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23 July 2024
Riverhead Man Sentenced to 25 Years' Imprisonment for Conspiring to Distribute Large Quantities of Narcotics, Including Fentanyl, on the East End of Long IslandRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Marquis Douglas, a narcotics trafficker who operated a narcotics business that was responsible for the distribution of large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl and other illicit substances throughout the North Fork of Long Island, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joanna Seybert to 25 years’ imprisonment. Douglas pleaded guilty in November 2023 to conspiring with others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, more than one kilogram of heroin, more than 280 grams of crack cocaine, more than 40 grams of fentanyl and a quantity of fentanyl analogue (fluorofentanyl), and distribution of cocaine and fluorofentanyl on or about August 12, 2021, which resulted in the overdose deaths of four people.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Raymond A. Tierney, Suffolk County District Attorney, announced the sentence.
“Douglas’s singular contribution to the opioid epidemic on Long Island is horrific as the drugs he distributed contributed to the deaths of four human beings,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today’s lengthy sentence should serve as a deterrent to those endangering our communities by distributing potentially lethal drugs. It is my hope that holding the defendant accountable for the terrible consequences of his actions will bring a measure of closure to the victims’ families.”
U.S. Attorney Peace also extended his thanks to the Riverhead Police Department, the Southold Police Department, the Shelter Island Police Department and the New York State Police for their assistance with the investigation.
“Marquis Douglas’s unlawful narcotics trafficking operation resulted in the deaths of four individuals on Long Island and posed a significant threat to the welfare of its citizens. His actions fueled an ongoing epidemic by supplying lethal drugs to our community. The FBI is committed to disrupting the flow of these illicit substances in our streets to prevent future unnecessary fatalities,” stated FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Curtis.
“This defendant dealt multiple kilograms of various deadly drugs, resulting in four tragic overdose deaths. This underscores why New York State needs to adequately address the opioid overdose epidemic plaguing communities throughout NY state and the country,” said District Attorney Tierney. "Thankfully, the strong collaboration between our office and our federal law enforcement partners allowed this case to be charged federally and provide justice for the families of these victims.”
On August 13, 2021, four men were found dead on the East End of Long Island after using cocaine that had been laced with a fentanyl analogue. An investigation by the Southold Police Department, the Shelter Island Police Department, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and the FBI determined that Douglas was the source of the lethal narcotics. In August of 2021, Douglas’ operation distributed a quantity of cocaine laced with a fentanyl analogue in Greenport, New York. When this product was re-distributed at the street level, it ultimately led to four fatal overdoses on a single day in Greenport and Shelter Island. Douglas had distributed multiple kilograms of cocaine over the years, as well as kilogram level quantities of heroin and large quantities of fentanyl. At the time of his arrest in May of 2022, Douglas was found in possession of 105 grams of fentanyl and 135 grams of cocaine.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael R. Maffei and Andrew P. Wenzel, along with Special Assistant United States Attorney Dana Gremaux, are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
MARQUIS DOUGLAS
Age: 39
Riverhead, Long IslandE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-246 (JS)
Prysmian Cables Settles Allegations of Falsified Test Results and Failure to Test Cable Used in Military VehiclesRead the Press Release
Prysmian Cables and Systems USA LLC (Prysmian), located in Abbeville, South Carolina, has agreed to pay $920,000 to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly falsifying test results and failing to conduct required testing on military cable, known as M13486 cable, that was used in vehicles manufactured for use by the military. The alleged misconduct took place from approximately 2005 to 2021 at a facility in Paragould, Arkansas. Prysmian acquired the Paragould facility in 2018. The settlement resolves allegations disclosed by Prysmian under the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)’s mandatory disclosure rule that Prysmian and prior owners of the Paragould facility had failed to conduct several required tests and, instead, had prepared and submitted to the United States falsified test results and false certifications of compliance.
In early 2021, a Defense Logistics Agency employee noticed discrepancies between the cable manufacturing and testing dates on test data submitted by Prysmian and refused to accept the test data, which triggered an internal investigation at Prysmian. As a result of its investigation, Prysmian terminated four employees involved in the alleged misconduct, including its quality manager, quality systems coordinator, quality engineer and product development supervisor. Prysmian also repurchased all suspect cable that had been shipped to its distributor and made a mandatory disclosure under the FAR. Prysmian cooperated with the United States’ subsequent investigation.
“Companies who do business with the United States must comply with their contractual commitments,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will hold accountable government contractors who knowingly fail to perform required services or misrepresent their performance of such services, including mandatory testing requirements.”
“The manufacturing of defective products, including ones intended for use in military vehicles, creates a significant risk to America’s warfighters,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan Settle of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southwest Field Office. “DCIS remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners and the Justice Department to hold accountable those who commit fraudulent activity that impacts the Department of Defense.”
DCIS and the Army Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case.
Senior Trial Counsel Alicia J. Bentley of the Civil Division handled the matter.
The claims against Prysmian resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Settlement
Pittston Man Sentenced to 1.5 Years in Prison for Accessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Pittston man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for accessing child pornography with intent to view.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Robert Brandt, 39, to 18 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $18,000 in restitution. Brandt pleaded guilty on January 26, 2024.
According to court records, between October 2022 and October 2023, Brandt accessed computer files that contained child sexual abuse material. He did so by frequenting a pornography-oriented website where he knew internet addresses for child pornography would be posted. He followed links until he reached the files he targeted. The images and videos he accessed showed children under the age of 12 begin sexually abused by adult men.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal term as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: 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 Department’s 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, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
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Pell City Man Sentenced to 71 Months in Prison for Financial Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala – A Pell City man has been sentenced in a scheme to defraud more than 40 investors in his various companies out of more than $4.7 million, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor sentenced John Michael Golden, 48, to 71 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. In April 2024, Golden pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
According to the plea agreement and information provided at sentencing, Golden was the founder and owner of Wolf-Tek, LLC; MountainTop Timber, LLC; and DroneTek, Inc. Between January 2018 and at least October 2023, Golden devised a scheme to persuade individuals to invest in his companies. He made various misrepresentations to the investors, including telling them his businesses were about to be sold for millions of dollars to companies such as Amazon, he had timber leases and an ability to harvest timber for profit, and he had hundreds of pre-orders for drones that he simply needed capital to fulfill. Golden also gave some investors Promissory Notes in which he falsely promised lucrative returns on investments within a short period of time. Golden even defrauded a new victim eight days after originally signing a plea agreement.
To continue his scheme, Golden placated victims by sending them text messages falsely claiming that their money was available and would arrive on specific future dates. Golden subsequently had his bond revoked for contacting victims and making false promises to them regarding repayment. Golden ultimately defrauded investors in his companies out of more than $4.7 million. He used the funds to pay back prior investors and for personal expenses.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, with assistance from the Alabama Securities Commission. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Rummage prosecuted the case.
Operation Clean Sweep II Indicts More than 25 Child Predators and Checked-in on More than 525 Sex OffendersRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson announced that law enforcement has indicted 25 defendants, and several others have been identified and are still being investigated after the launch of Operation Clean Sweep II in April.
Operation Clean Sweep II (operation) aims to hold accountable child predators throughout the Northern District of Oklahoma. This operation is partnered with the Tornado Alley Child Exploitation and Trafficking Task Force (TACETT), created by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). More than 15 federal, state, and tribal law enforcement partners helped prevent, identify, investigate, and ultimately prosecute child exploitation.
“Data collected by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children shows a 300% increase of online coercion and enticements of minors across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “My office is committed to working with law enforcement to help train, educate online safety, and actively pursue those who try to exploit children within the Northern District of Oklahoma.”
“The production and dissemination of child sexual abuse materials is a reprehensible offense that has no place in our society,” said HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Lester R. Hayes Jr. “HSI, working alongside our partners in the Tornado Alley Child Exploitation and Trafficking Task Force, will persist in our mission to apprehend those who seek to exploit our children via social media platforms.”
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) analyzed 476 missing children enticed online between 2020 and 2023. Fifty-nine percent of child victims were younger than 15 years old. The offender made their first contact with the child through social media and gaming sites. It was most common for an offender to travel to the child. However, older teens went to the offender. Statics showed they were provided travel tickets, used rideshare apps, and sent funds through a money app by the offender. While many victims were female children, there has also been an increase in online sextortion of teenage boys. Sextortion can happen without ever meeting an offender. NCMEC has more information about sextortion here: NCMEC.org/sextortion.
During this operation, the U.S. Marshal Service, the Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police Department, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, and the Mayes County Sheriff's Office conducted compliance checks on those required to register as a sex in the Northern District of Oklahoma. The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) provides a comprehensive set of standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. More than 525 individuals were checked, and law enforcement found that over 50 individuals were not compliant with SORNA standards.
Operation Clean Sweep II is led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Nassar and Ashley Robert. The law enforcement who participated in the operation are personnel from the HSI Tulsa office, the U.S. Marshal Service, the FBI, the Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police Department, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, the Tulsa Police Department, Rogers County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, Broken Arrow Police Department, Owasso Police Department, Sapulpa Police Department, Bristow Police Department, Mayes County Sheriff's Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
If you or someone you know is a victim of child exploitation, confidential help is available. Resources and contact information for child exploitation are available through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. The U.S. Attorneys' Offices and Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Oneonta Man and Former Healthcare Executive Convicted of Mail Fraud for Stealing from his EmployerRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Kevin Harrington, age 50, of Oneonta, New York, pled guilty to a federal indictment charging him with two counts of mail fraud, United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced.
At his change of plea, Harrington admitted that he was the former executive director at First Community Care of Bassett, LLC (an affiliate of Bassett Healthcare Network). During his employment, Harrington submitted fraudulent expense reports seeking reimbursement for the purchase of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines. As part of the scheme, Harrington provided invoices to his employer that falsely claimed he had paid thousands of dollars for medical equipment when no such equipment was ever purchased. Unaware that the invoices were fraudulent, First Community Care of Bassett issued and mailed checks to Harrington for reimbursement. In total, Harrington admitted to stealing over $150,000 from his former employer.
At sentencing on November 21, 2024, Harrington faces a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
FBI is investigating the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck is prosecuting the case.
Ocean County Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Series of Violent Assaults on Members of Orthodox Jewish CommunityRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 480 months in prison for a series of violent assaults on members of the Orthodox Jewish community in and around Lakewood, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced today.
Dion Marsh, 29, of Manchester, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U,S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi to a six-count information charging him with five counts of violating the federal Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and one count of carjacking. With respect to the hate crimes violations, Marsh admitted to willfully causing bodily injury to five victims, and attempting to kill and cause injuries with dangerous weapons to four of them, all because they were Jewish.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“The threat from hate-fueled violence is a sad reality that impacts far too many people across our state and our nation. This defendant previously admitted to violently attacking five men, driving a car into four of them, stabbing one of them in the chest, and attempting to kill them simply because they were visibly identifiable as Orthodox Jews. The sentence imposed today holds Marsh accountable for his brutal and hate-filled rampage. We have no higher priority than protecting the civil rights of our New Jersey residents.”
“Enough is enough – hate-fueled attacks on the Orthodox Jewish community are abhorrent, unlawful and contrary to our values as Americans” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “As we aggressively work to confront and eradicate antisemitic violence, we recognize the unique vulnerabilities faced by Orthodox Jews who are often targeted because of religious clothing and yarmulkes. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute senseless hate crimes and we will protect people exercising their constitutional right to practice their religion.”
“These victims were targeted by Marsh because of the way they were dressed, which is in accordance with their religious beliefs,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “They have that right in this country. Marsh, however, did not have the right and broke federal law, when he attacked, stabbed and carjacked innocent people. The rise of hate crimes in our communities has become a noxious disease. FBI Newark and our law enforcement partners will aggressively pursue anyone who violates someone’s constitutionally protected civil rights to simply be who they are. We ask anyone who thinks they've been a victim, or knows someone who is, to contact us so we can help them.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
At 1:18 p.m. on April 8, 2022, Marsh forced a visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man out of his car in Lakewood, assaulting and injuring him in the process. Marsh took control of the man’s car and drove away. A surveillance video in the area captured Marsh arriving in the area prior to the carjacking and assault.
At 5:20 p.m., Marsh was in Lakewood driving a different car when he deliberately struck another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man with the vehicle, attempting to kill the victim.
At 6:06 p.m., Marsh then used that second vehicle to deliberately strike another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man, attempting to kill the victim and causing him to suffer several broken bones.
At 6:55 p.m., Marsh, once again driving the vehicle that he had stolen from the first victim, attempted to kill another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man. Marsh used the stolen vehicle to deliberately strike the man, who was walking in Lakewood. Marsh got out of the vehicle and stabbed the man in the chest with a knife, causing the victim to suffer a stab wound and other injuries.
At 8:23 p.m., Marsh, still driving the vehicle that he had stolen from the first victim, used it to deliberately strike another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man who was walking in nearby Jackson Township, New Jersey, attempting to kill the man and causing him to suffer several broken bones and internal injuries.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Quraishi sentenced Marsh to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Red Bank Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; officers of the Lakewood Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Gregory H. Meyer; officers of the Jackson Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Matthew Kunz; officers of the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy; prosecutors and detectives of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, and officers of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Joseph Gribko, Deputy Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Division, with assistance from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Nigerian National Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal Prison for Cyber ScamsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Bamidele Omotosho (42, Nigeria) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and computer intrusion. The court also ordered Omotosho to pay $2,051,108.70 in restitution to victims of his offenses. Omotosho entered a guilty plea on November 2, 2022.
According to court documents, in 2017 and 2018, Omotosho, a Nigerian citizen and resident, conspired with others to purchase stolen access credentials (i.e. usernames and passwords) and stolen personal identifying information (“PII”) of U.S. citizens, including names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers, on xDedic, a darknet criminal marketplace that has since been seized and shut down. Omotosho, and a group of coconspirators he led, then used the stolen credentials and PII to commit at least six different fraudulent schemes totaling over $7.5 million in intended losses and over $2 million in actual losses.
For example, in June 2017, the conspiracy used that stolen information to hack into the Employees Retirement System of Texas (“ERS”) internet portal. Omotosho and his co-conspirators created fraudulent accounts and diverted retirement payments meant for legitimate ERS participants into accounts that the conspiracy controlled.
In 2017 and 2018, Omotosho and his co-conspirators purchased unauthorized access to computer networks for multiple accounting firms around the United States, including in the Western District of Texas (“WDTX”) and the Middle District of Florida (“MDFL”). With that access, Omotosho and his co-conspirators obtained PII for accounting firm clients, which they used to file fraudulent tax returns with the IRS.
During the same time period, Omotosho and his co-conspirators also engaged in identity theft, using stolen PII to apply for credit cards; romance fraud, in which they swindled vulnerable victims out of their savings; and a business e-mail compromise fraud against a pharmaceutical company that resulted in a loss of $250,000.
Omotosho and his co-conspirators laundered their proceeds by depositing them onto prepaid debit cards or into accounts at financial institutions that Omotosho and his co-conspirators had opened with stolen PII. In some instances they used their proceeds to purchase used vehicles, which they shipped to Nigeria for resale.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Texas Rangers Public Integrity Unit. It is being jointly prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Middle District of Florida and the Western District of Texas by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael M. Gordon (MDFL) and Michael C. Galdo (WDTX). The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs also provided vital assistance in securing the extradition of Omotosho from the United Kingdom, where he was arrested.
Newport News fraudster pleads guilty after stealing service member’s identityRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News woman pled guilty today to using a service member’s identity to commit bank fraud.
According to court documents, in late 2022, Ceara Smith, 25, was in contact with a victim, identified as “A.D.,” an active-duty member of the United States Air Force. Smith represented to A.D., who is a musician, that she was a music concert promoter and led A.D. to believe that he would have the opportunity to perform as an opening act at a concert. A.D. was instructed to pay a fee and to provide his personal information. When A.D. was unable to complete the fee payment using peer-to-peer payment applications, he provided his username and password for PayPal to allow her to make the payment. A.D. was never hired to perform at a concert as promised.
In 2022, Smith contacted A.D. again, claiming to be an ambassador for car rental company Turo, telling A.D. that if he completed a training program with Turo, they would both benefit financially. Smith offered to complete the training program on A.D.’s behalf. A.D. created an online account with Turo, submitted his debit card banking information, and uploaded a photograph of his driver license. A.D. then provided his Turo username and password to Smith, who told A.D. to expect a payment between $10,000 and $20,000. He never received any payment.
In January 2023, Smith submitted an online inquiry in A.D.’s name to purchase a 2015 Dodge Charger from Your Kar Company in Norfolk. Impersonating A.D., Smith attempted to secure funding to purchase the vehicle through the regular financing used by Your Kar Company and through secondary financing options but was unsuccessful. Instead, on Jan. 10, 2023, Smith electronically submitted to Langley Federal Credit Union (LFCU) a vehicle loan application in the amount of $25,005 using A.D.’s name and other personal identifying information (PII), including his social security number, driver license number, and date of birth.
At various times between Jan. 10 and Jan. 17, 2023, Smith contacted LCFU and Your Kar Company pretending to be A.D. or an LFCU employee. Smith repeatedly used deception and misrepresentations to fraudulently provide authorizations and to avoid having to appear in person for identity verification. The car loan application ultimately was approved by LFCU and received by Your Kar Company. Pretending to be A.D., Smith completed the paperwork for purchasing the 2015 Dodge Charger online and over the phone and, pretending to be A.D.’s sister, dropped off the paperwork and took possession of the car.
On Jan. 17, 2023, Smith applied for and received two credit cards and a debit card with LFCU in A.D.’s name. Smith immediately took an $800 cash advance on one of the cards and then used another card to make several purchases. She attempted to use another card to make a purchase, but the card was declined as suspected fraud. The following day, Smith impersonated A.D. to request that LFCU issue new credit cards. LFCU issued new cards as requested and, over the next two days, Smith used one of those credit cards to make several more purchases and to take two additional cash advances in the amounts of $500 and $400.
When that credit card was flagged for suspected fraud, Smith contacted LFCU to attempt to unblock the card and again impersonated both A.D. and LFCU employees. On Jan. 20, 2023, LFCU was able to contact the real A.D. and informed him that he may have been the victim of identity theft. On March 20, 2023, an LFCU collections representative attempted to contact A.D. at the phone number on file, which was used by Smith, because no payments had been made to either credit card issued in A.D.’s name. Smith, pretending to be A.D., expressed concern that the credit cards had been blocked and asked when they could be used again, claiming that A.D. was going to be deployed soon.
On June 23, 2023, LFCU repossessed the 2015 Dodge Charger after payments were not made on the loan obtained in A.D.’s name. LFCU provided permission for law enforcement to search the vehicle, and law enforcement recovered from the Dodge Charger, among other items, a debit card in A.D.’s name, receipts from purchases made on May 17 and 20, 2023, using a debit card in A.D.’s name, a FedEx package addressed to A.D. at an address in Hampton, and a photograph of Smith and an unknown individual.
Smith pleaded guilty to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 3. She faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for bank fraud and a mandatory term of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft, to be served consecutively with any other term of imprisonment imposed. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leonard accepted the plea.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyson C. Yates, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-45.
New Jersey Man Sentenced for Series of Violent Assaults on Members of the Orthodox Jewish CommunityRead the Press Release
A New Jersey man was sentenced today to 40 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release for committing a series of bias-motivated violent assaults on members of the Orthodox Jewish community in and around Lakewood, New Jersey.
Dion Marsh, 29, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi to an information charging him with five counts of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and one count of carjacking. With respect to the Shepard Byrd Act violations, Marsh admitted to willfully causing bodily injury to five victims and attempting to kill and cause injuries with dangerous weapons to four of the victims because they are Jewish.
“Enough is enough – hate-fueled attacks on the Orthodox Jewish community are abhorrent, unlawful and contrary to our values as Americans” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “As we aggressively work to confront and eradicate antisemitic violence, we recognize the unique vulnerabilities faced by Orthodox Jews who are often targeted because of religious clothing and yarmulkes. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute senseless hate crimes and we will protect people exercising their constitutional right to practice their religion.”
“The threat from hate-fueled violence is a sad reality that impacts far too many people across our state and our nation,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “This defendant previously admitted to violently attacking five men, driving a car into four of them, stabbing one of them in the chest, and attempting to kill them simply because they were visibly identifiable as Orthodox Jews. The sentence imposed today holds Marsh accountable for his brutal and hate-filled rampage. We have no higher priority than protecting the civil rights of our New Jersey residents.”
“These victims were targeted by Marsh because of the way they were dressed, which is in accordance with their religious beliefs,” said Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy of the FBI Newark Field Office. “They have that right in this country. Marsh, however, did not have the right and broke federal law, when he attacked, stabbed and carjacked innocent people. The rise of hate crimes in our communities has become a noxious disease. FBI Newark and our law enforcement partners will aggressively pursue anyone who violates someone’s constitutionally protected civil rights to simply be who they are. We ask anyone who thinks they've been a victim, or knows someone who is, to contact us so we can help them.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 8, 2022, Marsh carried out a series of violent assaults on members of the Orthodox Jewish Community in and around Lakewood. Each of Marsh’s victims were attired in traditional garments worn by members of the Orthodox Jewish community and were assaulted because they were visibly identifiable Orthodox Jews.
Specifically, at 1:18 p.m. on April 8, 2022, Marsh forced a visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man out of his car in Lakewood, assaulting and injuring him. Marsh took control of the man’s car and drove away.
At 5:20 p.m., Marsh was in Lakewood driving a different car when he deliberately struck another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man with the vehicle, attempting to kill the victim.
At 6:06 p.m., Marsh used that second vehicle to deliberately strike another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man, attempting to kill the victim and causing him to suffer several broken bones.
At 6:55 p.m., Marsh, once again driving the vehicle that he had stolen from the first victim, attempted to kill another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man who was walking in Lakewood by deliberately striking him with the vehicle. Marsh got out of the vehicle and stabbed the man in the chest with a knife, causing the victim to suffer a stab wound and other injuries.
At 8:23 p.m., Marsh, still driving the vehicle that he had stolen from the first victim, used it to deliberately strike another visibly identifiable Orthodox Jewish man who was walking in nearby Jackson Township, New Jersey, attempting to kill the man and causing him to suffer several broken bones and internal injuries.
The FBI Newark Field Office, Red Bank Resident Agency, Lakewood Police Department, Jackson Township Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and New Jersey State Police investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney and Deputy Chief of the Civil Rights Division R. Joseph Gribko for the District of New Jersey prosecuted the case with assistance from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing Two U.S. Postal Carriers at Knife Point, Burglarizing Two Post OfficesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: An Orange, New Jersey man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to burglarizing two Maine post offices and robbing at knifepoint two U.S. Postal Service (USPS) letter carriers.
According to court records, during a one-week period in January 2024, Winston McLeod, 30, and a coconspirator broke into the Paris and North Monmouth post offices and stole money order printers, mail, computers, post office box keys, and other items. The two men then robbed two Lewiston postal carriers in quick succession on January 20, 2024, threatening to stab each of them with a knife unless they turned over their postal keys.
The two men were arrested by law enforcement following a traffic stop. A search of the occupants and the vehicle, a white Jeep that matched a vehicle seen in videos from each crime scene, revealed a black butterfly knife, black ski mask, large sums of cash, and several checks determined to have been stolen from the Paris post office. When responding to the Paris location, Postal Inspectors also found two iPhones in the snow directly beneath the broken window used to access the post office. Investigators were able to identify McLeod through a photo of him on the lock screen of one of the phones. Law enforcement recovered additional stolen items at and near the address where the two men had been staying.
McLeod faces up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 on one charge of conspiracy to rob postal carriers and burgle a U.S. Post Office and two charges of burglary of a post office. He faces up to 25 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000 on each of two charges of robbery of a postal carrier. Any sentence will be followed by up to five years of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case, with assistance from FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Rumford, Lewiston, Paris and Monmouth police departments.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to keeping the U.S. Mail, its employees, and customers safe. Today’s plea is the culmination of exceptional teamwork between our local and federal law enforcement partners. The swift response by responding officers and their ongoing support were instrumental in making this a successful investigation,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division. “Ensuring the safety of our employees is a top priority, Postal Inspectors will continue to thoroughly investigate any robberies of our employees and burglaries of our facilities.”
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Updated 07/23/24 to correct Winston McLeod's current age
New Castle Men Plead Guilty in Puerto Rico/Western Pennsylvania Region Drug Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Two residents of New Castle, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty to charges of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Kevin Tulla Torres, age 28, pleaded guilty to distributing and conspiring to distribute cocaine. Luis Rivera Otero, age 37, pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute cocaine. Tulla Torres, with the help of Rivera Otero, managed a drug trafficking operation that sold drugs in Western Pennsylvania, specifically in the New Castle/Lawrence County area. The arrests of Tulla Torres, Rivera Otero, and another co-conspirator, as well as 14 others charged by separate Indictment, were the result of a 13-month investigation into drug trafficking in and around Lawrence County.
According to information presented to the Court, members of the group utilized the United States Postal Service to receive drug shipments from a supplier in Puerto Rico. Tulla Torres, Rivera Otero, and others then worked together to sell the cocaine as part of an ongoing criminal drug-trafficking conspiracy within Western Pennsylvania.
With regard to Tulla Torres, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of life in prison, a fine of up to $10,000,000, or both for the most serious offense. The total maximum sentence for Rivera Otero is not more than 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of each defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation leading to the Indictments in this case in close collaboration with the Lawrence County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Castle City Police Department, Ellwood City Police Department, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, United States Department of Agriculture, Union Township Police Department, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Homeland Security Investigations, and Pennsylvania State Police.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Lawrence County is one of six western Pennsylvania counties officially designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy. The county received its HIDTA designation in July 2022, allowing it to receive dedicated federal resources to coordinate federal, state, and local governments in fighting drug trafficking and abuse.
Nevada Man Arrested and Indicted for Threatening to Murder Federal Officials and State EmployeesRead the Press Release
A grand jury returned a 22-count indictment charging Spencer Christjencody Gear, 32, of Las Vegas, Nevada, with threatening to assault and murder federal officials, including federal judges, and state employees in Washington, D.C., New York, New Jersey and Montana.
“The citizens we rely on to serve the public must be able to do their jobs without fearing for their lives,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department has no tolerance for acts and threats of violence targeting public servants, and we will stop at nothing to find and bring to justice those responsible.”
“The FBI will not tolerate individuals who threaten government officials for doing their jobs and who create a climate of fear,” said Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI National Security Branch. “As this case demonstrates, we will work with our partners to investigate and hold accountable all those who threaten or interfere with government officials as they carry out their duties.”
According to court documents, between Nov. 30, 2023, and July 7, Gear made threatening phone calls and sent a threatening email to assault and murder eight federal officials with intent to impede, intimidate and interfere with the officials while engaged in the performance of official duties, and with intent to retaliate against the officials on account of the performance of official duties. Gear also threatened three state employees.
Gear was arrested and made his initial court appearance today. He is charged with 10 counts of threatening a federal official and 12 counts of transmitting a communication containing a threat to injure. A jury trial has been scheduled for Sept. 24.
If convicted, Gear faces a maximum penalty of 10 years for each count of threatening a federal official and five years for each count of transmitting a threat to injure.
The FBI, United States Marshals Service and U.S. Capitol Police are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Operskalski for the District of Nevada and Trial Attorney Jacob Warren of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Nashua Felon Pleads Guilty to the Illegal Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Nashua man pleaded guilty today in federal court to firearm offenses, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Robert Reidy, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of firearms and ammunition by a prohibited person and one count of possession of unregistered firearms. U.S. District Court Steven McAuliffe scheduled sentencing for October 29, 2024.
On December 5, 2023, members of the Nashua Police Department arrived at Reidy’s residence to execute a state search warrant. Reidy refused multiple commands to exit his residence, and ultimately surrendered after chemical munitions were deployed into his residence. Reidy admitted to possessing “ghost guns.” Law enforcement ultimately located one short-barreled AR-style rifle with a silencer threaded onto the barrel, three additional disassembled firearms hidden in the attic that all appeared to be privately manufactured, as well as 160 rounds of ammunition. Reidy was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition by virtue of a prior felony conviction for Escape from a Penal Institution in 2017. Reidy also did not register the short-barreled rifle or silencer as required by the National Firearm Act.
The charge of possession of firearms and ammunition by a prohibited person provides for a maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to a 3-year term of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of unregistered firearms provides for a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to a 3-year term of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Nashua Police Department led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Scanlon is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Missouri-Based Defense Department Contractor Sentenced for FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a former Defense Department contractor from St. Charles County, Missouri to five years of probation and fined him $50,000 for illegally obtaining parts for the military overseas.
David Murar, 73, has already repaid $166,710.
Murar undercut domestic suppliers by obtaining parts from China and other foreign countries. He violated the law by providing diagrams of necessary parts and other “military critical technical data,” which was restricted and protected information, to foreign individuals and/or entities to obtain those parts. He did so despite signing agreements not to provide access to that data to anyone other than his employees or other eligible persons and comply with U.S. export control laws and regulations. He also agreed to comply with laws and other restrictions requiring certain items purchased by the Defense Department to be domestically sourced.
The parts were sent to his home. Murar then discarded their original packaging and repackaged them to conceal their origin overseas, his plea says.
Murar also fraudulently used his wife’s name to gain a competitive advantage for one of his companies by claiming it was a woman-owned small business, when he was really the actual owner and operator.
From roughly April through October of 2022, Murar bid on and received at least nine U.S. government contracts by way of fraudulent misrepresentations. Murar fraudulently obtained contracts worth at least $333,465 for parts including nuts, bolts, washers, sleeves, and tools. Murar owned three businesses: Midwest Metals, St. Louis Loft Metals, and Florence Metals.
In a statement read to the court, the Defense Logistics Agency said it must now obtain replacements from responsible contractors while the military services wait for parts to support their weapon systems. “It is, of course, always possible that the non-conforming parts make their way into weapon systems before DLA can identify them, which may affect safety and military readiness,” the statement said. The agency said it does “not believe there is a way to quantify the harm, but the impacts to national security are nonetheless tangible and real.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cort VanOstran said in court that Murar’s crime “risked potential for danger to the United States Armed Forces.”
Murar pleaded guilty in February in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He had already been suspended from government contracting.
“Today’s outcome demonstrates the commitment of the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), and our partners, to safeguard the DoD supply chain and ensure the safety of the warfighter,” stated Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan Settle, DCIS Southwest Field Office. “DCIS will continue to pursue companies who supply substandard products, circumvent export control laws, and fraudulently represent products as U.S. made. These violations put the warfighter at risk and seriously undermine military readiness and security.”
The General Services Administration Office of Inspector General, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General's Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, Fraud Field Office and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Drake and Cort VanOstran prosecuted the case.
Minneapolis Man Pleads Guilty to Bombing a Minneapolis Hair SalonRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty for maliciously using explosives to damage a Minneapolis hair salon, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on November 20, 2022, at approximately 2:49 AM, a homemade explosive device detonated at a hair salon located in Minneapolis, causing damage to the exterior and interior of the business. A Ring video camera recording from the salon showed an adult male, later identified as Michael Allen Francisco, 59, placing the explosive device on the window of the salon. Francisco fled the area in a vehicle after the device detonated.
Almost a year later, on November 6, 2023, video footage captured Francisco vandalizing the same hair salon. Francisco threw a landscaping rock through the window of the salon, causing the window to break, before fleeing the scene. Investigators were able to collect DNA and other evidence that connected Francisco to both incidents. On March 28, 2024, officers and agents executed a search warrant at Francisco’s residence. Law enforcement recovered the jacket Francisco was wearing on November 6, 2023, during the brick incident; multiple explosive components including suspected energetic powders and fuses; a .32 caliber revolver, with ammunition; and methamphetamine.
Francisco pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Ann D. Montgomery to one count of malicious use of explosive materials to damage and destroy, by means of fire and explosives, a Minneapolis-based property engaged in interstate commerce by means of an explosive device.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley M. Endicott is prosecuting the case.
Milwaukee Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Armed CarjackingRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Milwaukee man has pleaded guilty to the attempted armed carjacking of an elderly victim, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on September 1, 2023, William Jones, 32, attempted to carjack an elderly victim at gunpoint in south Minneapolis. Jones, and a co-conspirator who served as the get-away driver, drove to a market near the intersection of Chicago and Franklin Avenues. Jones approached the 79-year-old victim, who was sitting in the driver’s seat of his vehicle, placed a gun against the victim’s head and demanded the keys. The victim grabbed Jones’s gun and as the two wrestled over the gun, Jones discharged the gun, injuring the victim’s finger. The victim ran away after being injured and Jones took the victim’s keys and cell phone. Jones tried to start the victim’s vehicle but, unbeknownst to Jones, the keys he had taken from the victim did not include the key to the vehicle. Jones fled the scene in the get-away vehicle that was parked across the street. Jones discarded his gun and the victim’s cell phone in an alley several blocks away.
Jones pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge David S. Doty to one count of attempted carjacking. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI And the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. McBride is prosecuting the case.McKees Rocks Resident Sentenced to Prison for Violation of Federal Firearm LawRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on July 23, 2024, to 51 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to violating a federal firearms law, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Darnell Maurice Manson, 23.
According to information presented to the Court, Manson possessed a firearm after being convicted of several felonies for conduct that occurred in or around October 2018 in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Under federal law, a convicted felon is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
On or about August 8, 2021, pursuant to a search warrant following a traffic stop, Brentwood Borough Police Department discovered a Smith & Wesson Model 9 M&P Shield, 9mm caliber pistol, and 9mm ammunition, as well as stamp gangs of heroin in the vehicle that Mason was driving.
On February 2, 2023, a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh indicted Manson for this conduct. On October 4, 2023, Manson pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, which is a violation of federal firearms law.
Manson’s federal sentence will be imposed consecutively to his state sentence of 24 months for violating his conditions of state parole.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole A. Stockey prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Brentwood Borough Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Manson.
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.
Manchester Felon Pleads Guilty to the Illegal Possession of a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Manchester man pleaded guilty today in federal court to a firearm offense, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Monytung Maker, a/k/a “MoSavage”, 27, pleaded guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of firearms and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Steven McAuliffe scheduled sentencing for October 29, 2024.
On August 2, 2023, members of the Manchester Police Department executed a search warrant at Maker’s Manchester apartment in connection to a drug investigation. During the search, law enforcement found a backpack in Maker’s bedroom containing his bank cards and a 9mm pistol loaded with eight rounds of 9mm ammunition. Maker later admitted to law enforcement that he possessed this firearm for protection. Maker was prohibited from owning or possessing firearms and ammunition by virtue of a prior felony convicted for unlawful possession of a handgun without a permit in 2019.
The charging statute provides for a maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to a three-year term 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.
Manchester Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Scanlon is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Neglect Resulting in Death of a Child on the Red Lake ReservationRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Red Lake man has been sentenced to five years in prison followed by two years of supervised release for child neglect following the death of a child on the reservation, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, between January 1, 2022, and December 25, 2022, Julius Fineday, Sr., 42, willfully deprived Minor A of necessary food, health care, and other basic needs, despite being reasonably able to make the necessary provisions. The neglect ultimately caused the death of Minor A.
Fineday pleaded guilty to one count of felony child neglect causing the death of a child on March 25, 2024. He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Patrick J. Schlitz. His co-defendant, Sharon Rosebear, was convicted of felony child neglect following an April 2024 jury trial and is awaiting sentencing.
According to court documents, Minor A’s cause of death was determined to be the combined effects of malnutrition, and Group A Streptococcal infection, resulting from neglect. In sentencing Fineday, Chief Judge Schiltz emphasized that Fineday neglected Minor A in “nearly every way” a caretaker can neglect a child, noting that Fineday had deprived Minor A of necessary nutrition, had failed to address Minor A’s head lice, had kept Minor A from attending school where she would have received nutritious meals the school provided, and had failed to take the child to the doctor for three years other than for COVID vaccinations for which the household received cash incentives.
Chief Judge Schiltz also highlighted that the starvation of the child was not due to a lack of resources or inadequate food in the house, but instead, a lack of care, noting that Minor A was “not just thin, but skeletal” at the time of her death.
In issuing the sentence, the Court noted the severity of the neglect warranted an upward variance from the applicable sentencing guidelines, though the Court did acknowledge that Fineday’s demonstration of sincere remorse by pleading guilty in advance of trial and without a plea agreement was a significant mitigating factor which weighed against an even longer sentence. Chief Judge Schiltz also emphasized that the sentence of 60 months should signal to all those caring for children that “neglecting or abusing a child will result in negative consequences not only for the child, but also the responsible adult.” He expressed hope that others faced with a child whose basic needs are not being met will consider the risk of such consequences and, at a minimum, “pick up the phone” to seek help.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Red Lake Tribal Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey E. Middlecamp and Rachel L. Kraker prosecuted the case.
Lohman Man Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of Two Child VictimsRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Lohman, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for the sexual exploitation of two child victims.
Anthony Dale Pitts-Fugate, 32, was charged in a five-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo.
Today’s indictment alleges that Pitts-Fugate attempted to entice a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity from June 1 to Dec. 31, 2022. Pitts-Fugate is also charged with one count of receiving child pornography related to an image of the same minor victim sent via SnapChat.
Pitts-Fugate is charged with three counts of attempting to produce child pornography involving a second minor victim.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Cole County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Lee County Armed Carjacker Sentenced to More Than Twelve Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Zachary Pegg (28, North Fort Myers) to 12 years and 3 months in federal prison in connection with an armed carjacking he committed in Fort Myers in late-2022. Pegg had pleaded guilty on March 27, 2024, to charges of carjacking and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
According to court records, on December 30, 2022, Fort Myers Police Department (FMPD) emergency dispatch received a call concerning an armed carjacking which had just taken place in a condominium complex parking garage on First Street in Fort Myers. The victim explained that as soon as he exited his vehicle, a masked assailant pointed a firearm at him and demanded his keys, cellphone, and wallet. The victim complied with the assailant’s demands, and the assailant quickly fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle.
Law enforcement officers from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) Aviation Unit tracked the stolen vehicle to a residence in North Fort Myers, where they apprehended Pegg after a short foot pursuit with the assistance of a police canine. Based on several factors, Pegg was identified as the masked assailant who had earlier carjacked the victim, and he was arrested.
This case was investigated by the Fort Myers Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon Eth.
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.
Leaders of Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission, European Commission and U.K. Competition and Markets Authority Issue Joint Statement on AI CompetitionRead the Press Release
Today, Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, Chair Lina M. Khan of the Federal Trade Commission, Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager of the European Commission and Chief Executive Sarah Cardell of the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority issued a joint statement on competition in generative AI foundation models and AI products.
Through this joint statement, the four antitrust enforcers pledged to use their available powers to promote effective competition in AI to ensure the public reaps the full benefits of these technologies. The statement is available at www.justice.gov/atr/media/1361306/dl?inline.
Lamar County Man Pleads Guilty to Million Dollar Bank Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Lamar County man pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud which resulted in the loss of over $1 million.
According to court documents and information presented to the Court, beginning as early as January of 2021, Aaron Brown, 42, conspired with multiple individuals to use his auto sales company and companies owned by his co-conspirators to engage in a systematic check kiting scheme. As part of the conspiracy, he and his co-conspirators would continuously issue and deposit nonsufficient fund checks into their companies’ bank accounts. Many of these checks indicated that they were for vehicle sales that the conspirators knew had not actually occurred.
Prior to the initiation of the scheme, between May and December of 2020, Brown’s auto sales company received a total of 163 incoming checks and issued a total of 50 checks. This resulted in over $5 million in deposits and withdrawals. However, at the height of the check kiting scheme, between June and August of 2021, the company received a total of 1,204 checks and issued 1,161 checks to just one of the companies owned by his co-conspirators. The total deposits and withdrawals for that three-month period exceeded $60 million. Ultimately, the financial institutions discovered the scheme and stopped payment. However, one of the financial institutions suffered a loss of over $1 million.
Brown pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He will be sentenced on October 22, 2024, and faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Buckner.
Kingman Felon Indicted for Distributing Firearms, Destructive Devices, Explosives, and DrugsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. –Last week, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned an eight-count indictment against Matthew Edward Dach, 46, of Kingman, for Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Felon, Distribution of Explosive Materials by a Non-Licensee, Distribution of Methamphetamine, Using and Carrying a Firearm (Destructive Device) During a Drug Trafficking Crime, Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, and Transfer of a Firearm for Use in a Crime of Violence.
The indictment alleges that, in May and June 2024, Dach sold a rifle, ammunition, homemade explosives, and methamphetamine to an undercover agent working for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Dach also sold two homemade destructive devices, which he made in his home in Kingman, to the undercover agent. The undercover agent told Dach that he needed a device to physically harm a witness who was testifying in a federal trial. Dach made and sold one of the destructive devices for that alleged purpose and then sold the other destructive device to the undercover agent during a sale of methamphetamine and explosives. Dach has previous felony convictions for drug offenses, burglary, vehicle theft, and weapons offenses.
A conviction for Distribution of Explosive Materials by a Non-Licensee and Possession of an Unregistered Firearm carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, $250,000 fine, or both. A conviction for Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Felon and Transfer of a Firearm for Use in a Crime of Violence carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, $250,000 fine, or both. A conviction for Distribution of Methamphetamine carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, or both. A conviction for Using and Carrying a Firearm (Destructive Device) During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime carries a maximum penalty of 30 years to life in prison, $250,000 fine, or both.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation in this case, with assistance from the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office and the Arizona High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area’s (HIDTA) Mohave Area General Narcotics Enforcement Team (MAGNET). HIDTA is a grant-funded initiative of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) that provides assistance to Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug trafficking regions of the United States. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-08073-PHX-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-100_Dach# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Kentucky Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison Related to Sextortion SchemeRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Kentucky man was sentenced today on a charge of sexual exploitation of children, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Aden Willis Yeager, 22, of Louisville, Kentucky, to 300 months in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release. As part of his sentence, Yeager was ordered to pay $92,620 in restitution to the victims and a $50,000 special assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Act. In March, Yeager pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography.
According to the plea agreement, in November 2020, the West Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children related to acts of sextortion committed by Yeager towards a minor female. Yeager coerced and enticed the minor to send him nude photos of herself, and then he sold the photos online. When the minor would refuse to send more pictures, Yeager would threaten to send her nude photos to everyone in her contact list on social media. Further investigation revealed over 60 individual folders in Yeager’s Dropbox account that were labeled by female names and contained sexually explicit images and videos. FBI agents were able to positively identify and locate 19 minor females who had been contacted by Yeager to send pornographic photos.
FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case along with FBI Louisville, Kentucky; the West Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force; and the University of Alabama Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) and the National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC) have partnered and released a digital series to educate parents and caretakers about sextortion and how they can help prevent kids and teens from being victims. This series offers three-to-five-minute videos about current online safety topics and provides essential information about the true dangers of online activities.
The videos can be accessed from the following locations:
nationalcac.org/sextortion-prevention/
https://www.youtube.com/@nationalcac
If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Justice Department to Recover Nearly $85M in Additional Funds Linked to 1MDB SchemeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department has reached an agreement with “Jasmine” Loo Ai Swan (Loo), the former general counsel of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), Malaysia’s sovereign investment development fund, to recover artwork by Pablo Picasso and a financial account in Switzerland traced to funds allegedly embezzled from 1MDB. Additionally, the Justice Department has obtained forfeiture orders on other assets allegedly purchased with 1MDB funds by Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low (Low), including diamond jewelry and artwork by Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Diane Arbus.
The department previously brought numerous civil forfeiture cases against assets that it alleges were acquired by Low and his co-conspirators using funds allegedly embezzled from 1MDB. According to the civil forfeiture complaints, from 2009 through 2015, more than $4.5 billion in funds belonging to 1MDB were allegedly misappropriated by high-level officials of 1MDB and their associates, including Low and Loo, through a criminal conspiracy involving international money laundering and bribery. 1MDB was created by the government of Malaysia to promote economic development in Malaysia through global partnerships and foreign direct investment. Its funds were intended to be used to improve the well-being of the Malaysian people.
The agreement with Loo resolves the civil forfeiture action against the Picasso artwork and financial account in Switzerland under her control, which are collectively valued at approximately $1.8 million. The agreement with Loo announced today does not release any criminal claims against her.
The forfeiture of the other artwork and jewelry allegedly purchased by Low, which is based on a recent settlement agreement entered into in connection with the real estate and artwork forfeitures in two other cases, resolves three additional civil forfeiture cases filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The collective value of these assets, together with the Loo assets, is estimated to be nearly $85 million.
Prior to this settlement, in total, the United States has returned or assisted in the return to Malaysia of over $1.4 billion in assets associated with the international money laundering, embezzlement, and bribery scheme.
Low separately faces criminal charges in the Eastern District of New York for allegedly conspiring to launder billions of dollars embezzled from 1MDB and for conspiring to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by allegedly paying bribes to various Malaysian and Emirati officials, and in the District of Columbia for allegedly conspiring to make and conceal foreign and conduit campaign contributions during the United States presidential election in 2012. The agreement with Loo announced today does not release any entity or individual from filed or potential criminal charges.
The FBI’s International Corruption Squads in New York City and Los Angeles and IRS Criminal Investigation Los Angeles Field Office are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Barbara Levy, Sean Fern, Jonathan Baum, and Joshua Sohn of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Galatzan for the Central District of California are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and MLARS’ Program Management Staff.
The Justice Department also appreciates the significant assistance provided over the course of this investigation and in particular related to the recovery of these assets by the Attorney General’s Chambers of Malaysia, the Royal Malaysia Police, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the Attorney-General’s Chambers of Singapore, the Singapore Police Force-Commercial Affairs Department, the Office of the Attorney General and the Federal Office of Justice of Switzerland, and the Attorney General’s Chambers of the Territory of the British Virgin Islands.
The Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative is led by a team of dedicated prosecutors in MLARS, in partnership with federal law enforcement agencies, and often with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, to forfeit the proceeds of foreign official corruption. Individuals with information about possible proceeds of foreign corruption located in or laundered through the United States should contact federal law enforcement or send an email to [email protected] or https://tips.fbi.gov/.
Jefferson City Sex Offender Indicted for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Jefferson City, Mo., man who is a registered sex offender was indicted by a federal grand jury today on charges related to child pornography.
Harold Dale Speckhals, 61, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City.
Today’s indictment alleges that Speckhals distributed child pornography over the internet from June 25, 2023, to March 22, 2024. Speckhals is also charged with possessing child pornography on June 20, 2024.
Speckhals has a prior conviction for sexual misconduct in the first degree.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Iranian National Extradited to United States for Alleged Scheme to Illicitly Ship Sophisticated Electronics to IranRead the Press Release
Note: View the indictment here
Iranian national Saeid Haji Agha Mousaei, 53, made his initial appearance yesterday in Chicago federal court following his extradition from the United Kingdom to face charges for his role in a years-long conspiracy to evade U.S. export restrictions and transship advanced U.S. electronic testing technology to Iran using third-party countries.
According to court documents, Mousaei was a manager of Dubai-based defendant company Millennium Product Company LLC (MPC). As alleged, from in or about January 2014 through at least August 2018, Mousaei, MPC and others, devised and participated in a scheme to obtain controlled electronics with military applications, including signals equipment like oscilloscopes and spectrum analyzers, for export and re-export to Iran.
As alleged, Mousaei and his co-defendants understood export restrictions on U.S.-origin goods to prohibited destinations like Iran and falsely represented to U.S. distributors that their purchases would remain in countries other than Iran, like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) or Armenia, where the defendants controlled unnamed companies. In reality, after arranging for distributors of U.S.-origin goods to export shipments to the UAE, the defendants allegedly transshipped goods from the UAE to Iran without the required license and in violation of U.S. law.
Mousaei and MPC are each charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison; smuggling goods from the United States, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Mousaei was arrested in the United Kingdom on Jan. 24, 2023, pursuant to an Interpol diffusion notice.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois, Executive Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch and Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) made the announcement.
The FBI and BIS are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn D. McCarthy for the Northern District of Illinois and Trial Attorney Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing the extradition of Mousaei from the United Kingdom.
This prosecution is being coordinated through the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states. Under the leadership of the Assistant Attorney General for National Security and the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement, the Strike Force leverages tools and authorities across the U.S. Government to enhance the criminal and administrative enforcement of export control laws.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Indonesian National Pleads Guilty to International Ponzi Scheme that Defrauded Indonesian and Indo-American CommunityRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Francius Marganda, an Indonesian national, pleaded guilty to securities fraud in connection with a $23 million Ponzi scheme that defrauded hundreds of predominantly Indonesian and Indo-American victim investors. The plea proceeding took place before United States Magistrate Judge Marcia M. Henry. As part of his plea, Marganda admitted that he agreed to launder proceeds of the securities fraud, and he agreed to forfeit more than $7.5 million that he misappropriated from investors. When sentenced, Marganda faces up to 20 years in prison. Marganda was extradited to the United States from Singapore in November 2023.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), announced the guilty plea.
“As he admitted today, Marganda led a $23 million Ponzi scheme directly targeting his fellow countrymen, Indonesian and Indo-American victims, stealing their hard-earned funds and spending them on luxury goods and real estate,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office will continue to use all tools available to protect those living in the Eastern District, from prevention efforts, including educating the public about red flags of financial fraud, to holding swindlers accountable for their crimes and seeking to recover and return victims’ money.”
Mr. Peace thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, particularly the DOJ Attachés based in Manila and Bangkok; law enforcement partners at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore, including the FBI’s Legal Attaché, the HSI Attaché and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service Overseas Criminal Investigations office; and Singaporean authorities, particularly the Singapore Police Force and the Attorney-General’s Chambers, for their assistance with Marganda’s arrest and extradition. Mr. Peace also thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, Fort Worth Regional Office; the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York; the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York; the Federal Trade Commission; the New York State Attorney General’s Office; the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office; the New York County District Attorney’s Office; the Queens County District Attorney’s Office; the New York City Police Department; the Westford Police Department, Westford, Massachusetts; the Richfield Police Department, Richfield, Minnesota; and the Lexington Police Department, Lexington, South Carolina, for their assistance with the investigation.
“Francius Marganda’s guilty plea serves as a positive step toward justice for more than 400 victims, whom he and his co-conspirators are estimated to have swindled out of over $23 million collectively throughout the global, years-long Ponzi scheme. We recognize there is more work to be done and there are likely countless additional victims worldwide who have not yet come forward. HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force is committed to leveraging our international footprint to protect the innocent public at home and abroad," said HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo. "We are proud to stand alongside the Eastern District of New York, the FBI, and all law enforcement partners in relentlessly pursuing predators who place their own selfish gain above all else.”
As set forth in court filings, while living in New York, Marganda and his co-conspirators ran a scheme to defraud investors from May 2019 to May 2021 by soliciting investments in two sham loan programs called Easy Transfer and Global Transfer, which Marganda and his co-conspirators falsely represented were short-term, high-interest loan programs in which investors would earn passive income. The victims resided in more than a dozen states in the United States, including in New York, and in Indonesia. Many of the victims had limited means and had pooled their resources with relatives and friends to make investments. Marganda and his co-conspirators misappropriated the funds for their own benefit, including by buying real estate and luxury goods. The Ponzi scheme ultimately collapsed in May 2021, when Marganda and his co-conspirators stopped making payments.
The FBI and HSI have established a website and an e-mail hotline for potential victims. If you have information regarding the allegations in the indictment or believe that you may be a victim, please go to www.fbi.gov/Marganda or e-mail [email protected]
In July 2022, Mr. Peace was selected as the Chairperson of the White Collar Fraud subcommittee for the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC). As the leader of the subcommittee, Mr. Peace plays a key role in making recommendations to the AGAC to facilitate the prevention, investigation and prosecution of various financially motivated, non-violent crimes including securities fraud, such as the fraud that Marganda committed.
To request a financial fraud presentation from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, please email [email protected].
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Victor Zapana and Laura Zuckerwise are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Kavya Kannan.
The Defendant:
FRANCIUS MARGANDA
Age: 41
Jakarta, Indonesia and formerly of Queens, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-481 (DLI)
Indiana Man Pleads Guilty and Is Sentenced for Sending Violent Antisemitic Threats to Anti-Defamation LeagueRead the Press Release
Andrezj Boryga, 67, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today to 24 months in prison and two years of supervised release for willfully transmitting in interstate commerce threats to injure other people and for choosing his victims because of their religion.
According to the records filed in the case, between July 9 and Dec. 14, 2022, Boryga left voicemails at Anti-Defamation League offices located in New York, Texas, Colorado, and Nevada. Boryga used antisemitic slurs on eight voicemails as he threatened to assault or kill Jewish people.
In the last few months, the Justice Department has brought charges, obtained plea agreements, and obtained sentences for more than 30 defendants for criminal acts motivated by antisemitic hate.
“Hate-fueled threats of violence seek to fracture our society and isolate communities from one another,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This defendant made heinous, repeated violent threats targeting Jewish people and organizations. His actions were not just heinous, they were unlawful. This case represents the latest effort by the Justice Department to combat the disturbing increase in threats against Jews and Jewish institutions across the United States that we have seen in the wake of October 7th. We will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute threats and acts of violence motivated by antisemitism and by hatred of any kind.”
“The defendant’s vile and graphic threats demonstrated his hate-filled mindset, and the death threats levied caused genuine fear for the people who received them,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This type of antisemitic, hate-fueled conduct offends our most basic values and has no place in our society. This sentence should send a clear message to perpetrators and would-be perpetrators of hate crimes that we will not hesitate to prosecute those who threaten violence against the Jewish community.”
“Everyone in our country should be able to sit in safety regardless of how they worship, free from bigoted threats meant to make them afraid,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana. “This criminal’s horrific threats sought to put fear into Jewish communities. Violent antisemitism and bigotry must be given no sanction in this country. Our office will continue to work closely with our partners at the Civil Rights Division and the FBI to hold criminals accountable for hate-based threats and violence.”
The FBI Indianapolis Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter A. Blackett for the Southern District of Indiana and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Illegal Possession of Firearms and Ammunition Leads to Federal Prison for Three Young Men from ShreveportRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Three Shreveport men have been sentenced to federal prison for their illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote sentenced the three men as follows:
- DeAngelo A. Davidson, 33, was sentenced to 70 months in prison.
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Gmerrio L. Underwood, 24, was sentenced to 46 months in prison.
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Casey R. Cawthorn, 24, was sentenced to 37 months in prison.
Each defendant will serve 3 years of supervised release following their release from prison.
On September 10, 2022, at approximately 11:15 p.m., a Shreveport Police Department officer conducted a traffic stop of a Chevrolet Tahoe. There were four occupants inside the vehicle. Davidson was the driver, Cawthorn was in the front passenger seat, and Underwood and an unnamed individual were in the back seat. When the officer approached the vehicle, the odor of marijuana was coming from inside and a search of the vehicle was conducted. The search revealed a plethora of loaded firearms inside the vehicle.
Officers found a loaded Glock Model 19 Gen 4, 9x19 caliber pistol underneath the front passenger seat and Davidson acknowledged that he possessed the firearm. An Anderson Arms AM-15 pistol was found on the backseat floorboard by Underwood’s feet. Underneath Cawthorn’s seat, officers found a loaded Glock Model 43, 9x19 pistol, and a loaded Glock Model 19, 9mm pistol, as well as a loaded Glock Model 43, 9x19 caliber pistol hidden in his jeans.
All three defendants have previous felony convictions: Davidson was previously convicted of possession with intent to distribute a Schedule II controlled substance in 2017. Underwood was previously convicted of illegal possession of stolen things in 2020. Cawthorn’s previous felony conviction was for illegal possession of stolen firearms in 2021. Each defendant pleaded guilty to illegally possessing the firearms and ammunition and knew that they were prohibited from possessing same due to their prior felony convictions.
The investigation and conviction of Davidson, Underwood, and Cawthorn is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and Shreveport Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy.
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IT Specialist Sentenced for FraudRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – An IT specialist previously employed at the Rhode Island office of an international company that specializes in building and operating offshore and onshore wind and solar projects has been sentenced to federal prison to be followed by a term of home confinement and supervised release for defrauding the company out of more than $158,000 through the fraudulent use of a company credit card, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Alfred Appiah, 35, of Pawtucket was sentenced today by Senior United States Judge William G. Young to seven months of incarceration in federal prison to be followed three months of home confinement and one year of federal supervised release. Additionally, Appiah was ordered to pay restitution totaling $158,850.43 to his former employer.
In pleading guilty on February 21, 2024, to three counts of wire fraud, Appiah admitted that during a span of six months beginning in June 2021, he made more than 600 unauthorized purchases using a company credit card to pay for personal expenses and services such as airline travel and lodging, clothing, beauty shops, laundry services, at grocery and liquor stores, for amusement park and movie theater fees, live event tickets, real estate management, insurance payments, child support payments, telecommunication services, and equipment rentals.
At no time did Appiah provide an accounting to his employer for any personal expenses, nor did he make remedial payments to the company.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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Hickory, N.C. Business Owner Is Sentenced to Prison for Tax and Credit Card FraudRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – James Christopher Robinson, 52, of Granite Falls, N.C., was sentenced today to 30 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for tax and credit card fraud, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Robinson was also ordered to pay $4,434,225.44 in restitution.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, Jason Byrnes, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Charlotte Field Office, and Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Charlotte Field Office, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed documents and the sentencing hearing, Robinson was the owner of multiple cabinet manufacturing and retail businesses in the Hickory area, including Cabinet Solutions USA Inc., Best Cabinet Doors, LLC, Cabinet Doors Fast, LLC, and Cox Manufacturing, LLC (collectively, Cabinet Companies). Court documents show that, between March 2020 and April 2023, Robinson accessed the credit cards of Cabinet Companies’ customers and without authorization made 294 fraudulent credit card charges totaling approximately $1 million. Robinson also created at least four counterfeit checks totaling more than $93,000, using information from actual checks written to his Cabinet Companies by customers.
According to court records, for tax years 2017 to 2022, Robinson caused two of his companies to fail to comply with their employment tax obligations by failing to timely account for and pay over more than $3.1 million in employment taxes. Court documents indicate that Robinson used the stolen funds to make large cash withdrawals from his business accounts and make hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash deposits at casinos.
On January 17, 2024, Robinson pleaded guilty to access device fraud and failure to truthfully account for and pay over trust fund taxes. He is released on bond and will be ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his sentence upon designation of a federal facility.
In announcing Robinson’s sentence, U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell described Robinson’s offenses as “serious,” and said that there was “a lot of deliberate, fraudulent, selfish conduct.”
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI, the Secret Service, and IRC-CI for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Habitual Narcotics Trafficker Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of A Firearm by A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Ronald Richardson, 40, of Panama City, Florida was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison, after previously pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“Our law enforcement partners play a vital role in fighting crime and protecting the public,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “Due to their tenacious investigation – across three states – this habitual drug trafficker is back where he belongs, behind bars. His incarceration will not only make the community safer, but also illustrate the real and severe consequences for federal firearm offenses.”
In July 2022, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, began an investigation into suspected drug trafficking by the defendant. Investigation determined the defendant traveled multiple times to a storage facility in Panama City, and then travel westbound from Panama City to Pensacola, Florida, and on to Lafayette, Louisiana. The investigation culminated in a search of the storage unit in Panama City, which was rented and used by the defendant. During the search investigators recovered items to manufacture and distribute narcotics, a Ruger LCR .357 revolver loaded with three rounds of ammunition and a safe containing $115,000. When later arrested in Mobile, Alabama, 264.4 grams of cocaine was seized from the defendant’s vehicle and more than $3,000 from his possession.
“This sentencing is a monumental win for Florida, Louisiana and Texas,” said ATF Tampa Field Division’s Special Agent in Charge Kirk Howard. “Thanks to the relentless men and women of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and talented federal prosecutors, this defendant’s days of poisoning our communities with violence and lethal drugs have come to an abrupt halt.”
Richardson’s prison sentence will be followed by 3 years of supervised release.
This case was the result of a collaborative investigation conducted by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. First Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Spaven prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Glen Burnie Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Engage in Dogfighting and Interstate Travel in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Mario Flythe, age 50, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to federal charges of conspiracy to engage in animal fighting, specifically the fighting of dogs, and interstate travel in aid of racketeering.
The guilty plea was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service – Mid-Atlantic Field Office; U.S. Marshal for Maryland Clinton Fuchs; and Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal E. Awad.
According to the guilty plea, Flythe was affiliated with the same dogfighting enterprise as his co-defendant, Frederick Douglass Moorfield, Jr. Flythe operated a kennel under the name “Razor Sharp Kennels,” and he used his home to keep, train and breed dogs for dogfighting for several years.
A review of Flythe’s cellphone showed numerous message exchanges regarding dogfighting—primarily over the instant messaging applications WhatsApp and Telegram—with members of a group known as the “DMV Board.” In addition to arranging dog fights and wagers, Flythe and the DMV Board discussed the breeding and training of fighting dogs, procuring supplies for the maintenance and feeding of fighting dogs and criminal prosecutions of dogfighters. In some exchanges, Flythe and others discussed indictments of other members of the DMV Board and speculated about the identity of a potential “snitch.”
Flythe’s instant messages also revealed several exchanges arranging—or “hooking”—dogfights. In those conversations, Flythe identified the weight and sex of the dog he wanted to sponsor in a fight. Other dogfighters then proposed a fight against their own dog or matched Flythe with another of their contacts who had a dog in the same weight class. The dogfighters would then agree on wagers and set a date for the fight, usually six to eight weeks after the match was made. In addition to stating the amount to be paid to the winner of the fight, dogfighters agreed on forfeit—or “fit”—payments to be made if a dogfighter backed out of the fight before it was scheduled to take place.
After hooking a fight, Flythe trained his dogs in a process known as a “keep.” Flythe’s typical keep schedule for a dog involved physical training (using treadmills, weighted collars, and other accessories), a diet plan, and the use of steroids. Flythe obtained steroids and other veterinary drugs through various contacts in his dogfighting network, not through legitimate veterinary prescriptions.
When Flythe sponsored a dog in a fight, the fight ended only when a dog died or when the owner forfeited the match—either through the dog “quitting” the fight or the owner “picking up” the dog.
On several occasions between 2019 and 2023, Flythe received monetary payments through CashApp related to his participation in dogfighting conduct. Flythe also sent money to dogfighting contacts in connection with the dogfighting enterprise.
On September 6, 2023, during a search of Flythe’s home, investigators recovered a total of seven pit bull-type dogs from the premises. Four dogs were found chained to posts or poles in fenced-in cages in the property’s back yard, and three dogs were found in large metal cages in the basement. In each of the cages in the back yard, investigators observed water bowls that contained either only dirt or water that appeared contaminated. Canine feces was found in both the cages in the back yard and basement. The back yard and four of the seven dogs were infested with fleas. Flythe agrees that he bred and/or trained dogs for the purposes of sponsoring them in dogfights.
Flythe faces a maximum of five years in federal prison for conspiring to engage in an animal fighting conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for October 24, 2024 at 2:30 p.m.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. U.S. District Court Judge Richard D. Bennett will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI, the DCIS, and the USDA-OIG for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander Levin and Darryl Tarver, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Gillette man sentenced to 125 months for drug and firearm offensesRead the Press Release
Giovanny Bustamante Ibarra, 21, of Gillette, Wyoming, was sentenced to 125 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and carrying firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, on Feb. 28, a Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP) Trooper conducted a traffic stop on a 2011 Hyundai with Arizona license plates driven by Giovanny Bustamante Ibarra for expired registration. There were two other passengers in the vehicle. During the stop, the Trooper deployed his narcotics detection K9 partner who indicated to the presence of controlled substances within the vehicle.
A subsequent search inside of the vehicle revealed approximately 491 grams of cocaine, three rifles (two short barreled rifles), two handguns and a suppressor that could be threaded onto one of the handguns. One handgun was readily accessible, loaded and located between the driver’s seat and console. The driver, Giovanny Bustamante Ibarra, claimed ownership of the drugs and firearms. In addition, he participated in a post-Miranda interview admitting his intention to sell the cocaine in Gillette. He was born and raised in the Phoenix area but moved to Gillette in October of 2023.
Bustamante Ibarra was charged by complaint on March 5, indicted by a federal grand jury on March 13, and pleaded guilty on April 25. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on July 22.
This crime was investigated by the WHP, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Four L.A. County Men Arrested on Charges Alleging They Committed Armed Robberies and Posted Instagram Photos with Stolen CashRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Four defendants from Los Angeles County were arrested today on a nine-count indictment charging them with committing armed robberies of several businesses – mostly 7-Eleven stores in South Los Angeles – during a nearly two-month crime spree late last year in which they allegedly posted photographs on Instagram of themselves holding stolen cash.
The indictment, returned July 10 and unsealed today, charges the following defendants with one count of conspiracy to interference with commerce by robbery and one count of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act):
- Charles Christopher, 24, of Compton;
- D’Angelo Spencer, 26, of South Los Angeles;
- Jordan Leonard, 25, of Torrance; and
- Tazjar Rouse, 22, of Hollywood.
The defendants also have been charged with various counts of Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Christopher and Leonard were arraigned today in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles and were ordered jailed without bond. They pleaded not guilty to the charges against them and a September 17 trial was scheduled. Rouse made his initial appearance today in federal court in Kansas City, Missouri. Spencer is expected to be arraigned in federal court in Los Angeles tomorrow.
“Violent gun crime leaves lasting emotional and psychological scars for victims,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Anyone thinking that violent robberies are a good way to make money should take note that there will be consequences for your actions.”
According to the indictment, from November 4, 2023, to December 24, 2023, the defendants committed a series of armed robberies, mostly of 7-Eleven stores in South Los Angeles. One victimized store was a CVS in Hollywood. The defendants traveled to the targeted stores in a BMW, jumped over the counters, took money from the stores’ cash registers, and placed the money into a black Nike bag. One of the defendants – usually either Christopher or Leonard – allegedly pointed a firearm at a store employee or customer and demand either their cellphone or their wallet.
On November 28, 2023, following the robbery of a 7-Eleven store in South Los Angeles earlier that day, Leonard posted a photograph on Instagram with stacks of cash, captioned his post “love my bros we go hit every time,” and tagged the Instagram accounts of Christopher and Spencer, the indictment alleges.
In total, the defendants allegedly netted approximately $7,617 in cash during the crime spree.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each Hobbs Act-related count and – for each firearm brandishing count – a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Operation Safe Cities establishes strategic enforcement priorities with an emphasis on prosecuting the most significant drivers of violent crime. Across this region, the most damaging and horrific crimes are committed by a relatively small number of particularly violent individuals. This strategic enforcement approach is expected to increase the number of arrests, prosecutions and convictions of recidivists engaged in the most dangerous conduct. It is designed to improve public safety across the region by targeting crimes involving illicit guns, prohibited persons possessing firearms, or robbery crews that cause havoc and extensive losses to retail establishments.
The FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Mirelle N. Raza of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
Former U.S. Congressional Candidate Sentenced for Federal Election Campaign Act Violations and False StatementsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 3rd Congressional District of Massachusetts was sentenced on July 18th in federal court in Boston for charges of violating the Federal Election Campaign Act and false statements.
Abhijit Das, a/k/a “Beej,” 51, of North Andover, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 21 months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. Das was also ordered to pay a fine of $25,000. In October 2023, Das was convicted of one count of accepting excessive campaign contributions, one count of conduit contributions, one count of conversion of campaign funds and two counts of making a false statement.
“Campaign finance laws exist to protect the rights of voters to transparency and accountability. Due to his greed and lies, Das violated those rights,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “When political candidates violate the law, it erodes the public’s trust in the process. It is imperative that we continue to uphold the integrity of the electoral process by holding candidates accountable.”
“When Congressional candidates blatantly violate campaign finance laws for personal gain, like Abhijit Das did, they breach the trust of their donors –and break the law,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division. “In this case, Mr. Das attempted to corrupt a free and fair election by ignoring campaign finance limits, reporting requirements, and using the contributions he illegally solicited to pay off the debts of his failing hotel businesses. The FBI is determined to protect the integrity of our electoral system and will not let corruption like this go unchecked.”
Das was a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 3rd Congressional District of Massachusetts in the 2017-2018 election. To inflate his fundraising numbers, Das devised a scheme in or about December 2017 to solicit personal loans from friends and close associates in excess of the $2,700 legal limit. On or about Dec. 17, 2017, Das emailed a contributor asking for a friend to support his campaign to reach a specific fundraising goal of over $450,000 by the end of the year and indicated that reaching that goal might need “some engineering.” Das advised a member of his campaign that he would “aggregate” the loans into “one batch” and execute a main transfer into the campaign account.
Further, Das caused three different individuals to contribute approximately $125,000 to his campaign and structured the contributions as personal loans to a family member to circumvent Federal Election Commission (FEC) reporting requirement and contribution limits. Das falsely claimed that the funds from the excessive contributions were his own personal funds and engaged in illegal conduit contributions to his campaign.
In addition, between January and May 2018, Das withdrew approximately $314,500 in funds from his campaign account and used at least $267,000 of these funds to pay outstanding debts for his hotel business relating to vendors, the hotel’s yacht and real estate taxes unrelated to his congressional campaign. In making these withdrawals, Das sought to conceal his conversion of campaign funds by instructing bank tellers to report the withdrawals as separate withdrawal and deposit transactions, rather than direct transfers.
Das aided and abetted in the submission of false information in quarterly reports to the FEC by overstating the amount of cash-on-hand the Das-for-Congress Campaign had in its campaign bank account. For example, in June 2018, Das reported that his campaign’s total amount of cash-on-hand was approximately $440,000, when in fact the amount of cash-on-hand in the campaign bank account was less than $5,000.
In June 2023, Das was separately indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on 10 counts of wire fraud, alleging he diverted more than $5 million in escrow funds from his clients’ accounts for personal expenses. Das has pleaded not guilty and has been on release pending trial in that case. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, FBI Boston SAC Cohen and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neil J. Gallagher Jr. and Elysa Wan of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.
Former St. Francis of Assisi University Parish Employee Charged with Wire FraudRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A former administrative assistant at St. Francis of Assisi University Parish in Tuscaloosa has been charged with embezzling money from the church, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
A one-count Information filed this week in United States District Court charges Kristen Marie Battocletti, 35, with one count of wire fraud.
According to the Information, Battocletti engaged in a scheme to defraud St. Francis of Assisi University Parish from April to October 2023. St. Francis is part of the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham. Battocletti stole approximately $300,000 from St. Francis, using the funds to purchase more than $220,000 in TikTok Coins and to pay personal expenses. Battocletti used the TikTok Coins to send digital gifts to TikTok content creators.
According to the plea agreement, also filed this week, Battocletti has agreed to plead guilty to the charge. The Court will set a date for Battocletti to enter her guilty plea.
The maximum penalty for wire fraud is 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Edward J. Canter is prosecuting the case.
An Information contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former Boston Police Sergeant Sentenced for Overtime Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Boston Police Sergeant was sentenced on July 18, 2024 in federal court in Boston in connection with an investigation of overtime fraud at the Boston Police Department’s (BPD) evidence warehouse.
George Finch, 62, of Franklin, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to three years of probation, to be followed by six months to be served in home detention. Finch was also ordered to pay $11,310 in restitution. In June 2021, Finch pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and one count of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds.
From at least March 2015 through December 2016, Finch submitted false and fraudulent overtime slips for overtime shifts that he did not work at the evidence warehouse. The “purge” overtime was a 4 – 8 p.m. weekday shift intended to dispose of old, unneeded evidence. “Kiosk” overtime involved driving to each police district in Boston one Saturday a month to collect old prescription drugs to be burned.
For the “purge” shift, Finch claimed to have worked from 4 – 8 p.m., but he and, allegedly, other members of the unit, routinely left at 6 p.m., or earlier. For the “kiosk” shift, Finch submitted overtime slips claiming to have worked eight-and-one-half hours, when in fact he and, allegedly, other members of the unit, only worked three-to-four hours of those shifts. As a supervisor, Finch endorsed fraudulent overtime slips submitted by the officers at the warehouse.
Between March 2015 and December 2016, Finch personally collected approximately $16,151 for overtime hours he did not work.
To date, over a dozen Boston Police officers have been charged in connection with committing overtime fraud at the Boston Police Department’s evidence warehouse. Finch is the fifth officer to be sentenced.
From 2015 through 2019, BPD received annual benefits from the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Justice in excess of $10,000, which were funded pursuant to numerous federal grants.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohan, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Russell W. Cunningham Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Mid-Atlantic Region made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Grady of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Former Boston Police Officer Sentenced for Overtime Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Boston Police officer was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with an investigation of overtime fraud at the Boston Police Department’s (BPD) evidence warehouse.
Michael Murphy, 64, of Hyde Park, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to two years of supervised release. Murphy was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and $16,014 in restitution. In June 2021, Murphy pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and one count of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds.
Between September 2016 and February 2019, Murphy submitted false and fraudulent overtime slips for overtime hours that he did not work for two overtime shifts at the evidence warehouse. The “purge” overtime was a 4 – 8 p.m. weekday shift intended to dispose of old, unneeded evidence. The “kiosk” overtime involved driving to each police district in Boston one Saturday a month to collect old prescription drugs to be burned.
For the “purge” shift, Murphy claimed to have worked from 4 – 8 p.m., but he routinely left at 6 p.m., or before. For the kiosk shift, Murphy submitted overtime slips claiming to have worked eight-and-one-half hours, but he only worked three-to-four hours of those shifts.
Between September 2016 and February 2019, Murphy personally collected approximately $16,014 for overtime hours he did not work.
To date, over a dozen Boston Police officers have been charged in connection with committing overtime fraud at the Boston Police Department’s evidence warehouse. Murphy is the sixth officer to be sentenced.
From 2016 through 2019, BPD received annual benefits from the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Justice in excess of $10,000, which were funded pursuant to numerous federal grants.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohan, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Ryan T. Geach, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, New York Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Grady of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Former Army Civilian Employee Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for $100 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Janet Yamanaka Mello, the civilian Army employee who stole over $108 million from a grant program designed to provide services to military dependents and their families was sentenced today to 180 months in prison for five counts of mail fraud and five counts of filing a false tax return.
According to court documents, Janet Yamanaka Mello, 57, worked as a financial program manager for the U.S. Army, Installation Management Command – G9 (Morale, Welfare and Recreation) Child and Youth Services (CYS) at Fort Sam Houston. In or around December 2016 through at least August 29, 2023, Mello formed a business she called Child Health and Youth Lifelong Development (CHYLD). The sole purpose of CHYLD was to receive grant funds from the 4-H Military Partnership Grant program, which Mello fraudulently secured by way of her position as a CYS financial program manager.
Once Mello received a grant check, she deposited the check into her bank account, spending the money on clothing, jewelry, vehicles and real estate. Court documents indicate that Mello repeated the process 49 times during a six-year period, requesting approximately $117,000,000 in payments, and receiving approximately $108,917,749.
Subsequently, Mello failed to accurately report her income for tax years 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, omitting millions of dollars in income fraudulently received through CHYLD.
“Janet Mello betrayed the trust of the government agency she served and repeatedly lied in an effort to enrich herself,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Rather than $109 million in federal funds going to the care of military children throughout the world, she selfishly stole that money to buy extravagant houses, more than 80 vehicles and over 1,500 pieces of jewelry. Her actions reflect exactly the opposite of what it means to serve your country, and my office will continue to work tirelessly to prosecute those who illegally seek personal gain at the expense of their fellow citizens.”
“Corruption and fraud in U.S. Army programs jeopardize the safety and security of our Soldiers and their families. When discovered, fraudulent activities by Army employees will not be tolerated, and those involved will be brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Maria Thomas for the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Central Texas Field Office. “The Army community, and the public, can rest assured that we remain committed to aggressively pursuing anyone that uses government programs for their own personal gain.”
"Mello's penchant for extravagance is what brought her down. We identified that her reported income was well below the lavish lifestyle she lived. As we uncovered the details, the criminal scheme grew, the dollar amount grew, and the reach of her spending grew," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Lucy Tan of IRS Criminal Investigation's Houston Field Office. "Financial crimes have victims, and this one took opportunities away from the children and families of our military men and women."
CI and Army CID investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Simmons, Antonio Franco, Kristy Callahan, Todd Keagle, and Steven Seward prosecuted the case.
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Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to Life in Prison for Causing Fatal OverdoseRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge William Jung has sentenced Bobby Peterson (41, St. Petersburg) to concurrent terms of life in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death and distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, and 30 years in prison for distribution of fentanyl. A federal jury found Peterson guilty on April 30, 2024.
According to testimony, evidence presented at trial, and court records, Peterson was a supplier of fentanyl and other controlled substances in Pinellas County. On May 12, 2020, Peterson distributed fentanyl to an individual, who in turn distributed some of the fentanyl to a friend, M.G. A few hours later, M.G. died of fentanyl toxicity. On the same day, Peterson communicated with another individual, L.O., about the sale of fentanyl. Hours later, L.O. also died of fentanyl toxicity.
When Peterson was told about M.G.’s death, he expressed no remorse and instead responded, “they know what they’re doing.” Peterson continued to sell fentanyl after he became aware that M.G. had died from the fentanyl he distributed. On February 5, 2021, Peterson sold fentanyl to an undercover detective.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pinellas Park Police Department, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Stoia.
Federal Drug Conspirators SentencedRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – Four members of a federal drug conspiracy were sentenced on July 19 in federal court. Otis Sanders, Jr., 35, of Moss Point, Mississippi; Richard Dewise, 39, of Grand Bay, Alabama; Jeffery Ryan Clark, 28, of Mobile; and Maurice Marcell Carter, 44, of Moss Point, Mississippi, appeared before United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose in separate sentencing hearings. Carter pled guilty in November of 2023 to one count charging conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count charging possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Sanders, Dewise and Clark were convicted by a jury after a trial conducted in May of 2023. The trial jury convicted Sanders of eleven counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, and the count charging conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. The trial jury convicted Dewise of three counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and the conspiracy count.
Evidence from the trial established that Sanders operated a large, interstate distribution organization in which he obtained methamphetamine from suppliers in Texas for distribution in Mobile County. Sanders hired couriers to get money to Texas and return to Mobile with the drugs. The evidence showed that some of the couriers rode commercial buses for that round trip, and others used private vehicles for their transportation. Drugs were stored a residences in Moss Point and in south Mobile County until they were packaged into smaller amounts for distribution to local dealers.Investigators made controlled buys of methamphetamine from Sanders, Dewise and Carter during the investigation. They also obtained a court authorized wiretap on some of Sanders’ phones. Monitored phone calls between Sanders, Dewise and other conspirators proved the connection between the conspirators in the distribution organization and helped establish their roles. As a result of a series of calls and texts between Sanders and Dewise, investigators stopped Dewise traveling from a gas station in Mississippi, where they observed his meeting with Sanders, to Mobile County. They seized approximately one kilogram of Sanders’ methamphetamine ice from Dewise before he could get back to his residence in the Lakeland Drive neighborhood. Clark was identified as a courier for Sanders when he was arrested driving a vehicle in Beaumont, Texas, traveling from Mobile to Houston with approximately an ounce of methamphetamine and $17,000 in drug proceeds to pay one of Sanders’ suppliers.
Sanders, Dewise, Clark, Carter and other conspirators were all arrested on the federal charges in June of 2023. Numerous firearms and additional quantities of methamphetamine were seized during the arrests. One firearm seized was a Glock handgun equipped with a machine gun conversion device, which illegally converts a semi-automatic handgun into a machine gun. Sanders was also identified as the instigator in a drive-by shooting on Ramsay Road in south Mobile County when a member of the distribution conspiracy testified against him during the trial. Sanders did not pay one of his couriers for a shipment of 10 or 20 kilograms of methamphetamine, and a dispute arose when the courier’s cousin, one of Sanders’ distributors, withheld payment for methamphetamine previously supplied. Sanders drove by the residence where they were staying on Ramsay Road, and fired shots at them in the yard. They began a pursuit, and shots were fired between the vehicles. Mobile County sheriff’s deputies responded to the running gun battle when a complainant notified them that one of the bullets had penetrated her trailer and lodged in the wall above her bed, where she was lying when she heard the shots. Sanders abandoned his silver Suburban in the road near the intersection with Highway 188. The deputies impounded the vehicle and seized shell casings inside the vehicle, establishing that Sanders had fired shots from the interior of the vehicle. Sanders attempted to have a private wrecker tow the vehicle before law enforcement arrived, but they were already present and investigating at that location when the wrecker driver arrived. Photographs of the Suburban were introduced into evidence, showing the vehicle had been struck by numerous bullets and the tires on the driver’s side were shredded by gunshots.
Judge Dubose sentenced Sanders to 240 months in prison on all the counts, with the sentences to run concurrently. Sanders was also ordered to serve 5 years of supervised release following his imprisonment. Conditions of his supervision include drug and alcohol testing and treatment and the model search provision, which permits a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion that he has violated his supervision. He was also ordered to pay $1,200 in special mandatory assessments. No fine was imposed.
The judge sentenced Dewise to 150 months in prison on all the counts, with the sentences to run concurrently. Dewise was also ordered to serve 5 years of supervised release following his imprisonment. The same conditions as those imposed for Sanders’ supervision were likewise imposed for Dewise. Dewise was ordered to pay $400 in special mandatory assessments. No fine was imposed.
Clark was sentenced to 120 months in prison on all the counts, with the sentences to run concurrently. Clark will also serve 5 years of supervised release following his imprisonment. Clark will also be subject to the same conditions as those imposed for his codefendants. He was ordered to pay $200 in special mandatory assessments. No fine was imposed.
Carter was sentenced to 120 months in prison on his two counts of conviction, with a 5 year term of supervised release to follow his imprisonment. Carter will be subject to the same conditions of supervised release as the codefendants. He was ordered to pay $200 in special mandatory assessments. No fine was imposed.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Department of Homeland Security, the Beaumont Police (Texas) Department, the St. Tammany Parish (Louisiana) Sheriff’s Office, and the Mobile Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Fairhope Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Fairhope, Alabama, man was sentenced on July 18, 2024, to 24 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony offense.
According to court documents, Christopher Caleb Thomas, 30, was arrested by Baldwin County sheriff’s deputies who came upon Thomas’ vehicle stopped in the middle of a road in Baldwin County. Deputies activated their lights and siren, and Thomas began to drive the vehicle away from the patrol car. Thomas stopped his vehicle after moving forward about 50 yards. When deputies approached the vehicle, Thomas was identified as the driver. They observed an empty holster on his belt, and he was asked to step out of the vehicle. Thomas told the deputies that the gun was under the front seat. Thomas knew that he was a convicted felon and that he could not legally possess a firearm. He admitted that he had bought the gun for $100. He told ATF investigators that the gun was in the holster on his hip until the deputies got behind him and he placed it under his seat after they activated their blue lights.
Thomas pled guilty to the charge in March of 2023. United States District Court Judge Jeffery U. Beaverstock imposed the 24-month sentence and ordered that Thomas will serve a term of three years’ supervised release when he completes his prison time. Thomas will be subject to testing and treatment for drug and alcohol abuse, and he is subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion that he has violated the terms of his supervision. No fine was imposed in the case, but Thomas was ordered to pay $100 in special mandatory assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama and made the announcement.
The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Employees of Monmouth County Marine Equipment and Servicing Company Admit Roles in Scheme to Defraud U.S. Department of DefenseRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Monmouth County, New Jersey, woman and her son from Mercer County, New Jersey, have admitted their roles in a years-long scheme to defraud the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) by providing military equipment parts that were not authorized under the governing contracts, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Linda Mika, 73, of Jackson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner in Trenton federal court to count one of an indictment charging her with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Kenneth Mika, 53, of Ewing, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on June 25, 2024, to the same count of the indictment.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From March 2016 through April 2020, Linda and Kenneth Mika conspired with each other and others to defraud the DoD and one of its combat logistic support arms, the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), by engaging in a pattern of unlawful product substitution. The Mikas were employees of Monmouth Marine Monmouth Marine Engines Inc. (Monmouth Marine), a maritime equipment and servicing facility, which, as an approved federal contractor, also entered into contracts with DLA to supply DoD contracting entities with replacement hardware for DoD’s military branches.
The Mikas, on behalf of Monmouth Marine, obtained contracts with the DoD by falsely claiming that the military parts they contracted to provide would be exact products furnished by authorized manufacturers or suppliers. Once awarded the contracts, however, the Mikas sourced non-conforming substitute parts at a significantly reduced cost to fill the contracts. They did this to maximize their profit margin while also suppressing fair competition in the bidding of federal contracts. Upon receipt by Monmouth Marine, the non-conforming parts were then shipped to DLA or various military purchasers in packaging disguising the parts’ identities in an effort by the Mikas to deceive DLA and its unwitting downstream purchasers.
The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud is punishable by a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Defense, D.C.I.S. Northeast Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian J. Solecki; and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty pleas.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric A. Boden, Attorney-in-Charge of the Trenton Branch Office of the U.S. Attorney=s Office.
mika.indictment.pdfEl duodécimo acusado se declara culpable de una conspiración transnacional para defraudar a consumidores hispanoparlantes de los Estados UnidosRead the Press Release
Un ciudadano peruano se declaró culpable hoy por su participación en una conspiración de fraude transnacional por correo postal y electrónico.
De acuerdo con lo que establecen los documentos judiciales, José Alejandro Zuñiga Cano, 40 años, de Lima, Perú, era operador de un centro de atención telefónica peruano que defraudó y extorsionó a residentes hispanoparlantes de los Estados Unidos mediante amenazas falsas de arresto, procesos judiciales y consecuencias migratorias. Zuñiga fue extraditado de Perú en marzo para enfrentar las acusaciones relacionadas con la organización.
Zuñiga es el duodécimo acusado con relación a una organización de fraude transnacional por 15 millones de dólares que defraudó y amenazó a consumidores hispanoparlantes de los Estados Unidos diciéndoles que sufrirían consecuencias legales si no pagaban por productos para aprender inglés que nunca habían solicitado. La organización fue responsable de defraudar a más de 30.000 residentes hispanoparlantes de los Estados Unidos. Muchas de las víctimas eran inmigrantes recién llegados que habían expresado su interés en aprender inglés.
Entre los 12 acusados se encuentran ocho operadores y propietarios peruanos del centro de atención telefónica y cuatro operadores y propietarios del centro de distribución que procesaban los pagos, distribuían los productos y propiciaban el fraude en los Estados Unidos. Muchos de los acusados compartían estrategias sobre cómo defraudar a los residentes hispanoparlantes de los Estados Unidos.
«La División de Protección del Consumidor del Departamento de Justicia se ocupa de proteger a los consumidores estadounidenses vulnerables frente a los estafadores, incluidos los que residen más allá de nuestras fronteras», manifestó el viceministro de justicia, Brian M. Boynton, jefe de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «Las personas que estafan a nuestras comunidades de inmigrantes serán llevadas a la justicia y condenadas en los tribunales de los Estados Unidos».
«El amplio alcance del sistema judicial estadounidense no tiene límites cuando se trata de atrapar estafadores que se aprovechan de las poblaciones más vulnerables de nuestro país, como las personas mayores y los nuevos inmigrantes», expresó el fiscal federal de los Estados Unidos, Markenzy Lapointe para el distrito sur de Florida. «No permitiremos que los criminales transnacionales utilicen tácticas de miedo e intimidación para robar dinero del público para quien trabajamos. Las personas que defraudan a los consumidores estadounidenses serán juzgadas en cualquier lugar donde se encuentren».
«Esta investigación demuestra que se hará justicia de manera implacable para proteger a los consumidores estadounidenses», afirmó el inspector a cargo, Juan A. Vargas, de la división Miami del Servicio de Inspección Postal de los Estados Unidos. «El Servicio de Inspección Postal de los Estados Unidos, la División de Protección al Consumidor del Departamento de Justicia y la fiscalía general de los Estados Unidos han trabajado incansablemente para defender la integridad de nuestro sistema judicial y del sistema de correo postal. La condena número doce que tuvo lugar en el día de hoy envía un claro mensaje a quienes explotan el correo postal con fines criminales: Sepan que serán juzgados».
De acuerdo con lo que establecen los documentos judiciales, Zuñiga era propietario y operador de un centro de atención telefónica en Lima, Perú, que hacía llamadas no solicitadas a consumidores hispanoparlantes en los Estados Unidos y sostenía falsamente que habían ganado o que reunían los requisitos para recibir productos gratuitos, como tabletas electrónicas y cursos de idioma inglés. En sucesivas llamadas, Zuñiga y sus cómplices sostenían falsamente que las víctimas estaban obligadas por contrato a pagar importantes sumas de dinero para recibir los productos. Zuñiga y sus cómplices fingían ser abogados, funcionarios judiciales, agentes de policía y representantes de un supuesto «juzgado de delitos menores» para intimidar a las víctimas y obligarlas a enviar los pagos. Zuñiga y sus cómplices amenazaban a las víctimas con acciones legales en su contra, detenciones y consecuencias migratorias si no pagaban.
Las víctimas que realizaban los pagos eran luego revictimizadas por Zuñiga y sus cómplices con un esquema de supuesta restitución de esos pagos. De acuerdo con lo establecido en los documentos judiciales, el acusado y sus cómplices llamaban nuevamente a las víctimas que ya habían pagado, fingían ser abogados de un tribunal de los Estados Unidos y explicaban falsamente a las víctimas que tenían derecho a la restitución de los pagos realizados y que para recibir el dinero primero debían pagar los honorarios al abogado que supuestamente había llevado el caso en su nombre. En realidad, no existía ningún abogado, ni orden de restitución, ni devolución de fondos a las víctimas que realizaron esos pagos adicionales. Por el contrario, Zuñiga se quedaba con esos pagos adicionales de las víctimas.
Hoy, Zuñiga se declaró culpable de conspiración para cometer fraude por correo postal y electrónico. La jueza de distrito de los Estados Unidos, Kathleen M. Williams, dictará sentencia contra Zuñiga el 10 de octubre. Zuñiga enfrenta una condena máxima de 20 años de prisión.
Zuñiga es el octavo acusado en ser extraditado de Perú y en declararse culpable ante un tribunal federal de conspiración para cometer fraude por correo postal y electrónico relacionado con centros de atención telefónica peruanos. En 2021 y en 2022, el juez de distrito de los Estados Unidos, Robert N. Scola (hijo), condenó a Henrry Milla, Carlos Espinoza, Jerson Rentería, Fernán Huerta, Omar Cuzcano, Evelyng Milla y Josmell Espinoza a penas de entre 88 y 110 meses de prisión. Además, también fueron condenados otros cuatro cómplices de conspiración que propiciaron las operaciones de estos centros de atención telefónica. Recientemente, en marzo de 2023, la jueza de distrito de los Estados Unidos, Patricia A. Seitz, condenó a 65 meses de prisión a Luis Rendón, operador de un centro de distribución de los Estados Unidos que propició una parte significativa de la organización fraudulenta.
La investigación del caso estuvo a cargo del Servicio de Inspección Postal de los Estados Unidos (USPIS) y la División de Protección al Consumidor.
Los fiscales a cargo del caso son Phil Toomajian, abogado litigante sénior y coordinador de litigios penales transnacionales, y Carolyn Rice, abogada litigante de la División de Protección de los Consumidores. La fiscal federal adjunta es Annika Miranda, quien se ocupa de la confiscación de los bienes. Prestaron valiosa colaboración la Comisión Federal de Comercio, la Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales del Departamento de Justicia, la Fiscalía del Distrito Sur de Florida, el Servicio de Seguridad Diplomática del Departamento de Estado, el Servicio de Alguaciles de los Estados Unidos, la Fiscalía Nacional del Perú y la Policía Nacional del Perú.
El Departamento de Justicia continúa investigando y presentando acusaciones en otros asuntos similares que incluyen amenazas contra residentes hispanoparlantes de los Estados Unidos.
Si usted o alguien a quien conoce es mayor de 60 y ha sido víctima de fraude financiero, debe saber que cuenta con la ayuda de especialistas profesionales en la línea nacional directa contra el fraude a personas mayores: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). Esta línea directa del Departamento de Justicia, administrada por la Oficina de Asistencia a las Víctimas de Delitos, puede brindar ayuda personalizada a quienes llaman mediante la evaluación de las necesidades de la víctima y la identificación de los próximos pasos a seguir. Los administradores de casos identifican los organismos de denuncia apropiados, brindan información a quienes llaman para ayudarlos a denunciar, los comunican directamente con las agencias competentes y les ofrecen recursos y derivaciones en función de cada caso. La denuncia es el primer paso. Denunciar puede ayudar a las autoridades a identificar a quienes cometen fraude y la denuncia inmediata de pérdidas financieras por fraude puede aumentar la probabilidad de recuperar lo perdido. La línea directa está disponible de lunes a viernes de 10:00 a. m. a 6:00 p. m. hora del este de los Estados Unidos. La línea está disponible en inglés, español y otros idiomas.
Para más información sobre las medidas adoptadas por el departamento para ayudar a las personas mayores de los Estados Unidos, consulte la página web de la Iniciativa de Justicia para Adultos Mayores. Para más información sobre la Subdivisión de Protección de los Consumidores y sus medidas para hacer cumplir la ley, visite www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Las demandas de fraude a personas mayores pueden presentarse ante la Comisión Federal de Comercio (FTC, por sus siglas en inglés) en https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ o telefónicamente llamando al 877-FTC-HELP. El Departamento de Justicia ofrece varios recursos relacionados con la victimización por fraude de personas mayores mediante su Oficina de Asistencia a las Víctimas de Delitos, a la que puede acceder en www.ovc.gov.
Puede encontrar más información acerca de la División de Protección al Consumidor y sus medidas de lucha contra el fraude en www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Eight Individuals Indicted and Arrested for Conspiracy to Introduce Contraband into the Metropolitan Detention Center in Guaynabo, PRRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a 14-count indictment on July 18, 2024, charging eight individuals with drug trafficking, conspiracy to provide contraband in prison, and conspiracy to commit identity theft.
According to court documents, from in or about July of 2023 and continuing up to and until on or about May 22, 2024, the defendants conspired to provide Buprenorphine (Suboxone), ketamine, and fentanyl to inmates housed at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), a federal detention facility in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, by introducing envelopes purporting to be legal mail. The defendants are:
(1) José J. Rodríguez-Cumba, a/k/a “Chambi”,
(2) Richard Cruz-Monzón,
(3) Yarelis I. Colón-Ríos,
(4) Yarushka M. De León-Acosta, a/k/a “La Secretaria”,
(5) Edwin D. González-Reyes, a/k/a “Cotto”,
(6) José J. López-Pellot,
(7) Christina M. Rodríguez-Cumba, a/k/a “Nani”, and
(8) Selena Crespo-Dumeng.
All defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of conspiracy to provide contraband in prison, and one count of conspiracy to commit identity theft. Six defendants are facing aggravated identity theft charges.
“This case should send a clear message to those who attempt to smuggle illegal contraband into a federal facility that we will investigate and prosecute this criminal activity,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
“Through our joint enforcement efforts, we’ve dismantled a criminal organization that utilized the mail to supply drugs to federal and state prisons,” said Juan A. Vargas, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division. “Postal Inspectors will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and hold those accountable who maliciously utilize the U.S. mail system.”
“Contraband in correctional institutions continues to be a significant threat. Exposure to narcotics, specifically fentanyl, can cause immediate death to inmates and correctional staff alike,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge, FBI San Juan Field Office. “We are committed to working with our Federal and State law enforcement partners to mitigate this threat and ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice”.
If convicted on the drug trafficking charges, the defendants face up to twenty years in prison, that is, ten years for possession of fentanyl in prison; five years for attempting to provide Buprenorphine in prison; five years for conspiracy to provide contraband in prison. The defendants are also facing a maximum sentence of twenty years for conspiracy to commit identity theft, as well as a mandatory minimum consecutive sentence of two years for aggravated identity theft. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division and the FBI are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort; Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares; and AUSAs R. Vance Eaton and Carlos J. Romo-Aledo are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Drug Courier Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Lexington, Mississippi, man was sentenced on July 18, 2024, to 60 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
According to court documents, Morris Alan Morgan, 39, was a courier for Darrin J. Southall, a notorious and prolific drug distributor who operated in Mobile, Alabama, since 2016. Southall previously pled guilty to operating a continuing criminal enterprise, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and conspiracy to launder drug money, and was sentenced in 2022 to 35 years’ imprisonment in federal prison. Morgan was hired by Southall to transport drug money and drugs concealed in compartments in various vehicles Southall owned back and forth between Mobile and Houston, Texas. Morgan admitted responsibility for smuggling 30 kilograms of cocaine in shipments for Southall during early 2021.
Morgan pled guilty to the charges in March of 2023. United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer imposed the 60-month sentence and ordered that Morgan will serve a term of five years’ supervised release when he completes his prison time. Morgan will be subject to testing and treatment for drug and alcohol abuse, and he is subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion that he has violated the terms of his supervision. No fine was imposed in the case, but Morgan was ordered to pay $100 in special mandatory assessments.U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Mobile Police Department, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Saraland Police Department, the St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.