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12 September 2024
Jamaican National Admits Illegally Reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JASON CASTON WILLIAMS, also known as Jason Fitzgerald and Terry Barrington Stewart, 50, a citizen of Jamaica, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Williams was admitted to the U.S. as a Lawful Permanent Resident in October 1982. In June 1991, Williams was convicted in Connecticut state court of robbery in the second degree. He received a sentence of 10 years of imprisonment, execution suspended, and five years of probation for that offense. He subsequently violated his probation and, in March 1997, was sentenced to three years of imprisonment.
In September 1997, Williams was convicted in New York of burglary second degree and criminal possession of a weapon, and received a sentence or 30 months to five years of imprisonment.
In May 2001, after an immigration judge ordered Williams removed, he was deported to Jamaica.
Williams unlawfully returned to the U.S. and, on October 20, 2022, was arrested by Norwalk Police and charged with second-degree assault related to his use of a knife to assault another individual. On October 11, 2023, he was convicted of that charge and sentenced to five years of imprisonment, suspended after two years, and three years of probation.
At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Williams faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years for illegal reentry. He is currently detained.
This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shan Patel.
Indictment Charges 7 Individuals for Involvement in Nationwide Jewelry Theft RingRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging seven individuals for their alleged involvement in an organized jewelry theft ring that targeted mall-based stores and kiosks across the country.
The indictment was returned on July 16, 2024, and partially unsealed yesterday.
EDIXON RINCON PUENTES, 44, formerly of Los Angeles, California, was arrested on July 17 in Queens, New York, and HAROLD RAMIREZ CAGUA, also known as “Gordo,” 40, of Miami, Florida, and YESENIA MELENDEZ RINCON, 40, of Kissimmee, Florida, were arrested on July 18. Rincon Puentes and Ramirez Cagua are detained, and Melendez Rincon was released to home confinement with location monitoring. A fourth defendant, JORGE GIOVANNI ESCOBAR GONZALEZ, 40, of Kissimmee, Florida, was previously detained in Florida on preexisting state charges but is now in federal custody. The three remaining defendants are currently being sought by law enforcement and their identities remain under seal.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, from May 2023 through April 2024, Ramirez Cagua, Rincon Puentes, Melendez Rincon, Escobar Gonzalez, and others burglarized jewelry stores and kiosks in malls and then transported the stolen property or the proceeds from it across state lines. The co-conspirators burglarized jewelry establishments at the Connecticut Post Mall in Milford, Connecticut, on October 5, 2023; in Hamilton Township, New Jersey, on October 27, 2023; in Henrico, Virginia on November 4, 2023; and in Horseheads, New York, on April 18, 2024. The total losses from these burglaries exceed $1.28 million. Members of the conspiracy cased additional jewelry stores and kiosks in Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Delaware.
The indictment charges Ramirez Cagua, Rincon Puentes, Melendez Rincon, and Escobar Gonzalez each with one count of conspiracy, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the FBI New Haven’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force with the assistance of the Milford (Conn.) Police Department, the Hamilton Township (N.J.) Police Division, the Delaware State Police, the Henrico County (Va.) Police Division, the New York State Police, the New York Police Department, and the Pensacola (Fla.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Huang and Conor M. Reardon.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and the FBI Field Offices in New York, Dallas, Miami, and Tampa for their assistance.
Illinois Man Found Guilty of Selling Fatal Fentanyl PillsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A jury Wednesday evening convicted a man from Belleville, Illinois of a charge related to his sale of fake Percocet pills that killed a man in St. Louis County in 2022.
A jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis found Deontae’ Tre’Von Overall, 28, guilty of one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.
Evidence and testimony at trial showed that the victim contacted Overall’s cellular phone on Dec. 3, 2022, seeking the prescription pain pill Percocet. The victim bought three pills that mimicked the appearance of Percocet from Overall at Overall’s home in St. Louis. The victim died later that evening from fentanyl intoxication caused by ingesting the fake Percocet.
The death triggered an investigation by the St. Louis County Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Investigators contacted Overall’s cellular phone to arrange additional purchases of counterfeit Percocet, which contained fentanyl. Overall ultimately sold fentanyl to an undercover task force officer on July 19, 2023, and fentanyl and methamphetamine to an officer on July 26. A court-approved search of Overall’s home in Belleville on August 3, 2023, resulted in the seizure of drug paraphernalia and approximately 60 pills resembling those sold to the victim and the undercover officer.
On September 6, the Friday before the trial began, Overall admitted the July 26 sale of drugs to the undercover task force officer and pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly and intentionally distributing one or more controlled substances to another person.
“This case involves a young adult who was lied to by a drug dealer and his life is now tragically over,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Colin Dickey, head of Drug Enforcement Administration operations in Eastern Missouri. "DEA finds seven out of 10 of the pills being tested in our labs have a lethal dose of fentanyl. We’ve said it before, and we’ll keep saying it: if a pill did not come from a doctor or a pharmacy, don’t take it. Don’t be a statistic – one pill can kill.”
The distribution of fentanyl resulting in death charge is punishable by 20 years to life in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both prison and a fine. The charge of distribution of a controlled substances is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa Epplin and Jerome McDonald prosecuted the case.
Hazelwood Company Owner Sentenced to Year in Prison for U.S. Corps of Engineers Contract FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Thursday sentenced the owner of a steel company that falsely claimed parts for a Mississippi River lock and dam had passed safety tests to a year and a day in prison.
Theodore J. “Ted” Stegeman, 60, has already paid restitution of $238,059, representing the cost of removing, testing and re-installing cover plates, or flanges, that his company supplied to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contractor.
Stegeman’s company, Industrial Steel Fabrication LLC (ISF), was a subcontractor on a project to repair Lock and Dam No. 25 on the Mississippi River near Winfield, in Lincoln County, Missouri. ISF was responsible for fabricating and welding cover plates for all 17 bridge spans. The flanges were supposed to undergo ultrasonic tests to identify any defects in the welded joints.
In October 2019, ISF delivered a flange that had failed an ultrasonic test. To conceal the failed test, Stegeman re-assigned ISF employees who knew about the failed test, his plea agreement says. He then altered the ultrasonic testing report to make it appear as if that flange had passed. Another flange had not been tested and Stegeman told others to falsify a test to make it appear as if the part had passed.
Stegeman pleaded guilty in April in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of wire fraud.
On Thursday, Judge Clark called Stegeman’s conduct dangerous and said evidence suggested that he had knowledge of the risks that his conduct created.
The Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.
Gregg County man sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for fentanyl overdose deathRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A Longview man who sold fake prescription pills containing fentanyl has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, announced Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.
Don Paul Rickman, 39, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl resulting in death and was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker on September 12, 2024.
According to information presented in court, Rickman admitted to selling the victim what were purported to be prescription pills, after which the victim’ mother found him dead in his bedroom. The pills sold by Rickman were later determined to be laced with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid commonly used as an analgesic or anesthetic that is 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. An autopsy of the victim confirmed the cause of death to be a fentanyl overdose.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has issued a public safety alert warning Americans of the alarming increase in the lethality and availability of fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine. The public safety alert coincides with the launch of DEA’s One Pill Can Kill public awareness campaign to educate the public of the dangers of counterfeit pills and urges all Americans to take only medications prescribed by a medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist. The campaign aims to raise public awareness of a significant nationwide surge in fake pills that are mass-produced by criminal drug networks in labs, deceptively marketed as legitimate prescription pills, and are killing unsuspecting Americans at an unprecedented rate. For more information, please visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill.
This case was investigated by the DEA; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Longview Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucas Machicek.
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Four Sentenced for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
WEST VIRGINIA – Four people were sentenced for methamphetamine trafficking in the Northern District of West Virginia.
Terry Lee Mason, Jr., 37, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 324 months for the possession with intent to distribute 50 or more grams of crystal methamphetamine. Robert Joseph Wilson, III, 38, of Hagerstown, Maryland, was sentenced to 300 months for aiding and abetting the distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine. According to court documents, Mason, also known as “TJ,” and Wilson, also known as “Robbie,” worked with others to sell methamphetamine in Berkeley County.
Brenda Sams, 44, of Petersburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, Sams sold methamphetamine in Grant County. Sams has a prior drug conviction in the Northern District of West Virginia, as well as state drug and theft convictions.
Melinda Kay Zirbs, 57, of Elkins, West Virginia, was sentenced to 56 months in federal prison for the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, Zirbs was under investigation for drug trafficking and officers seized methamphetamine and more than $20,000 in her home.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Kane and Stephen Warner prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government.
The investigations were conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Maryland State Police; the Hagerstown Police Department; the Martinsburg Police Department; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Washington County, Maryland, Narcotics Task Force; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Frederick County, Maryland, Sheriff’s Department; the Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; and the Mountain Region Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided over the Mason and Wilson sentencings.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided over the Sams and Zirbs hearings.
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Fort Pierre Woman Convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Fort Pierre, South Dakota, woman convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on September 9, 2024.
Carla Reed, 62, was sentenced to four years and seven months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Reed was indicted for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance by a federal grand jury in July of 2023. She pleaded guilty on June 12, 2024.
Reed was involved in distributing methamphetamine in the Fort Pierre area. Reed would take trips to Denver, Colorado, to pick up large amounts of methamphetamine and bring it back to Fort Pierre, where she distributed it from her home. On February 18, 2023, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of Reed’s vehicle on a return trip from Denver, seizing 130 grams of pure methamphetamine.
This case was investigated Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Task Force and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Reed was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Former Wisconsin Prison Employee Pleads Guilty to BriberyRead the Press Release
A Wisconsin man pleaded guilty today to smuggling contraband into a state maximum-security prison in exchange for bribes.
According to court documents, William Lee Homan, 47, of Fox Lake, a former facilities repair worker at Waupun Correctional Institution (WCI), received approximately 125 bribe payments totaling approximately $53,579 from July 17, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2023, from inmates, former inmates, and their associates in exchange for smuggling contraband into WCI.
Homan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 12 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad for the Eastern District of Wisconsin made the announcement.
The FBI Milwaukee Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Aaron L. Jennen of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary J. Corey for the Eastern District of Wisconsin are prosecuting the case.
Former Wisconsin Prison Employee Pleads Guilty to BriberyRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, joins Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, in announcing that on September 12, 2024, William Lee Homan, 47, of Fox Lake, pleaded guilty to smuggling contraband into a state maximum-security prison in exchange for bribes.
According to court documents, Homan, a former facilities repair worker at Waupun Correctional Institution (WCI), received approximately 125 bribe payments totaling approximately $53,579 from July 17, 2022, to September 30, 2023, from inmates, former inmates, and their associates in exchange for smuggling contraband into WCI.
Homan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 12, 2024 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Aaron L. Jennen of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary J. Corey for the Eastern District of Wisconsin are prosecuting the case.
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Former School Counselor Sentenced to Prison for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Cory Thomas, 33, of Charleston, was sentenced today to four years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for possession of prepubescent child pornography. Thomas must also register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 7, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Thomas’ residence in Charleston and seized his cell phone and other electronic devices. An analysis of the electronic devices revealed at least 109 digital files of child sexual abuse material, 75 of which were videos. The videos and image files included child pornography depicting prepubescent minors subjected to sadistic or masochistic conduct and the exploitation of toddlers.
At the time of his arrest, Thomas was employed through a subcontractor as a counselor at a public elementary school and previously worked as a substitute teacher. There was no indication from the investigation that any criminal conduct occurred with students from any of Thomas’ workplaces.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander A. Redmon prosecuted 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 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.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-43.
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Former Osceola Bank Executive Sentenced for $1.5 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Osceola, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for a fraud scheme in which she stole over $1.4 million from the bank where she was employed over a period of more than 20 years.
Stacia Wilson, 60, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to three years and 10 months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Wilson to pay $1,435,491.05 in victim restitution.
On May 9, 2024, Wilson pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. Wilson admitted that, while she was employed as a vice president of St. Clair County State Bank in Osceola, she defrauded the bank by creating false and fictitious loans utilizing the stolen identity information of bank customers. She deposited the loan proceeds into her personal bank accounts to use for her own benefit.
Wilson’s fraud scheme, which lasted more than 20 years from 2000 until it was discovered in December 2022, resulted in numerous fraudulent loans and a $1,528,321 loss to the bank.
This case was prosecuted by Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Ketchmark. It was investigated by the FBI and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Former Massachusetts State Senator Convicted of COVID and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Former Massachusetts State Senator Dean A. Tran was convicted yesterday following a six-day trial for scheming to defraud the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and collecting income that he failed to report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Tran, 48, of Fitchburg, was convicted of 20 counts of wire fraud and three counts of filing false tax returns. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV, scheduled sentencing for Dec. 4, 2024. The defendant was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2023.
According to evidence presented at trial, Tran served as an elected member of the Massachusetts State Senate, representing Worcester and Middlesex Counties from 2017 to January 2021. After Tran’s State Senate term ended in 2021, Tran fraudulently received pandemic unemployment benefits while simultaneously employed as a paid consultant for a New Hampshire-based retailer of automotive parts (the Automotive Parts Company). While working as a paid consultant for the Automotive Parts Company, Tran fraudulently collected $30,120 in pandemic unemployment benefits.
In addition, Tran concealed $54,700 in consulting income that he received from the Automotive Parts Company from his 2021 federal income tax return. This was in addition to thousands of dollars in income that Tran concealed from the IRS while collecting rent from tenants who rented his Fitchburg property from 2020 to 2022.
“Dean Tran defrauded the government out of unemployment benefits he had no right to receive. His fraud and calculated deception diverted money away from those who were struggling to get by during a very difficult time,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Our office and our law enforcement partners are committed to holding accountable public officials who lie and steal for personal gain.”
“Former Massachusetts State Senator Dean Tran stole taxpayer funds intended for those Americans who lost their job due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The jury’s verdict affirms the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General’s commitment to investigate allegations of fraud involving the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) unemployment insurance (UI) program. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the UI system from those who exploit this critical benefit program,” stated Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region.
“The conviction of Dean Tran demonstrates the IRS’s commitment to the prosecution of all who choose to break the law, even elected officials,” said Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “Elected officials are held to a higher standard when they take an oath to serve but to Tran, his oath meant nothing when he chose to steal from the America taxpayers on two separate occasions. Tran stole from a pandemic unemployment program designed to help those most in need. Tran also showed great disdain for the American public when he willfully omitted his taxable income, the most basic of principles all Americans are expected to follow.”
“Former State Senator Dean Tran was convicted of cheating taxpayers by cashing in on a public health crisis by diverting tens of thousands of dollars meant to support those out of work due to the pandemic to himself instead,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “The FBI simply won’t stand for opportunists thinking they can defraud the federal government, lie on their taxes, and get away with it. We will continue to aggressively pursue anyone foolish enough to do so.”
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of filing false tax returns provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $100,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, DOL-OIG SAC Mellone, IRS-CI SAC Chavis and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy and Dustin Chao of the Office’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case.
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 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 and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.
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 via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
Former Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty to Sexual Contact with Inmate and Contraband SmugglingRead the Press Release
DETROIT - Cara Wozniak, a former Corrections Officer at the Milan, Michigan Federal Correctional Institution (FCI Milan), pleaded guilty today to sexual contact with an inmate and smuggling contraband into the prison, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by William J. Hannah, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General.
Wozniak, 33, entered pleas of guilty to one count of sexual contact with a ward and one count of providing contraband in prison. Federal law and prison rules prohibit all sexual interaction between staff members and inmates, as well as the introduction or possession of contraband in prison. Contraband is defined as prohibited materials which can reasonably be expected to cause physical injury or adversely affect the security, safety, or good order of the institution.
United States Attorney Ison stated “Corrections Officers are entrusted with the critical responsibility of managing the security of our federal prisons. Ms. Wozniak’s conduct in this case was an abuse of that trust and created a security risk for everyone at the institution. Sexual contact between inmates and Corrections Officers is never acceptable, nor is the smuggling of contraband into prison. My office takes such cases seriously and will prosecute them to the full extent of the law.”
According to the plea agreement, Wozniak began working as a Corrections Officer at FCI Milan in November 2002. The Federal Bureau of Prisons provides comprehensive training for new Corrections Officers, during which is made abundantly clear that any type of sexual interaction between guards and inmates is absolutely prohibited, as is the smuggling of contraband into a prison.
Court documents state that on two occasions in the fall of 2023, Wozniak engaged in sexual intercourse with an inmate (identified as “Inmate-1” in the plea agreement) who was under her custody and control. Wozniak also purchased pouches of loose tobacco for Inmate-1 from a smoke shop in Milan and smuggled them into the prison for him. Inmate-1 requested these items from Wozniak so he could sell the tobacco in prison at a significant profit. Inmate-1 offered to pay Wozniak for the contraband she smuggled into the prison for him. In September 2023, Wozniak purchased a gold necklace which she secretly brought into the prison and gave to Inmate-1. Both the tobacco and the necklace are prohibited items within FCI Milan, and as such are classified as contraband under federal law.
Sentencing is set for February 5, 2025, before United States District Judge Jonathan J.C. Grey. Wozniak faces a statutory maximum term of 15 years imprisonment on the charge of sexual contact with a ward, and six months on the charge of providing contraband in prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Eaton P. Brown. The investigation is being conducted by the Department of Justice-Office of Inspector General.
Former Clermont housing official pleads guilty to federal program theftRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – The former executive director of the Clermont Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to federal program theft.
Timothy Holland, 57, of Williamsburg, Ohio, admitted to stealing tens of thousands of dollars intended to assist low-income residents of Clermont County, Ohio.
According to court documents, Holland served from 2012 until 2019 as the executive director for CMHA, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recognized public housing authority for Clermont. CMHA received more than $5.9 million in annual federal funds in both 2018 and 2019 to operate and maintain public housing units as well as provide housing assistance to low-income families and individuals.
From at least 2016 until 2019, Holland caused a loss of at least $86,929. For example, in 2018, Holland used the CMHA credit card for purchases for himself totaling more than $9,500 at Amazon, Sirius Radio, LL Bean, Home Depot and elsewhere. The next year, he used the CMHA credit card for more than $25,000 of retail purchases for himself. Holland used the CMHA vehicle for non-business trips to Canada, using the CMHA credit card to pay for gas and hotels. In addition, Holland used CMHA funds to pay contractors for work done on his home and furnish an office ostensibly for CMHA’s nonprofit arm. His fraudulently funded “man cave” included a $900 game table from Amazon, a 65” TV and high-end furnishings, all paid for using CMHA funds.
“The defendant’s selfish and fraudulent actions not only put vital federal programs at risk, but also jeopardized the availability of HUD-assisted housing for those in our most vulnerable communities who rely on housing assistance programs,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Shawn Rice with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “HUD OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to vigorously pursue those who seek to profit by abusing HUD-funded programs.”
Holland’s plea agreement includes a recommended sentence of three months to 12 months and one day in prison. As part of his conviction, Holland has agreed to pay nearly $87,000 in restitution to CMHA.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Shawn Rice, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Mid-Atlantic Region; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Ohio Auditor Keith Faber announced the guilty plea entered before U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland. Assistant United States Attorney Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo is representing the United States in this case.
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Former Charleston Physician Pleads Guilty to Federal Opioid CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Dr. Alexander V. Otellin, 57, formerly of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to the unlawful distribution of oxycodone.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 27, 2017, Otellin distributed a quantity of oxycodone to a patient at his psychiatry practice in South Charleston. Otellin admitted that while his specialty was psychiatry, he treated the patient for pain management. Otellin further admitted that this distribution was without a legitimate medical purpose, outside the usual course of medical practice, and without proper authority.
Otellin distributed controlled substances to the patient starting on or about February 6, 2014, until on or about July 15, 2020. During this time period, Otellin knew the patient was receiving opiates from another physician. For the first four years of this time period, Otellin did not review the patient’s medical history for substance abuse or habits or document a review of the database that tracks controlled substance prescriptions. For approximately five months during this time period, Otellin wrote prescriptions for oxycodone and other controlled substances for the patient without conducting evaluations of him.
Otellin was believed to have fled the United States to Russia in order avoid prosecution following his indictment by a federal grand jury on September 22, 2021. Otellin possesses dual citizenship in the U.S. and Russia. The U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia worked with INTERPOL Washington to issue an Interpol Red Notice for Otellin. In September 2023, Otellin entered the country of Armenia and was arrested and detained by Armenian authorities. U.S. Marshals took custody of Otellin in Armenia and transported him back to the United States, arriving in Charleston on April 20, 2024. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Armenian authorities to secure the arrest and extradition of Otellin.
Otellin has surrendered his medical license with the West Virginia Board of Medicine. Otellin is scheduled to be sentenced on January 9, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Trial Attorney Charles D. Strauss of the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division – Fraud Section and Assistant United States Attorneys Owen Reynolds and Andrew D. Isabell are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-159.
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Florida Man Sentenced for Role in Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Florida man was sentenced yesterday for his for his participation in a money laundering conspiracy.
Robert Hueton Colespring, 56, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Colespring was also ordered to pay a fine of $5,000. In May 2024, Colespring pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and conducting substantive money laundering transactions.
Beginning in 2016 and continuing until 2022, an investigation into a money laundering organization based primarily in Barranquilla, Colombia was conducted. An undercover agent infiltrated the organization by portraying himself as an international money launderer able to pick up bulk cash throughout the world, launder the proceeds through his United States-based accounts and send the money to Colombia through the Black Market Peso Exchange – a common method of trade-based money laundering used to repatriate the proceeds of drug trafficking to Colombia.
Throughout the course of the investigation, members of the money laundering organization would contact the undercover agent and arrange meetings for him and his purported associates to collect cash for laundering. Individuals, such as Colespring, performed the role of money courier. On two occasions in Florida, Colespring delivered bulk cash which was then deposited into the undercover agent’s bank account in Massachusetts and then subsequently wired to accounts and repatriated back to drug traffickers in Colombia. Over the course of the conspiracy, Colespring was responsible for the laundering of approximately $599,990 in drug proceeds.
Colespring was charged in a 50-count indictment along with 19 other individuals in March 2022. Colespring is the eighth defendant to be sentenced in the case. Four other defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua R. Levy and Stephen Belleau, Acting Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Alathea E. Porter of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Florida Man Sentenced for Civil Rights Conspiracy Targeting Pregnancy Resource CentersRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – A Florida man was sentenced today to one year and a day in prison for conspiring to injure, oppress, threaten or intimidate employees of pro-life pregnancy help centers in the free exercise of the right to provide and seek to provide reproductive health services. Caleb Freestone, along with two co-defendants, Amber Smith-Stewart and Annarella Rivera, selected reproductive health facilities that provided and counseled alternatives to abortion and vandalized those facilities with threatening messages.
According to court documents, these defendants engaged in a series of targeted attacks on pregnancy help centers in Florida. The defendants admitted they participated in the attack in the dark of night, and while wearing masks and dark clothing to obscure their identities, spray painted the facilities with threatening messages, including “If abortions aren’t safe than niether [sic] are you,” “YOUR TIME IS UP!!,” “WE’RE COMING for U” and “We are everywhere.” These defendants pleaded guilty on June 14 to a civil rights conspiracy.
“These defendants admitted that they conspired to paint threatening messages on crisis pregnancy centers, based on the defendants’ objection to the services those centers offered,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Violence and threats of violence have no place in our national discourse on reproductive health. The Justice Department is committed to protecting the right to access reproductive health care and prosecuting anyone who interferes with that right.”
“These defendants conspired to threaten and intimidate providers offering reproductive health care,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Federal law protects these providers and those who seek their services. My office will continue its work to protect access to reproductive health care and federally prosecute those interfering with that right.”
Smith-Stewart and Rivera were also each sentenced today to 30 days in prison and 60 days in home detention.
The FBI Tampa Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Miami Police Department.
Trial Attorney Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Derry for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about incidents of violence, threats and obstruction that target a patient or provider of reproductive health services or damage and destruction of reproductive health care facilities, should report that information to the FBI at www.tips.fbi.gov. For more information about clinic violence, and the Justice Department’s efforts to enforce Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act violations, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/national-task-force-violence-against-reproductive-health-care-providers.
Florida Man Sentenced for Civil Rights Conspiracy Targeting Pregnancy Resource CentersRead the Press Release
A Florida man was sentenced today to one year and a day in prison for conspiring to injure, oppress, threaten or intimidate employees of pro-life pregnancy help centers in the free exercise of the right to provide and seek to provide reproductive health services. Caleb Freestone, along with two co-defendants, Amber Smith-Stewart and Annarella Rivera, selected reproductive health facilities that provided and counseled alternatives to abortion and vandalized those facilities with threatening messages.
According to court documents, these defendants engaged in a series of targeted attacks on pregnancy help centers in Florida. The defendants admitted they participated in the attack in the dark of night, and while wearing masks and dark clothing to obscure their identities, spray painted the facilities with threatening messages, including “If abortions aren’t safe than niether [sic] are you,” “YOUR TIME IS UP!!,” “WE’RE COMING for U” and “We are everywhere.” These defendants pleaded guilty on June 14 to a civil rights conspiracy.
“These defendants admitted that they conspired to paint threatening messages on crisis pregnancy centers, based on the defendants’ objection to the services those centers offered,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Violence and threats of violence have no place in our national discourse on reproductive health. The Justice Department is committed to protecting the right to access reproductive health care and prosecuting anyone who interferes with that right.”
“These defendants conspired to threaten and intimidate providers offering reproductive health care,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Federal law protects these providers and those who seek their services. My office will continue its work to protect access to reproductive health care and federally prosecute those interfering with that right.”
Smith-Stewart and Rivera were also each sentenced today to 30 days in prison and 60 days in home detention.
The FBI Tampa Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Miami Police Department.
Trial Attorney Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Derry for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about incidents of violence, threats and obstruction that target a patient or provider of reproductive health services or damage and destruction of reproductive health care facilities, should report that information to the FBI at www.tips.fbi.gov. For more information about clinic violence, and the Justice Department’s efforts to enforce Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act violations, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/national-task-force-violence-against-reproductive-health-care-providers.
Final defendant convicted on all charges in Operation Ghost BustedRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: The final defendant in a massive drug trafficking organization has been convicted on all charges after a two-day jury trial.
Blake K. Screen, 36, of Brunswick, was found guilty on charges of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Screen faces a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and a period of supervised release upon completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“As the final defendant awaiting adjudication in this conspiracy, Blake Screen’s conviction represents a milestone in this investigation,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “The investigators and prosecutors performed outstanding work in removing this drug trafficking operation from our community and holding the conspirators accountable.”
Screen was on of 76 defendants indicted in USA v. Alvarez et al., dubbed Operation Ghost Busted because of the drug trafficking conspiracy’s ties to the Ghost Face Gangsters and other criminal street gangs. Unsealed in January 2023, the indictment resulted from an investigation that identified a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed large amounts of high-grade methamphetamine, along with fentanyl, heroin, and alprazolam in the greater Glynn County area.
For more than two years, investigators from the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force, the Glynn County Police Department, the Brunswick Police Department, the Glynn County Sheriff's Office, and the Camden County Sheriff's Office collaborated with multiple federal, state, and local agencies to identify the sprawling drug trafficking network. The conspiracy operated inside and outside Georgia prisons, coordinated by members of the Ghost Face Gangsters working with affiliates of other gangs including the Aryan Brotherhood, Bloods, and Gangster Disciples.
During the trial before U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood, jurors learned that Screen conspired by text and Facebook messages with other traffickers in the organization – many of whom were inmates in Georgia state prisons – to transport and sell large quantities of illegal drugs, including methamphetamine and fentanyl. Investigators found more than 65 doses of fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid, in Screen’s possession when he was taken into custody.
Of the other 75 original defendants in Operation Ghost Busted, 70 have been sentenced to prison terms of as much as life in prison after pleading guilty, and four are awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty. One defendant died while awaiting trial. Judge Wood will schedule sentencing for Screen upon completion of a pre-sentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services.
Operation Ghost Busted, the largest drug trafficking prosecution in the history of the Southern District of Georgia, was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
Agencies involved in the investigation include the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; the Georgia Department of Corrections; the Georgia Department of Community Supervision; the Glynn County Police Department; the Brunswick Police Department; the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office; and sheriff’s offices from Pierce, Camden, Wayne, Treutlen, McIntosh, Toombs, Telfair, Dodge, and Ware counties. The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J. Kirkland, L. Alexander Hamner, and Criminal Division Deputy Chief E. Greg Gilluly Jr.
Final Medoc Defendant Sentenced in $4.4 Million Prescription Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
The final defendant in the Medoc kickback conspiracy was sentenced yesterday to 10 months in federal prison for his role in a prescription kickback scheme that cost federal insurance programs more than $4.4 million, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
The first indictment was filed in January 2020. Those sentenced include:
- Kevin Douglas Kuykendall, cofounder of Medoc Health Services, sentenced to 36 months in prison and ordered to pay $4.4 million in restitution for conspiracy to solicit and receive illegal kickbacks
- Sabrina Burmester Kuykendall, Kevin’s wife, sentenced to 36 months’ probation and ordered to pay $4.4 million in restitution for conspiracy to solicit and receive illegal kickbacks
- Mark David Schneider, cofounder of Medoc Health Services, sentenced to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay $4.4 million in restitution for conspiracy to solicit and receive illegal kickbacks
- Michael Ray Schneider, sentenced to 14 months in prison and ordered to pay $4.4 million in restitution for conspiracy to solicit and receive illegal kickbacks
- Trenton Lynn Moody, sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in prison and ordered to pay $257,500 in restitution for conspiracy to solicit and receive illegal kickbacks
- Cuong “Michael” Nguyen, founder of Total RX pharmacy, sentenced to 10 months in prison for misprision (concealment) of a felony and paid in restitution in the amount of $591,142
- Moky Chung, sentenced to 10 months in prison and ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution for conspiracy to solicit and receive illegal kickbacks
According to court documents, Medoc conspirators knowingly solicited illegal kickbacks from Total RX, a Rowlett pharmacy that was struggling to stay afloat.
In December 2014, Medoc executives Kevin Kuykendall and Mark Schneider approached Total RX owner Cuong Nguyen with a proposal: Nguyen could convert Total RX from an infusion pharmacy into a compounding pharmacy and begin filling prescriptions for Medoc. In return for referring lucrative prescriptions to Total RX, Medoc would receive a 50 percent commission.
The initial agreement only covered prescriptions covered by private insurers and specifically excluded any prescriptions paid by federal insurance programs, such as Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, and Worker’s Compensation. At the time, Kuykendall and Schneider acknowledged that Medoc could not get paid on prescriptions paid by federal insurance programs. (They later admitted they knew of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS), which makes it illegal to receive remuneration in return for the referral of prescriptions funded by federal insurers.)
However, in early 2015, Kevin Kuykendall directed Nguyen to enter into a sham employment agreement with Mark Schneider’s brother, co-defendant Michael Ray Schneider, which would grant him a 45 percent commission on all prescriptions covered by federal health insurance that were referred by Medoc to Total RX.
Though nominally an “employee” of the pharmacy, Michael Schneider would be neither trained nor supervised Total RX. He would not work out of the Total RX offices, would not perform duties at Total RX’s behest, and would rarely communicate with Total RX. In court documents, multiple defendants admitted that the employment agreement between Michael Schneider and Total RX served as a way to “paper up” the payment of illegal kickbacks on prescriptions paid out by federal insurers.
Initially, Nguyen declined to execute the employment agreement, concerned that it specifically tied commission payments to government insurance programs. During a conference call, Kevin Kuykendall, Mark Schneider, and Moky Cheung agreed to designate prescriptions covered by federal health insurance programs as “<PRESCRIBER NAME> T” in order to internally track federal prescriptions for purposes of calculating kickbacks owed to all the conspirators but yet conceal the criminal nature of the scheme.
Defendants Kevin Kuykendall, Mark Schneider, Moky Cheung, and Trenton Moody then created various entities, including “Barolo Partners,” to receive and distribute Mr. Schneider’s purported salary payments. A portion of the money deposited into the Barolo account was eventually dispersed to K&S Biotherapeutics, an entity controlled by the Kuykendalls, and to Radiux Resources, an entity controlled by Moky Chung.
Beginning in August 2015, Medoc entered into a similar scheme with Doctors Specialty Pharmacy (DSP). In return for Medoc referring prescriptions to DSP, the pharmacy paid a hefty commission to the conspirators via Vantage Investment Partners, an entity they created for that purpose. The money was disguised as payment for “marketing services,” but no marketing occurred.
In total for the various schemes, the conspirators submitted claims for $10,448,856.90. and received payment of $5,837,219.70.
In 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas intervened and filed its own complaint in a civil qui tam lawsuit that relator Mark Adams brought in 2017 pursuant to the False Claims Act, captioned United States ex rel. Mark Adams v. Medoc Health Services, L.L.C. et al., Civ. No. 3:17-CV-2977-M (N.D. Tex., Dallas Division). Under the False Claims Act, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of the recovery. As part of the resolution of these civil claims, Kevin and Sabrina Kuykendall paid $4 million, and Trenton Moody paid $600,000 to the United States. In addition, Mark and Michael Schneider stipulated to entry of a $3 million civil judgment; Cuong “Michael” Nguyen to a $2.25 million civil judgment; and Moky Cheung to a $300,000 civil judgment.
FBI, HHS-OIG, Department of Labor, and the Texas Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Donna Max, Doug Brasher, Nick Bunch (fmr), and Matthew Smid (fmr) prosecuted the criminal case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Coffin, Richard Guiltinan, Beverly Chapman, Katie Carr Jacobs, and Clayton Ray Mahaffey (fmr) handled the civil suit.
Federal Jury Finds Lookout in Ellenton Armored Truck Robbery Guilty at TrialRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Jorge Serrano Espinoza (20, Clearwater) guilty of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to the robbery. Espinoza’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 12, 2024.
According to evidence presented at trial, on the morning of June 9, 2023, James Battle, Jr., Carlos Keanu Smith, and Jorge Espinoza met for the purposes of robbing an armored truck. They followed the armored truck along its route from Pinellas County to eastern Hillsborough County before eventually reaching a gas station in Ellenton. Toll records from the Florida Department of Transportation show Battle’s vehicle following seconds behind the targeted armored truck that morning. Surveillance video showed the vehicle also following the armored truck to other locations before conducting the robbery at the gas station in Ellenton. As the driver returned to the armored truck, Battle and Smith approached pointing pistols at the victim, forcing him to the ground. Espinoza was the lookout, who warned them when the armored truck driver attempted to reach for his firearm. Espinoza also supplied one of the firearms used in the robbery and surveilled the driver at one of the earlier stops on his route. The defendants stole more than $150,000 from the armored truck.
Battle previously pleaded guilty for his role in the case and was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. Smith also pleaded guilty; his sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 10, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Kenneth. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney James A. Muench.
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.
Enid Woman Sentenced to Serve 30 Months in Federal Prison after Embezzling more than $400,000 from NonprofitsRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY –DEBORAH WILCZEK, 46, of Enid, has been sentenced to serve 30 months in federal prison for making, uttering, and possessing a forged security, and willfully filing a false federal income tax return, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On May 16, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a 17-count Superseding Indictment against Wilczek, charging her with devising and carrying out a scheme to defraud the YWCA in Enid (YWCA) and the Cimarron Montessori School (Cimarron). According to the Superseding Indictment, from November 2012 through April 2019, Wilczek served in leadership positions for the YWCA. She also served on Cimarron’s School Board in various capacities from August 2016 to April 2021. The Superseding Indictment alleges Wilczek routinely accessed both the YWCA and Cimarron’s business bank accounts, wrote herself checks, and made several unauthorized bank transfers to pay for her personal expenses, including her personal credit card. She concealed her theft by misclassifying these expenses in each nonprofits’ bookkeeping system. In total, Wilczek embezzled $414,951.35 from the two nonprofits, with $139,308.35 coming from YWCA and $275,643 coming from Cimarron. It is also alleged that Wilczek forged Cimarron board members’ signatures on checks written to herself and her consulting firm.
The Superseding Indictment further alleges Wilczek willfully filed false federal income tax returns for the years 2016 through 2020, where she listed her total income substantially below the income actually received as a result of the fraud described above.
On November 7, 2023, Wilczek pleaded guilty to Counts 10 and 17 of the Superseding Indictment, and admitted she possessed a check with a forged signature written on a bank account belonging to Cimarron and that she filed an income tax return for the 2020 tax year that materially understated her income.
At the sentencing hearing on September 11, 2024, Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti sentenced Wilczek to serve 30 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The court also ordered Wilczek to pay $439,749.80 in restitution, with $139,308.35 going to the YWCA, $221,622.45 going to Cimarron, and $78,819.00 going to the IRS. In announcing the sentence, Judge DeGiusti noted the seriousness of the offense, and the detrimental effect that Wilczek’s conduct has had on the Enid community and the organizations themselves.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Stillwater Resident Agency, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Enid Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle London prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for further information.
El Salvadorian sentenced to federal prison for reentering the United States following three previous removalsRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – An El Salvadorian man has been sentenced to federal prison for immigration violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.
Robert Daniel Argueta-Lopez, 51, pleaded guilty to being illegally in the United States and was sentenced to 140 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker on September 12, 2024.
According to information presented in court, on July 9, 2022, local law enforcement stopped a car being driven by Argueta in Van Zandt County, Texas, and he was arrested on state charges. After being booked into the Van Zandt County Jail, federal law enforcement found Argueta in the Eastern District of Texas and determined that he was without lawful immigration status in the United States. The investigation determined that Argueta was a citizen and national of El Salvador and had previously been deported or removed from the United States on December 13, 2007, April 25, 2012, and on July 30, 2021. Argueta’s first removal followed a state conviction for first-degree murder in Tarrant County, Texas in 1994. His second removal followed a federal conviction for illegal reentry after deportation in the Northern District of Texas in 2008. And his third removal followed a federal conviction for assault on a federal officer in the Southern District of Texas in 2013.
This case was investigated by DHS Immigration Customs Enforcement-Enforcement Removal Operations; Homeland Security Investigations; the Wills Point Police Department; and the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen Hurst.
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El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con una compañía de gestión de aparcamiento que resuelve acusaciones de discriminación por motivos de nacionalidad de origenRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anuncio hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con SP Plus Corporation (SP Plus), una empresa de gestión de transporte y aparcamiento con sede en Chicago, Illinois. El acuerdo resuelve la determinación del departamento de que SP Plus discriminó a una trabajadora al rechazar un documento válido que mostraba su permiso para trabajar y al pedir que proporcionara documentación innecesaria, con base en su nacionalidad de origen.
«Es ilegal que un empleador rechace un documento válido que demuestre el permiso de alguien para trabajar en función del país en el que esa persona nació», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «El Departamento se compromete a proteger a los trabajadores de la discriminación por motivos de nacionalidad de origen en el proceso de contratación y a eliminar barreras innecesarias para el empleo.»
Después de llevar a cabo una investigación basada en una queja, la Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados (IER, por sus siglas en inglés), de la División de Derechos Civiles, concluyó que SP Plus discriminó a una beneficiaria del Estatus de Protección Temporal (TPS) en función de su nacionalidad de origen. Los beneficiarios del TPS tienen permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos. Pueden obtener Documentos de Autorización para Trabajar que demuestren a los empleadores su permiso para trabajar. A veces, el gobierno federal prorroga estos Documentos de Autorización para Trabajar más allá de la fecha de vencimiento que figura en la tarjeta. Las instrucciones sobre cómo un empleador puede determinar si un Documento de Autorización para Trabajar ha sido prorrogado por el gobierno federal indican a los empleadores que consulten el código de categoría del documento y la fecha de vencimiento. El Departamento determinó que, en lugar de seguir las instrucciones del gobierno federal, SP Plus rechazó ilegalmente el Documento de Autorización para Trabajar válido y prorrogado de la trabajadora porque nació en las Bahamas en lugar de Haití, el país a través del cual tiene TPS. La ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés) prohíbe que los empleadores consideren el país de nacimiento de un empleado u otro indicador de nacionalidad de origen a la hora de verificar el permiso de trabajo de una persona.
En virtud de los términos del acuerdo, SP Plus pagará sanciones civiles a los Estados Unidos, y le ofrecerá pagos retroactivos a la trabajadora afectada, así como su reincorporación. Por otra parte, el acuerdo también requiere que la compañía capacite a su personal en cuanto a los requisitos antidiscriminatorios de la INA, que revise sus políticas de empleo y que se someta a la supervisión por parte del Departamento. SP Plus cooperó con la investigación de la División.
La IER es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. Entre otras cosas, la ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación.
El sitio web de IER tiene información sobre las obligaciones de los empleadores de no discriminar al contratar a trabajadores con TPS y los derechos laborales de trabajadores con TPS. Obtenga más información sobre el TPS en el sitio web de los Servicios de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de los EE. UU.. Aprenda más sobre el trabajo de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda mediante este vídeo corto. Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia. El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); inscribirse a un seminario en línea gratuito o visualizar una presentación a la carta; enviar un correo electrónico a [email protected];; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español. Inscríbase para recibir actualizaciones por correo electrónico desde la IER.
Early Bitcoin Investor Pleads Guilty to Filing Tax Return that Falsely Reported His Cryptocurrency GainsRead the Press Release
An Austin, Texas, man pleaded guilty today to filing a tax return that falsely underreported the capital gains he earned from selling $3.7 million in bitcoin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2017 and 2019, Frank Richard Ahlgren III filed false tax returns that underreported or did not report the sale of $4 million worth of bitcoin in which he had substantial gains. All taxpayers are required to report any sale proceeds and gains or losses from the sale of cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin, on their IRS tax return.
Ahlgren was an early investor in bitcoins. In 2015, Ahlgren purchased approximately 1,366 bitcoins. That year, bitcoins were valued at no more than $500 each. In October 2017, Ahlgren sold approximately 640 bitcoins for approximately $5,807.53 per bitcoin for a total of $3.7 million. Ahlgren had purchased most of the bitcoins he sold in 2017 in 2015. He used the entirety of the proceeds from the sale of bitcoins to purchase a house in Park City, Utah. Ahlgren then filed a false tax return with the IRS for 2017 that substantially inflated the cost basis of the bitcoins, and therefore underreported his capital gain from his bitcoin sale.
In addition, in 2018 and 2019, Ahlgren sold more than $650,000 worth of bitcoins and did not report those sales on either years’ tax returns.
In total, Ahlgren caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $550,000.
Ahlgren will be sentenced at a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the Texas Office of Attorney General are investigating the case.
Assistant Chief Michael C. Boteler and Trial Attorney Mary Frances Richardson of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney William R. Harris for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Des Moines Man Sentenced to 110 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines man was sentenced today to 110 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.
According to public court documents, Antonio Dontez Hoffman, Jr., 21, burglarized a deceased woman’s house during her funeral and stole a large number of guns and ammunition. Hoffman’s phone contained messages with his co-conspirator about his desire to sell most of the guns he thought they would find at the house and those he desired to keep for himself. At the time, Hoffman was on state probation following his conviction for possession of a stolen firearm.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Hoffman will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Des Moines Police Department.
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.
Council Bluffs Man Sentenced to 134 Months in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced today to 134 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
According to public court documents, Lawrence Allen Peterson, II, also known as “Toro,” 48, conspired with other individuals to distribute methamphetamine within the Council Bluffs metropolitan area between March and October 2023. In 2005, Peterson was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Peterson will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Colombian Nationals Sentenced to 35 and 30 Years in Prison for Plot to Murder American SoldiersRead the Press Release
MIAMI –Colombian nationals Andres Fernando Medina Rodriguez, 40, and Ciro Alfonso Gutierrez Ballesteros, 31, were sentenced today to 420 and 360 months in prison, respectively, for conspiring and attempting to murder U.S. soldiers by detonating a car bomb outside a military base near the Colombia-Venezuela border.
“Our most urgent mission and highest priority is to hold those accountable who target Americans, to include the brave men and women who serve as members of our uniformed services domestically and around the world,” stated U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “As seen by the prison sentences imposed upon defendants Medina Rodriguez and Gutierrez Ballesteros today, individuals who threaten the safety and security of the United States and our fellow Americans will face the full force of our nation’s criminal justice system.”
“Crime doesn’t stop at our borders and neither does the FBI’s commitment to investigate criminal acts against our military overseas,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI’s Miami Field Office. “We work closely with our international partners and security services around the globe to conduct complex investigations and acquire evidence from abroad for criminal prosecutions in the United States. This capability is vital to our work. In this case, I especially want to thank the Fiscalía General de la Nación de Colombia, the Colombian National Police, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, the DOJ Office of International Affairs, the DOJ Narcotics and Dangerous Drug Section, the Department of Defense, and the U.S. Embassy Bogotá for their diligence and professionalism throughout this investigation.”
According to court records, Medina Rodriguez and Gutierrez Ballesteros, in concert with members of the 33rd Front, an extremist faction of Las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias (“FARC”), targeted American troops stationed at the Colombian 30th Army Brigade Base in Cúcuta, Colombia. Medina Rodriguez used his status as a medically discharged Colombian army officer to gain access to the base, where he conducted photographic and video surveillance of the areas where the U.S. soldiers were located.
Approximately ten days before the attack, Medina Rodriguez and Gutierrez Ballesteros delivered a white SUV to their co-conspirators in the 33rd Front, who loaded it with an improvised explosive device.
On June 15, 2021, Medina Rodriguez drove the bomb-laden SUV to the 30th Army Brigade Base, parking it in front of the location where U.S. and Colombian military personnel worked. Gutierrez Ballesteros, riding a motorcycle, escorted Medina Rodriguez. Medina Rodriguez activated the bomb’s timer device and left the area on foot before fleeing on the motorcycle driven by Gutierrez Ballesteros. Three U.S. Army soldiers and forty-four Colombian military personnel were injured in the blast.
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the FBI Legal Attaché in Bogotá, Department of Defense, Fiscalía General de la Nación de Colombia, and Colombian National Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Browne and Abbie D. Waxman of the Southern District of Florida, and Trial Attorney David C. Smith from the Justice Department’s National Security Division represented the United States at sentencing. Former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randy A. Hummel and Andy R. Camacho contributed significantly to the investigation and prosecution of this matter.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá worked with Colombian authorities to secure the arrest and extradition of Gutierrez Ballesteros and Medina Rodriguez.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-20054.
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Colombian Nationals Sentenced for Plot to Murder American SoldiersRead the Press Release
Colombian nationals Andres Fernando Medina Rodriguez, 40, and Ciro Alfonso Gutierrez Ballesteros, 31, were sentenced today to 35 and 30 years in prison, respectively, for conspiring and attempting to murder U.S. soldiers by detonating a car bomb outside a military base near the Colombia-Venezuela border.
According to court documents, Medina Rodriguez and Gutierrez Ballesteros, in concert with members of the 33rd Front, an extremist faction of Las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias (FARC), specifically targeted American troops stationed at the Colombian 30th Army Brigade Base in Cúcuta, Colombia. Co-conspirator Andres Fernando Medina Rodriguez used his status as a medically discharged Colombian army officer to gain access to the base, where he conducted photographic and video surveillance of the areas where the U.S. soldiers were primarily located.
Approximately 10 days before the attack, Medina Rodriguez and Gutierrez Ballesteros delivered a white SUV to their co-conspirators in the 33rd Front, who loaded it with an improvised explosive device.
On June 15, 2021, Medina Rodriguez drove the bomb-laden SUV to the 30th Army Brigade Base, eventually parking it in front of the location where U.S. and Colombian military personnel worked. Gutierrez Ballesteros, riding a motorcycle, escorted Medina Rodriguez. Once inside, Medina Rodriguez activated the bomb’s timer device and left the area on foot before fleeing on the motorcycle driven by Gutierrez Ballesteros. Three U.S. Army soldiers and 44 Colombian military personnel were injured in the blast.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI National Security Branch made the announcement.
The FBI with assistance from the FBI Legal Attaché in Bogotá, the Fiscalía General de la Nación de Colombia and the National Police investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Browne and Abbie Waxman for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney David C. Smith for the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randy A. Hummel and Andy R. Camacho for the Southern District of Florida also contributed significantly to the investigation and prosecution.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá worked with Colombian authorities to secure the arrest and extradition of Gutierrez Ballesteros and Medina Rodriguez.
City officials indictedRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – The mayor pro-tem and city manager of Edcouch have both been taken into custody on public corruption charges, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Victor Hugo De La Cruz, 40, and Rene Flores, 60, both of Edcouch, are set to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker at 9 a.m. Sept. 13.
A federal grand jury returned the four-count indictment under seal Sept. 2 which was unsealed upon their arrests.
The indictment alleges that from June to September 2019, De La Cruz, city manager, and Flores, mayor pro-tem, solicited bribe payments from the owner of a Brownsville business that provides marketing services throughout the Rio Grande Valley. The business owner allegedly received two separate $3000 payments for marketing work he was allegedly performing for the city of Edcouch. In return, he made two $1000 kickback payments to Flores, according to the charges.
De la Cruz and Flores are charged with conspiracy, bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds and use of a facility in interstate commerce in furtherance of bribery.
If convicted, they both face up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine on the bribery charge and five years for the conspiracy and use of a facility in interstate commerce.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Johnson and K. Alejandra Andrade are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Circles and Silence Program Set to Return for a 5th Consecutive Year in Rhode Island Schools; As Kids Head Back to School, U.S. Attorney’s Office Launches Internet Safety Resource Page for ParentsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI –United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha announced today that his office is set to launch Circles and Silence programs in Rhode Island schools statewide for a 5th consecutive school year. Additionally, U.S. Attorney Cunha today launched an Internet Safety resource page on the Rhode Island U.S. Attorney’s Office web site, providing families with important information to help protect children while on the internet.
The Circles and Silence program and the Internet Safety resource page, which includes important an important public service announcement from U.S. Attorney Cunha to parents about ways to help protect kids from online threats, are part of several U.S. Attorney’s Office community outreach initiatives related to crime prevention, enforcement, protecting individuals’ civil rights, and assisting victims.
“Whether it’s the risk of opioids and addiction, or the threat posed by online predators, the back-to-school season is the perfect time for parents to make sure that they talk to their kids, understand the threats they face online and in the community, and partner with us in the effort to help keep our children and communities safe,” remarked U.S. Attorney Cunha.
The Circles and Silence Program, an education and outreach model that addresses opioid addition, prevention, and recovery, is built around a five-time Emmy nominated, locally produced U.S. Attorney’s Office documentary film narrated by a diverse group of Rhode Island young adults whose personal true-life stories delve deeply into their distinct journeys of drug dependency and recovery. The film documents their paths from addiction, in some instances to prison, to successful management of addiction, to working daily to lead productive and healthy lifestyles. In addition to sharing their stories, individuals who appear in the film participate in in-person conversation sessions with students.
To date, more than 30,000 Rhode Island students and community members across the state have attended Circles and Silence programs. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will kick-off the new school year on September 17, 2024, with a presentation to students at Cranston East High School. Later that same day, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will present a program on elder abuse and elder fraud at the Salvatore Mancini Senior Center in North Providence.
Visit the U.S. Attorney’s web site to learn more about these initiatives and other outreach programs offered by the United States Attorney’s Office. To schedule a Circles and Silence presentation, or any outreach initiative program, contact United States Attorney’s Office Community Engagement & Crime Prevention Coordinator David Neill at (401) 709-5035 or at [email protected].
Choppa City Members Found Guilty in Brinks Armored Trucks RobberiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – William Brock, 33, Anthony Antwon McNair, 36, and Erin Sheffey, 29, were found guilty by a federal jury today for their involvement in a series of armed robberies of Brinks armored cars in Washington, D.C. that resulted in the loss of approximately $1.2 million. The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The jury convicted all three defendants of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery. The jury also convicted Brock and McNair of interference with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act Robbery), bank robbery, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth scheduled sentencing for January 15, 2025.
The offenses related to three robberies of Brinks armored trucks occurring on October 6, 2021, December 8, 2021, and March 2, 2022. In those robberies, the defendants used firearms to assault the drivers of Brinks armored cars and steal money. In total, the defendants stole over $1.2 million.
According to court documents and the evidence at trial, the three defendants were members of the Choppa City street crew. Brock, McNair, and Sheffey conspired together and with others to plan and carry out the robberies, brandishing firearms on D.C. city streets while doing so. Each robbery occurred on a Wednesday at approximately 9 a.m. in the morning and two occurred on busy city throughfares, causing a significant risk to the public. Testimony in the case revealed the conspirators used assault rifles, such as the one pictured below and recovered by law enforcement, to carry out their assault.
An AR-15 Weapon Used by The Defendants During the Armed Robberies
Defendant Brock (Right) and Defendant McNair (Left) robbing a Brinks armored car employee weapon with a firearm on December 8, 2021. Both Brock and McNair assaulted the driver by beating him with their pistols even after he turned over the delivery bag.
Defendant Brock planned the robberies for months, learning the routes and timings that the Brinks driver would arrive, in order to ensure the robbery team was in place. When the Brinks driver would exit his armored car vehicle to deliver money to a bank or local business, the robbers would ambush him. In two cases, the defendants assaulted one of the Brink’s drivers, even after he turned over his courier bag, who still carries injures today from being assaulted in the robberies.
Some of the defendants used social media to show off large sums of money they stole during the robberies and photographed themselves making high-end luxury purchases. For example, within two days of the robberies, Defendant Brock purchased vehicles in cash totally over $36,000. In addition, a member of Choppa City who was present during the planning of the armed robberies testified against the defendants.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation WFO Violent Crimes Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Cameron Tepfer and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Schneider. Valuable assistance was provided by AUSAs Josh Gold, Meredith Mayer-Dempsey, and Thomas Strong.
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Child Sex Offender Sentenced to over 11 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography Offense and Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Louisville, Kentucky, man was sentenced yesterday to a total of 11 years and 6 months in federal prison. The sentence included 10 years for possession of child pornography and an additional 1 year and 6 months for violating a previous term of federal supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of the Homeland Security Investigations Nashville made the announcement.
According to court documents, William Joseph Popp, 56, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for possessing child pornography after having been previously convicted of possessing child pornography and first-degree sexual abuse of a minor. At the time he committed this offense, Popp was on federal supervised release for a 2014 conviction in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky for possession of child pornography. During his term of supervised release, Popp was found to be in possession of prohibited cellular telephones with internet capabilities that contained searches for and images and videos of child pornography that had been downloaded from the internet. Popp was sentenced to an additional 1 year and 6 months in prison for violating the terms of his supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by HSI Louisville.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Zimdahl prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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California Businessman and His Companies Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Improper Paycheck Protection Program LoansRead the Press Release
Yosef Y. Manela, a Los Angeles-based businessman who owns and operates an accounting firm, law firm and consulting company, has paid $802,341.40 to the United States to resolve allegations that he and his three companies violated the False Claims Act in connection with six loans the businesses received under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Manela and his companies also agreed to repay the lender for all outstanding PPP loans, relieving the Small Business Administration (SBA) of liability to the lender for the federal guaranty of approximately $728,000.
The PPP, an emergency loan program established by Congress in March 2020 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and administered by the SBA, was intended to support small businesses struggling to pay employees and other business expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic. A borrower applying for a PPP loan was required to make multiple certifications that the borrower was eligible for the requested loan and the borrower would not receive another PPP loan. The borrower was also required to certify that the funds would be used for qualifying expenses, such as payroll, lease payments, utilities and other allowable business expenses. In December 2020, Congress approved funding for a “second draw” of PPP loan funds, which became available to borrowers beginning in January 2021.
The United States alleged that Manela and his companies received a total of six first and second draw PPP loans based on duplicative payroll expenses for multiple businesses and/or on behalf of non-existent employees. According to the United States, Manela and his companies made capital distributions of business profits to Manela’s family members that were falsely characterized as wages in PPP loan applications and forgiveness applications. The United States alleged that these false loan and forgiveness applications resulted in losses to the SBA for processing fees, interest and payment to the lender on a loan guarantee.
“PPP loans were intended to provide critical relief to small businesses facing difficult economic times due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department is committed to pursuing those who improperly sought to enrich themselves at the expense of the PPP or other pandemic-assistance programs.”
“Every taxpayer dollar lost to unscrupulous individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic is money that failed to reach businesses struggling for survival,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California. “It is important that we uphold the integrity of pandemic-related assistance programs.”
“The favorable settlement in this case is the product of enhanced efforts by federal agencies such as the Small Business Administration working with the Department of Justice, SBA’s Office of Inspector General and other Federal law enforcement agencies, to address fraud on the PPP,” said General Counsel Therese Meers of the SBA.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Relator LLC, a limited liability corporation formed by California attorneys Anoush Hakimi and Peter Shahriari. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Relator LLC v. Yosef Y. Manela et al., Case No. 2:22-cv-04781-MWF-ASx (CDCA). Relator LLC will receive approximately $80,000 as its share of the total settlement.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, with assistance from the SBA’s Office of General Counsel and Office of the Inspector General.
Trial Attorney Allie Pang of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul La Scala for the Central District of California handled the matter, with the assistance of Civil Division Investigator Wanda Wesley and Paralegal Heather Beckler for the Central District of California. Sandra Mazzoni, of the SBA’s Office of Inspector General, also provided investigative assistance.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Justice Department 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 actors committing civil and criminal fraud 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 www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud affecting COVID-19 government relief programs can be reported by visiting the webpage of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section, which can be found here. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can also report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
SettlementBucks County Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Prison for Running Ponzi Schemes, Money Laundering, and Stealing over $6 Million in Federal Pandemic Relief FundsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Stanislav Bril, aka “Stan Bril” and “Slava Bril,” age 41, of Jamison, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge John M. Younge to 135 months in prison, three years of supervised release, over $14 million in restitution, and a $2,400 special assessment in connection with multiple fraud schemes, including the theft of more than $6 million in federal pandemic relief funds. Judge Younge also ordered that Bril be remanded into custody following the hearing.
On October 30, 2023, Bril pleaded guilty to three counts of mail fraud, 11 counts of wire fraud, five counts of bank fraud, and five counts of money laundering, all arising from his operation of two different Ponzi schemes, his false applications for bank loans, his defrauding of the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program, and related conduct.
From October 2011 to August 2014, Bril operated a Ponzi scheme through his company, Mortgage Consultant Group (“MCG”), obtaining over $1 million from investors and using much of these funds for his own benefit and to perpetuate the scheme. In his marketing materials and his sales pitches to investors, Bril falsely claimed that these investments would enable MCG to make loans on real estate and construction projects or enable MCG to make short-term, high interest loans. Bril falsely promised that investors would obtain regular returns, or “interest,” on their capital loan investments in MCG. Rather than use investors’ funds as promised, Bril used the vast majority of the money to pay himself, his family, and his personal expenses – including his gambling losses at casinos – and to perpetuate his scheme by occasionally making “interest” payments to some investors.
From October 2018 to June 2021, Bril fraudulently obtained a $750,000 line of credit from a bank headquartered in Scranton, Pa., for another company he created, The Bril Group, Inc. (“TBG”). In order to secure the line of credit, Bril made false statements about TBG’s business, the number of TBG employees he was hiring, and the intended use of the line of credit. Once he obtained the line of credit, Bril caused those funds to be spent on unauthorized purchases and laundered a significant portion of those funds through various bank accounts.
From April 2020 to March 2021, Bril fraudulently obtained over $6.7 million from the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) and Paycheck Protection Programs (“PPP”) by making false statements about the number of employees of, the wages and payroll taxes paid by, and the intended use of the loan proceeds by several companies that he created. Bril falsely claimed that these companies – TBG, MCG LOAN, and SAB Services LLC – had several hundred employees, when, in reality, none of these companies had more than one employee.
In his PPP and EIDL applications, Bril submitted purportedly historical tax forms with inflated payroll information for nonexistent employees that had never actually been filed. In addition, Bril falsely denied that there were criminal charges pending against him at the time of his applications. In fact, federal charges were already pending against Bril for his perpetration of the Ponzi scheme detailed above. Once he fraudulently obtained these government funds, Bril wired them to other individuals, cryptocurrency platforms, and a title company towards the purchase of a Los Angeles condominium. In addition, Bril spent fraud proceeds on luxury vehicles, a boat, and extravagant vacations. He also laundered a significant portion of those funds through various bank accounts and transactions.
From July 2019 to at least August 2021, Bril revived MCG and used it to perpetrate yet another Ponzi scheme, obtaining millions of dollars in loans from several investors and using these funds for his own benefit – including paying for his own home renovations – and to perpetuate the scheme. Bril initially took short-term loans from investors and repaid investors with high interest rates to lull them into a false sense of security and to obtain larger loans from them. In his sales pitches to investors, Bril falsely claimed that their loans would enable MCG to make loans on real estate and construction projects and/or enable MCG to make short-term, high-interest loans. However, Bril provided investors with few details of these purported projects and declined to identify his purported borrowers. He often encouraged investors to “roll over” their loans into new deals, rather than take their payouts per their agreements with Bril.
When investors asked him whether he had any claims, lawsuits, or legal proceedings filed against him, Bril falsely answered in the negative, despite his knowledge that federal charges were already pending against him for his perpetration of the earlier Ponzi scheme. When Bril began missing the agreed repayments to investors, he provided bogus explanations for his theft of their loans, including that he was waiting for a wire to clear, that he waiting for a check to be mailed from his bank, that he was looking for a new bank, that his new bank was giving him a “hard time,” and that he was suffering from a variety of health emergencies and personal tragedies that were somehow preventing him from making timely paying to the investors. Rather than use investors’ funds as promised, Bril used the funds to pay himself, his family, and his personal expenses – including trading in digital currencies – and to perpetuate his schemes by occasionally making “interest” payments to some investors.
“Stanislav Bril is a rampant and remorseless scammer,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Over the course of a decade, he blithely defrauded everyone from individual investors — many of whom lost their life savings or kids’ college funds — to a community bank, to the U.S. government and the millions of taxpayers who fund it. Meantime, he was shopping for Bentleys and boats. We and our partners are committed to holding con artists like Bril accountable, both to keep them from claiming more victims and to reinforce that crime truly doesn’t pay in the end.”
“While conducting his various schemes, the defendant stole over $6 million. The money was intended to support legitimate businesses suffering losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Philadelphia. “The FBI, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, will continue to hold accountable those who exploit government programs for personal gain.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and IRS - Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Vineet Gauri and Matthew T. Newcomer.
Brazilian Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brazilian man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Jose Antonio Moreira Martins Desouza, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Dec. 17, 2024. In July 2024, Desouza was indicted by a federal grand jury.
Desouza was previously deported from the United States on Nov. 14, 2012. Sometime after his November 2012 removal, Desouza illegally reentered the United States. He was arrested by local police on May 22, 2023 and then detained by immigration authorities on June 26, 2024.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Todd Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Bonita Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking of a 15-Year-Old Girl and Providing the Fentanyl that Resulted in Her DeathRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – September 12, 2024
SAN DIEGO – Marcus Ray Chavez of Bonita pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he provided fentanyl pills to a 15-year-old girl in exchange for sex, and that the fentanyl ultimately resulted in her death.
On at least four occasions between September and November 2022, Chavez provided the girl with two “M30” pills he knew were counterfeit pharmaceutical pills that contained fentanyl. Chavez also admitted to knowing the girl was underage. On November 12, 2022, the girl fatally overdosed from pills that Chavez provided.
As a result of his guilty plea, Chavez will be sentenced to no less than 20 years in custody, the statutory mandatory-minimum penalty for distributing fentanyl resulting in death.
“This heartbreaking case brings home the devastation caused by fentanyl,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “For his role as the dealer in this tragedy, the defendant will spend at least the next 20 years of his life in prison.
“Fentanyl continues to devastate lives and families across the country,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Clark. “The defendant preyed upon this young girl and stole her life. The DEA and its partners continue to vigorously pursue those who deal fentanyl and bring them to justice.”
“Our hearts are with the family and loved ones of those impacted by this case,” said San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl. “Justice has been served for this young victim, whose life was cut tragically short. SDPD will continue to pursue every available avenue to hold fentanyl dealers accountable for these kinds of crimes.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Owen Roth and Katherine E.A. McGrath.
Special Agents and Task Force Officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Response Team (formerly known as Team 10) led the investigation, with support from the San Diego Police Department. This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the San Diego Police Department, the La Mesa Police Department, National Guard Counterdrug Task Force and the California Department of Health Care Services to investigate and prosecute the distribution of dangerous illegal drugs—fentanyl in particular—that result in overdose deaths. The Drug Enforcement Administration created the Overdose Response Team as a response to the increase in overdose deaths in San Diego County.
DEFENDANT Case Number 23cr1354-JES
Marcus Ray Chavez Age: 30 Bonita, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Sex Trafficking of a Minor – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 1591(a)(1), (b)(2)
Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum 10 years in prison, maximum life in prison and $250,000 fine
Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 841(a), 841(b)(1)(C)
Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum 20 years in prison, maximum life in prison and $1 million fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Response Team (formerly known as Team 10)
San Diego Police Department
San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
Homeland Security Investigations
La Mesa Police Department
National Guard Counterdrug Task Force
California Department of Health Care Services
Billings meth, fentanyl, heroin trafficker sentenced to five years in prisonRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine, fentanyl and heroin after the drugs were found in his car was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Sheldon Patrick Tracy, 55, pleaded guilty in February to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that in 2022, Tracy came to the attention of law enforcement as a drug distributor in the Billings area. On Aug. 17, 2022, law enforcement stopped a truck that Tracy was driving. Tracy was on state probation and a probation officer authorized a search of Tracy and the vehicle. Tracy had almost $8,467 in his front pocket and a small bag of heroin. After getting a search warrant for the truck, officers located approximately two ounces of meth in a quart baggie and 48 fentanyl pills. Tracy admitted he possessed all the drugs in the vehicle and intended to sell them.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office 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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Avilla Man SentencedRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Justin M. Stevens, 30 years old, of Avilla, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to two counts of theft of mail and one count of receipt of stolen mail, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Stevens, who had been in federal custody since November 2023, was sentenced to time served followed by 30 months of supervised release. Following his release from incarceration, Stevens is required to report to a halfway house, residential treatment facility, or transitional living facility.
According to documents in the case, between August and October 2021, the United States Postal Inspection Service received reports of residential mail thefts in the Fort Wayne and Huntertown areas. On October 16, 2021, Stevens was apprehended in the early morning hours attempting to steal mail from a mail receptacle in Huntertown, Indiana. At that time, his SUV contained approximately two hundred pieces of stolen mail. Bank records indicated a check stolen from a homeowner’s mail receptacle had been deposited in an account in his name on August 9, 2021.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin C. Sheridan.
Audubon Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – An Audubon man was sentenced today to 25 years (300 months) in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a minor.
According to public court documents, William Roland Brubaker, 27, initiated a sexual relationship with a minor and produced videos of child sexual abuse material of the minor. The videos were recorded on a cell phone and shared with Brubaker through a social media application.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Brubaker will be required to serve a 10-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Brubaker will be required to register as a sex offender.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Audubon County Sheriff’s Department, Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation’s Cyber Crime Bureau, Iowa Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and FBI Child Exploitation Task Force.
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 the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.
Atlanta Promoter, Entrepreneur, and Former NFL Player Sentenced for Paycheck Protection Program FraudRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Travis Lee Harris has been sentenced to federal prison for wire fraud stemming from his fraudulent acquisition of a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan for nearly $1,000,000, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Harris falsified a loan application to obtain PPP funds for his business that he then blatantly used to fund a lavish lifestyle,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Harris has now been held accountable for his crime. Our office will continue working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute anyone who defrauds taxpayers out of COVID-19 pandemic relief funds.”
“Fraudulent exploitation of SBA’s pandemic relief programs diverts critical resources from the small businesses that truly need them,” said Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Special Agent in Charge of the SBA OIG’s Eastern Region. “Our office is committed to protecting taxpayer funds and ensuring that individuals who attempt to defraud SBA programs are brought to justice. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s office and our law enforcement partners for their collaboration and dedication to justice in this case.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: In June 2020, Travis Harris, a former NFL player, signed a PPP loan application for his business, Atlanta Luxury Cars & Trucks LLC, in the amount of $968,405. Harris provided fraudulent information on his application about the number of employees, payroll, and revenue for the business. Based on Harris’ fraudulent representations, the lender deposited $968,405 into the bank account for Atlanta Luxury Cars & Trucks LLC. Harris soon began transferring the PPP loan funds into his personal bank accounts. In the following months, Harris posted to social media pictures of him holding a large stack of cash, buying a Rolex watch and other jewelry, and renting a room at a luxury hotel. Harris also used a portion of the PPP loan funds to finance other start-up businesses.
Travis Lee Harris, 43, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Victoria M. Calvert to one year, four months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $997,457.15. Harris was convicted on these charges on February 14, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas M. Forsyth III and Alison B. Prout prosecuted the case.
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.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Assault with steel-toe boots on Crow Indian Reservation sends man to prison for more than three yearsRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—A Crow Agency man who admitted to punching another man in the face and then kicking him with steel-toe boots in a residence in Wyola, on the Crow Indian Reservation, was sentenced today to three years and seven months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Jordale Thomas Redwolf, 36, pleaded guilty in May to assault with a dangerous weapon.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that on Dec. 8, 2023, Redwolf and the victim, identified as John Doe, were drinking alcohol at a house in Wyola, on the Crow Indian Reservation. Doe reported that for no apparent reason, Redwolf repeatedly punched him in the face. When Doe fell to the floor, Redwolf kicked him in the face and torso with boots. Doe was treated at the Crow Indian Health Service Hospital for injuries. In an interview the next day, Redwolf admitted he beat up Doe because both were drunk, and Doe was “mouthing off” because Redwolf had just been released from prison. Redwolf kicked Doe with his prison-issued boots. Law enforcement seized steel-toe boots that had blood on them from Redwolf’s home.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted the investigation.
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Administrator of Scam Telegram Channel Sentenced for Multi-Million Dollar FraudRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Birmingham-area man has been sentenced to a decade in prison for his role running a Telegram channel that sold millions of dollars in stolen and fraudulent checks, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
U.S. District Judge Madeline Haikala sentenced Mekhi Diwone Harris, 25, of Birmingham, to 120 months in prison and ordered him to forfeit $160,000. In April 2024, Harris pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud.
“Check fraud is a growing national problem,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “That is in no small part due to Telegram channels like the one run by the defendant, which operated as a one-stop shop for other scammers to purchase stolen financial instruments. Thanks to the tremendous partnership from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama and our law enforcement partners who worked on this case, we were able to bring the administrator of the ‘Work Related’ channel to justice.”
“Fraud poses a fundamental threat to our national security as well as to our everyday way of life,” said Special Agent in Charge Peeples. “The FBI is committed to coordinating with our partners and aggressively pursuing those who seek to victimize others for their personal gain. I hope this sentencing serves as a warning to others who might engage in these types of schemes.”
According to the plea agreement, from April 2022 to August 2023, Harris acted as an administrator of the “Work Related” Telegram channel using the Telegram handle “@O1ihk.” During this period, more than one thousand stolen or fraudulent checks were sold on the channel. The victims included individuals, businesses, churches, schools, and non-profit organizations. The total value of the checks posted to the channel was more than $10 million.
The FBI investigated the case with significant assistance from the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Secret Service Cyber Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Canter prosecuted the case.
6 Florida Men Charged with Conspiracy, Carjacking OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Danbury Police Chief Patrick Ridenhour today announced that the following six Florida residents have been charged by federal criminal complaint with offenses stemming from a violent carjacking and kidnapping in Danbury:
- ANGEL BORRERO, aka “Chi Chi,” 23, of Miami, Florida
- JOSUE ALBERTO ROMERO, aka “Sway,” 26, of Miami, Florida
- REYNALDO DIAZ, aka “Rey,” 20, of Belle Clade, Florida
- ANTHONY PENA, aka “Tony,” 23, of Miami Gardens, Florida
- MICHAEL RIVAS, 18, of Miami, Florida
- RICARDO ESTRADA, aka “Ricky,” 21, of Miami, Florida
The six defendants have detained since they were arrested on related state charges on August 25, 2024.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in the late afternoon of August 25, 2024, Danbury Police received multiple 911 calls from witnesses who observed several males assaulting another male and forcing him into a white work van. Responding officers encountered the van on Clapboard Ridge Road, near the intersection of East Gate Road, and attempted to stop it. The van accelerated at a high-rate of speed and crashed approximately one mile away on Cowperthwaite Street. Four men dressed in black, later identified as Borrero, Romero, Pena, and Diaz, exited the van and fled on foot. Officers arrived at the location of the disabled van and located a male and female victim, both bound with duct tape, in the back of the van. The male victim had significant injuries to his face and arm. Both victims were transported to the hospital for further evaluation. The victims reported that the Lamborghini Urus they were operating was rear-ended by a Honda Civic on Damia Drive in Danbury, and a white work van cut in front of their vehicle. The victims were then forcibly removed from their vehicle, dragged into the van, and bound with duct tape. When the male victim began to resist, he was punched in the face and hit with a baseball bat. The victims were repeatedly told that they would be killed.
Borrero, Romero, Pena, and Diaz were apprehended in various locations within a quarter-mile radius from where the van crashed. Rivas and Estrada, and the Honda Civic, were located at a short-term rental home in Roxbury. The victims’ Lamborghini was found abandoned in the woods off the roadway on East King Street. It is alleged that Borrero organized, paid for, and booked flights for the six defendants to travel from Florida to commit this criminal activity.
The complaint charges the six defendants with conspiracy, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and with carjacking, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery noted that the investigation is ongoing, and stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI New Haven Violent Crimes Task Force and the Danbury Police Department. The Task Force includes members from the Connecticut State Police and several local police departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ross Weingarten.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Danbury for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.
19 Defendants Charged in Columbus Armed Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ga. – Five indictments unsealed this afternoon charge 19 defendants in alleged armed drug trafficking conspiracies and substantive drug distribution activities with ties to Zohannon, a hybrid criminal street gang in Columbus, resulting from Operation Sweet Silence, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation.
According to the indictments and other court documents and statements made in court, federal and local law enforcement conducted Operation Sweet Silence from Aug. 2022 until May 2024, an investigation into the alleged illegal activities of the Zohannon criminal street gang involving alleged armed drug trafficking. As part of the investigation, law enforcement recovered fentanyl, methamphetamine and other controlled substances, along with firearms, including a machine gun and Glock switches, which are used to convert firearms into machine guns.
Federal search and arrest warrants were executed in Columbus on Thursday, Sept. 12, resulting from newly unsealed federal indictments:
USA v. Dawson, No. 4:24-cr-00023
Dequindre Dawson, 32, of Columbus, is charged with two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and two counts of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. If convicted, Dawson faces a maximum sentence 20 years in prison to be followed by at least three years of supervised release and a $1,000,000 fine.
USA v. Williams, No. 4:24-cr-00020
Jhy’Keith Williams aka “Keith Keith,” 23, of Columbus, is charged with one count of illegal possession of a machine gun. If convicted, Williams faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
USA v Mullins, et al, No. 4:24-cr-00019
Tommie Mullins, Jr. aka “TJ” aka “Bo” aka “Mini,” 30, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, Mullins faces a maximum of life imprisonment;
Anthony Champion, 45, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute. If convicted, Champion faces a maximum of life imprisonment;
Trenton Clemons, 47, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, Clemons faces a maximum of life imprisonment;
Christopher Hill, 35, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute. If convicted, Hill faces a maximum of life imprisonment;
Darius Jenkins, 23, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute. If convicted, Jenkins faces a maximum of life imprisonment;
Javonta Paden, 24, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute. If convicted, Paden faces a maximum of life imprisonment;
Adrian Palmer aka AP, 24, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, Palmer faces a maximum of life imprisonment;
Adrian Pleasants, 28, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute. If convicted, Pleasants faces a maximum of life imprisonment;
Trenton Thomas aka “Bubble,” 24, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute and two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, Thomas faces a maximum of life imprisonment; and
Corey Turner aka “Lito” aka “Lito Red,” 32, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, Turner faces a maximum of life imprisonment.
USA v. Carter, No. 4:24-cr-00017
Jantzen Carter, 39, of Waverly Hall, Georgia, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. If convicted, Carter faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
USA v. Brown, No. 4:24-cr-00015
Fernando Brown aka “Nino,” 31, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute, two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted, Brown faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment;
Undrae Hayes aka “Skizite,” 36, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, Hayes faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment;
Jeffrey Kimbrough aka “YSN Trap,” 28, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute. If convicted, Kimbrough faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment;
Hykeem Lomax aka “Peso,” 32, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, Lomax faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment;
Davontay Richardson, 27, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute. If convicted, Richardson faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment; and
Malik Williams aka “YSN Bird,” 26, of Columbus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. If convicted, Williams faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The defendants are in custody and initial appearances are expected to occur before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Weigle on Sept. 12 and Sept. 13.
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 and multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The case was investigated by FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office with critical assistance from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office; the Russell County, Alabama, Sheriff’s Office; the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office; the Sacramento County, California, Sheriff’s Office; and the Muscogee County District Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Williams of the Middle District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Matthew P. Mattis of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case for the Government.
An indictment is only an allegation of criminal conduct, and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.
11 September 2024
West Virginia Business Defrauds, Pays the United States Postal ServiceRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Frame, Inc., a construction service company operating in West Virginia and Florida, has paid restitution of $187, 286 for defrauding the federal government.
Frame, Inc., operated by James Frame, Sr., 66, formerly of Charleston, West Virginia, was contracted by EMCOR Facilities Services, Inc. to manage subcontractors and the negotiation of costs for repairs and construction work at U.S. Postal Service (USPS) locations within a 150-mile radius of Charleston, West Virginia. Frame, Inc. committed wire fraud when it submitted bills for supposed services with rates above what was being charged by the subcontractors, and many times certifying that Frame, Inc. conducted the work, when in fact, a subcontractor had been used. Much of the work was done on USPS locations in Berkeley, Jefferson, Morgan, Hampshire, and Mineral Counties.
As a part of the plea agreement, Frame agreed to dissolve the corporation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Crockett prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General.
United States Settles Claims of Durable Medical Equipment Fraud Against Wilmington PhysicianRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss announced today that Dr. Vishal Patel, a Wilmington physician, has agreed to pay $1,080,000 to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by ordering medically unnecessary durable medical equipment for patients covered by Medicare and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP).
Between February 2018 and April 2019, Dr. Patel referred patients for more than 1750 orthotic devices, including wrist, shoulder, knee, ankle, and back braces. The United States alleges that Dr. Patel had no medical relationship with these patients and that the referrals were based on brief reviews of the patients’ medical charts, which failed to establish any legitimate medical justification for the devices. Medicare and FEHBP paid, on average, more than $400 for each device. Patient files were provided to Dr. Patel by RediDoc, LLC, a purported telemedicine company based in Phoenix, Arizona whose owners pleaded guilty to participation in a $64 million health care fraud conspiracy in May 2022.
“Fraudulent telemedicine companies such as RediDoc rely on licensed healthcare providers to make their operations appear legitimate and avoid detection,” said U.S. Attorney Weiss. “By ordering services for patients they have never examined or treated, these providers permit fraud schemes to flourish and drain vital funds from Medicare and other government healthcare programs. In conjunction with our law enforcement partners, this office will continue to use all available means to identify healthcare providers who increase costs through unnecessary orders and hold them accountable.”
"For more than a year, Dr. Patel schemed to deceive and repeatedly lied to further his greed. His blatant and unscrupulous abuse of the healthcare system led to an exorbitant amount of fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. "Healthcare fraud takes money away from legitimate patients and needs, affecting the reliability of our programs, which is why the FBI is committed to bringing fraud to light and perpetrators like Dr. Patel to justice.”
“We expect that federal health care providers submit necessary orders for patients they are actually treating,” said Derek M. Holt, Special Agent in Charge, the Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General. “We applaud our law enforcement partners and colleagues at the Department of Justice for their hard work in protecting the FEHBP and other federal health care programs from fraudulent claims.”
“Health care providers are required to charge Medicare only for services and equipment that are medically necessary,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue allegations that illegitimate billings have been submitted to federal health care programs.”
This matter was investigated by agents from the FBI, HHS-OIG, and the Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General. Within the U.S Attorney’s Office, this matter was handled by Civil Chief Dylan J. Steinberg and Affirmative Civil Enforcement Auditor David Cheung.
The government’s pursuit of this matter illustrates its emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800‑HHS‑TIPS (800-447-8477).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware.
United States Files Suit Against Pain Institute of Nashville, Michael Cox, Debbie Cox, and Related EntitiesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – The United States today filed a complaint in intervention alleging violations of the False Claims Act by Clarksville Pain Institute, LLC, Pain Institute of Nashville, PLC, Michael Cox, and Debbie Cox, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski for the Middle District of Tennessee. The complaint also includes the common law claims of unjust enrichment and payment by mistake.
As set forth in detail in the 70-page complaint, since at least 2014, these pain clinics and the Coxes violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting or causing to be submitted false claims for diagnostic testing services provided to patients that were not medically necessary, including urine drug screens, allergy tests, and psychological tests.
The complaint alleges that the defendants pressured staff at their Clarksville pain management clinic to bill for more testing than was medically necessary, that the practice routinely tested patients’ urine and did not review the results, and that the practice operated multiple schemes to maximize testing profits from different kinds of diagnostic testing. Moreover, the complaint alleges that the defendants ignored multiple warnings from consultants, auditors, and insurers that their billing practices did not comport with Medicare requirements. Furthermore, the complaint alleges that patients described being treated like cattle at the clinic, spending minutes with providers, and receiving unnecessary testing that was pushed on patients if they wanted to receive their pain medications.
The government began investigating the wrongdoing alleged in today’s complaint in response to a lawsuit filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery.
The matter is being investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Tackeff represents the United States.
The claims alleged by the United States are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. The lawsuit is captioned United States ex. rel. Krista Nicholson, et al. v. Clarksville Pain Institute, LLC, et al., Case No. 3:20-cv-00309 (M.D. Tenn.).
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U.S. Attorney’s Offices Announces Canadian Man Pleads Guilty to Destruction of an Energy Facility for Acts in both North Dakota and South DakotaRead the Press Release
BISMARCK – District of North Dakota United States Attorney Mac Schneider and District of South Dakota United States Attorney Alison Ramsdell announced that Cameron Monte Smith, a citizen of Canada appeared in Federal court on September 11, 2024, in Bismarck and pleaded guilty before District Court Judge Daniel M. Traynor to one count of destruction of an energy facility charged in the District of North Dakota and one count of destruction of an energy facility charged in the District of South Dakota.
Smith is facing up to 20 years of imprisonment on each count.
Smith admitted to damaging the Wheelock Substation, located near Ray, N.D., in an amount exceeding $100,000, in May of 2023. The Wheelock substation is operated by Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative and Basin Electric Power Cooperative.
Smith also admitted to damaging a transformer and pumpstation of the Keystone Pipeline located near Carpenter, South Dakota, in an amount exceeding $100,000, in July of 2022.
Smith damaged the Wheelock substation and the Keystone Pipeline equipment by firing multiple rounds from a high-power rifle into the equipment resulting in disruption of electric services to the North Dakota customers and resulting in disruption of the Keystone Pipeline in South Dakota.
“This defendant deliberately and very violently attacked our nation’s energy infrastructure,” Schneider said. “Our law enforcement partners put an end to those attacks, and this guilty plea provides a measure of accountability for the defendant’s actions and extensive damage he caused. Our career prosecutors and colleagues in the District of South Dakota deserve credit for working cooperatively to ensure this defendant faced justice in federal court.”
“Cameron Smith orchestrated and executed attacks on critical energy infrastructure in North and South Dakota using a high-powered rifle,” said U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell. “Thanks to our partners in the District of North Dakota, the FBI, ATF, and the National Security Division, this defendant has been held to account for his criminal activity, and he will now be subject to serious time in federal prison.”
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Williams County (ND) Sheriff’s Office, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Clark County (SD) Sheriff’s Department, and the Beadle County (SD) Sheriff’s Department, and is being prosecuted by North Dakota Assistant U.S. Attorneys David D. Hagler and Jonathan J. O’Konek, and District of South Dakota Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Jehangiri, with the assistance of Trial Attorneys Jacob Warren and Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
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U.S. Attorney’s Offices Announces Canadian Man Pleads Guilty to Destruction of an Energy Facility for Acts in both North Dakota and South DakotaRead the Press Release
BISMARCK – District of North Dakota United States Attorney Mac Schneider and District of South Dakota United States Attorney Alison Ramsdell announced that Cameron Monte Smith, a citizen of Canada appeared in Federal court on September 11, 2024, in Bismarck and pleaded guilty before District Court Judge Daniel M. Traynor to one count of destruction of an energy facility charged in the District of North Dakota and one count of destruction of an energy facility charged in the District of South Dakota.
Smith is facing up to 20 years of imprisonment on each count.
Smith admitted to damaging the Wheelock Substation, located near Ray, N.D., in an amount exceeding $100,000, in May of 2023. The Wheelock substation is operated by Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative and Basin Electric Power Cooperative.
Smith also admitted to damaging a transformer and pumpstation of the Keystone Pipeline located near Carpenter, South Dakota, in an amount exceeding $100,000, in July of 2022.
Smith damaged the Wheelock substation and the Keystone Pipeline equipment by firing multiple rounds from a high-power rifle into the equipment resulting in disruption of electric services to the North Dakota customers and resulting in disruption of the Keystone Pipeline in South Dakota.
“This defendant deliberately and very violently attacked our nation’s energy infrastructure,” Schneider said. “Our law enforcement partners put an end to those attacks, and this guilty plea provides a measure of accountability for the defendant’s actions and extensive damage he caused. Our career prosecutors and colleagues in the District of South Dakota deserve credit for working cooperatively to ensure this defendant faced justice in federal court.”
“Cameron Smith orchestrated and executed attacks on critical energy infrastructure in North and South Dakota using a high-powered rifle,” said U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell. “Thanks to our partners in the District of North Dakota, the FBI, ATF, and the National Security Division, this defendant has been held to account for his criminal activity, and he will now be subject to serious time in federal prison.”
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Williams County (ND) Sheriff’s Office, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Clark County (SD) Sheriff’s Department, and the Beadle County (SD) Sheriff’s Department, and is being prosecuted by North Dakota Assistant U.S. Attorneys David D. Hagler and Jonathan J. O’Konek, and District of South Dakota Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Jehangiri, with the assistance of Trial Attorneys Jacob Warren and Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.