 2023, multiple law enforcement agencies surveilled Dovel’s suspected location, and when Dovel arrived, law enforcement used their vehicles to block Dovel’s vehicle. Dovel then rammed the law enforcement vehicles several times, attempting to flee. Dovel hit a U.S. Marshals Service’s vehicle that was occupied by a deputy multiple times. The deputy and other officers were not injured but their vehicles were damaged. Dovel was instructed to exit his vehicle and did so without incident. In a search of Dovel, officers found him to be in possession of fentanyl pills, more than $8,000 in U.S. currency, a knife and metal knuckles. In a search of his vehicle, law enforcement found approximately 1,500 fentanyl pills, methamphetamine, fentanyl powder, cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin and a loaded handgun magazine and ammunition.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.
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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Billings business owner admits tampering with pollution-monitoring devices for diesel trucks in violation of Clean Air ActRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings business owner accused of developing and selling software devices and kits to circumvent emissions monitoring systems for at least 845 diesel trucks admitted today to violating the Clean Air Act, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Thomas James Nash, 37, appeared for arraignment on an information and pleaded guilty to tampering with Clean Air Act monitoring device. Nash faces a maximum of two years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Nash was released pending further proceedings.
In a plea agreement filed in the case, the parties agree that a term of probation and a $250,000 fine is appropriate.
The government alleged in court documents that from 2019 until April 2021, Nash, through his businesses, DRK and Flash Performance, tampered with Clean Air Act monitoring devices by developing, marketing and selling software known as “tunes” that, when downloaded onto a vehicle’s computer, would override and disable the on-board diagnostic system so that it would no longer detect malfunctions in the emissions control system. Nash loaded his tunes onto a device known as a “tuner” that would plug into a vehicle’s on-board diagnostic port, establishing a connection so that the tune could be downloaded.
Nash also packaged the tuners with devices, such as “straight pipes,” which are used to disable the emissions control hardware. Nash sold these packages as DRK “delete kits” over the internet on eBay. Nash specifically marketed these “delete kits” as a way to circumvent the emissions control system in diesel trucks and customers purchased them with that intention. When the hardware devices and “tunes” were installed, a truck’s on-board diagnostic system was rendered ineffective, causing the truck to greatly exceed emission standards established under the Clean Air Act and release significantly more pollution. The pollutants include nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, non-methane hydrocarbons and particulate matter, which degrade air quality and pose a significant risk to public health. Further, Nash provided ongoing technical assistance to customers who purchased the kits to ensure they were able to effectively circumvent the emissions monitoring system. Nash successfully tampered with at least 845 trucks.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Environmental Protection Agency conducted the investigation.
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Bergen County Man Charged in COVID-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man was indicted on charges that he fraudulently obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars of Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Malak Faltawws, aka “Mark Andrews,” 47, of Rutherford, New Jersey, is charged with three counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering. He made his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa in Newark federal court and was released on $100,000 unsecured bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From March 2020 through November 2021, Faltawws fraudulently obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars in COVID-19 emergency relief funds, which included loans and cash advances meant for distressed small businesses under the EIDL program and PPP, by submitting false and fraudulent applications, inflating his businesses’ revenue, payroll expenses, and number of employees. After receiving the fraudulent funds, he diverted the proceeds for his personal gain.
Each wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and each money laundering charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Each charge also carries a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, and investigators of Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Inspector General John Gay, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aja Espinosa of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of the five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
faltawws.indictment.pdfBvi Man Sentenced in Alien Smuggling CaseRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI - United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Lorenzo Ortis Charles, 36, a resident of the British Virgin Islands, was sentenced by Chief Judge Robert Molloy to over 5 months incarceration on his conviction on bringing aliens to the United States at a place other than a designated port of entry.
According to court documents, on February 23, 2024, Customs and Border Protection agents intercepted a vessel traveling from Tortola, BVI, and entering United States waters. The vessel was operating without navigational lights when it entered Leinster Bay, St, John. On board the vessel were six occupants, including Charles who was determined to be the captain. Neither Charles nor his five occupants received legal authorization to enter the United States. Charles now awaits deportations proceedings as he remained in custody from his February 26, 2024, arrest.
This was investigated by Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly M. Riley.
August Federal Grand Jury 2023-B Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the August Federal Grand Jury 2023-B Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Scott James Berkshire. Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor; Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country. Berkshire, 63, of Tulsa, is charged with attempting to induce and entice an individual he believed was under 18 years old to engage in sexual activity. Additionally, Berkshire is charpged with possessing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children under 12 years old. Homeland Security Investigations and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia Hockenbury and Scott Dunn are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-275
Preston James Campbell. Assault of a Federal Officer. Campbell, 41, of Bristow and a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is charged with resisting, impeding, and assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon while the officer was performing his official duty. The U.S. Marshal Service is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Jiang is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-264
Jose Erlyn Carbajal-Soliz. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Carbajal-Soliz, 30, a Honduran national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Sep. 2021 at or near Alexandria, Louisiana. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mandy M. Mackenzie is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-266
Dominique Rashaad Delonia. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Delonia, 30, transient, is charged with knowingly failing to register as a sex offender from Jul. 2024 through the date of the Indictment. The U.S. Marshal Service is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Greenough is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-267
Markell Juanye Grass. Assault of an Intimate/Dating Partner by Strangling and Attempting to Strangle in Indian Country. Grass, 31, of Jay and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with assaulting an intimate and dating partner by strangulation. The FBI and the Jay Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen J. Flynn and Melissa Weems are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-269
Jose Ramon Guerra-Andrade. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Guerra-Andrade, 35, a Guatemalan national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Oct. 2013 at or near Harlingen, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mandy M. Mackenzie is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-268
Drayle Montey Nelson. Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Nelson, 36, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron M. Jolly is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-276
Danny Lawrence Newton. Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Newton, 42, of Broken Arrow, is charged with attempting to induce and entice an individual he believed was under 18 years old to engage in sexual activity. Homeland Security Investigations, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Skiatook Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua M. Carmel is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-274
Sergio Ramirez. Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime; Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Ramirez, 40, a Mexican national, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition knowing he was unlawfully in the United States. He is further charged with knowingly possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and carrying a firearm in relation to drug trafficking. Additionally, Ramirez is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Aug. 2022 at or near Laredo, Texas. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Attila Bogdan is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-270
Roger Lee Woolman. Arson in Indian Country. Woolman, 67, of Vinita and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with maliciously setting fire to Burroughs Manor and endangering the lives of several occupants. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Vinita Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan E. Michel is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-265
Asheville Methamphetamine Distributor Is Sentenced to 28 Years in Prison on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Jason Dean Keever, 42, of Asheville, was sentenced to 336 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release today for trafficking methamphetamine, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Sheriff William Wilke of the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, Keever and his co-defendant, Joel Wesley Creech, engaged in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Haywood, Buncombe, McDowell, and Transylvania Counties. The investigation began in 2021, after the DEA and the HCSO learned that Keever and Creech were acquiring large quantities of methamphetamine and redistributing it to others within the Western District of North Carolina. On June 21, 2021, law enforcement conducting surveillance of Keever and Creech observed Keever’s vehicle leaving Creech’s residence in Haywood County. Law enforcement initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, detectives located a void area under the steering wheel that contained a semi-automatic pistol with one round of ammunition in the chamber and four rounds in the magazine. Investigators also seized more than $10,000 in cash and two large plastic bags that contained nearly two kilograms of methamphetamine. According to filed court documents, the next day, detectives executed a search warrant at Creech’s residence, where they seized more than 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine buried in the backyard.
On August 25, 2023, Keever pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a felon. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons.
On November 2, 2023, Creech was sentenced to 11 years in prison, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine,
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, the ATF, and the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended the DEA and the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case, and thanked the McDowell, Buncombe, and Transylvania County Sheriffs’ Offices for their invaluable assistance.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.
Wednesday 21 August 2024
Wasilla man charged with child pornography, firearm offensesRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Wasilla man was charged by criminal complaint last week for allegedly possessing child pornography and possessing a firearm as a felon.
According to court documents, in June 2022, law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant for a cell phone belonging to Paul Allen Greeno, 44. Upon review of the phone’s contents, agents found images of child sexual abuse, including sexual abuse of toddlers aged one to four years old.
On Aug. 5, 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant on Greeno’s person and residence. During the search, agents found four long gun rifles from a vehicle on his property. Several boxes of ammunition were also found in Greeno’s closet in his bedroom. Greeno was convicted of felony misconduct involving a weapon in December 2023.
The criminal complaint filed against Greeno alleges that he befriended vulnerable youth in Anchorage with promises to supply them with drugs and then sexually exploited them.
Greeno is charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of child pornography depicting minors who have not attained 12 years of age. If convicted, Greeno faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Anchorage Field Office is investigating the case. If anyone has information concerning Greeno’s alleged actions or may have encountered someone in person or online using the name Paul Allen Greeno, please contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441 or anonymously at tips.fbi.gov.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alana Weber is prosecuting the case.
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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
A criminal complaint 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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Washington Man Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking 100,000 Fentanyl PillsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Washington man has been sentenced to 72 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute tens of thousands of fentanyl pills, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, during the early morning hours of August 31, 2022, Bloomington police officers were investigating a report of suspected fraud at an area hotel. The officers encountered Marcus Trice, 38, of Lakewood, Washington, and placed him under arrest for his suspected involvement in the financial fraud scheme. Officers learned that Trice had flown to the Twin Cities that night from Seattle, Washington. During a subsequent search of Trice’s belongings, officers found eleven large vitamin bottles wrapped in clothing inside his suitcase. The vitamin bottles were filled with over 100,000 round blue “M-Box” or “M-30” fentanyl pills.
On January 25, 2024, Trice pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Michael J. Davis.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bloomington Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen A. Slaughter prosecuted the case.
Washington D.C. Man Sentenced to Eight Months in Prison for Stealing $32,000 in High-End GoodsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Washington D.C. man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for stealing thousands of items from a high-end outlet store in Wrentham, Mass.
Linworth Hayes Crawford, III, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to eight months in federal prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Crawford must also pay $32,000 in restitution to the Gucci store at the Wrentham Outlets. In February 2024, Crawford pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport stolen goods in interstate commerce and one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods.
On the evening of Sept. 16, 2021, Crawford, along with his co-defendants Nathaniel Owens, and others traveled from the Washington D.C. area to the Wrentham Village Premium Outlets in Massachusetts. In the early morning hours of Sept. 17, 2021, Crawford and his co-defendants entered the Gucci store by smashing the store’s glass front door and stole $32,000 in high-end merchandise including handbags, duffle bags, backpacks and sunglasses.
The day after the theft, a co-defendant allegedly posted on his Instagram account that he had Gucci bags available for sale. Images of the bags appeared to be identical to the Gucci bags stolen during the burglary earlier that day.
Crawford also took responsibility for a second similar burglary at a Prada store in Dawsonville, Georgia, where $37,000 in merchandise was stolen.
Owens pleaded guilty in April 2024 and is awaiting sentencing.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Wrentham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Violent Offender Arrested for Selling Counterfeit Pills to Undercover OfficerRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Taunton man who allegedly sold over a kilogram of counterfeit pills to an undercover officer was arrested yesterday in connection with an ongoing investigation of the manufacturing of counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine.
Shavon Gurley, a/k/a “Soo Soo,” 29, of Taunton, was charged with distribution and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. The defendant was arrested yesterday morning and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, was detained pending a hearing scheduled for Aug. 27, 2024.
According to the charging documents, Gurley was identified as being involved in trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine in conjunction with a Brockton-based drug trafficking organization.
As part of the investigation, between Aug. 2-5, 2024, undercover law enforcement allegedly communicated with Gurley about purchasing methamphetamine pills. On Aug. 5, 2024, Gurley allegedly sold 6,000 counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, weighing over a kilogram, to an undercover officer. During the interaction, Gurley allegedly stated that he would drop the price per pill if the undercover officer were to buy 10,000 or 20,000 pills. It is further alleged that Gurley continued to discuss his drug operation with the undercover officer and boasted about selling kilograms of fentanyl that his customers then go on to sell in Maine.
During the controlled purchase with the undercover officer, Gurley allegedly stated that he sells kilograms of fentanyl for $30,000, and that the fentanyl is such high quality that it can be adulterated with cutting agents into 10 kilograms. It is further alleged that Gurley then stated he also sells a higher quality and purity fentanyl for $50,000, which can be adulterated into 50 kilograms. Gurley also allegedly boasted about property he has already acquired through selling narcotics and that he intends to reach $600,000 in profits. As alleged in the charging documents, Gurley complimented the undercover officer’s “aura” and promised to do business with the officer in the future. At the time of the sale, Gurley was allegedly on pretrial release for a domestic violence offense.
Lastly, during the execution of search warrants at Gurley’s residence and vehicle yesterday, law enforcement allegedly recovered a loaded black firearm, two posters depicting cherubim – with captions that read, “I Only Fear the Feds,” and “Rats Don’t Make it To Heaven,” – a bag containing an amount of controlled substances believed to be fentanyl, as well as a number of plastic bags containing approximately 10,000 counterfeit Adderall pills believed to contain methamphetamine.
According to the charging documents, Gurley has a lengthy juvenile record and criminal history that includes a number of prior firearm and violent offenses – including a 2012 conviction for assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon for attacking a man with a pistol and pointing the firearm at the victim’s head, for which he served a six to 10 year term in state prison.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, five years and up to lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Taunton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Vienna man pleads guilty to illegally possessing ricinRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Vienna man pled guilty today to possession of ricin by an unregistered person.
According to court documents, in December 2022, Russell Richardson Vane IV, 42, conducted a number of searches on his federal government workplace computer for instructions on how to isolate ricin toxin from castor beans. At some time in December 2022 or January 2023, Vane obtained castor beans and successfully separated ricin toxin from them in his residence in Vienna. Vane disposed of the byproducts of the production and stored a sample of the ricin in a test tube for further testing but was unable to readily obtain testing equipment. He kept the test tube in a storage box in his home.
On April 10, 2024, laboratory equipment that Vane used to isolate the ricin was recovered during a search of his residence. Vane does not have a registration as required by regulations under the Public Health Services Act to lawfully possess ricin, which is a deadly poison.
Vane is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 7. He faces up to five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Sanjay Virmani, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Counterterrorism Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda St. Cyr and Danya E. Atiyeh are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the National Security Division, Counterterrorism Section.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-101.
U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Sentence for Convicted Child PredatorRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison following a trial where evidence revealed that between January 2016 and January 2020, Joel Ruiz, 65, used candy to lure two children under the age of 12 into his trailer on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation, where he sexually assaulted them.
There is no parole in the federal system.
During the trial, Jane Doe 1 testified that Ruiz abused her when she was six or seven years old. The jury also heard from Jane Doe 2, who testified that Ruiz abused her once when she was three or four years old. Both victims described similar methods used by Ruiz to lure them and the abuse they suffered.
Upon his release from prison, Ruiz will be subject to l0 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Jicarilla Apache Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Caitlin L. Dillon and Matthew J. McGinley prosecuted the case.
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U.S. Army Financial Counselor Sentenced to 151 Months in Prison for Defrauding Gold Star FamiliesRead the Press Release
Video statement by U.S. Attorney Sellinger
TRENTON, N.J. – A former Monmouth County, New Jersey, financial counselor with the United States Army who is a major in the U.S. Army Reserve was sentenced today to 151 months in prison for admitted defrauding Gold Star families and related crimes, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Caz Craffy, aka “Carz Craffey,” 42, of Colts Neck, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on April 16, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner to the indictment filed against him, which charged six counts of wire fraud and one count each of securities fraud, making false statements in a loan application, committing acts affecting a personal financial interest, and making false statements to a federal agency. Judge Castner imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
U.S.. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“Caz Craffy was sentenced to prison today for brazenly taking advantage of his role as an Army financial counselor to prey upon families of our fallen service members, at their most vulnerable moment, when they were dealing with a tragedy born out of their loved one’s patriotism. These Gold Star families have laid the dearest sacrifice on the altar of freedom. And they deserve our utmost respect and compassion, as well as some small measure of financial security from a grateful nation. No amount of money can undo their enormous loss. Instead of offering guidance, Caz Craffy chose to defraud these heroic families. The lengthy term of imprisonment imposed today is just punishment for this heinous and shameless crime.”
“Those who prey on the family members of fallen soldiers, will be sought out and held accountable,” Special Agent in Charge Joel Kirch, Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Northeast Field Office, said. “The hard work, long hours, and dedication of our partners within the Task Force, from the United States Attorney’s Office, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and our own investigative analyst, resulted in this investigation’s swift resolution.”
“Families of service members who have sacrificed their lives for our country should receive care, respect, and dignity from those assigned to help them secure survivor benefits,” Principal Deputy Director James R. Ives of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the criminal investigative arm of the DoD Office of Inspector General, said. “This outcome underscores DCIS and our law enforcement allies’ unwavering dedication to ensuring that those who exploit their official roles to prey on mourning military families are held accountable.”
“Craffy made a conscious decision to defraud Gold Star families suffering from losing their loved one who paid the ultimate sacrifice serving this country,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “The money these survivors are given does nothing to ease their suffering. It does, however, help with the burdens they face, such as paying off a mortgage or putting their children through college. They believed Craffy was acting in their best interest, but instead, he was using their money as a method to make his own. Heartless and despicable don’t even begin to sum up his crimes.”
“The sentencing of Craffy represents the culmination of a thorough, long-term investigation that enabled us to obtain justice for the military families robbed in this case,” Homeland Security Investigations Newark acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker said. “Craffy dishonored the Gold Star families he swore to serve and disgraced his position as an advisor to these families by seeking his own gain in illicit financial transactions. I am proud of our multiagency team of detectives, agents and prosecutors who prevailed in holding this fraudster accountable.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
When a member of the Armed Services dies during active duty, his or her surviving beneficiary, now a member of a Gold Star family, is entitled to a $100,000 payment and the servicemember’s life insurance of up to $400,000. These payments are disbursed to the beneficiary in a matter of weeks or months following the servicemember’s death. To assist the beneficiaries in this time of need, the military provides a number of services to the servicemember’s family, including the assistance of a financial counselor.
From November 2017 to January 2023, Craffy was a civilian employee of the U.S. Army, working as a financial counselor with the Casualty Assistance Office. He is also a major in the U.S. Army Reserve, where he has been enlisted since 2003. Craffy was responsible for providing general financial education to the surviving beneficiaries. He was prohibited from offering any personal opinions regarding the surviving beneficiary’s benefits decisions. Craffy acknowledged that he was not permitted to participate personally in any government matter in which he had an outside financial interest. However, without telling the Army, Craffy simultaneously maintained outside employment with two separate financial investment firms.
Craffy used his position as an Army financial counselor to identify and target Gold Star families and other military families. He admitted to encouraging the Gold Star families to invest their survivor benefits in investment accounts that he managed in his outside, private employment. Based upon Craffy’s false representations and omissions, the vast majority of the Gold Star families mistakenly believed that Craffy’s management of their money was done on behalf of and with the Army’s authorization.
From May 2018 to November 2022, Craffy obtained more than $9.9 million from Gold Star families to invest in accounts managed by Craffy in his private capacity. Once in control of this money, Craffy repeatedly executed trades, often without the family’s authorization. These unauthorized trades earned Craffy high commissions. During the timeframe of the scheme, the Gold Star family accounts lost more than $3.7 million, while Craffy personally earned more than $1.4 million in commissions, drawn from the family accounts.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Castner sentenced Craffy to three years of supervised release and ordered forfeiture of $1.4 million. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has a pending civil complaint against Craffy based on the same and additional conduct. Craffy has been permanently prohibited from association with any member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. (FINRA).
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Kirch; special agents of DCIS, under the direction of Principal Deputy Director Ives; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Dennehy; and special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Walker, with the investigation leading to the indictment. He also expressed appreciation for the Securities and Exchange Commission, under the direction of Gurbir S. Grewal, Director, Division of Enforcement, and FINRA, under the direction of Head of Enforcement Bill St. Louis.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn Silane of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark and Martha K. Nye of the Criminal Division in Trenton.
Two people arrested, charged with fentanyl possessionRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Edwin Santana-Cosme, 56, and Arieana Garcia Del Gado, 37, both of Buffalo, NY, were arrested and charged in by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis A. Testani, who is handling the case, stated that according to the criminal complaint, on August 17, 2024, the New York State Police conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle being driven by defendant Santana Cosme, with defendant Del Gado in the passenger seat. Santana Cosme hesitated to pull over, while Del Gado appeared to turn around to move an unknown object behind the driver’s seat. After eventually stopping, the defendants provided conflicting stories regarding their travel. A K9 dog was brought in and alerted to the presence of narcotics in two boxes located behind the driver seat. The boxes were searched and found to contain two vacuum-sealed packages of suspected fentanyl. Both Santana Cosme and Del Gado were arrested and taken into custody.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Stanley Edwards, III.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Two Members of Marion Gardens Jersey City Gang Sentenced for Racketeering, Violent CrimesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two members of a Jersey City gang associated with the Marion Gardens Housing Complex were sentenced for their roles in two different shootings and other gang-related crimes, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Jakeem Gibson-Madison, aka “Beanz,” 30; and Terick Rogers, aka“Moot,” 32, both of Jersey City, New Jersey, were sentenced before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi in Newark federal court. Judge Cecchi sentenced Gibson-Madison to 15 years in prison and sentenced Rogers to 16 years in prison. Both defendants were ordered to serve five-year terms of supervised release following their terms of imprisonment.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Gibson-Madison, Terick Rogers, and others were all members and associates of the neighborhood street gang associated with the Marion Gardens Housing Complex. They routinely distributed cocaine and heroin, among other controlled substances, in and around the Marion Gardens Housing Complex. They also engaged in acts of violence, including numerous assaults, shootings, and murders, which targeted rival gang members and others.
Gibson-Madison and another member of the enterprise participated in a shooting on Jan. 9, 2019. Gibson-Madison drove his fellow gang member to the area of Grant Avenue and Ocean Avenue to target a rival gang member, at which time his fellow gang member shot two victims and attempted to shoot a third.
On June 30, 2018, Rogers, with two other members of the enterprise, collectively shot five people while celebrating “Meech Day” in honor of a deceased fellow gang member;
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy; investigators of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez: and the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Director James Shea, for the investigation leading to the charges.
This investigation was conducted as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in 2018 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Jersey City Police Department, for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Jersey City. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate to strategize and prioritize the prosecution of violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, the Jersey City Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, the Hudson County Jail, and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace, Chief of the Criminal Division for the District of New Jersey in Newark.
Tulsa Man Sentenced After Second Assault on Same VictimRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Victor Manuel Vallejo-Rivera, 34, for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country. Judge Hill ordered Vallejo-Rivera to 84 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
“Vallejo-Rivera did not believe the law applied to him,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “This case shows that prosecutors in the NDOK will continue to advocate and seek justice for victims of domestic violence in our district. I hope the victim can move forward in healing.”
After serving 24 months in prison for strangling the victim, Vallejo-Rivera was released in July 2023. Upon his release in 2023, he continued to remain in contact with the victim and violated several conditions of his supervised release. The court then ordered him back to federal prison to serve 18 months.
In November 2023, Vallejo-Rivera was indicted for assaulting the victim again. During a heated argument, Vallejo-Rivera flushed the victim's anti-seizure medication, took her cell phone and the keys to her car, slashed her tires, and threatened to kill her. When the victim tried to leave, Vallejo-Rivera cut her face. She managed to call 911, but Vallejo-Rivera hung up the call. When Officers arrived to check on the victim, Vallejo-Rivera was standing over the victim while she was having a seizure.
The victim is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. Vallejo-Rivera will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Upon release, Judge Hill further ordered the defendant not to have contact with the victim.
The FBI and Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa Weems and Stacey Todd prosecuted the case.
Three Federal Workers Indicted on PPP Loan Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A federal grand jury returned indictments charging three Metro East residents for scheming to falsely obtain more than $20,000 each in pandemic relief funds through the Paycheck Protection Program.
In response to financial hardships created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Small Business Administration utilized the Paycheck Protection Program to offer relief and forgivable loans to struggling businesses. Under PPP, business owners could apply for loans to offset operational costs for payroll, employee benefits, facility expenses and other bills.
“Countless small business owners and employees fell on hard economic times during the COVID-19 pandemic, and PPP loans allowed many to keep their families fed and lights on,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “In one of the most prevalent and widespread fraud crimes in history, the greedy individuals who sought to steal from the federal government under false pretenses and enrich themselves with PPP funds will be held accountable under the law.”
Katherine L. Liggins, 36, of Belleville, is facing one count of wire fraud and one count of material false statement for allegedly lying to acquire more than $20,000 in PPP funds.
Eric C. Scott, 43, of Belleville, is facing one count of wire fraud and one count of material false statement for allegedly applying for and spending more than $20,000 in PPP funds under false pretenses.
Tamika N. Wilson, 44, of Belleville, is facing two counts of wire fraud, two counts of material false statement and two counts of material false document. Wilson is accused of applying for and receiving more than $40,000 in PPP loans she was not entitled to.
“These indictments send a clear message that VA employees will be held accountable if involved in fraudulent activities,” said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Billingsley with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Central Field Office. “The VA OIG thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their efforts in this investigation.”
The defendants also used misinformation to apply for loan forgiveness and each was approved.
At the time of the alleged misconduct, Liggins, Scott and Wilson were full-time employees of the Veterans Affairs Regional Office in St. Louis County.
An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
Wire fraud convictions are punishable by up to 20 years’ imprisonment and material false statement and document convictions may lead to up to five years in federal prison.
Agents with the Department of Veteran Affairs Office of Inspector General are contributing to the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Verseman is prosecuting the case.
Three Colorado Men Sentenced to over 10 Years Each in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced three Colorado men convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance on August 12, 2024.
Sean Flynn, age 44, from Denver, Colorado, was sentenced to 11 years and three months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Brian White III, age 49, from Broomfield, Colorado, was sentenced to 11 years and three months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Marcelo Moreno, age 35, from Brighton, Colorado, was sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Flynn, White, and Moreno were indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2023. Flynn pleaded guilty on May 17, 2024. White III and Moreno pleaded guilty on May 28, 2024.
These convictions stemmed from activities involving the large-scale distribution of cocaine in Rapid City, South Dakota. Flynn, who organized and coordinated drug sales and distribution between Denver and Rapid City, was the source of supply for Thomas Delong, who distributed the cocaine with others in Rapid City. Flynn’s primary source of supply was White, who obtained cocaine from Moreno for much of the conspiracy.
Co-defendant, Thomas Delong pleaded guilty in August of 2023 and received a sentence of 12 years and seven months in prison.
This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.
All three men were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following their respective sentencing.
Stafford fentanyl trafficker sentenced to 10 years in prisonRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Stafford man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents, on Oct. 2, 2023, the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office recovered a parcel with 16,245 counterfeit blue oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and stamped with "M30." On Oct. 17, 2023, agents executed a search warrant at the residence of Dwaine Tyrone Jones Jr., 27, which he shared with his girlfriend and his girlfriend's parents.
During the search of the residence, agents recovered approximately 20,240 blue M30 pills containing fentanyl, along with approximately 40.5 grams of cocaine, a scale, $47,770 in cash, a half-pound of marijuana, and a loaded 9mm semiautomatic handgun. The total weight of the fentanyl pills was 2,137.04 grams.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia L. Norman prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-27.
St. Louis Man Sentenced for Home Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Tuesday sentenced a man who used his brother’s identity to fraudulently obtain money from the Missouri Medicaid Program to six months of incarceration and six months of house arrest.
Judge Clark also ordered Christopher J. Spencer, 46, to repay $56,173 to Missouri’s Medicaid Program.
Spencer made false statements from June 2018 to February 2022 in connection with claims for Medicaid-reimbursed personal care assistance services.
“HHS-OIG is dedicated to safeguarding taxpayers and our communities from schemes targeting the Missouri Medicaid Program,” said Linda T. Hanley, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Our ongoing partnership with the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit strengthens our collective ability to ensure resources meant for those in need are used appropriately.”
Spencer’s brother, who lived with him at the time, once provided him with personal care services, which can include housekeeping, meals, bathing, grooming and transportation. After his brother moved out in 2018, Spencer continued to submit, on a near daily basis, time sheets and Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) records falsely claiming that his brother was providing care for him. Spencer also submitted enrollment paperwork to the Medicaid vendor listing his brother as his personal care attendant and containing his brother’s forged signature. Spencer kept the debit card used by the Missouri Medicaid Program and its vendors to reimburse his brother and spent the fraudulently-obtained payments on bills, rent, groceries, shopping, hotels and other personal expenses. He also used his brother’s name and personal information to obtain loans or advances on reimbursement payments from the Medicaid vendor.
Spencer pleaded guilty in March to five counts of making false statements relating to health care benefits.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow prosecuted the case.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on August 19, 2024.
Gregory Lamar Bell, age 55, was sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Bell was indicted by a federal grand jury in July of 2023. He pleaded guilty on May 8, 2024.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on April 4, 2023, when Bell, who had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, possessed a Taurus G3 9mm handgun and 16 rounds of 9mm ammunition, which had been transported in interstate commerce. At the time he was in possession of the firearm, which was stolen, Bell was driving a stolen vehicle and was found in possession of small amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana.
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.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Bell was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Second Defendant Charged in Connection with Cattle Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal grand jury in Charlotte has returned a criminal indictment charging Clint Clifford Sicking, 40, of Muenster, Texas, for his role in a $780,000 scheme involving the theft of livestock, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Miles B. Davis, Special Agent in Charge, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA-OIG), Southeast Region, Jason Byrnes, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Charlotte Field Office, Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Charlotte Field Office, Sheriff Alan Norman of the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office
and Sheriff Darren Campbell of the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to allegations in the indictment and documents in related court proceedings, from April 2018 to October 2022, Sicking conspired with William Dalton Edwards, 25, of Mount Airy, N.C., to defraud livestock markets, also known as sales barns, in Iredell and Cleveland Counties, North Carolina, and in Texas, Oklahoma, and Virginia. The indictment alleges that, on multiple occasions during the relevant time frame, Sicking and Edwards purchased cattle from sales barns in North Carolina and wrote checks to pay for the cattle, knowing the checks were worthless, since there were insufficient funds to cover the checks and pay for the cattle.
As alleged in the indictment, Sicking and Edwards arranged to transport the cattle out-of-state before the defrauded sales barns and financial institutions could determine their checks were worthless. The stolen cattle were then resold in Texas and Oklahoma. Over the course of the scheme, Sicking and Edwards allegedly fraudulently obtained more than 900 head of cattle and caused over $780,000 in losses to sales barns in North Carolina. The sales barns—which are family-owned—incurred these losses because they are required to pay farmers and ranchers immediately after the sale of their livestock.
Sicking is charged with conspiring to defraud the United States and to violate the laws of the United States. One of the objects of the charged conspiracy was to hamper and impede the Packers and Stockyard Division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in its regulation of fair livestock markets. Other objects of the conspiracy included a scheme to obtain funds under the custody and control of federally insured financial institutions through false statements and representations; to steal livestock valued at more than $10,000; and to transport stolen livestock in interstate commerce. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum prison term of five years. Sicking is also charged with bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, and with one count of theft of livestock, two counts of interstate transportation of stolen livestock, and two counts of sale and receipt of stolen livestock, which carry a maximum of five years in prison per charged offense.
On August 2, 2024, Edwards pleaded guilty for his participation in the scheme. A sentencing date for Edwards has not been sent.
The charges against Sicking are allegations and the defendant is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended the USDA-OIG, the U.S. Secret Service, IRS-CI, and the Cleveland and Iredell County Sheriff’s Offices for their investigation of the case. U.S. Attorney King also thanked the Stanly County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Savage of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
Salt Lake County Man Found Guilty on All Counts for Bankruptcy CrimesRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal jury convicted Richard Villanueva Mitchell, 53, of Midvale, Utah, today for bankruptcy crimes he committed in 2017. After a three day trial, Mitchell was found guilty of bankruptcy fraud, false bankruptcy declaration, and bribery in bankruptcy.
According to evidence presented at trial, from April 2017 through November 2017, Mitchell schemed to defraud the bankruptcy court, bankruptcy trustee, and his creditors through fraudulent bankruptcy proceedings. As part of the scheme to defraud, Mitchell concealed several hundred appliances such as dishwashers, refrigerators, washers, dryers and ranges, appliances that Mitchell had previously borrowed roughly $500,000 to purchase. Mitchell was self-employed, supplying, installing and repairing appliances for building contractors.
At trial, the jury was presented with evidence that Mitchell filed a voluntary bankruptcy petition in May 2017, seeking to eventually discharge more than $1 million in debt. Mitchell’s petition falsely stated he had assets worth less than $50,000. Mitchell filed his mandatory Schedules of Assets and Liabilities and Statement of Financial Affairs, signing them under penalty of perjury, but failed to disclose the appliances, worth over $350,000 by his own later estimation. Mitchell also withheld mention of the appliances when questioned under oath by the trustee about his assets during standard bankruptcy proceedings. While the bankruptcy proceedings were ongoing, Mitchell attempted to conspire with a third party to sell the appliances outside the bankruptcy process, thereby enriching himself and harming his creditors. The trustee eventually learned of the appliances and obtained a court order to sell them at auction to partially satisfy Mr. Mitchell’s debts.
Mitchell is scheduled to be sentenced in December 2024 at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah made the announcement.
Assistant United States Attorney Brent L. Andrus and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Kuhn of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.
Rhode Island Man Pleads Guilty to Role in International Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Rhode Island man pleaded guilty yesterday to his involvement in a sophisticated international money laundering and drug trafficking organization.
Agustin Villa, age 61, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for Nov. 25, 2024.
In May 2023, a federal grand jury in Boston returned a superseding indictment charging 12 individuals from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York and California for their alleged involvement in a sophisticated international money laundering and drug trafficking organization. The network was first detected in greater Boston in 2021. The leader of the organization, Jin Hua Zhang, based in Staten Island, New York, and a number of his criminal associates, were eventually identified. For a fee, Zhang laundered bulk cash for drug dealers and laundered profits from other illegal businesses. In less than one year, Zhang and his organization laundered at least $25 million worth of drug proceeds and funds from other illegal businesses.
Villa was identified as a courier for a drug trafficking organization that used Zhang’s group to launder drug money. On May 26, 2022, Villa delivered over $75,000 in cash to a cooperating witness. Those funds were converted to Tether, a type of cryptocurrency, and transferred to Zhang, the organization’s leader, minus a fee. Funds were traced from the Zhang organization to Hong Kong and elsewhere in China, India, Cambodia, and Brazil, among other locations, and seized cash and cryptocurrency in accounts tied to Zhang at the conclusion of this investigation.
The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000, or twice the amount involved, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Zhang pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 15, 2024.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl, Brian A. Fogerty and Meghan C. Cleary of Levy’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Restitution Hearing Set for Former Roswell Escrow Company Owner Convicted of Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A restitution hearing has been scheduled for former Roswell Escrow Services, Inc. owner Christopher Adam Jensen-Tanner, 45.
The hearing will take place on September 18, 2024, at 1:30 PM at the U. S. Courthouse located at 100 N. Church Street, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88001.
Jensen-Tanner was previously sentenced to 46-months in prison for wire fraud on July 25, 2024.
This hearing will provide an opportunity for all parties involved to discuss and determine the restitution amounts owed in connection with the recent case.
Jensen-Tanner admitted in his plea agreement that from January 2017 through October 2019, while owning and operating Roswell Escrow Services, Inc., he engaged in a scheme to defraud clients by making false representations. The business involved holding clients' funds for 1031 exchanges and servicing real estate contracts. Jensen-Tanner misrepresented how these funds would be held or spent and used them for personal purposes on numerous occasions.
If you are a victim or potential victim and would like to attend the hearing, please contact Victim Specialist Jacquie Gutierrez at (575) 522-2304 before the date of the hearing for more information.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico are seeking individuals who may have been victims of a wire fraud scheme involving Jensen-Tanner and Roswell Escrow Services, Inc. (RES) between January 2017 and October 2019. If you were a client of Jensen-Tanner and/or RES and believe you are a victim, please contact the FBI tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.
The Roswell Division of the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this case with assistance from the Securities and Financial Institutions Divisions of the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Ry Ellison and Richard Williams are prosecuting the case.
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Recruiter for Mexican Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – A Mexican national was sentenced in El Paso to 245 months in prison for two counts related to her role in a drug trafficking conspiracy.
According to court documents, Karla Adriana Votta-Cardenas aka “Adriana,” aka “Samantha,” aka “Sophia,” 43, of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, worked for a drug trafficking organization (DTO) led by Jorge Sanchez-Morales, primarily trafficking methamphetamine. The organization imported liquid methamphetamine from Juarez, Mexico into El Paso, and then transported it to Atlanta concealed in the fuel tanks of semi tractors. In Atlanta, the liquid methamphetamine was converted to a crystalline form and distributed. Sanchez Morales oversaw the operation on behalf of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, otherwise known as CJNG.
Votta-Cardenas served as a large scale recruiter for the DTO, recruiting drivers through “help wanted” ads on social media. Votta-Cardenas recruited more than 20 drivers using this method, withholding the fact that they would be trafficking drugs.
Votta-Cardenas was arrested by Mexican authorities and extradited to the U.S. from Mexico on Nov. 1, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Spitzer and Nathan Brown prosecuted the case.
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Queens Man Arrested for Operating as an Illegal Agent of the Chinese Government in the United StatesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Christie M. Curtis, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging YUANJUN TANG, a naturalized citizen of the U.S. and resident of Flushing, Queens, with acting and conspiring to act in the U.S. as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) and making materially false statements to the FBI. TANG was arrested today in Flushing, Queens, and was presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, for years, Yuanjun Tang used his position as a leader among pro-democracy activists in the U.S. to collect information for the Chinese government and to report on people critical of the PRC and events conducted in support of democracy. Today’s charges reflect this Office’s commitment to combating the repressive and illegal use of foreign agents in the U.S. to sow fear and distrust within our communities and subvert our country’s most basic freedoms.”
Acting Assistant Director in Charge Christie Curtis said: “Yuanjun Tang conspired with the PRC's Ministry of State Security, operating covertly to further the interests of a foreign power at the expense of our nation's security. This behavior is not just illegal; it is harmful to the sovereignty of the United States, and we will not stand for it. Let this serve as a clear warning: the FBI will hunt down and hold accountable those who seek to betray our country.”
As alleged in the Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]
TANG is a former PRC citizen who was imprisoned in the PRC for his activities as a dissident opposing the one-party authoritarian political system controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (“CCP”), the PRC’s sole ruling party. In or about 2002, TANG defected to Taiwan; he was subsequently granted political asylum in the U.S. and has since resided in New York City, where he has regularly participated in events with fellow PRC dissidents and leads a nonprofit dedicated to promoting democracy in China.
Between at least in or about 2018 and in or about June 2023, TANG acted in the U.S. as an agent of the PRC by completing tasks at the direction of the PRC’s Ministry of State Security (“MSS”), which is the PRC’s principal civilian intelligence agency. The MSS is responsible for, among other things, the PRC’s foreign intelligence, counterintelligence, espionage, and political security functions.
Specifically, through a particular email account, encrypted chats, text messages, and audio and video calls, TANG regularly received instructions from and reported to an MSS intelligence officer regarding individuals and groups viewed by the PRC as potentially adverse to the PRC’s interests, including prominent U.S.-based Chinese democracy activists and dissidents. He also traveled at least three times for face-to-face meetings with MSS intelligence officers and helped the MSS infiltrate a group chat on an encrypted messaging application used by numerous PRC dissidents and pro-democracy activists to communicate about pro-democracy issues and express criticism of the PRC government. Law enforcement recovered instructions TANG received from the MSS and photographs, videos, and documents that he collected or created for transmission to the MSS from numerous electronic devices and accounts belonging to TANG.
TANG also made materially false statements to the FBI. He falsely claimed that he was no longer able to access an email account through which he had communicated with his MSS handler through draft emails.
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TANG, 67, of Flushing, Queens, is charged with one count of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of acting as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and one count of false statements, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
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 a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and its New York Field Office, Counterintelligence Division, and thanked the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Trafficking Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane Yumi Chong is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint constitutes only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.
President of UMI Learning Center Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison, Ordered to Pay $3.7 Million back in Stolen Childcare BenefitsRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 21, 2024
SAN DIEGO – Mohamed Muriidi Mohamed was sentenced in federal court today to 27 months in prison for participating in a childcare-benefits fraud scheme that bilked a California welfare and benefits program of millions of dollars.
At today’s hearing, U.S. District Judge Ruth Bermudez Montenegro also ordered Muriidi to pay $3.7 million in restitution to Child Development Associates.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) funds a program known as “Alternative Payment Program/Stage 2 Childcare.” This childcare benefits program allows eligible parents to select a licensed childcare provider that best fit a family’s needs. In San Diego, this program is administered by two contractors: Child Development Associates (CDA) and the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). CDA and YMCA disburse the funding from HHS and the state of California directly to the designated childcare providers. In administering the program, CDA and YMCA require verification forms to be completed by the parent and the parent’s employer and/or school.
Muriidi and his three co-defendants fraudulently caused CDA and YMCA to pay out millions in childcare benefit program funds by falsely verifying that parents were working or attending school at the UMI Learning Center, a vocational and language school located on University Avenue, although the parents were not actually participating in classes or employment as claimed. As part of the scheme, Muriidi also issued paychecks to make it appear that the parents were working at UMI but told the parents not to cash them. Meanwhile, childcare providers submitted daily childcare attendance forms falsely claiming that childcare was provided for days and hours when the parents were supposedly at UMI Learning Center for work or school. In exchange for these false verification forms, parents were expected to pay $200 to UMI Learning Center each month, and the childcare providers were expected to split the childcare benefit program funds they received with the parents. The defendants’ scheme caused CDA and YMCA to pay out $3.7 million dollars in childcare benefit program funds to approximately 150 households.
Muriidi and his wife, co-defendant Amina Abdirazak Omar, received childcare benefits for their own children. Muriidi signed his own and his wife’s verification forms for their own benefits under his alias to hide the fact that he was the one falsely verifying their presence at UMI. Amina Omar and her sister, co-defendant Osob Abdirazak Omar, and their brother, co-defendant Omar Omar, submitted false timesheets claiming Osob Omar and Omar Omar were providing childcare for Muriidi and Amina Omar’s children for days and hours they were not.
Co-defendants Amina Abdirazak Omar, Osob Abdirazak Omar and Omar Omar have also pleaded guilty to the same charge. Osob Omar was sentenced on July 26, 2024, to 12 months and 1 day in custody and ordered to pay $298,910 in restitution. Omar Omar was sentenced on August 2, 2024, to 90 days in custody and ordered to pay $101,153 in restitution. Amina Omar is scheduled to be sentenced on October 4, 2024.
“These defendants stole money intended to provide safe care for children of working parents,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to safeguarding government funded programs like this one, so families can better manage the heavy burden of childcare expenses.”
“These thieves organized a financial scheme with the sole purpose of lining their pockets with ill-gotten money,” said Christopher A. Davis, acting special agent in charge for HSI San Diego. “The defendants in this case stole from the government and American taxpayers. We are committed to identifying fraudsters and bringing them to justice.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Valerie H. Chu and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa J. Sanniti.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 23CR0552-RBM
Mohamed Muriidi Mohamed Age: 47 Spring Valley
Amina Abdirazak Omar Age: 41 Spring Valley
Osob Abdirazak Omar Age: 33 San Diego
Omar Omar Age: 26 San Diego
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Wire Fraud and Theft Conspiracy - Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and fine of the greater of $250,000, or twice the pecuniary gain or loss
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General
Possession of Contraband Nets Inmate an Additional 18 MonthsRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal inmate pled guilty to possessing Buprenorphine (also referred to as Suboxone) in the Federal Correctional Institution I in Butner, North Carolina “FCI Butner I,” and was sentenced to 18 months in prison for the charge. The 18-month term of imprisonment is in addition to, and consecutive to, his current term of imprisonment.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Juan Martir, 57, an inmate housed at FCI Butner I at the time of the offense, was found in possession of 45 individually wrapped strips of Buprenorphine, a schedule III-controlled substance, in his cell. On the date in question, a Unit Officer noticed that Martir’s cell door was covered, in violation of institution rules. When he went to investigate, he found Martir at the desk with the strips of Buprenorphine covered up with a hat. Possession of illicit substances in prison is strictly prohibited, and creates a dangerous security risk to inmates, staff, and the institution.
Martir’s conviction for possession of contraband Buprenorphine also makes him ineligible to earn time credits under the First Step Act, which allows federal inmates to earn up to 365 days off of their sentence for participating in eligible programming while incarcerated.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Prisons investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mallory Brooks Storus prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-00122-M-KS.
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Porcupine Man Sentenced for Domestic Abuse AssaultRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Porcupine, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. The sentencing took place on August 12, 2024.
Tyrell White Crane-Kills Back, 24, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
White Crane-Kills Back was indicted for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to an Intimate Partner, and Assault on a Federal Officer by a federal grand jury in April of 2024. He pleaded guilty on May 30, 2024.
White Crane-Kills Back assaulted his intimate partner on March 17, 2024, by hitting her with a hammer and his fists in the face and the head.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
White Crane-Kills Back was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Ponsford Man Charged with Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor on the White Earth ReservationRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Ponsford man has been indicted for sexually abusing a minor on the White Earth Indian Reservation, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, between October 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023, within the exterior boundaries of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe Indian Reservation, Joseph Schultz, 42, knowingly engaged in sexual acts with a minor under the age of 12.
The indictment charges Schultz with one count of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of abusive sexual contact. Schultz made his initial appearance today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Jon T. Huseby.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the White Earth Tribal Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carla J. Baumel and Michael P. McBride are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.