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11 July 2024
Sentences Handed Down for Multi-Year Scheme to Subvert Commercial Fishing RegulationsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: Eight men from Maine and one from New Hampshire – comprised of the owner, captains, and crew members of a commercial fishing vessel, the Western Sea, and owners of local Maine fisheries – have been sentenced for knowingly subverting commercial fishing reporting requirements. The final six sentences in the complex case were handed down this week by U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy in U.S. District Court in Portland.
The Western Sea is a fishing vessel that operated out of Rockland and fished for Atlantic herring. Atlantic herring is the primary bait fish for Maine’s lobster industry. Operators of fishing vessels in the Atlantic herring fishery must comply with restrictions on fishing areas, seasonal access, gear usage, and limits on the quantity or weight of fish caught. To ensure a sustainable fishery for a particular species, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has authority to set quotas and catch limits for commercial fishing vessels, and the vessels must complete a Fishing Vessel Trip Report (FVTR) at the end of each fishing trip reporting all species caught, the weight of each catch, and the dealers to whom the catch is sold.
According to court records, from June 2016 through September 2019, members of the Western Sea crew conspired to submit false FVTRs to NOAA. The Western Sea, acting through its owner, captains, and crew, sold Atlantic herring to purchasers who paid the crew directly via check or cash, including to some purchasers that were not federally permitted dealers of Atlantic herring. Members of the crew received shares of this money at the end of fishing weeks. Some sales were of unreported Atlantic herring, including when the vessel landed more than the quantity of herring allowed under weekly catch limits. False FVTRs were submitted to NOAA to conceal the conduct and Western Sea, Inc. issued inaccurate 1099 forms to crew members that failed to report all income.
>Sentenced this week:
- Glenn Robbins (77, Eliot; Owner Western Sea, Inc. & Captain R. Herring; Captain of the Western Sea)
- Pleaded guilty on 03/11/24 to conspiracy to submit false information to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce and his/her designees regarding the catch and sale of Atlantic herring and failure to pay taxes.
- Sentenced on 07/11/24 to 2 years of probation, $25,000 fine.
- Western Sea, Inc. (Eliot)
- Pleaded guilty on 03/11/24 to falsification of records.
- Sentenced on 07/11/24 to 2 years of probation, $175,000 fine.
- Jason Parent (51, Owls Head; Crew member)
- Pleaded guilty on 03/11/24 to conspiracy to submit false information to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce and his/her designees regarding the catch and sale of Atlantic herring and failure to pay taxes.
- Sentenced on 07/10/24 to 2 years of probation, $2,000 fine, 50 hours of community service, restitution of $28,685.58.
- Stephen Little (59, Warren; Crew member)
- Pleaded guilty on 03/11/24 to conspiracy to submit false information to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce and his/her designees regarding the catch and sale of Atlantic herring and failure to pay taxes.
- Sentenced on 07/10/24 to 2 years of probation, $42,834.93 restitution.
- Neil Herrick (48, Rockland; Crew member)
- Pleaded guilty on 03/11/24 to conspiracy to submit false information to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce and his/her designees regarding the catch and sale of Atlantic herring and failure to pay taxes.
- Sentenced on 07/10/24 to 2 years of probation, 50 hours of community service, $32,889.43 restitution.
- Ethan Chase (46, Portsmouth, NH; Part-time captain of the Western Sea)
- Pleaded guilty on 03/11/24 to conspiracy to submit false information to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce and his/her designees regarding the catch and sale of Atlantic herring and failure to pay taxes.
- Sentenced on 07/09/24 to 2 years of probation, 50 hours of community service, $2,000 fine, $39,289.39 restitution.
Previously sentenced:
- Glenn Lawrence (70, Owls Head; Owner of fishing/transport vessel the Double Eagle)
- Pleaded guilty on 11/07/23 to unlawful purchase of fish in interstate commerce, and aiding and abetting (Lacey Act Violation).
- Sentenced on 05/03/24 to 2 years of probation, $9,500 fine, 50 hours community service.
- Duston Reed (42, Waldoboro; Owner New Moon Fisheries, Inc.)
- Pleaded guilty on 12/27/23 to unlawful purchase of fish in interstate commerce, and aiding and abetting (Lacey Act Violation).
- Sentenced on 04/29/24 to 2 years of probation, $25,000 fine, 100 hours community service.
- New Moon Fisheries, Inc. (Friendship)
- Pleaded guilty on 12/27/23 to unlawful purchase of fish in interstate commerce, and aiding and abetting (Lacey Act Violation).
- Sentenced on 04/29/24 to 2 years of probation, $15,000 fine.
- Samuel Olsen (73, Cushing; Owner Sam’s Seafood LLC)
- Pleaded guilty on 10/17/23 to unlawful purchase of fish in interstate commerce, and aiding and abetting (Lacey Act Violation).
- Sentenced on 04/12/24 to 1 year of probation, $9,500 fine, 50 hours community service.
- Andrew Banow (37, Rockport; Crew member)
- Pleaded guilty on 03/14/24 to conspiracy to submit false information to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce and his/her designees regarding the catch and sale of Atlantic herring and failure to pay taxes.
- Sentenced on 04/12/24 to 1 year of probation, $1,000 fine, $20,177 restitution.
“Atlantic herring is a vital resource in Maine, particularly to the thousands of people involved in the lobster industry in the state. Led by Glenn Robbins and Western Sea, the defendants in this case subverted regulations for the sole purpose of lining their own wallets – regulations that are in place to ensure Atlantic herring are not overfished and are available for future generations of fishermen and safeguard the viability of the marine ecosystem,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “I commend the investigators on this case, including those from NOAA, for their efforts to ensure the sustainable management of an industry so vital to all that is Maine.”
“Protecting our nation's honest fishermen is, and will always be, a top priority for NOAA. Egregious acts that undermine the sustainable management of our fisheries resources and steal from those in the industry who follow the rules will not be tolerated,” said Michael Henry, Assistant Director for NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement's Northeast Division.
“The sentencing of all involved with the Western Sea investigations sends a powerful message to the commercial fishing industry,” said IRS CI Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis Jr. “This investigation demonstrates IRS-CI’s commitment to investigating and prosecuting all those that violate the U.S. Tax Code, no matter who they are.”
NOAA, IRS – Criminal Investigation, and the Maine Marine Patrol investigated the case.
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*Updated 07/12/24 to correct fine amount for defendant Glenn Lawrence
- Glenn Robbins (77, Eliot; Owner Western Sea, Inc. & Captain R. Herring; Captain of the Western Sea)
Sacramento Resident Indicted for Possession of Stolen Mail and Intent to DefraudRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Stephanie Lynn Fahlgren, 47, of Sacramento, charging her with possession of stolen mail, unlawfully possessing a mail key or lock, and unauthorized possession of 15 or more access devices, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on March 20, 2024, Fahlgren was in possession of stolen mail, mail keys or locks, and more than 15 debit or credit cards, which are counterfeit and unauthorized access devices. Fahlgren possessed those devices with intent to defraud her victims.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Cárdenas is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Fahlgren faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison for possession of stolen mail, 10 years in prison for possession of mail key or lock and 20 years in prison for unlawful possession of 15 or more access devices. Each count carries a fine of up to $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Rite Aid Corporation and Affiliates Agree to Settle False Claims Act and Controlled Substance Act Allegations Related to Opioid DispensingRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced that Rite Aid Corporation (Rite Aid) and 10 subsidiaries and affiliates have agreed to settle the government’s allegations under the False Claims Act (FCA) and Controlled Substances Act (CSA) asserted in United States ex rel. White et al. v. Rite Aid Corp., et al., No. 1:21-cv-1239 (N.D. Ohio). Under the settlement, the government will be paid $7.5 million and have an allowed, unsubordinated, general unsecured claim of $401.8 million in Rite Aid’s bankruptcy case that is pending in the District of New Jersey. During the relevant time period, Rite Aid operated one of the country’s largest retail pharmacy chains with over 2,200 retail pharmacies in 17 states.
“Filling unnecessary prescriptions for powerful and addictive opioids, as the government alleged here, not only takes a toll on our communities, but also violates the law,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “As today’s settlement illustrates, the Justice Department is committed to holding pharmacies accountable for their role in the nation’s opioid crisis.”“Pharmacies and pharmacists have an affirmative legal duty to ensure that the prescriptions they fill are legitimate,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “When they disregard this responsibility and instead ignore red flags indicating that prescriptions for addictive painkillers are invalid, they violate the public’s trust and harm the community they are supposed to serve — all to make a buck. Our settlement with Rite Aid reinforces the Northern District of Ohio’s continued commitment to combatting the opioid crisis. My office and our law enforcement partners will continue to battle this epidemic by ensuring that corporate actors comply with their legal obligations, which help to restrict unwarranted public access to highly addictive medications, and thereby fight to keep vulnerable members of our communities from becoming addicted to opioids.”
The government’s complaint alleges that, from May 2014 through June 2019, Rite Aid knowingly dispensed at least hundreds of thousands of unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances that (1) lacked a legitimate medical purpose and were not issued in the usual course of professional practice and/or (2) were not valid prescriptions, were not for a medically accepted indication or were medically unnecessary. These unlawful prescriptions included, for example, prescriptions for the dangerous, highly diverted combination of drugs known as “the trinity,” prescriptions for excessive quantities of opioids, such as highly addictive oxycodone and fentanyl, and prescriptions issued by prescribers who Rite Aid pharmacists had repeatedly identified internally as suspicious and as writing unlawful, unnecessary prescriptions. The government further alleges that Rite Aid filled these prescriptions despite clear “red flags,” which highly indicated the prescriptions were unlawful and which pharmacists are trained to recognize. Rite Aid also allegedly ignored substantial evidence that its stores were dispensing unlawful prescriptions, including specific concerns raised by its pharmacists, and intentionally deleted internal notes about suspicious prescribers written by Rite Aid pharmacists, such as “writing excessive dose[s] for oxycodone,” and “DO NOT FILL CONTROLS.” By knowingly dispensing unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances, the government alleges that Rite Aid violated the CSA and, where Rite Aid sought reimbursement from federal healthcare programs, also violated the FCA.
Along with Rite Aid Corporation, the government’s complaint names as defendants the following Rite Aid subsidiaries: Rite Aid Hdqtrs Corp.; Rite Aid of Connecticut Inc.; Rite Aid of Delaware Inc.; Rite Aid of Maryland; Rite Aid of Michigan; Rite Aid of New Hampshire; Rite Aid of New Jersey; Rite Aid of Ohio; Rite Aid of Pennsylvania and Rite Aid of Virginia.
“Pharmacies and pharmacists have a critical responsibility to ensure controlled substances are dispensed lawfully and safely to the public. This includes highly addictive opioids as we continue to see the impact of the opioid crisis,” said Deputy Inspector General Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG is entering into a Corporate Integrity Agreement with Rite Aid, which includes a prescription drug claims review to have an Independent Review Organization determine whether prescription drugs are properly prescribed, dispensed, and billed. HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold providers accountable that put the public at risk.”
“America continues to live through the worst opioid epidemic we have ever seen. Rite Aid contributed to this crisis by ignoring obvious red flags and dispensing hundreds of thousands of unnecessary opioids,” said Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “DEA will continue to do everything in our power to protect the health and safety of Americans and to end the opioid epidemic.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims that certain Rite Aid pharmacies in Washington State violated the CSA by filling prescriptions written by prescribers who lacked proper controlled substance prescribing authority. The settlement also resolves claims brought in 2019 under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the FCA by Andrew White, Mark Rosenberg and Ann Wegelin, who all previously worked for Rite Aid at various pharmacies. The FCA authorizes private parties to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in any recovery and permits the United States to take over the lawsuit, as it did here in part. The relators will receive 17% of the government’s FCA recovery in this matter.
In addition to the civil settlement, Rite Aid has entered into agreements with DEA and HHS-OIG to address its obligations going forward. Rite Aid and DEA entered a memorandum of agreement (MOA) designed to increase communication between the company, its retailers and DEA. Employees will receive additional training to help them identify illegitimate prescriptions and minimize the risk of drug diversion. The MOA also requires Rite Aid to create and keep materials relevant to DEA investigations for a minimum of five years. Rite Aid further commits to implementing and managing an anonymous hotline for employees, patients and the public to report suspected illegal dispensing of highly diverted controlled substances as well as suspected violations of the CSA. Rite Aid has also entered into a corporate integrity agreement (CIA) with HHS-OIG. The CIA includes a prescription claims drug review to have an Independent Review Organization to determine whether prescription drugs are properly prescribed, dispensed and billed.
The settlement was approved on June 28 by the bankruptcy court as part of Rite Aid’s plan of reorganization, which is expected to become effective later this summer. The amount the government will recover on its unsecured claim under the settlement will depend on the ultimate amount of assets available to the bankruptcy estate for distribution to unsecured creditors.
The Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio handled this matter. The DEA Cleveland Division, FBI Cleveland Field Office and HHS-OIG provided substantial assistance in the investigation.
Senior Trial Counsel Christopher Wilson of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia Fitzgerald, Elizabeth Berry and Kathryn Andrachik for the Northern District of Ohio handled the White matter. Trial Attorneys Mary Schmergel, Gregory Werkheiser and Ryan Lamb of the Civil Division’s Corporate/Financial Litigation Section handled the Rite Aid bankruptcy case.
This settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the FCA. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to the HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The claims asserted against the defendants are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Settlement
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. The sentencing took place on June 7, 2024.
Charles Nichols, 51, was sentenced to 24 years and 5 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Nichols was indicted for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Attempted Enticement of a Minor by a federal grand jury in March 2023. He pleaded guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Minor on March 28, 2024.
Nichols admitted that he communicated with a minor, who was then aged 16 and 17, over Instagram for several months. He then offered her alcohol, marijuana, and vape pods in exchanged for sexual activity between August and October of 2022. Nichols used his cellular phone to record some of these sexual acts with the minor. Nichols was arrested after he drove to the Monument Arena in October of 2022, during the Black Hills Pow Wow, to exchange a vape pen for sexual acts with a different minor.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.
Nichols was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Raleigh Man Charged with Defrauding COVID Relief Program for over $1 MillionRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging a Raleigh man with defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for over $1 million. The indictment was unsealed today.
“We are devoting more resources than ever to prosecuting white collar fraud, especially on taxpayer-funded relief programs meant to serve the needy,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Fairness in federally funded programs is fundamental to public trust and the rule of law.”
According to the indictment, Wilson Alfredo Olivera Borda, 44, received nine PPP loans in the names of five separate businesses—The Insurance Centers.Com Inc., The Insurance Centers LLC, Realty Vestors LLC, US-Kaizen LLC, and Ecobuild LLC—by allegedly falsely claiming on PPP applications that each business had substantial employees and operations. The indictment alleges that Olivera bolstered these fraudulent misrepresentations by submitting fabricated tax returns to PPP lenders.
The indictment also alleges that Olivera made additional false statements to obtain forgiveness on the loans and that all nine loans were fully forgiven and paid off by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Olivera is charged with nine counts of wire fraud involving disaster-related benefits. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 30 years in prison.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Cogburn is prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division's prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at Justice.gov/OPA/pr/justice-department-takes-action-against-covid-19-fraud.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Prior Felon Sentenced to 96 Months in Federal Prison for Possession of A Firearm in Relation to Shooting IncidentRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Tamylon Williams, 28, of Tallahassee, Florida, has been sentenced to 96 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty for 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.
“The investigation and prosecution of violent crime – in this case a fatal, mass casualty shooting by an armed repeat offender – is central to our mission to protect the public,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “This sentence illustrates our shared resolve to keep our communities safe and the significant consequences associated with such federal crimes of violence.”
On October 29, 2022, at approximately 11:48 p.m., Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) Officers responded to gunshots being fired from the area of Half Time Liquors at 2101 West Pensacola Street in Tallahassee, Florida. TPD found several people who were wounded during the incident, and one individual who was killed by the gunfire.
“We are grateful that justice has prevailed, ensuring that Williams will be held accountable for his senseless actions and face the consequences," said Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell. “Following this tragic shooting, TPD officers and detectives worked tirelessly to uncover the truth and provide closure for the victim’s families. Today, we find solace in knowing that our justice system stands firm in prosecuting those who seek to disrupt our safety and harm our community.”
Video evidence from Half Time Liquors was obtained which shows Williams walking in the parking lot with the barrel of a rifle protruding out of the bottom of his jacket; other video shows Williams taking a stance consistent with firing a gun. Williams is later seen entering a vehicle and placing an AK-style rifle into the backseat. Officers located the vehicle at a gas station within a couple hours of the shooting, and the rifle was recovered from the backseat. Williams had prior felony convictions prohibiting him from possessing the rifle.
Williams is still pending related charges in State Court for the 2nd Judicial Circuit, where he is presumed innocent.
Williams’ prison sentence will be followed by 3 years of supervised release.
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.
This conviction was the result of an investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department, Florida Highway Patrol, Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco & Firearms. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer.
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 for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Pennsylvania Man Convicted of Conspiring to Launder Cybercrime Fraud ProceedsRead the Press Release
Birmingham, Ala. – A jury has convicted a recidivist money launderer from Pennsylvania for his role in an international money laundering conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.
The jury returned a guilty verdict against Toochukwu Michael Okorie, 46, of Bristol, Pennsylvania, after three days of testimony and argument before U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler. Okorie was convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Okorie had previously been convicted of wire fraud and money laundering in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in 2011.
“This conviction shows that juries see through money launderers’ attempts to disguise the movement of fraud proceeds as legitimate business transactions,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “My office will continue to prosecute those who knowingly help move fraud proceeds, especially those who’ve been previously convicted of fraud and money laundering.”
“Individuals who engage in this type of illegal activity continue to refine and develop new ways to launder ill-gotten proceeds and play a significant role in the circle of criminal activity which continues to plague our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples of the Birmingham Division. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners, the public and private sector, and communities, to aggressively pursue those engaged in money laundering and hopes this sentence serves as a warning to others.”
According to evidence presented at trial, from June 2017 through May 2019, Okorie helped launder hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraud proceeds through two front companies: TMO Consulting LLC and Collective Intelligence Forensics LLC. During the conspiracy, Okorie and his co-conspirators would receive wire transfers from business email compromise, romance scam, and other frauds—including from victims in the Northern District of Alabama. Okorie and his co-conspirators would then move the fraud proceeds among bank accounts in an effort to disguise their origin and conceal their fraudulent nature. After paying themselves a commission, members of the conspiracy would ultimately wire the proceeds to bank accounts in Nigeria or use them to purchase automobiles that were shipped overseas.
U.S. District Court Judge Anna M. Manasco previously sentenced two other individuals involved in the money laundering conspiracy: On January 20, 2022, Paulinus Ebhodaghe, 40, of Clementon, New Jersey, was sentenced to 37 months in prison; and Ohimai Asikhia, 37, of Glassboro, New Jersey, was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit money laundering is 10 years in in prison.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward J. Canter and John M. Hundscheid are prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Secret Service Cyber Fraud Task Force provided assistance during the investigation.
For more resources on cybercrime, visit www.ic3.gov.
Pennsylvania Man Charged with Alien Smuggling & Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging a dual citizen, living in Pennsylvania, who traveled to Salt Lake City for the purpose of paying for and obtaining tourist visas to promote the illegal smuggling of foreign nationals into the United States.
According to court documents, Sivarupan Sivaramalingam, 43, of Malvern, PA, was arrested on June 20, 2024, following a criminal investigation into a human smuggling organization. Working in an undercover capacity, an agent with the Department of Homeland Security Investigations was introduced to Sivaramalingam. Sivaramalingam believed that the undercover agent could provide means of entry into the United States for foreign nationals. Communicating through a mobile application used for instant messaging and voice-over-IP service, Sivaramalingam told the undercover agent he would pay approximately $12,500 U.S dollars, per foreign national, for an entry visa or some other valid document to enter the United States.
On April 8, 2024, Sivaramalingam traveled to Salt Lake City to meet the undercover agent and further discuss the illegal services mentioned for foreign nationals. Sivaramalingam provided the undercover agent hard copies of five Sri Lankan nationals’ passports and asked the agent to process the foreign nationals to obtain entry into the United States. During the meeting, Sivaramalingam and the undercover agent agreed to an initial down payment for the services in the amount of approximately $5,000 to start the process. On April 18, 2024, Sivaramalingam sent a picture of a bank receipt for $5,000 to the undercover agent via the phone app. The next day, the undercover agent received and confirmed that the $5,000 bank transfer was successfully deposited into his account. During May and June, communication continued between Sivaramalingam and the undercover agent and the undercover agent notified Sivaramalingam that he had acquired B1/B2 tourist visas for all five Sri Lankan nationals. B1/B2 tourist visas are not actually valid entry documents, nor authorized, for travel or entry into the U.S.
On June 20, 2024, Sivaramalingam and the undercover agent met again in Salt Lake City for Sivaramalingam to receive the tourist visas and pay another $6,000 for the undercover agent’s services. It was agreed the rest would be paid upon successful entry of the foreign nationals into the U.S. During the exchange, the undercover agent told Sivaramalingam that the process of getting the visas was not legal or legitimate.
As alleged in the complaint, the human smuggling organization is believed to be based in the United States, but is smuggling foreign nationals into the U.S. from all over the world, namely India and Sri Lanka.
Sivaramalingam is charged with Alien smuggling, and human trafficking with respect to involuntary servitude and forced labor. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for July 12, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
United States Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated jointly by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Oparations (ERO), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Assistant United States Attorney Carlos Esqueda of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting 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.
Park City Businessman Sentenced to 12 Months’ Imprisonment for $1.7M Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Salt Lake City, Utah – Timothy Andrew Nemeckay, 64, of Park City, Utah, was sentenced yesterday to 12 months’ and one day imprisonment, and 24 months supervised release. In September 2023, Nemeckay admitted to wire fraud, which involved misappropriating approximately $1.7 million from investors investing in the development of a brewery and restaurant in Utah and California.
Nemeckay’s sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge David Barlow, who also ordered Nemeckay to pay $1,705,778.00 in restitution, and the forfeiture of $308,893.53 in proceeds from the sale of his home in Park City.
According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, from early 2013 to 2020, Nemeckay lied to investors that Mine Shaft Brewing was raising funds to develop a brewery and restaurant in Park City and later in Santa Clarita, California. Nemeckay was the founder and manager of Mine Shaft Brewing. He lied to investors about what he would do with their money, and he concealed information about his background, including the fact that he was banned from raising securities statewide by the Utah State Securities Division.
Between 2014 and 2019, Nemeckay misappropriated approximately $1.7 million from 100 investors by comingling funds into his personal and business-related accounts. For example, he used investor money to pay himself, previous securities violations, personal bills and utilities, personal mortgage payments, luxury items at Louis Vuitton and Christian Louboutin, concert tickets, swingers clubs, strip clubs, and vacations to Hawaii and Cancun, Mexico.
United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Utah Division of Securities and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Brian Williams and Jacob Strain from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
Orlando Man Charged with Possession of A MachinegunRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Jeremiah Cundiff (19, Orlando) with possession of a machinegun. If convicted, Cundiff faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Cundiff that the United States intends to forfeit a Glock GMBH 23 .40 caliber pistol, a machinegun conversion device, and associated ammunition.
According to the indictment, on October 23, 2023, Cundiff possessed a machinegun.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with valuable assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Noah P. Dorman.
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.
Oklahoma City Man who Shot Police Officer Responding to Domestic Call Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY –JOEL KEENAN LEWIS, 67, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve the statutory maximum, 120 months, in prison for being a drug user in possession of a firearm, with credit for time served in state custody, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to public record, on January 23, 2021, an officer with the Oklahoma City Police Department responded to Lewis’s home on a domestic call. Moments after the officer arrived, Lewis exited the home, pointed a pistol directly at the officer’s chest, and fired it at point-blank range at the officer. The officer was hit in both the chest and hand. The officer sustained minor injuries, in large part due to the safety armor beneath his uniform.
On August 1, 2023, a federal grand jury charged Lewis—who had a long history of marijuana use—with being a drug user in possession of a firearm. On October 23, 2023, Lewis pleaded guilty and admitted to using marijuana in January of 2021, despite not having a medical marijuana card, and to possessing firearms during this same time.
At the sentencing hearing on July 8, 2024, U.S. District Judge Stephen P. Friot sentenced Lewis to serve the statutory maximum, 120 months, in confinement, with credit for time served in a related conviction for shooting with intent to kill in Oklahoma County District Court case CF-2021-401. Judge Friot also ordered Lewis to serve three years of supervised release upon his release from federal prison. In announcing the sentence, Judge Friot noted the dangerous combination of chronic drug abuse and firearms and the risk that combination poses to the community.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacquelyn M. Hutzell and David McCrary prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 65 Months in Prison for Swapping Fentanyl, Cash for Counterfeit PillsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Thursday sentenced an Ohio man who arranged to buy 200,000 counterfeit pills to 65 months in prison.
On June 27, 2021, Matthew Prunty, 31, of the Dayton area, sent another man to exchange $46,000 and 2,000 pills containing fentanyl for 200,000 counterfeit prescription pills at a state park in Franklin County, Missouri. The exchange had been arranged via an encrypted messaging app with an account that had been taken over by the FBI. Prunty’s courier and co-defendant, De Vonte Cole, was arrested after the exchange by the Missouri State Highway Patrol on Interstate 44. The pills Cole delivered contained a total of more than 240 grams of fentanyl.
Prunty pleaded guilty in January in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Cole is serving a 30-month sentence after also pleading guilty.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ware prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Oahu Man Sentenced to 188 Months in Prison for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Casey Young, 4o, of Kaneohe, Hawaii was sentenced on July 10, 2024, by Senior United States District Judge Helen Gillmor to 188 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release as a registered sex offender for distributing child pornography. Young previously pleaded guilty in on December 14, 2023.
According to information produced to the court, by at least January 2023, Young was an avid user of multiple end-to-end encrypted messaging applications that he had downloaded on his cellphone and other devices. Using an anonymous screen name, at the time of his arrest in September 2023, Young was part of over 75 groups that involved other anonymous individuals who shared images and videos of child pornography and messaged about child pornography and child sex abuse. Each group or room in which Young was a member catered to a particular type of child pornography, ranging all ages and genders. As a member of a room, that individual generally had access to all the child pornography that was shared in the room from other members.
Generally, for entry into any child pornography room, an individual had to be vetted first by a moderator of the room and share with the moderator at least two images or videos of child pornography on theme with the room. Among other things, a moderator of a room had control over vetting, adding new members, and removing members from rooms for lurking, that is, not sharing enough child pornography over a period of time. Young moderated over a dozen rooms across two encrypted applications. Young also downloaded thousands of images and videos of child pornography onto his devices. In January and March 2023, an undercover FBI agent on one of the applications observed Young distribute child pornography videos in two different rooms.
“This conduct is another confirmation of sexual predators utilizing social media to exploit children, as well as storing pornographic images on electronic media,” said U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors. “The law provides substantial prison terms for sexual exploitation of children, and such a penalty was appropriately imposed in this case.”
“This sentence should serve notice to others that the FBI does not tolerate those who prey on our keiki,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill. “We take these types of cases seriously and will do whatever it takes to bring child predators to justice.”
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Perlmutter handled the prosecution.
North Louisiana Men Convicted of Illegal Possession of Methamphetamine and Firearms Receive Hefty Federal Prison SentencesRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the sentencing of three defendants for violations of drug and firearms offenses. Chief United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty sentenced the three defendants as follows:
Tyrone L. Singleton, 41, of Ruston, Louisiana, was sentenced to 288 months (24 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Singleton pleaded guilty to the charge on March 14, 2024. This charge is the result of an investigation into drug trafficking activities in the Ruston area. In June 2023, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant of his residence. Inside the residence, agents found methamphetamine, a digital scale, and a Taurus .45 caliber revolver. The suspected narcotics were submitted to the crime lab for testing, and it was determined to be methamphetamine with a weight of at least 50 grams.
This case was investigated by U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Union Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Lincoln Parish Narcotics Enforcement Team, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy.
Justin Stampley, 26, of West Monroe, was sentenced to 144 months (12 years) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. On May 24, 2023, law enforcement agents executed a controlled purchase of methamphetamine and hydrocodone from Stampley at his home in West Monroe. Agents observed Stampley handle multiple firearms during the purchase and on the next day, obtained a search warrant for his residence. The search warrant was executed at Stampley’s residence on May 25, 2023, and during the search, agents recovered approximately 61.70 grams of methamphetamine and four firearms, including a Chinese SKS rifle, a Bersa 9mm pistol, a F.I.E. .25 caliber pistol, and a NEF .32 caliber revolver. Stampley pleaded guilty on March 21, 2024, to the two counts listed above.
This case was investigated by the DEA, ATF and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William C. Gaskins.
Robert Luther Sherman, 48, of Choudrant, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. On March 4, 2023, deputies with the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Sherman was a passenger. Sherman was ordered to exit the vehicle and a pat-down search was conducted of his person. Inside Sherman’s front pocket was a North American Arms .22 magnum revolver. Deputies learned that Sherman had a previous felony conviction for attempted possession of a Schedule II controlled substance. During a subsequent interview with law enforcement agents, Sherman admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition and he pleaded guilty to the charge on March 11, 2024.
This case was investigated by the ATF and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Leon H. Whitten.
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New Orleans Man Sentenced for Being Convicted Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DARRON BLUE (“BLUE”), age 27, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on July 10, 2024 to fifty-seven (57) months in prison, three years of supervised release and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, by U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk, after previously pleading guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court records, on October 1, 2023, New Orleans police officers developed BLUE as a suspect in a downtown New Orleans shooting and secured both an arrest warrant for him, and a search warrant for his residence. During the execution of the search warrant, police officers seized a Smith & Wesson Model SW40VE, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, as well as .40 and .45 caliber ammunition.
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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department for their work on this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy L. Bell of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
New Jersey Man Charged with Soliciting Destruction of Energy FacilitiesRead the Press Release
Note: View the criminal complaint here.
Andrew Takhistov, 18, of East Brunswick, New Jersey, was arrested yesterday and made his initial appearance in court today for allegedly soliciting another individual to destroy energy facilities.
“Andrew Takhistov was allegedly on his way to Ukraine to join the Russian Volunteer Corps when we arrested him on charges of recruiting an individual to destroy an electrical substation here in the United States in order to advance his white supremacist ideology,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “I am grateful to the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force for their exceptional work disrupting this dangerous plot.”
“This complaint alleges that the defendant’s posts referenced Adolf Hitler, encouraged violence against Black and Jewish communities, praised mass shooters, and discussed causing death and destruction on a large scale,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “The defendant was allegedly enroute to join the Russian Volunteer Corps, which he described as specializing in assassinations, attacks on power grids, and other infrastructure sabotage, so that he could act on his violent plans. We will not tolerate these kinds of alleged terroristic threats, and working with our partners, we will always be ready to root out and bring to justice anyone who attempts to carry out these acts.”
According to court documents, in January, Takhistov began communicating on a social messaging platform with an individual who, unbeknownst to Takhistov, was an undercover law enforcement employee. Takhistov had previously posted on the messaging platform (often posting in racially/ethnically motivated extremist [RMVE]-aligned channels), requesting advice about weapons, disseminating manuals on how to construct homemade weapons, and expressing interest in traveling overseas to engage in paramilitary-style training. Throughout these posts, Takhistov referenced Adolf Hitler, encouraged violence against various ethnic and religious communities (including Black and Jewish individuals), and praised mass shooters.
Throughout Takhistov’s communications with the undercover employee, Takhistov repeatedly referred to his RMVE ideology and his desire to advance that ideology through violent means. In May, Takhistov informed the undercover employee that he was planning to travel to Ukraine in July to join the Russian Volunteer Corps, explaining that he chose this organization because it was openly National Socialist and, more importantly, specialized in assassinations, attacks on power grids and other infrastructure sabotage.
Takhistov discussed infrastructure sabotage, specifically how to damage an electrical substation using Mylar balloons or Molotov cocktails, which Takhistov explained how to make. Takhistov told the undercover employee that, while Takhistov was in the Ukraine, the undercover employee needed to carry out at least one event of serious activism.
On two occasions in June and July, at Takhistov’s direction, Takhistov and the undercover employee drove to two different electrical substations in North Brunswick and New Brunswick, New Jersey. During these visits, Takhistov instructed the undercover employee on numerous aspects of how to conduct an attack on an electrical substation.
On July 5, during one of these meetings, Takhistov directed the undercover employee to take several photographs of the electrical substations so that Takhistov could send them to his Russian friend for additional advice on how to best sabotage the stations.
Takhistov was arrested Wednesday afternoon at Newark Liberty International Airport where he was planning to travel to Paris on his way to Ukraine.
Takhistov is charged with one count of soliciting another individual to engage in criminal conduct that involved destroying a public service enterprise group circuit breaker and substation. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $125,000 fine.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Vera Varshavsky for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Navy Detective Agrees to Resign After Pleading Guilty to Using Unreasonable Force and Making a False StatementRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – July 11, 2024
SAN DIEGO – Jonathan Christopher Laroche, a detective with the Department of the Navy’s Criminal Investigations Division, pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he used unreasonable force when he used a carotid restraint on a handcuffed man to the point of unconsciousness. Laroche admitted to later grabbing the man by the throat and pushing his head against a wall while the man was handcuffed to a bench.
Laroche also pleaded guilty to willfully concealing his prior record of excessive force at the El Cajon Police Department in order to be hired as a detective by the Navy.
In the hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michelle M. Pettit, Laroche admitted that on November 14, 2023, while he was on duty, he encountered a man identified in court documents as G.D., who had been detained and transported to the security building aboard Naval Base San Diego by other Navy law enforcement personnel.
Although Laroche did not know why G.D. had been detained, he followed the other Navy law enforcement officers into a separate room. At the time, G.D.’s hands were handcuffed behind him, and he posed no threat to Laroche or anyone else in the room. Nevertheless, Laroche immediately took G.D. to the ground and used a carotid restraint that lasted approximately 17 seconds and caused G.D. to lose consciousness.
After G.D. regained consciousness, he was taken back into the main room of the security building, where Laroche handcuffed him to a bench. In a subsequent interaction, while G.D. remained handcuffed to the bench and was not a threat to anyone, Laroche grabbed G.D. by the throat and pushed his head against the wall. Laroche had to be pulled away from G.D. by a supervisor. Laroche admitted that during both of these incidents, he acted willfully and intentionally, depriving G.D. of his right to be free from unreasonable seizure, which includes the right to be free from the unreasonable use of force, under the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
According to his plea agreement, Laroche also admitted that he lied in his August 15, 2022, application to the Criminal Investigations Division about the circumstances under which he left his prior employment with the El Cajon Police Department. Specifically, Laroche represented to the Department of the Navy that he had left the El Cajon Police Department because he had been “hired by U.S. Department of Defense police.” On the application, he falsely indicated that he had not been reprimanded or disciplined while employed by El Cajon Police Department and had not “quit after being told [he] would be fired,” among other false statements.
In reality, Laroche resigned from the El Cajon Police Department in June 2018 after being informed he was going to be fired as a result of two separate incidents in 2017 where he was found to have used excessive force against civilians. He also received a letter of reprimand in September 2015 for an earlier incident in which he used excessive force. Laroche admitted that he knowingly and willfully provided this false information in his application to the Criminal Investigations Division.
“This defendant’s violent acts against someone who posed no threat are reprehensible,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Today, we stripped of power and held accountable an outlier who abused his authority and tarnished his badge.”
“The investigation into Mr. Laroche revealed that he betrayed his oath to protect and serve the Navy by using unreasonable force while on duty and by deliberately hiding his history of such offenses in order to be hired by the Navy,” said Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Carter of the NCIS Southwest Field Office. “NCIS remains committed to rooting out criminality that threatens the safety of Navy service members, civilians, and their families.”
As part of his plea agreement with the United States, Laroche must resign from his position with the Criminal Investigations Division and is prohibited from seeking or applying for any position of employment with a law enforcement agency in the future.
Laroche is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2024, at 10 a.m. before U.S. District Court Judge John A. Houston.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Askins in coordination with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Arne J. Bussler assisted in the investigation.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24cr1431
Jonathan Christopher Laroche Age: 40 Spring Valley, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
False Statement – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1001
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine
Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law (misdemeanor) – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 242
Maximum penalty: One year in prison and $100,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Middlesex County Man Charged with Soliciting Destruction of Energy FacilitiesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man was arrested for allegedly soliciting another individual to destroy energy facilities, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger of the District of New Jersey announced today.
Andrew Takhistov, 18, of East Brunswick, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of soliciting another individual to engage in criminal conduct that involved destroying a Public Service Enterprise Group (PSE&G) circuit breaker and substation. Takhistov was arrested on July 10, 2024, appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court, and was detained.
“Andrew Takhistov was allegedly on his way to Ukraine to join the Russian Volunteer Corps when we arrested him on charges of recruiting an individual to destroy an electrical substation here in the United States in order to advance his white supremacist ideology,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said. “I am grateful to the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force for their exceptional work disrupting this dangerous plot.”
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“This complaint alleges that the defendant’s posts referenced Adolf Hitler, encouraged violence against Black and Jewish communities, praised mass shooters and discussed causing death and destruction on a large scale. The defendant was allegedly enroute to join the Russian Volunteer Corps, which he described as specializing in assassinations, attacks on power grids, and other infrastructure sabotage, so that he could act on his violent plans. We will not tolerate these kinds of alleged terroristic threats, and working with our partners, we will always be ready to root out and bring to justice anyone who attempts to carry out these acts.”
“Imagine the chaos and number of life-threatening emergencies if a large population of people in New Jersey lost power in the middle of the current heat wave,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “We allege Takhistov, who is only 18 years old, planned to travel overseas so he could learn lessons from Russians fighting in Ukraine on how to destroy power grids and other critical infrastructure. His alleged conversations and planned actions are chilling and were inspired by racially motivated violent extremism. Disrupting all of our lives was the goal. I want to commend the agents and detectives of the Newark Joint Terrorism Task Force, other local and state law enforcement partners, and prosecutors who moved with exceptional speed in this investigation. Their work is saving lives.”
“This defendant exemplifies the threat posed by racially and ethnically motivated violent extremism,” NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said. “Whether in his efforts to instruct our undercover officer on how to sabotage critical infrastructure, or in his attempted travel overseas to join a National Socialist paramilitary force, he sought to advance his ideological goals through destruction and violence. The NYPD and our law enforcement partners will remain relentless in our mission to identify, investigate, and inhibit anyone who has designs on plotting acts of terror.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In January 2024, Takhistov began communicating on a social messaging platform with an individual who, unbeknownst to Takhistov, was an undercover law enforcement employee. Takhistov had previously posted on the messaging platform (often posting in racially/ethnically motivated extremist [RMVE]-aligned channels), requesting advice about weapons, disseminating manuals on how to construct homemade weapons, and expressing interest in traveling overseas to engage in paramilitary-style training. Throughout these posts, Takhistov referenced Adolf Hitler, encouraged violence against various ethnic and religious communities (including Black and Jewish individuals), and praised mass shooters.
Throughout Takhistov’s communications with the undercover employee, Takhistov repeatedly referred to his RMVE ideology and his desire to advance that ideology through violent means. In May 2024, Takhistov informed the undercover employee that he was planning to travel to Ukraine in July 2024 to join the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC), explaining that he chose this organization because it was openly National Socialist and, more importantly, specialized in assassinations, attacks on power grids, and other infrastructure sabotage.
Takhistov discussed infrastructure sabotage, specifically how to damage an electrical substation using Mylar balloons, or Molotov cocktails, which Takhistov explained how to make. Takhistov told the undercover employee that, while Takhistov was in the Ukraine, the undercover employee needed to carry out at least one event of serious activism.
On two occasions in June and July 2024, at Takhistov’s direction, Takhistov and the undercover employee drove to two different electrical substations in North Brunswick and New Brunswick. During these visits, Takhistov instructed the undercover employee on numerous aspects of how to conduct an attack on an electrical substation.
On July 5, 2024, during one of these meetings, Takhistov directed the undercover employee to take several photographs of the electrical substations so that Takhistov could send them to his Russian friend for additional advice on how to best sabotage the stations.
Takhistov was arrested Wednesday afternoon at Newark Liberty International Airport where he was planning to travel to Paris, France on his way to Ukraine.
The charge of solicitation to destruct an energy facility is punishable by a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $125,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI and task force officers of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Dennehy in Newark, and the New York City Police Department Intelligence Division, under the direction of Commissioner Caban, with the investigation leading to the arrest. He also thanked the East Brunswick Police Department, under the direction of Chief Frank LoSacco, the Milltown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Chris Johnson, the New Brunswick Police Department, under the direction of Chief Vincent Sabo, and the Port Authority Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Edward T. Cetnar.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vera Varshavsky of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s National Security Unit and Trial Attorney James Donnelly of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
takhistov.complaint.pdfMexican and El Salvadoran Nationals Sentenced for Drug Trafficking Conspiracy in the District of ColumbiaRead the Press Release
Erik Rivera Garcia, 29, of Mexico, and Vladimir Roque Ceron, 33, of El Salvador, were sentenced this week for participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy that sold fentanyl and kilogram quantities of cocaine into the Washington, D.C. area, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the DEA Washington Division.
Both Rivera Garcia and Roque Certon were previously charged in a multi-defendant indictment, returned September 1, 2023, alleging a drug conspiracy and various firearms and drug distribution counts.
Rivera Garcia pleaded guilty on March 13, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Rivera Garcia was sentenced Wednesday to 62 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates, who also ordered him to serve four years of supervised release.
Roque Ceron pleaded guilty March 5, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine. Judge Bates sentenced Roque Ceron today to 14 months in prison and three v years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Rivera Garcia served as armed “protection” for the drug trafficking conspiracy which sold large quantities of cocaine and other drugs in the D.C. region from at least March 2023 to August 8, 2023. On at least two occasions, Rivera Garcia accompanied one or more co-conspirators for cocaine transactions totaling more than four kilograms of cocaine.
First, on August 8, 2023, Rivera Garcia served as protection for a sale of approximately 515 grams of cocaine. Then, on August 18, 2023, Rivera Garcia arrived in a vehicle with other co-conspirators when they were arrested. Agents recovered from the area where Rivera Garcia was seated a bag containing approximate weight of 3.6 kilograms of cocaine and a.38 caliber revolver, loaded with five .38 caliber rounds in the cylinder. Another co-conspirator in the vehicle was found with a privately manufactured Polymer 80 semiautomatic pistol with a 30-round extended magazine containing 22 rounds of 9mm ammunition with one round in the chamber.
Meanwhile, Roque Ceron directly sold 197 grams of cocaine and 111 pills containing fentanyl with an aggregate weight of 11.62 grams to confidential sources from March 22, 2023 to June 1, 2023, on five separate occasions. DEA laboratory analysis confirmed that the pills and the powder purchased from Roque Ceron contained fentanyl and cocaine, respectively. All of the pills sold by Roque Ceron were found to contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl (more than 2 mg/per tablet).
Both Rivera Garcia and Roque Ceron were unlawfully present in the United States during the offenses.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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.
This case was investigated by the DEA’s Washington Field Division and the FBI’s DC Safe Streets Task Force with assistance from the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy J. Coley and Ernesto J. Alvarado with the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
23cr0302
McAlester Resident Sentenced for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Bradley Scott Sutterfield, age 43, of McAlester, Oklahoma, was sentenced to three months in prison for one count of Bank Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1344.
The charges arose from an investigation by the United States Secret Service.
On March 5, 2024, Sutterfield pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, Sutterfield presented two savings bonds which he knew to be counterfeit to the teller of a federally insured bank in McAlester, Oklahoma, and exchanged the fake bonds for U.S. currency.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.
Assistant United States Attorney Kara Traster represented the United States.
Man Who Orchestrated St. Louis Area Mail Theft Conspiracy Sentenced to 27 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –A man who orchestrated a conspiracy that stole checks from the U.S. mail and then committed bank fraud was sentenced Thursday to 27 months in prison.
U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp also ordered Dareon Graham to repay $46,434 to victims.
In 2022, Graham obtained a stolen key that opened mail collection boxes and gave that key to his codefendant Tyrell Hardin. Graham agreed to pay Hardin to steal mail and told him to target specific collection boxes in and around St. Louis County. Hardin gave the stolen mail to Graham, who opened the mail and removed checks. Graham then recruited bank and credit union account holders to allow their accounts to be used to deposit checks after Graham had altered them.
During the scheme, Graham deposited or caused the deposit of fraudulent checks totaling at least $103,457 and obtained $46,434 in proceeds.
“This sentencing is a statement that mail theft will not be tolerated, and the perpetrators will be brought to justice,” said Acting Inspector in Charge, John Jackman, who leads the St. Louis Field Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “The Postal Inspection Service will continue to partner with other law enforcement agencies to collectively pursue criminals who victimize postal customers.”
Graham’s case came at a time of rising incidents of mail theft and robberies of and attacks on U.S. Postal Service employees. The Postal Service has responded by, among other things, enhancing the security of mail collection boxes and enhancing investigations of crimes associated with the mail. There were 1,025 arrests associated with mail theft cases and 213 associated with robberies from May 12, 2023 through March 2024, the Postal Inspection Service says.
Graham, 23, of Ferguson, Missouri, pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit mail theft, bank fraud and possession of stolen mail matter. Hardin, 22, of Hanley Hills, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail theft and two counts of mail theft.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Maryland Heights Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, the Chesterfield Police Department, the Frontenac Police Department, the St. Peters Police Department and the Town and Country Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow prosecuted the case.
Lottery Scam Money Launderer Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Fiona Lorraine Walters, 50, of Newburgh, NY, pleaded guilty today to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. Sentencing is scheduled for September 23, 2024, before United States District Judge Scott M. Rash.
Walters admitted that, between July 5, 2016, and August 15, 2020, she laundered over $300,000 in fraud proceeds, through her and family members’ bank accounts. The funds were fraudulently obtained from victims, many of them elderly, who sent the money under the belief they were paying fees associated with winning a lottery or sweepstakes, but which were scams. Walters and her co-conspirators fraudulently transferred or kept the victims’ money and no “winnings” were ever paid.
A conviction for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the funds involved in the offense, whichever is greater, or both, and a term of three years supervised release.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
The United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Sue Feldmeier, District of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-01158-TUC-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-092_Walters# # #
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.Long Island Fisherman Sentenced for Role in Fisheries Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Long Island, New York, fisherman was sentenced yesterday to 30 months in prison and two years of supervised release for his role in a fisheries fraud conspiracy associated with his captainship of the trawler New Age from 2014 to 2017.
In October 2023, a jury convicted Christopher Winkler, of Montauk of one count of federal criminal conspiracy, two counts of mail fraud and two counts of obstruction of justice.
On at least 200 fishing trips, Winkler targeted summer flounder (fluke) and black sea bass, and harvested those fish in excess of quotas and state trip limits. He also falsified Fishing Vessel Trip Reports for those trips.
In a related case, Bryan and Asa Gosman and the company they partially own — Bob Gossman Co. Inc. — previously pleaded guilty for their role in the fishing fraud conspiracy. In total, approximately 200,000 pounds of fluke and black sea bass were overharvested, with a conservative wholesale valuation of $750,000.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and Assistant Director Michael Henry of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of Law Enforcement, Northeast Division made the announcement.
NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement investigated the case as part of Operation One-Way Chandelier.
Christopher L. Hale and Kenneth Nelson of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case, with logistical support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Selling MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Steven James Martinez, 24, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 11, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln for two counts of distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine. Senior United States District Judge sentenced Martinez to 77 months’ imprisonment on each count to run concurrently (at the same time). There is no parole in the federal system. After Martinez’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On March 28, 2022, and March 29, 2022, an undercover officer working with the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force purchased meth from Martinez in Lincoln. The March 28, 2022, purchase was approximately one ounce, and the March 29, 2022, purchase was approximately two ounces. Testing showed those two quantities contained a total of at least 52 grams of actual (or pure) meth.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.
Leader of Major Migrant Smuggling Ring Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – July 11, 2024
SAN DIEGO – Felipe de Jesus Rosales-Herrera of Riverside pleaded guilty in federal court today to human smuggling charges, admitting he was a leader of an organization that smuggled more than 100 unauthorized migrants into the United States, in some instances imperiling public safety by leading authorities on high-speed chases.
According to his plea agreement, Rosales-Herrera employed foot guides to lead migrants over the border and drivers to pick them up on the U.S. side and deliver them to a stash house to meet a sponsor. Rosales-Herrera admitted that he charged approximately $10,000 per migrant.
According to court documents, some of the smuggling events in the conspiracy resulted in high-speed chases and crashes, which placed the migrants, drivers, law enforcement, and members of the public at risk. This culminated in a tragic collision on December 25, 2021. Kevin Antonio Quevedo-Moncada, acting under co-defendant Jose Luis Alejo-Cruz’s supervision, picked up three undocumented migrants in a remote area. When Border Patrol attempted to pull him over, Quevedo-Moncada fled into a nearby campground, swerving wildly and careening around a field at high speed before ramming a Border Patrol vehicle to escape. As agents pursued him, he sped away on wet, winding roads, reaching speeds of close to 100 mph. Quevedo-Moncada lost control of his car and struck a tree, killing one of the migrants and leaving the other two in critical condition. Quevedo-Moncada pleaded guilty to charges related to this incident.
Even after learning that his driver had killed someone, Rosales admitted in his plea agreement that he and his co-conspirators continued the conspiracy. As co-defendant John Douglas Oglesby III admitted in his plea agreement, drivers were told to flee if Border Patrol attempted to pull them over. Unfortunately, many drivers did just that, resulting in numerous high-speed chases and several crashes. Alejo-Cruz also relied on intimidation to preserve his position, tracking down and robbing two of his former drivers at gunpoint when he felt they had wronged him and plotting to kidnap a rival migrant smuggler.
“These smugglers treated humans as a commodity, endangering not only the migrants’ lives, but the safety of every driver on the road,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “This office is focused on dismantling smuggling organizations and holding their leaders accountable.”
“We will never stop targeting these criminal organizations who prioritize profit over lives,” said U.S. Border Patrol, San Diego Sector Chief Patrol Agent Patrica McGurk-Daniel. “Our agents are committed to the safety and security of migrants, the public, and our nation. It is only through strong partnerships with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and all our law enforcement partners, that we ensure justice is served and consequences are delivered to these criminals.”
Co-defendants Alejo-Cruz and Oglesby were previously sentenced to 120 months and 70 months in federal prison, respectively. Sentencing for Rosales-Herrera is scheduled to take place on October 11, 2024. A motion hearing and trial setting for the final defendant, Miguel Isaac Villa-Gomez, is scheduled for July 12, 2024.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Benjamin.
DEFENDANTS
Case Number 23-CR-871-CAB
Felipe de Jesus Rosales-Herrera Age: 38 Riverside County, CA
Jose Luis Alejo-Cruz Age: 23 Long Beach, CA
John Douglas Oglesby III Age: 20 Chesapeake, VA
Miguel Isaac Villa-Gomez Age: 27 Downey, CA
Case Number 22-CR-1995-CAB
John Douglas Oglesby III Age: 20 Chesapeake, VA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Transport Aliens – Title 8, U.S.C., Section 1324
Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
United States Border Patrol
Justice Department and EPA Announce $241.5M Settlement with Marathon Oil to Reduce Climate- and Health-Harming Emissions in North DakotaRead the Press Release
The Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a settlement with Marathon Oil Company resolving Clean Air Act violations at the company’s oil and gas production operations on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota. The settlement requires that Marathon pay a civil penalty of $64.5 million, the largest ever for violations of the Clean Air Act at stationary sources, which include facilities such as oil and gas tank systems. Under the settlement agreement, Marathon will implement extensive compliance measures to achieve major reductions in harmful emissions from over 200 facilities across the state.
“This historic settlement — the largest ever civil penalty for violations of the Clean Air Act at stationary sources — will ensure cleaner air for the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation and other communities in North Dakota, while holding Marathon accountable for its illegal pollution,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The complaint alleges that Clean Air Act violations at nearly 90 Marathon facilities resulted in thousands of tons of illegal emissions. The work that Marathon will do under this agreement will result in the equivalent of over 2.25 million tons of reduced carbon-dioxide emissions over the next five years and also eliminate nearly 110,000 tons of VOC emissions. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously enforce our environmental laws to protect the health of the American people.”
The case is the first of its kind against an oil and gas producer for violations of major source emissions permitting requirements under the Clean Air Act’s Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) program. The complaint alleges that these and other Clean Air Act violations at nearly 90 Marathon facilities resulted in thousands of tons of illegal pollution, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbon monoxide, which contribute to asthma and increase susceptibility to respiratory illnesses. Additionally, greenhouse gases, including methane, were released in large quantities, contributing to climate change.
While Marathon is the nation’s 22nd largest producer of oil based on 2022 data, it is the 7th largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions in the oil and gas industry. A large portion of these emissions come from flaring, an industry practice that combusts but also releases methane, a climate super-pollutant. The work that Marathon will do under this agreement will result in the equivalent of over 2.25 million tons of reduced carbon-dioxide emissions over the next five years, similar to the amount of reductions achieved by taking 487,000 cars off the road for one year. The settlement will also eliminate nearly 110,000 tons of VOC emissions.
“The record civil penalty and extensive compliance measures, including an innovative cap on VOC emissions, set a benchmark for the Department’s enforcement efforts at oil and gas production facilities,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Those who are historically overburdened by pollution are the most at risk of being harmed by these emissions. The Justice Department is committed to enforcing laws such as the Clean Air Act to protect the health of everyone in the United States, including Tribal Nations and their members.”
“This landmark settlement will ensure cleaner air throughout the State of North Dakota and substantially reduce pollutants that contribute to global warming,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We are committed to taking strong action to ensure that oil and gas production operations across the nation comply with environmental laws designed to protect human health and the environment.”
“Today’s historic settlement is the most significant to date under EPA’s climate enforcement initiative as well as part of a larger effort to hold oil and gas companies accountable for widespread violations at oil and gas facilities throughout the country,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “As a result of today’s settlement, Marathon will dramatically cut its emissions, including the release of methane, a climate super-pollutant that is 25 times more potent in the near term than carbon dioxide. EPA is committed to doing everything possible to limit climate change and ensure a sustainable future.”
“This settlement is a major win for the health and future of our Tribal communities, including people and families who are often overburdened by pollution,” said KC Becker, EPA Region 8 Administrator. “As a result of the agreement, Marathon has and will continue to take comprehensive measures to come into compliance and reduce harmful emissions across hundreds of production sources. These investments will improve air quality and reduce respiratory illnesses across the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation and western North Dakota.”
The agreement requires Marathon to invest in extensive compliance measures estimated to cost $177 million, much of which will be expended by the end of 2024. The settlement requires Marathon to obtain permits with federally enforceable emissions limits at production facilities on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation and future operations in the state of North Dakota. Compliance measures also include flare monitoring, periodic infrared camera inspections and implementation of storage tank design requirements.
These actions will significantly reduce harmful health-related emissions from 169 existing facilities on state land and on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, as well as at new facilities built in North Dakota. Therefore, the United States will secure pollution limits on twice the number of facilities where it investigated and alleged violations.
The complaint alleges that Marathon failed to obtain required preconstruction permits under the PSD program and operating permits under the Title V program.
The settlement is part of EPA’s National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative, Mitigating Climate Change. This initiative focuses, in part, on reducing methane emissions from oil and gas and landfill sources. Like all of EPA’s national enforcement initiatives, this initiative prioritizes communities already overburdened by pollution and other potential environmental justice concerns.
The complaint and the proposed consent decree were filed by the Justice Department’s Environmental Enforcement Section. The proposed consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period. It can be viewed on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
Background
The complaint also alleges failure to comply with storage tank design, operation and maintenance requirements at 66 facilities on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. The settlement requires Marathon to obtain permits for its existing facilities on the Reservation and for new facilities it builds in North Dakota. These actions will cap VOC emissions at under 100 tons per year.
The settlement further requires auditor checks on Marathon’s permit applications and ongoing audits of emissions from its facilities. Marathon must temporarily stop production if facility-wide emissions limits are exceeded or if flares are not operating properly.
In addition to three other projects to reduce emissions, Marathon will purchase two infrared cameras for use by the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara (MHA) Nation during oil and natural gas production facility inspections.
A major part of this case is the reduction of flaring at the facility. Flaring burns harmful natural gas components such as VOCs and methane, but the process is not 100% efficient meaning that in addition to water and carbon dioxide, some methane is still released to the atmosphere. These inefficiencies, exacerbated by improper flare operation or unlit flares, result in excess emissions being released to the atmosphere and can have health impacts on the surrounding communities.
Jury Finds Maryland Man Guilty for Pointing Gun at the Head of a Delivery DriverRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Charles Price, 66, of Lanham, MD was found guilty by a jury on July 8, 2024, of assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The verdict, announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), follows a three-and-a-half-day trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
The Honorable Errol Arthur scheduled sentencing for September 12, 2024. Price faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.
According to the evidence and testimony presented at trial, on March 30, 2022, the victim was delivering an UberEATS order when he attempted to shift into the left lane but noticed a white Mercedes blocking his attempts to get over. Eventually, the victim was able to shift into the lane and get in front of that vehicle. However, the victim noticed the driver of the white Mercedes, identified as Charles Price, tailgating him, and following him. The victim became afraid and made a U-turn at 3rd and K Street NE to get away from the vehicle driven by the defendant. After making the U-turn, the victim was stopped at a red light when Price walked up to his vehicle and pointed a gun at his head.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Shaniqua Butler and Kraig Ahalt.
Jury Convicts Portage Man of International Telemarketing Fraud That Targeted Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Irfan Gill, 62, of Portage, Michigan, was convicted by a jury of 7 counts of mail fraud and 11 counts of money laundering. Gill was previously indicted for working with a call center in Pakistan, from as early as June 2018 through at least March 2022, as part of a telemarketing fraud scheme that targeted elderly victims across the United States.
“Mr. Gill ran a multi-year, international telemarketing scam targeting American citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Totten. “Today’s conviction secures a measure of justice for his unsuspecting victims. Fighting elder fraud and abuse is a priority for my Office and we will continue to hold perpetrators accountable, whether here in the U.S. or abroad.”
According to allegations in the indictment, Gill claimed to operate several businesses: Cable Upgrade; D Network; D Tech; Direct Network; Dish; Dish Upgrade; and Sky Satellite. Telephone solicitors at a call center in Pakistan cold-called victims with offers of equipment upgrades, software upgrades, and subscription discounts for their cable television, satellite television, and internet services. While the businesses did not actually provide any of those services, callers instructed victims to send payments to Gill’s post office boxes in Portage. Gill deposited victims’ payments in his bank accounts. Gill tracked victims’ payments and used money transfer services like Remitly and Western Union to pay a portion of the proceeds to the telephone solicitors in Pakistan. The U.S. Attorney’s Office believes the scheme victimized over 1,400 people nationwide.
Gill faces up to 30 years in prison on the mail fraud charges because the jury found that he committed a telemarketing fraud that targeted or victimized 10 or more people over the age of 55. He faces up to 20 years in prison for the money laundering charges in the indictment. The date of sentencing has not yet been scheduled but typically occurs within three to four months after conviction in federal court.
Federal law enforcement provides a number of tips on how to protect yourself from telemarketing scams, including:
- Be cautious of unsolicited phone calls, e-mails, and mailings.
- Never give or send any sensitive information (including your date of birth, account numbers, or passwords), credit or debit card numbers, or money to unverified people or businesses.
- Resist the pressure to act quickly. Scammers create a false sense of urgency to lure people to immediate action.
- If you recognize a scam attempt, immediately end all communication with the perpetrator.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Townshend and Stephen Baker tried the case on behalf of the United States.
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Media Note: The previous press release and video from U.S. Attorney Mark Totten can be found viewed at the following link Portage Man Charged With International Telemarketing Fraud That Targeted Elderly Victims
Indianapolis CPA Pleads Guilty to Participating in Illegal Tax ShelterRead the Press Release
An Indiana CPA pleaded guilty yesterday to assisting in the preparation of false tax returns on behalf of clients who participated in an illegal tax shelter.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2013 and 2022, Jason L. Crace prepared income tax returns for clients that claimed millions of dollars in false deductions for so-called “royalty payments.” However, as Crace knew, these “royalty payments” were merely circular flows of money designed to give the appearance of genuine business expenses. In reality, tax shelter participants sent their money to bank accounts controlled by scheme promoters, who then sent the money right back to different bank accounts that the participants controlled. In this way, tax shelter participants retained control of the money they transferred, while falsely deducting the transfers as business expenses on their tax returns. Participants’ decision regarding how much (and even whether) to pay “royalties” was driven purely by the amount of income they wanted to shelter from the IRS on their tax returns.
In total, Crace’s preparation of false tax returns claiming fraudulent “royalty” deductions caused a loss to the IRS of at least $2,532,936.
Crace is scheduled to be sentence on Jan. 14, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee for the Southern District of Mississippi made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Richard J. Hagerman, William M. Montague and Matthew C. Hicks of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham for the Southern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case.
Indianapolis CPA Pleads Guilty to Participating in Illegal Tax ShelterRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. - An Indiana CPA pleaded guilty yesterday to assisting in the preparation of false tax returns on behalf of clients who participated in an illegal tax shelter.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2013 and 2022, Jason L. Crace prepared income tax returns for clients that claimed millions of dollars in false deductions for so-called “royalty payments.” However, as Crace knew, these “royalty payments” were merely circular flows of money designed to give the appearance of genuine business expenses. In reality, tax shelter participants sent their money to bank accounts controlled by scheme promoters, who then sent the money right back to different bank accounts that the participants controlled. In this way, tax shelter participants retained control of the money they transferred, while falsely deducting the transfers as business expenses on their tax returns. Participants’ decision regarding how much (and even whether) to pay “royalties” was driven purely by the amount of income they wanted to shelter from the IRS on their tax returns.
In total, Crace’s preparation of false tax returns claiming fraudulent “royalty” deductions caused a loss to the IRS of at least $2,532,936.
Crace is scheduled to be sentence on Jan. 14, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee for the Southern District of Mississippi made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Richard J. Hagerman, William M. Montague and Matthew C. Hicks of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham for the Southern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case.
Honduran National Sentenced for Possessing Firearms, Ammunition, and a Machinegun as an Illegal AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JUNIOR ALEXANDER MONCADA-VARGAS (“MONCADA-VARGAS”), age 35, of Honduras, was sentenced on July 10, 2024 to thirty (30) months in prison by U.S. District Judge Brandon S. Long, after previously pleading guilty to possession and transfer of a machinegun, as well as, three counts of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Judge Long also sentenced MONCADA-VARGAS to three years of supervised release, payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee and will face deportation proceedings after serving his prison sentence.
According to court records, on or about July 21, 2023, August 2, 2023 and September 18, 2023, respectively, MONCADA-VARGAS, sold to undercover agents, a Glock Model 22 Gen 5, .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun, with a Glock auto-sear, and approximately twenty-two (22) rounds of ammunition, a Kalashnikov USA Model KR103, 7.62 x 39-millimeter semi-automatic rifle and approximately thirty (30) rounds of ammunition, and a Norinco Model SKS, 7.62 x 39- millimeter semi-automatic rifle, and approximately thirty (30) rounds of ammunition. On September 18, 2023, MONCADA-VARGAS was arrested and admitted that he was an illegal alien who was unlawfully present in the United States.
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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department in this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy L. Bell of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Heavener Resident Sentenced for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Joseph Scott Casteel, age 37, of Heavener, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 130 months in prison for one count of possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
On February 5, 2024, Casteel pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. According to investigators, on July 25, 2023, law enforcement observed a vehicle on US 59 highway in LeFlore County traveling at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour. OHP troopers gave chase, and observed Casteel throw a large bag from the vehicle. After stopping the vehicle, Troopers apprehended Casteel. Troopers also retrieved the bag which contained over 850 grams of methamphetamine. Casteel later admitted to purchasing the methamphetamine with the intent to sell it to others.
The Honorable William P. Johnson, Chief U.S. District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Casteel will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Howanitz represented the United States.
Harrisburg Man Sentenced to Prison for Odometer TamperingRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on July 10, 2024, Earnest Fry, 49, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner following his conviction for odometer tampering and forging vehicle titles. Judge Conner also ordered Fry to pay victims more than $47,000 in restitution, $700 in assessments, and to serve three years on supervised release following his term of imprisonment. Fry previously pleaded guilty to the offenses.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, just months after Fry was released from state prison for burglary and theft offenses in October 2018, and while he was on parole, he devised a scheme to purchase used cars, alter the cars’ true mileages by replacing or resetting their odometers, and then sell the vehicles online to unsuspecting customers who paid inflated prices for vehicles they might not otherwise have bought. In addition, Fry altered or forged the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania titles to multiple vehicles that he sold by causing the titles to reflect false, lower mileages. Fry altered the odometers on at least 55 used cars that he sold and rolled back more than five million miles on the vehicles. In some cases, Fry caused the odometers to be rolled back by nearly 200,000 miles. Fry’s offenses not only caused victims to pay far more for the cars than they were worth, but created the risk that buyers would incur additional losses due to likely increased maintenance costs, excessive insurance premiums, and other unanticipated expenses.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian T. Haugsby prosecuted the case.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that odometer fraud in the United States results in consumer losses of more than $1 billion annually and has established a special hotline to handle odometer fraud complaints. Individuals with information relating to odometer tampering should call (800) 424-9393, or email [email protected].
More information on odometer fraud is available on the NHTSA website, https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/odometer-fraud.
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Gun Supplier and Co-Defendants Convicted of Killing 13-Year-Old BoyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – On July 10, 2024, a Superior Court jury returned guilty verdicts for defendants Tyiion Freeman, Koran Jackson and Stephon Nelson on first degree murder while armed, several counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, conspiracy to commit various firearms offenses and other firearms-related charges stemming from the murder of 13-year-old Malachi Lukes on March 1, 2020, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves announced.
Between February 1, 2020, and May 31, 2020, the defendants, along with two other defendants (whose cases were severed pre-trial), participated in a conspiracy to illegally possess, carry, and transfer firearms for the purpose of using those firearms in the commission of dangerous and violent crimes. Jackson and Freeman, along with the severed defendants, are members and associates of neighborhood crews. Between 2019-2020, the defendants’ neighborhood crews were feuding with other crews and the feud escalated when Tahlil Byrd, also known as Slatt Goon, was killed in September 2019.
Stephon Nelson, who is a felon and approximately 10 years older than his coconspirators, supplied the firearms that were illegally possessed, carried, and transferred in the conspiracy. Over the span of nine days, February 22-March 1, 2020, the defendants engaged in a shooting spree in the Petworth, Shaw, and Stronghold neighborhoods using the firearms they illegally acquired and shared as a part of the firearms conspiracy. The first charged shooting occurred on February 22, 2020, in the Petworth neighborhood when two victims were fired upon after a mere verbal exchange with two defendants. Two days later, on February 24, 2020, the conspirators drove through rival crew territory Ninth Street where they shot three rival crew members. An innocent bystander who was sitting in her vehicle was caught in the barrage of gunfire. She fortunately escaped with little physical injury because her front windshield suffered the bulk of the damage. The spree culminated on March 1, 2020, when the defendants participated in two shootings in two separate neighborhoods over the span of ten minutes. At 2:08 p.m., the defendants, who were traveling in a stolen Kia Soul, followed 13-year-old Malachi Lukes, along with his three friends, into the Ninth Street area of the 600 block of S Street, N.W., where two defendants exited the Kia Soul and opened fire on them. Malachi Lukes was shot in the back as he fled. The bullet traveled through his heart and lung causing him to collapse to his death. The defendants then traveled to another neighborhood where members of the rival crew were known to gather and at 2:18 p.m., opened fire on individuals in that block. No injuries were reported in that shooting spree.
At the conclusion of the trial, jurors returned guilty verdicts against the defendants including the gun supplier who was not present for the homicide.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Jackson, Tamara Rubb and Nebiyu Feleke for their critical efforts in prosecuting this case.
Gibsonia Resident Pleads Guilty to Insider Trading of Dick’s Sporting Goods SecuritiesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of securities fraud, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Frank T. Poerio, Jr., 62, pleaded guilty to four counts before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Poerio used sensitive, material non-public information (MNPI) obtained from a Dick’s Sporting Goods (Dick’s) employee to engage in 160 trades of the company’s securities on the New York Stock Exchange. These transactions included the purchase of individual shares and call option contracts and occurred between August 2019 and May 2021, when the insider worked in a data analytics role at the company’s corporate offices in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. The trades netted approximately $823,000 in profits for Poerio, who often spoke with the employee about finances and investing. Several of the trading incidents occurred in the days immediately preceding Dick’s release of periodic earnings statements—so called “blackout” periods, when Dick’s employees were prohibited from trading in the company’s securities.
“Frank Poerio admitted to gaming the system by using material non-public information from a company employee to conduct well more than a hundred trades over the course of several years that resulted in nearly a million dollars in profit,” said U.S. Attorney Olshan. “Our office is dedicated to working with our law enforcement partners and fellow agencies to protect the integrity of our public trading systems and ensure that anyone who cheats those systems to score easy profits is held accountable under the law.”
“Insider trading erodes the foundation of our economy and undermines public trust in our institutions. This is not simply a casual, petty crime,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek. “The FBI will persistently pursue those who believe they can abuse their position to unfairly reap financial gains at the expense of others. The FBI and our partners remain vigilant in fighting for fairness and integrity in our financial system.”
Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for October 31, 2024. At each count, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a $5 million fine, 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 the defendant, among other factors.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Poerio.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 120 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Zachary D. Barnes, 32 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Barnes was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, between September 2020, and March 2022, Barnes conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
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.
Fort Defiance Man Sentenced to over 15 Years in Prison for Abusive Sexual Contact of a ChildRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Leonard Thomas Stewart, III, 24, of Fort Defiance, was sentenced on June 17, 2024, by United States District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 188 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. Stewart pleaded guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact of a Child on October 31, 2023.
Between October 3, 2017, and July 11, 2019, Stewart engaged in abusive sexual contact with the minor victim on numerous occasions. One instance of sexual contact occurred in Fort Defiance while Stewart and the minor victim were riding horses together. Both the victim and Stewart are members of the Navajo Nation Indian Tribe and the abusive sexual contact occurred on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Navajo Nation Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina J. Reid-Moore, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-08029-PCT-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-091_Stewart# # #
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.Former Rochester firefighter pleads guilty to child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Brett Marrapese, 32, of Irondequoit, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to distribution and receipt of child pornography, The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison per count, a maximum of 40 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that between January 2016, and June 13, 2023, Marrapese used a cell phone, laptop computer, an email account, and multiple social media and internet chat applications, including Omegle; Kik; Snapchat; and Instagram, to produce, receive, distribute, and possess child pornography. In total, Marrapese received more than 600 images of child pornography that he obtained from others via the internet. He also posed as a teenage boy causing minors to produce and send to him sexually explicit images of themselves. Some of the images that Marrapese distributed and received depicted violence against and sexual abuse of children, infants, and toddlers.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Irondequoit Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Peters, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 6, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Wolford.
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Former Local 98 Business Manager John Dougherty Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Public Corruption, Embezzlement ConvictionsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that John Dougherty, 64, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl to 72 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, forfeiture of $353,941.35, a $7,100 special assessment, and $50,000 in restitution now, with full restitution to be determined later, for crimes arising from his embezzlement of funds belonging to Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (“Local 98”) and multiple crimes involving his payment of bribes to codefendant Robert Henon.
In January 2019, a federal grand jury issued a sweeping indictment against Dougherty, the longtime business manager of Local 98, then-Philadelphia City Council Member Robert Henon, and others employed by or affiliated with Local 98.
The indictment charged that between May 2015 and September 2016, Dougherty and Henon deprived the City of Philadelphia and its citizens of their right to Henon’s honest services as a member of City Council. It further alleged that Henon received a salary and other things of value from Dougherty and, in exchange, that Henon used his position as a member of City Council to serve Dougherty’s interests.
In addition, Dougherty, then-Local 98 President Brian Burrows, and other union officers and employees were charged with conspiracy and embezzlement arising from their theft of approximately $600,000 in Local 98 funds from April of 2010 through August of 2016. The indictment also charged Dougherty and Burrows with concealing the embezzlement of Local 98 funds by causing false labor management reports, known as LM-2s, to be filed with the U.S. Department of Labor, and with filing false federal income tax returns by failing to report the funds they stole on their tax returns.
Following the indictment, separate trials were held for the crimes involving public corruption and those involving embezzlement.
On November 15, 2021, a federal jury convicted Dougherty on one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and seven counts of honest services wire fraud. The jury convicted Henon on one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, eight counts of honest services wire fraud, and one count of federal program bribery.
The honest services wire fraud convictions against both defendants included official acts that Henon performed or promised to perform in connection with schemes involving the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Licenses and Inspections and stopping the installation of MRI machines at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; using the proposed Plumbing Code to assist the election of Dougherty as the Business Manager of the Building Trades; drafting towing legislation that Dougherty requested because a tow truck driver refused to accept payment by credit card after Dougherty had parked illegally; and allowing Dougherty to make demands on Comcast as a condition of the City’s renewal of the Franchise Agreement.
On December 7, 2023, a federal jury convicted Dougherty and Burrows of conspiracy to embezzle the funds of Local 98. Dougherty was also convicted of 33 counts of embezzlement of funds from Local 98, 24 counts of wire fraud by participating in a scheme to defraud Local 98 of its money, two counts of causing false statements to be made on the form LM-2 that Local 98 was required to file annually with the Department of Labor for 2015 and 2016, two counts of causing false information to be reflected in the books and records of Local 98 for those years, and three counts of filing false federal income tax returns.
“John Dougherty held himself out as Local 98’s biggest booster,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “But while he was backslapping his electricians with one hand, he was ripping them off with the other. He cheated Philadelphians, too, through his corrupt quid pro quo with Bobby Henon. Our city and its workers deserve so much better than union bosses and politicians whose true priority is looking out for number one. I want to thank all of the investigators, analysts, prosecutors, and staff who partnered on this case, and, in doing so, stood up for integrity and the rule of law in Philadelphia.”
“Today is a victory for justice and the thousands of members of Local 98’s electrical union, who trusted John Dougherty to represent their interests,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Together with our partners, we will continue to relentlessly pursue those who in executing these criminal schemes put their own self-interest above those they were elected to serve.”
“The sentence today will hopefully serve to deter others who would consider betraying the public trust,” said Denise Leuenberger, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation. “We, along with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice, will continue to aggressively investigate and uncover complex financial crimes to disrupt criminal activity impacting the U.S. tax system.”
“Those entrusted with protecting benefit plan assets must be held to the highest standards of accountability to protect the employee benefits of America’s workers,” said Cristina O’Brien, Philadelphia Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration. “The Employee Benefits Security Administration will continue its work ensuring these hard-earned benefits are kept safe. We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to protect benefit plan participants.”
“Labor union officials occupy a position of trust and fidelity with respect to the faithful stewardship of the membership’s funds. John Dougherty betrayed the trust of the IBEW Local 98 membership by using union funds for his own benefit,” said U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards Acting District Director Nicole Spallino. “The Office of Labor-Management Standards remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to protect the financial integrity of labor unions and to ensure there are consequences for individuals who deprive union members of honest services.”
“John Dougherty, the former business manager of IBEW Local 98, conspired with other IBEW officials to embezzle funds from the union’s dues-paying members. He enriched himself at the expense of the IBEW Local 98 members whom he was elected to serve. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards and Employee Benefits Security Administration to safeguard the assets of union members,” said Syreeta Scott, Special Agent in Charge, Mid-Atlantic Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Labor-Management Standards, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and the Pennsylvania State Police, with assistance from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Frank Costello, Chief of the Corruption & Civil Rights Unit, Bea Witzleben, Co-Chief of Trials, Richard Barrett, Counsel to the U.S. Attorney, Jason Grenell, and Anthony Carissimi.
Former Indiana State Representative Sentenced to Federal Prison for Accepting Bribes from Casino CompanyRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Sean Eberhart, 58, of Shelbyville, has been sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services fraud.
According to court documents, from 2006 to 2022, Sean Eberhart served as the elected representative of Indiana House District 57, which includes Shelby County and portions of Bartholomew and Hancock counties. During his tenure, Eberhart served as a member of the House Committee on Public Policy, which has jurisdiction over matters concerning casinos and gaming in Indiana.
From January to May of 2019, Eberhart conspired with Individual A to devise a scheme to use Eberhart’s official elected position to benefit that person’s company, Spectacle Entertainment. Spectacle Entertainment was formed by Individual A after Centaur, a company that owned and operated off-track betting facilities in Indiana, including the Shelbyville Casino in Eberhart’s District, was acquired by Caesars Entertainment in July of 2018. After that acquisition, Individual A formed Spectacle Entertainment and many of the same executives of Centaur continued in substantially similar roles as executives of Spectacle.
As part of the illegal scheme, Eberhart agreed to use his position in the Indiana House of Representatives to advocate and vote for a Gaming Bill that positively impacted Spectacle. Terms in the bill would authorize the transfer of the licenses for two casinos on Lake Michigan to Spectacle’s ownership in Gary and Terre Haute, Indiana, while reducing the usual $100 million transfer fee that Spectacle was originally set to pay, to only $20,000.
On March 27, 2019, during an Indiana House Public Policy Committee hearing, Eberhart vocally advocated to remove the $1 million transfer fee from the Gaming Bill entirely. At a hearing on April 23, 2019, hearing, Eberhart advocated in favor of a 20% tax rate that would save Spectacle tens of millions of dollars. The next day, Eberhart voted in favor of the Gaming Bill and those associated tax provisions.
In return for his advocacy and vote for the Gaming Bill, Eberhart accepted the promise of future employment at Spectacle, which included an annual salary of $350,000 and equity stake in the company.
“This criminal’s former constituents, and all Hoosiers, rightfully expect elected officials to act on the public’s behalf, and not to line their own pockets. Legislation must not be for sale to the highest bidder, especially when they have such a tremendous impact on our state and its economy,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Public office is a public trust, and those who break that trust by taking bribes will be identified and held accountable. The federal prison sentence imposed today demonstrates our office’s commitment to root out public corruption at all levels of government and uphold the law regardless offenders’ status or position.”
The FBI investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Matthew P. Brookman. Judge Brookman also ordered that Eberhart pay $25,000 in fines and $60,000 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley P. Shepard, who prosecuted this case.
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Former Hamden Resident Sentenced to 20 Months in Federal Prison for Trafficking Prescription Narcotics, Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DENZEL SUGGS, 30, formerly of Hamden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 20 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a New Haven area drug trafficking ring, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release that followed a previous federal conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in June 2022, the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force initiated an investigation into a drug trafficking organization that was operating in the Fair Haven neighborhood of New Haven. The investigation included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, physical surveillance, and several controlled purchases of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine. The investigation also identified individuals, including Kelvin Alvarado, who were acquiring and distributing prescription narcotic pills. During the investigation, Suggs, who was on federal supervised release, sold prescription pills to Alvarado.
Suggs was arrested on October 10, 2023. On April 18, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, controlled substances. He has been detained since October 31, 2023.
In January 2022, Suggs was sentenced in Bridgeport federal court to approximately six months of imprisonment, time served, and three years of supervised release, for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Judge Nagala sentenced Suggs to 10 months of imprisonment for the drug offense, and a consecutive 10 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
Alvarado, also known as “Kelz” and “Kel Bucks,” of New Haven, has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
This investigation, which resulted in federal charges against 12 individuals, has been conducted by FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, which includes members from the FBI, the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Department of Correction, and the New Haven, Milford, East Haven, West Haven, and Wallingford Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan J. Keefe and Geoffrey M. Stone through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Five Sentenced in 17-Year-Old’s Sex Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
Five people involved in sex trafficking a 17-year-old girl have been sentenced to a combined 63 ½ years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.
They include:
- Jaelind Fountaine, 27, who was sentenced today to 327 months in prison for sex trafficking and attempted sex trafficking of a minor and required to register as a sex offender
- Sarah Gonzales, 26, who was previously sentenced to 87 months for interstate transportation to engage in prostitution and required to register as a sex offender
- Cameron Phifer, 25, who was sentenced to 240 months for distribution and receipt of child pornography and required to register as a sex offender
- Deryan Thomas, 33, who was sentenced to 87 months for interstate transportation to engage in prostitution and required to register as a sex offender
- Bianka Vega, 23, who was sentenced to 21 months for misprision (concealment) of a felony
“As a prosecutor and as a mother, my heart breaks for this teenager, who was passed from trafficker to trafficker like a piece of livestock, beaten and even branded by violent men looking to profit from her misery. No person, adult or child, should have to suffer like that,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will stop at nothing to recover these victims, and we tenaciously prosecute anyone involved in trafficking them.”
According to plea papers, the 17-year-old victim went missing from her apartment complex in Lubbock on Nov. 28, 2022.
The investigation revealed that her neighbor and neighbor’s boyfriend, Bianka Vega and Deryan Thomas, took the child to Odessa to meet with known sex trafficker Cameron Phifer. The four of them then drove to Carlsbad, New Mexico, where they took sexually explicit photographs of the child and posted ads for her sexual services online.
At one point, Ms. Vega reminded Mr. Phifer that the victim was a minor, and informed him that both her mother and law enforcement were looking for her. Phifer told Ms. Vega it was “too late to stop,” and continued trafficking the child until abandoning her at a hotel in Carlsbad in early January.
On Jan. 15, Sarah Gonzales approached the victim in the hotel lobby, and later introduced her to Jaelind Fountaine, a known trafficker who went by the alias “Valentino.”
In an interview with law enforcement, the child said Mr. Fountaine arranged for meetings with clients, taught her how to engage in the sex trade, and took all the money she made – approximately $10,000. She said that she believed she would receive some of that money, but in the end, she never did.
The child told investigators that Mr. Fountaine physically assaulted her on multiple occasions, threatened to hurt her if she left him, and forced her to “brand” herself with a “V” tattoo to indicate his ownership of her. Law enforcement found photos of the tattoo on Mr. Fountaine’s phone.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Lubbock Resident Agency, and the Lubbock, Abilene, and Carlsbad Police Departments conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Callie Woolam, Jeff Haag, and Matt McLeod prosecuted the case.
Farrell Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Cocaine Near Public HousingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Farrell, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of cocaine trafficking within 1,000 feet of a public housing location, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Cleo Johnson, 33, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Johnson possessed with intent to distribute cocaine base within 1,000 feet of public housing on October 29, 2021.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for November 5, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than one year and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $2 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant, among other factors.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Mercer County Drug Task Force, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Johnson.
Essex County Woman Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, woman was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Selling announced.
Mahogany Hawkins, 32, of Newark, was previously convicted of one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine following a two-day trial before U.S. Circuit Judge Stephanos Bibas, who imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In March 2021, two FedEx parcels addressed to “John Brown” in Newark, were lawfully intercepted by law enforcement and found to contain cocaine. On March 15, 2021, an undercover officer dressed as a FedEx driver delivered the package to the addressee, and a woman – later identified as Mahogany J. Hawkins – answered the door and accepted the packages. Officers again knocked on Hawkins’s door, this time identifying themselves as law enforcement. Hawkins said she was “getting dressed” but didn’t open the door. The officers forced entry and found Hawkins in the bedroom.
After obtaining a search warrant, the officers searched Hawkins’ apartment and entered a backroom – locked by a keypad – that was a workstation for packaging narcotics. The two FedEx packages from the controlled delivery were found inside a garbage can in the backroom, and the room also contained methamphetamine pills, two plastic bags containing additional cocaine, numerous empty vials used for packaging narcotics, and a heat sealer. Laboratory analysis confirmed substances were cocaine and methamphetamine. Officers also found a loaded handgun and an extended magazine.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Bibas sentenced Hawkins to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker; Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Port Director TenaVel Thomas, and members of the Newark Department of Public Safety, under the direction of Director Fritz Fragé, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz, and the FBI - Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca A. Sussman and Jake A. Nasar of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Newark.
East Helena man admits firing gun during Townsend gas station robberyRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — An East Helena man suspected of firing a gun during a robbery of a gas station in Townsend admitted to a firearms charge on July 10, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
The defendant, Samuel James Collins, 34, pleaded guilty to possessing and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Collins faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Nov. 24. Collins was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that on Oct. 16, 2023, Broadwater County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a reported armed robbery at the Town Pump gas station in Townsend. Two employees were present during the robbery and told law enforcement that a man entered wearing a hooded blanket coat, was not wearing pants or shoes, and fired a round from a pistol. The suspect demanded money, and the employees complied. The suspect left in a Ford F-150 pickup with an estimated $330 in cash. Video surveillance from the business captured the incident:
Approximately 20 minutes later, Meagher County Sheriff’s Office deputies conducted a traffic stop of a truck matching the description of the truck used in the robbery. The driver was identified as Collins. During Collins’ arrest, deputies saw a pistol, cash and a shell casing inside the truck. In a subsequent search of the truck, law enforcement seized a loaded 9mm pistol, $329 in U.S. currency, a purple hooded sweatshirt, a white hat and other items. Further investigation determined that a bullet and shell casing found at the Town Pump were fired from a 9mm pistol found in the truck Collins was driving.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Broadwater County Sheriff’s Office, Meagher County Sheriff’s Office, FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results
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Crabtree Mall Carjacker Who Crashed City Truck Sentenced to 20 YearsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Garner man was sentenced today to 240 months in prison for robbery of a Raleigh Walmart store and the carjacking of a woman at Crabtree Valley Mall. On April 8, 2024, Thomas Kyle Cauther pleaded guilty to both charges.
“This defendant was a one-man crime spree threatening a store clerk, crashing a city truck, and dragging a woman across a shopping center parking lot in a carjacking,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Cauther’s spree caused unspeakable trauma to victims and wrecked a city street sweeper. Today it is Cauther whose been swept off the streets – for the next 20 years. Hopefully today’s sentence brings some peace or closure to the victims and community We are partnering with the City of Raleigh to ensure brazen threats to public safety, like Cauther are put on a fast track to federal prison.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, on May 11, 2023, Cauther, age 31, used a tool to smash a glass display case in the electronics section of the Walmart store on Fayetteville Road in Raleigh. Cauther retrieved two iPhones from the smashed display. When confronted by a Walmart employee, Cauther displayed a knife and threatened to harm her. Cauther then rode a bicycle out of the Walmart with the stolen iPhones in hand.
After leaving the Walmart, Cauther traveled to the area of Ramsgate Street and Lineberry Drive in Raleigh, where he stole a City of Raleigh truck with a trailer and street sweeper attached. Cauther eventually wrecked the truck and trailer in the parking deck area of Crabtree Valley Mall.
Once the City of Raleigh truck was disabled, Cauther approached a woman who was sitting in a vehicle in the Crabtree Valley Mall parking lot. He opened her car door and removed her from the vehicle. Cauther then got into the vehicle and began to drive away while the carjacking victim was still entangled in the vehicle, causing her to be drug by the vehicle as Cauther drove away. Raleigh Police engaged in a pursuit of the carjacked vehicle. Eventually, the vehicle was remotely disabled by OnStar system operators and Cauther was apprehended. The carjacking victim was hospitalized after sustaining multiple broken bones.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Raleigh Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Nokes prosecuted the case.
The conviction is a result of the ongoing Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) initiative which is collaborative effort with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, working with the community, to identify and address the most significant drivers of violent crime. VCAP involves focused and strategic enforcement, and interagency coordination and intelligence-led policing.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-23.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to over Four Years in Prison for Illegal Ammunition PossessionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield man was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield for unlawful possession of ammunition.
Julio A. Rivera, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 57 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. In March 2024, Rivera pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of ammunition.
From approximately Feb. 7, 2020 to July 15, 2022, Rivera manufactured and distributed approximately 90 privately manufactured firearms, commonly known as “PMFs” or “ghost guns.” In September 2022, during a search of his residence, Rivera was found to be carrying a loaded ghost gun containing 10 rounds of ammunition as well as a magazine containing 18 rounds of ammunition. Also recovered from Rivera’s residence was another ghost gun, 90 rounds of ammunition, firearm parts, accessories and tools to manufacture ghost guns, as well as receipts for various firearms parts and accessories.
Rivera is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to a September 2017 conviction out of Westfield District Court of assault and battery and an April 2018 conviction out of Springfield District Court of carrying a dangerous weapon (blunt object).
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Boston Feld Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance provided by the Springfield Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than 5 Years for Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Eddy Fonseca (25, Tampa) to 5 years and 11 months in federal prison for possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon. Fonseca entered a guilty plea on January 30, 2024.
According to court documents, Fonseca was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in 2019 and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. In May 2023, law enforcement officers observed Fonseca and his girlfriend travel to a firearms store. Fonseca’s girlfriend picked up a firearm from the store that she had filled out the paperwork for, but that Fonseca had paid for. Law enforcement followed Fonseca back to his home in Tampa where they observed Fonseca carrying the box with the firearm into his residence. During the subsequent execution of a search warrant at Fonseca’s home, law enforcement located six firearms in various locations throughout the home. Fonseca claimed responsibility for these six firearms in his plea agreement.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney James Muench.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Convicted Felon Found Guilty of Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado announced that a jury found Colorado resident Alvin Madison, 46, of Denver, guilty on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the facts established at trial, on April 19, 2023, Colorado Parole officers located a fugitive, Dion Avila, at an apartment complex in Denver. They saw Dion Avila, Alvin Madison, and another man get into a car and drive away. Shortly thereafter, Denver Police officers stopped the car and had all three the men get out of the vehicle. When Alvin Madison exited the car, the officers patted him down for weapons and found that Madison had a loaded firearm in his right front jacket pocket and 24 rounds of ammunition loaded into a high-capacity magazine in the other jacket pocket. There was also a firearm on the rear passenger floorboard of the vehicle that Dion Avila later pled guilty to possessing. Madison, Dion Avila, and the driver of the car are previously convicted felons who have served prior prison sentences.
“Keeping repeat violent offenders off our streets is a critical component of keeping our communities safe,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch. “It is illegal for convicted felons to possess guns and ammunition, and we will vigorously prosecute repeat offenders who continue to arm themselves.”
"This case exemplifies the incredible work being done by the RAVEN task force in our efforts to combat violent crime every day," said ATF Special Agent in Charge Brent Beavers. "Their investigation from arrest to federal prosecution has removed an illegally armed and violent criminal, previously convicted of attempted murder, from the streets in our communities."
United States District Court Chief Judge Philip Brimmer presided over the trial. The Denver Police Department, Colorado Department of Corrections Parole Fugitive Unit, and ATF conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Celeste Rangel and Denver Special Assistant United States Attorney Dorothy Wilson handled the prosecution.
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.
Case Number: 23-CR-00240
Citizen of the Dominican Republic Sentenced to 57 Months for Illegally Reentering the United States after an Aggravated FelonyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Altagracios De La Cruz-Calderon, 60, who was living in Oneida County, was sentenced to 57 months imprisonment today for illegally reentering the United States after previously being convicted of an aggravated felony. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Thomas P. Brophy, Field Office Director, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, (ICE-ERO) Buffalo, NY made the announcement.
De La Cruz-Calderon had previously been deported or removed from the United States to the Dominican Republic five times. As part of his previous guilty plea, De La Cruz-Calderon admitted that he had been convicted of federal drug and gun charges in the 1990s and spent several years in federal prison before one of his deportations to the Dominican Republic. De La Cruz-Calderon was most recently found in the United States in New Hartford, New York. De La Cruz-Calderon will be subject to deportation again at the conclusion of his prison sentence.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ICE-ERO investigated the case with the help of the United States Marshall Service and the New Hartford Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck prosecuted the case.