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Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
9 July 2024
Man Charged with Gunpoint Robbery of Queens Jewelry StoreRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Ildemar Chirinos-Torres was arraigned before Magistrate Judge Lara K. Eshkenazi on an indictment charging him with robbery of a jewelry store, discharging a firearm during the robbery and interstate transportation of stolen property. Chirinos-Torres is detained pending trial.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New York Division (ATF), announced the charges.
“As alleged, Chirinos-Torres and his co-conspirators stole from, threatened and viciously shot a hardworking merchant during a violent gunpoint robbery of a neighborhood jewelry store,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “We will continue to vigorously prosecute in federal court armed robbers like the defendant who jeopardize the safety and security of members of our community.”
“This brazen act of armed robbery in which the defendant is alleged to have shot an innocent business owner is reprehensible. ATF NY’s Strategic Pattern Armed Robbery and Technical Apprehension (SPARTA) Group and our NYPD partners are committed to investigating and apprehending those who use violence to steal from New York’s hardworking business owners. We are grateful for the diligent efforts of the NYPD's Queens 115th Squad and the U.S. Attorney's Office Eastern District in the pursuit of justice for our community,” stated ATF Special Agent-in-Charge Miller.
As set forth in the indictment and public filings in support of the charges, on December 12, 2023, Chirinos-Torres and others robbed a jewelry store at gunpoint in Jackson Heights, Queens. During a struggle with the owner of the store, one of the defendant’s co-conspirators fired a gun multiple times, striking the owner in the leg with one bullet and grazing his face with another. After stealing approximately $120,000 in jewelry, Chirinos-Torres and his co-conspirators fled on two mopeds. The stolen jewelry was then transported from New York to Florida.
Evidence obtained pursuant to search warrants for the defendant’s phones corroborated his involvement in the armed robbery. For example, a selfie taken approximately two hours before the robbery showed Chirinos-Torres wearing clothing and a messenger bag consistent with the clothing and messenger bag worn by one of the perpetrators during the robbery. The phones also contained images of jewelry taken mere days after the robbery that the store owners confirmed was consistent with jewelry stolen from the store.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Chirinos-Torres faces up to life imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorney Sean M. Sherman is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
ILDEMAR CHIRINOS-TORRES
Age: 29
Freeport, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-215 (WFK)
Major Raleigh Heroin Trafficker Who Intimidated Witnesses Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Raleigh, N.C. – Ahmad Rashad McClain, a/k/a “Wop,” a longtime resident of Raleigh, was sentenced to 480 months in prison for trafficking heroin after attempting to intimidate witnesses. On June 8, 2022, Ahmad Rashad McClain pled guilty to two counts of drug trafficking.
“Tampering with witnesses and attempted intimidation is a sure-fire way to extend your stay in federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Heroin traffickers like McClain drive addiction in our city and will do anything to dodge accountability. We are turbocharging our partnership with the Raleigh Police Department to get these dangerous narcotics – and those who supply them – off the streets.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, McClain, age 47, was determined by Raleigh Police Department (RPD) in late 2021 to be a major distributor of heroin in the Raleigh area. This was determined by physical and electronic surveillance, the use of confidential informants, and statements from witnesses.
On June 8, 2022, a traffic stop was made on a vehicle driven by McClain, who was later transported to his residence where a search warrant was executed. McClain was found to be in possession of heroin mixed with protonitazene and marijuana, various drug paraphernalia, and over $15,000 in cash.
As part of the investigation, witnesses provided RPD with information demonstrating that McClain was accountable for distributing over 24,000 grams of heroin over a two-year period.
The Government argued for and received an enhanced sentence because McClain was found to be intimidating witnesses before sentencing.
In five calls recorded between March 1 and March 29, McClain directed an associate to contact two confidential informants expected to provide evidence at his sentencing hearing.
Although McClain and the associate used code, it was clear from the calls that McClain was directing him to approach, or have someone else approach, the witnesses to ensure they did not testify, discussing during the calls that the Government could not tie drug weight to him without their testimony. In one call, McClain directed the associate to “…shut them arcade games off.” In another, McClain said, “Yeah, without they testimony, they… can’t do s#!@…” The associate confirmed, “You ain’t got to worry about seeing them anyway…” In many of the calls, the associate confirmed that he or one of his “boys” had made contact with the witnesses.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Judge James C. Dever III. The Raleigh Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey L. Peaden prosecuted the case.
This investigation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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. 5:23-cr-00042-BO-RJ.
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Justice Department Leads Efforts Among Federal, International, and Private Sector Partners to Disrupt Covert Russian Government-Operated Social Media Bot FarmRead the Press Release
Note: View the affidavit for search of 968 X accounts here and affidavit for domains seizure here.
The Justice Department today announced the seizure of two domain names and the search of 968 social media accounts used by Russian actors to create an AI-enhanced social media bot farm that spread disinformation in the United States and abroad. The social media bot farm used elements of AI to create fictitious social media profiles — often purporting to belong to individuals in the United States — which the operators then used to promote messages in support of Russian government objectives, according to affidavits unsealed today.
In conjunction with the domain seizures and search warrant announced today, the FBI and the Cyber National Mission Force (CNMF), in partnership with Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS), the Netherlands General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD), Netherlands Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD), and Netherlands Police released a joint cybersecurity advisory detailing the technology behind the social media bot farm, including details regarding how the bot farm’s creators leveraged their bespoke AI system in furtherance of the scheme. The advisory will allow social media platforms and researchers to identify and prevent the Russian government’s further use of the technology. In addition, X Corp. (formerly, Twitter) voluntarily suspended the remaining bot accounts identified in the court documents for terms of service violations.
“With these actions, the Justice Department has disrupted a Russian-government backed, AI-enabled propaganda campaign to use a bot farm to spread disinformation in the United States and abroad,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As the Russian government continues to wage its brutal war in Ukraine and threatens democracies around the world, the Justice Department will continue to deploy all of our legal authorities to counter Russian aggression and protect the American people.”
“Today’s action demonstrates that the Justice Department and our partners will not tolerate Russian government actors and their agents deploying AI to sow disinformation and fuel division among Americans,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “As malign actors accelerate their criminal misuse of AI, the Justice Department will respond and we will prioritize disruptive actions with our international partners and the private sector. We will not hesitate to shut down bot farms, seize illegally obtained internet domains, and take the fight to our adversaries.”
“Today’s actions represent a first in disrupting a Russian-sponsored Generative AI-enhanced social media bot farm,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Russia intended to use this bot farm to disseminate AI-generated foreign disinformation, scaling their work with the assistance of AI to undermine our partners in Ukraine and influence geopolitical narratives favorable to the Russian government. The FBI is committed to working with our partners and deploying joint, sequenced operations to strategically disrupt our most dangerous adversaries and their use of cutting-edge technology for nefarious purposes.”
“We support all civic engagement, civil dialogue, and a robust exchange of ideas,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona. “But those ideas should be generated by Americans, for Americans. The disruption announced today protects us from those who use unlawful means to seek to mislead our citizens and our communities.”
“The disruption announced today is the result of a combined response with our international partners to a serious and unique threat,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois. “Multiple U.S. and foreign governmental components worked closely and efficiently to address the threat and develop and execute a mitigation strategy. Through vigorous enforcement efforts and collaborative international partnerships, the Justice Department works tirelessly to disrupt criminal cyber activity.”
Overview
According to court documents, a bot farm is an enhanced software package which allows for the creation of false personas on social media platforms. Bot farms are enhanced by integrating components which contain artificial intelligence, such as image production or text generation.
As described in the affidavits filed in support of the warrants, development of the social media bot farm was organized by an individual identified in Russia (Individual A). In early 2022, Individual A worked as the deputy editor-in-chief at RT, a state-run Russian news organization based in Moscow. Since at least 2022, RT leadership sought the development of alternative means for distributing information beyond RT’s standard television news broadcasts. In response, Individual A led the development of software that was able to create and to operate a social media bot farm. As planned, the social media bot farm would create fictitious online personas for social media accounts, through which RT, or any operator of the bot farm, could distribute information on a wide-scale basis. The development was executed by Individual B and others, who hid their identities and location (Russia) while beginning to purchase infrastructure for the social media bot farm in April 2022.
In early 2023, with the approval and financial support of the Presidential Administration of Russia (aka the Kremlin), a Russian FSB officer (FSB Officer 1) created and led a private intelligence organization (P.I.O.), as explained in the affidavits. The P.I.O.’s membership was comprised of, among others, employees at RT, including Individual A. The true purpose of the P.I.O. was to advance the mission of the FSB and the Russian government, including by spreading disinformation through the social media accounts created by the bot farm.
According to the affidavits, FSB Officer 1, Individual A, and other members of the PIO had access to the social media bot farm. The following are examples of Russian-government narratives that the bot farm posted on X in October and November 2023:
- A purported U.S. constituent replied to a candidate for federal office’s social media posts regarding the conflict in Ukraine with a video of President Putin justifying Russia’s actions in Ukraine;
- A purported resident of Minneapolis, Minnesota, posted a video of President Putin discussing his belief that certain geographic areas of Poland, Ukraine, and Lithuania were “gifts” to those countries from the Russian forces that liberated them from Nazi control during World War II;
- A purported U.S. resident of a city identified only as “Gresham,” posted a video claiming that the number of foreign fighters embedded with Ukrainian forces was significantly lower than public estimates;
- The same purported individual posted a video of President Putin claiming that the war in Ukraine is not a territorial conflict or a matter of geopolitical balance, but rather the “principles on which the New World Order will be based.”
To register the fictitious social media accounts, the social media bot farm relied on private email servers, which in turn relied on the two domain names seized by the FBI. An individual who controls an internet domain can create email accounts using the domain. For example, an individual controlling the domain name www.example.com can create email accounts using @example.com (e.g., [email protected]). Here, the actors obtained and controlled the domain names “mlrtr.com” and “otanmail.com” from a U.S.-based provider. They then used those domains to create the email servers that ultimately allowed them to create fictitious social media accounts using the bot farm software.
The FSB’s use of U.S.-based domain names, which the software used to register the bots, violates the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. In addition, the accompanying payments for that infrastructure violate federal money laundering laws.
The Justice Department commends members of the private sector who coordinated with law enforcement efforts on this disruption, including X for its voluntary efforts to suspend the identified bot accounts from its platform. Prior to the government’s action, X identified and suspended a significant number of the bot accounts.
The Justice Department’s investigation is ongoing.
The National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Justice Department Leads Efforts Among Federal, International, and Private Sector Partners to Disrupt Covert Russian Government-Operated Social Media Bot FarmRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced the seizure of two domain names and the search of 968 social media accounts used by Russian actors to create an artificial intelligence-enhanced social media bot farm that spread disinformation in the United States and abroad. They used elements of artificial intelligence (AI) to create fictitious social media profiles – often purporting to belong to individuals in the United States – which the operators then used to promote messages in support of Russian government objectives, according to affidavits unsealed today.
In conjunction with the domain seizures and search warrant announced today, the FBI and the Cyber National Mission Force (CNMF), in partnership with the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS), the Netherlands General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD), Netherlands Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD), and the Netherlands Police released a joint cybersecurity advisory detailing the technology behind the social media bot farm, including details regarding how the bot farm’s creators leveraged their bespoke AI system in furtherance of the scheme. The advisory will allow social media platforms and researchers to identify and prevent the Russian government’s further use of the technology. In addition, X Corp. (formerly, Twitter) voluntarily suspended the remaining bot accounts identified in the court documents for terms of service violations.
“With these actions, the Justice Department has disrupted a Russian-government backed, AI-enabled propaganda campaign to use a bot farm to spread disinformation in the United States and abroad,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As the Russian government continues to wage its brutal war in Ukraine and threatens democracies around the world, the Justice Department will continue to deploy all of our legal authorities to counter Russian aggression and protect the American people.”
“Today’s action demonstrates that the Justice Department and our partners will not tolerate Russian government actors and their agents deploying AI to sow disinformation and fuel division among Americans,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “As malign actors accelerate their criminal misuse of AI, the Justice Department will respond and we will prioritize disruptive actions with our international partners and the private sector. We will not hesitate to shut down bot farms, seize illegally obtained internet domains, and take the fight to our adversaries.”
“Today’s actions represent a first in disrupting a Russian-sponsored Generative AI-enhanced social media bot farm,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Russia intended to use this bot farm to disseminate AI-generated foreign disinformation, scaling their work with the assistance of AI to undermine our partners in Ukraine and influence geopolitical narratives favorable to the Russian government. The FBI is committed to working with our partners and deploying joint, sequenced operations to strategically disrupt our most dangerous adversaries and their use of cutting-edge technology for nefarious purposes.”
“We support all civic engagement, civil dialogue, and a robust exchange of ideas,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona. “But those ideas should be generated by Americans, for Americans. The disruption announced today protects us from those who use unlawful means to seek to mislead our citizens and our communities.”
“The disruption announced today is the result of a combined response with our international partners to a serious and unique threat,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois. “Multiple U.S. and foreign governmental components worked closely and efficiently to address the threat and develop and execute a mitigation strategy. Through vigorous enforcement efforts and collaborative international partnerships, the Justice Department works tirelessly to disrupt criminal cyber activity.”
Overview
According to court documents, a bot farm is an enhanced software package which allows for the creation of false personas on social media platforms. Bot farms are enhanced by integrating components which contain artificial intelligence, such as image production or text generation.
As described in the affidavits filed in support of the warrants, development of the social media bot farm was organized by an individual identified in Russia (Individual A). In early 2022, Individual A worked as the deputy editor-in-chief at RT, a state-run Russian news organization based in Moscow. Since at least 2022, RT leadership sought the development of alternative means for distributing information beyond RT’s standard television news broadcasts. In response, Individual A led the development of software that was able to create and to operate a social media bot farm. As planned, the social media bot farm would create fictitious online personas for social media accounts, through which RT, or any operator of the bot farm, could distribute information on a wide-scale basis. The development was executed by Individual B and others, who hid their identities and location (Russia) while beginning to purchase infrastructure for the social media bot farm in April 2022.
In early 2023, with the approval and financial support of the Presidential Administration of Russia (aka “the Kremlin”), a Russian FSB officer (FSB Officer 1) created and led a private intelligence organization (P.I.O.), as explained in the affidavits. The P.I.O.’s membership was comprised of, among others, employees at RT, including Individual A. The true purpose of the P.I.O. was to advance the mission of the FSB and the Russian government, including by spreading disinformation through the social media accounts created by the bot farm.
According to the affidavits, FSB Officer 1, Individual A, and other members of the PIO had access to the social media bot farm. The following are examples of Russian-government narratives that the bot farm posted on X in October and November 2023:
- A purported U.S. constituent replied to a candidate for federal office’s social media posts regarding the conflict in Ukraine with a video of President Putin justifying Russia’s actions in Ukraine;
- A purported resident of Minneapolis, Minnesota, posted a video of President Putin discussing his belief that certain geographic areas of Poland, Ukraine, and Lithuania were “gifts” to those countries from the Russian forces that liberated them from Nazi control during World War II;
- A purported U.S. resident of a city identified only as “Gresham,” posted a video claiming that the number of foreign fighters embedded with Ukrainian forces was significantly lower than public estimates.
- The same purported individual posted a video of President Putin claiming that the war in Ukraine is not a territorial conflict or a matter of geopolitical balance, but rather the “principles on which the New World Order will be based.”
To register the fictitious social media accounts, the social media bot farm relied on private email servers, which in turn relied on the two domain names seized by the FBI. An individual who controls an internet domain can create email accounts using the domain. For example, an individual controlling the domain name www.example.com can create email accounts using @example.com (e.g., [email protected]). Here, the actors obtained and controlled the domain names “mlrtr.com” and “otanmail.com” from a U.S.-based provider. They then used those domains to create the email servers that ultimately allowed them to create fictitious social media accounts using the bot farm software.
The FSB’s use of U.S.-based domain names, which the software used to register the bots, violates the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. In addition, the accompanying payments for that infrastructure violate federal money laundering laws.
The Justice Department commends members of the private sector who coordinated with law enforcement efforts on this disruption, including X for its voluntary efforts to suspend the identified bot accounts from its platform. Prior to the government’s action, X identified and suspended a significant number of the bot accounts.
The Justice Department’s investigation is ongoing.
The National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Headstone Salesman Charged with Defrauding Hundreds of Customers in Pennsylvania and New JerseyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Gregory J. Stefan, Jr., 54, of Upper Merion, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment with seven counts of wire fraud, arising from fraudulent business practices he employed in the operation and management of headstone sales companies.
The indictment alleges that between January 2018 and September 2023, Stefan—through his businesses 1843 LLC and Colonial Memorials—defrauded hundreds of grieving customers by entering into contracts to provide custom headstone and engraving services for their deceased loved ones that he knew he would not deliver on the promised timeline, if at all. Stefan demanded large up-front payments from his customers (often 100% of the purchase price) but routinely failed to fulfill their orders by the projected delivery date. When customers reached out to request updates on the status of their overdue orders, Stefan either ignored them or employed lulling tactics and assured them that their orders would be delivered shortly without taking any steps to follow through on those assurances. According to the indictment, Stefan failed to deliver, or provide refunds for, orders placed by almost 500 customers who had paid Stefan in excess of $1.5 million.
The defendant made an initial appearance in federal court on these charges before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jose R. Arteaga this afternoon.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 140 years’ imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Rice.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Grandparents Scam Participant Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EDWARD ROSARIO-CANELA, 48, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a “grandparents scam” that defrauded elderly victims of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Rosario participated in a “grandparents scam,” a scheme in which fraudsters, who often live outside of the U.S., contact elderly victims in the U.S. by phone impersonating the victim’s grandchild in distress, and induce the victim to send money purportedly help the grandchild. Rosario served as a “money-mule” in a grandparents scam that victimized several individuals who lived outside of Connecticut. For a fee, Rosario picked up packages of money that victims had mailed to addresses in Connecticut and elsewhere, and helped send the money to coconspirators in the Dominican Republic.
Judge Nagala ordered Rosario to pay restitution of $655,683.
On November 17, 2022, Rosario pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud.
Rosario, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on September 16.
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hartford Police Department, and the Monroe Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather M. Cherry and Michael S. McGarry.
More information about grandparents scams and how to avoid being victimized is available here and here.
Georgia Precious Metals Dealer Sentenced for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
Saleem Hakim was sentenced today to four years in prison following his conviction in January on charges of tax evasion and failing to file tax returns.
According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, during at least the years 2009 through 2013, Hakim was in the business of brokering the sale of precious metals to clients. Hakim earned more than $2.8 million in commissions for converting cash to precious metals for his clients during those years which enabled him to fund a lavish lifestyle that included purchases of high-end watches, jewelry, designer accessories and furs. Despite earning substantial income during 2009 through 2013, he did not file income tax returns for those years. Hakim last filed an income tax return for tax year 1999.
The evidence introduced at trial additionally showed that, from 2020 through 2022, Hakim and his wife worked for businesses in Atlanta that were engaged in the purchase and sale of jewelry and luxury handbags. The Hakims earned a combined income of more than $260,000 for those years but did not file returns. The evidence also established that Hakim attempted to conceal his and his wife’s income from the IRS by diverting their income into a trust that he established after being initially charged with tax crimes for the years 2011 through 2013.
Hakim attempted to obstruct the investigation into his tax misconduct for 2020 through 2022. After a witness received a grand jury subpoena for records relating to income that the witness paid to Hakim and his wife, Hakim drafted a letter for the witness falsely stating that the witness did not have any business records in his possession relating to the Hakims and asked the witness to send the letter. The witness sent the letter to federal prosecutors and IRS agents.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown for the Northern District of Georgia ordered Hakim to serve three years of supervised release and pay $1,219,225.73 in restitution to the IRS, and $4,490.52 in prosecution costs.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind and Colleen McCarthy of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia for the substantial assistance they provided in the investigation and prosecution of this matter. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg also thanked Trial Attorney Christina Grimes and former Trial Attorneys Jeffrey Bender and Kathryn Carpenter of the Tax Division who previously worked on this matter.
Georgia Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Interstate Extortion ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Ellenwood, Georgia, has been sentenced in federal court to two years of imprisonment on his conviction of conspiring and traveling interstate to commit extortion, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Richard W. Long, 50.
According to information presented to the Court, in July of 2022, Long participated in a conspiracy to extort money from victims in Western Pennsylvania. Conspirators who had access to cell phones while incarcerated in a Georgia prison called victims and falsely represented themselves as sheriff’s deputies who had arrest warrants for the victims. Victims were told that these warrants were the result of their purported failure to appear for a court hearing pursuant to a subpoena that had supposedly been served on them. The callers convinced victims that, to avoid arrest, they needed to appear at bail bond agencies in Pittsburgh, where victims then paid cash “bonds” or “fines” to Long when he met them in the parking lot. Three victims paid a total of approximately $39,750 to Long and his co-conspirators.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Stickman spoke to the “reprehensible” conduct of the conspirators, noting that they specifically targeted good, hard-working citizens to get their money.
Assistant United States Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Allegheny County Sheriff's Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Long.
Four of Six Foreign Nationals Charged in Multi-State ATM and Retail Skimming Conspiracy Scheduled to Appear Before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Rhode IslandRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – Four of six foreign nationals, all of whom are illegally present in the United States, charged in federal court for their alleged roles in a conspiracy to install “skimming” devices on bank Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and at retail store checkout point-of-sale units in at least six states, including Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and using credit, debit, and benefit card information gleaned from the skimming devices to create new cards that were then used to fraudulently withdraw cash from victims’ bank accounts and/or to make retail purchases, are scheduled to appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Rhode Island on Tuesday, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Charging documents allege that members of the conspiracy placed skimming devices locally on ATMs at banks in Bristol and Westerly, RI, and at retail store checkout terminals in Johnston, Warwick, and Coventry, RI, as well as in Avon, Raynham, Seekonk, and Walpole, MA. Skimming devices allow fraudsters to read and capture account information and PIN numbers when customers swipe or insert their credit, debit, and EBT cards to complete a purchase on terminals where the devices have been attached. The information obtained from the skimming devices is then used to create counterfeit cards that can be used to fraudulently obtain cash from victims’ bank accounts, or to make purchases. It is alleged that members of the conspiracy used the account information skimmed from unsuspecting victims’ cards to withdraw substantial amounts of cash from bank accounts and to purchase goods at various retailers.
It is alleged that members of the conspiracy withdrew more than $300,000 from unsuspecting victims’ bank accounts locally and made an as yet unknown number of purchases at retail outlets.
“The scale, scope, and brazen nature of these defendants’ scheme to steal the financial account information of unsuspecting consumers and use it to help themselves to funds and property, as we have alleged in federal court, is staggering,” remarked U.S. Attorney Cunha. “I commend the superb work of Homeland Security Investigations, as well as our local law enforcement partners, for their diligent and effective work to disrupt this ring of thieves, and ensure that those responsible face a reckoning in federal court.”
“The complaint alleges these six individuals are members of an organization who defrauded thousands of residents of Rhode Island and beyond of their hard-earned money. The ATM and point of sale skimming equipment they used worked quickly and efficiently to steal credit card information, allowing them to clone and illegally access credit cards, bank accounts, and other financial accounts of unsuspecting victims,” said Homeland Security Investigations New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol. “HSI is a leader in illicit finance investigations and is committed to working with our partners in the public and private sector to protect the integrity of our financial systems.
Armando Ion Codreanu, 23, of Placentia, CA, a citizen of Ireland, is scheduled to make his initial appearance on charges of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Isabela Ignat Codreanu, 23, of Anaheim and Placentia, CA, a citizen of Romania, Robby Vicson Codreanu, 20, Placentia, CA, a citizen of Great Britian, and Mila Ciuciu, 20, of Placentia, CA, a citizen of Romania, are each charged with conspiracy to commit access device fraud.
A fifth defendant, Nicolas Longin Codreanu, 21, of Placentia, CA, a citizen of Romania and Ireland, charged with conspiracy to commit access device fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft, is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and is being transported to Rhode Island. He will appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on a date not yet determined.
An arrest warrant has been issued for a sixth defendant, Ionut Zamfir, 37, of Los Angeles, CA, a citizen of Romania. Zamfir is charged with conspiracy to commit access device fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
The alleged conspiracy first came to light when the Bristol Police Department began an investigation into the origin of skimming devices discovered on ATMs at a local bank branch. As an example of the breadth of criminal conduct in this matter as detailed in court documents: to date, skimming devices have been recovered from a single major retailer at 22 separate locations in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York. It is alleged that security camera images from those locations depict one or more members of the conspiracy charged in federal court in Rhode Island tampering with the checkout devices.
According to charging documents, in October 2023, the Bristol Police Department received a report from a local bank that a skimming device had been discovered on a drive-through ATM at a local bank. The bank provided law enforcement with surveillance footage and still photographs that are alleged to clearly show two males placing and removing a skimming device from the ATM. Further investigation by Homeland Security Investigations determined that at least one of the individuals was allegedly also visible in security camera images installing skimming devices at retail locations in Warwick, Johnston, and Coventry, RI, and in Seekonk, Raynham, Walpole, and Avon, MA. in September and December 2023.
Additionally, in December 2023, Homeland Security Investigations learned of skimming devices that had been placed on ATMs at two bank branch offices in Westerly, RI. Security images and footage of the individuals who were likely responsible for the placement and removal of the devices, and for withdrawing cash from compromised bank accounts, allegedly match images of individuals responsible for skimming at other locations around the region.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald R. Gendron
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Bristol Police Department, with the assistance of the Warwick Police Department, Coventry Police Department, Westerly Police Department, Johnston Police Department, Seekonk Police Department, United States Secret Service, and Homeland Security Investigations agents in Lafayette, LA, New York, NY, and Los Angeles, CA.
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criminal_complaint_affidavit.pdfFormer Southeastern Connecticut Counselor Sentenced for Health Care Fraud and Kickback OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JEFFREY SLOCUM, 56, of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to three years of probation, the first 12 months of which he must serve in home confinement under electronic monitoring, for health care fraud and kickback offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2017 to 2022, Slocum, a former resident of East Lyme, Connecticut, was a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with an office located at 300 State Street in New London. In 2020, the Connecticut Medicaid program (“Medicaid”) notified Slocum that Medicaid was going to audit certain claims for psychotherapy services Slocum had billed to Medicaid between March 2018 and February 2020. As part of its audit, Medicaid requested patient records for approximately 100 individual psychotherapy services Slocum had billed to Medicaid.
In March 2021, Medicaid notified Slocum that the audit had determined that he had received over $225,000 in payments from Medicaid for services that he had not documented. Medicaid told Slocum it would begin to collect the overpayment by deducting the overpayment in installments from future payments Medicaid would make to Slocum. Once Slocum learned the results of the audit and that he would have to pay the money back to Medicaid, he began submitting fraudulent claims to Medicaid for psychotherapy services that he never provided. All of the fraudulent claims Slocum submitted to Medicaid represented that he had personally provided the nonexistent services.
Slocum also engaged in a scheme to pay kickbacks to his Medicaid patients in order to induce them to receive psychotherapy services from him. Slocum paid these kickbacks to patients in the form of cash payments, money orders, and Wal-Mart and VISA gift cards.
Judge Underhill ordered Slocum to pay restitution of $695,048 to Medicaid.
On August 16, 2023, Slocum pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud and one count of violating the federal anti-kickback statute.
This investigation was conducted by the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Social Services. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Sheldon and Auditor Susan Spiegel.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Chief State’s Attorney’s Office, and Attorney General’s Office meet regularly as part of The Medicaid Fraud Working Group. The Working Group also includes representatives from the Connecticut Department of Social Services; the Connecticut Department of Public Health; the Drug Control Division of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection; the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the FBI. The Working Group reviews pending issues and cases, identifies trends that might indicate fraudulent activity, and coordinates efforts for maximum results.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
Former Postal Carrier Convicted of Mail Theft and FraudRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Today, United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross announced that a federal jury convicted 44-year-old James Glover, a former postal carrier and resident of Montgomery, Alabama, on one count of postal theft by an employee and three counts of mail fraud. Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General and Inspector in Charge Scott Fix of the Houston Division for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service joined United States Attorney Ross in making the announcement.
According to court records and evidence presented during Glover’s trial, he was involved in a fraudulent mail theft and bank fraud scheme involving multiple individuals. The jury heard testimony that, in September and October of 2022, while doing his work as a mail carrier, Glover stole checks and documents containing financial information from the mail. The stolen checks were altered or used to create fraudulent checks and then deposited into bank accounts by Glover and others. Previously, 24-year-old Keldric Ortez Jones, also from Montgomery, Alabama, was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud for his role in the scheme. Jones received a 46-month sentence on March 11, 2024. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The U.S. mail system is a vital part of our daily lives,” stated United States Attorney Ross. “Mail carriers are entrusted with access to enormous amounts of sensitive information. Abuse of that trust must have consequences. This prosecution is a result of our commitment, along with the commitment of our law enforcement partners, to protect the millions of letters and packages processed by the United States Postal Service each day.”
“The vast majority of U.S. Postal Service employees are honest, hardworking individuals who would never violate the public trust in this manner,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “But for those who do, our special agents, along with our law enforcement partners, will aggressively investigate these federal crimes to protect the sanctity of the U.S. Mail. This conviction is a testament to the dedication of the investigative and legal teams and should send a strong message to any employee who thinks of conspiring with others to commit check fraud.”
“It is very disappointing when any of our U.S. Postal Service employees abuse their position of trust to facilitate illegal activity,” said Inspector in Charge Scott Fix of the Houston Division for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “James Glover is not representative of the honesty and integrity of postal employees serving our nation today. Glover’s conviction demonstrates that the USPIS remains resolute in our mission to bring to justice those who fraudulently use the nation’s mail system in the furtherance of their deceptive schemes.”
Following his June 27, 2024, conviction, Glover faces a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing for Glover is scheduled for September 30, 2024. At that hearing, a federal district court judge will determine Glover’s sentence after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Millbrook Police Department investigated the case, which Assistant United States Attorneys J. Patrick Lamb and Tara Ratz are prosecuting.
Former New York Cheese Producer Sentenced for Selling Raw Milk Cheese Products Linked to Listeria OutbreakRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Johannes Vulto, age 64, a former raw milk cheese manufacturer, and Vulto Creamery LLC, the company Vulto founded and owned, were each sentenced today in federal court in Syracuse after each previously pleading guilty to one misdemeanor count of causing the introduction of adulterated food into interstate commerce, relating to the sale and distribution of cheese that was linked to a 2016-2017 outbreak of listeriosis, the disease caused by the pathogen Listeria monocytogenes.
Vulto was sentenced to 3 years of probation and ordered to pay a fine of $100,000, and to perform 240 hours of community service. Vulto Creamery LLC, which no longer operates, was sentenced to 1 year of probation. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Special Agent in Charge Fernando McMillan, of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations New York Field Office, announced the sentences.
In previously pleading guilty, Vulto admitted that he oversaw operations at the Vulto Creamery manufacturing facility in Walton, New York, including those relating to sanitation and environmental monitoring. Vulto and Vulto Creamery both admitted that between December 2014 and March 2017, they caused the shipment in interstate commerce of adulterated cheese. According to the plea agreement, environmental swabs taken at the Vulto Creamery facility between approximately July 2014 and February 2017 repeatedly tested positive for Listeria species. The Listeria family includes both harmless species and L. monocytogenes, which can cause listeriosis in humans.
Listeriosis is a severe, invasive illness that can be life-threatening in some cases. Persons who have the greatest risk of experiencing listeriosis due to consumption of foods contaminated with L. monocytogenes are pregnant women and their newborns, the elderly and persons with weakened immune systems.
In March 2017, after the FDA linked Vulto Creamery’s cheese to an outbreak of listeriosis, Vulto shut down the Vulto Creamery facility and issued a partial recall that was expanded to a full recall within weeks. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the listeriosis outbreak resulted in eight hospitalizations and two deaths.
The case was investigated by the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, and it was prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney James T. Nelson of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Northern District of New York Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry.
Further information about the case is posted under “Information for Victims in Large Cases” at the Consumer Protection Branch’s website: www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the enforcement efforts of the Consumer Protection Branch visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Former Coffeewood Prison Guard Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation, Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A former prison officer at Coffeewood Correctional Center in Mitchells, Virginia pled guilty recently to a series of federal charges related to child exploitation and child pornography.
Davey Jonathan Sisk, 29, of Culpeper, Virginia, was arrested on February 15, 2024, and pled guilty last month to two counts of sexually exploiting and attempting to sexually exploit a child as well as one count of receiving child pornography. Under the plea agreement, he faces up to 40 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, between June 2023 and February 2024, Sisk used the social media application “Telegram” to engage another individual to create and then send him videos and photos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. During this time frame, one of the victims was three years old and another was six years old.
In addition, from 2021 through 2022, a now-15-year-old minor living in Texas engaged in sexual intercourse with another minor child and then sold videos and images of these sexual encounters on the internet through various social media applications, including Snapchat. Sisk admitted to using the Snapchat username “JAKESMOOT2021” and to paying approximately $465 through Cash App to the minor in exchange for multiple sexually explicit images and videos.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations – Harrisonburg, VA and Washington, D.C. investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sally J. Sullivan is prosecuting the case.
Final 2 members of a Washington family sentenced in monumental Indian Arts and Crafts Act caseRead the Press Release
JUNEAU, Alaska – The final two members of a Washington state family were sentenced yesterday for selling over $1 million of Philippine produced products as authentic Alaska Native produced artwork, violating the Indian Arts and Crafts Act.
According to court documents, Glenda Tiglao Rodrigo, 46, was sentenced to up to six months’ home confinement and 240 hours of community service, and Christian Ryan Tiglao Rodrigo, 24, was sentenced to up to three months’ home confinement and 200 hours of community service. Both defendants are required to serve five years’ probation and write a letter of apology to be published in the Ketchikan Daily Newspaper. All three defendants are required to jointly pay over $54,000 in restitution.
Cristobal Rodrigo, 59, Glenda’s husband and Christian’s father, was a co-conspirator in the case and was sentenced to two years in prison in August 2023 for his role in the scheme. Cristobal Rodrigos’ sentence was reduced to 18 months in June 2024, but remains the longest sentence a defendant has received for any Indian Arts and Crafts Act violation in the U.S., according to the Indian Arts and Crafts Board.
Court documents explain that from April 2016 to December 2021, while residing in Washington state, the Rodrigo family owned and operated Alaska Stone Arts, LLC and Rail Creek, LLC in Ketchikan, Alaska. Alaska Stone Arts, LLC primarily sold stone carvings, and Rail Creek, LLC primarily sold wood totem poles. The carvings and totem poles were sourced from Rodrigo Creative Crafts, a company owned by Glenda Rodrigo and located in the Philippines.
The Philippine business was created for the sole purpose of producing carvings featuring Alaska Native designs and motifs using Philippine labor. The carvings were shipped to the U.S. and then to the family’s stores in Ketchikan, where they were later sold as authentic Alaska Native art.
Christian Rodrigo helped with the day-to-day operations and worked as a salesperson at both stores, while Glenda Rodrigo oversaw the business affairs for both stores. The Rodrigo’s also hired Alaska Natives at both Ketchikan stores to represent and sell Philippine produced artwork as their own authentic Alaska Native artwork. The workers told customers they were all related family working in the store and the art was all produced from locally sourced materials and made by Alaska Natives. Court documents outline over 20 separate instances where salespersons misrepresented themselves and the artwork to sell a Philippine produced product as authentic Alaska Native artwork.
Prior to the conspiracy, Cristobal Rodrigo worked in Alaska at different stores and shops producing stone carvings that were sold in the tourist trade for over 20 years. Cristobal Rodrigo taught the styles of Alaska Native stone art and wood totem poles to the Philippine based company.
In 2019 and for part of 2021, the family and their Alaska-based company employees sold over $1 million worth of Philippine made carvings presented as Alaska Native artwork.
“The actions the Rodrigo’s family took to purposefully deceive customers and forge artwork is a cultural affront to Alaska Native artisans who pride themselves on producing these works of art, and negatively affects those who make a living practicing the craft,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “The sentences in this monumental case are a testament to the federal government’s commitment to prosecuting Indian Arts and Crafts Act violations, and our office will continue to work with law enforcement partners to protect Alaska Native cultural heritage and unwitting customers, and hold perpetrators accountable who carry out these crimes.”
“The Indian Arts and Crafts Board administers and enforces the Indian Arts and Crafts Act, a truth-in-marketing law,” said Indian Arts and Crafts Board Director Meridith Stanton. “The Act is intended to rid the Alaska Native and Indian arts and crafts marketplace of fakes and counterfeits, in order to protect the economic livelihoods and cultural heritage of Alaska Native and Indian artists and craftspeople and their Tribes and villages, as well as the buying public. Authentic Alaska Native art and craftwork is an important tool for passing down cultural traditions, traditional knowledge, and artistic skills from one generation to the next. Fakes and counterfeits, such as those marketed for huge sums of money by the Rodrigos, tear at the very fabric of Alaska Native culture, Native livelihoods, and Native communities. Today’s sentencing should send a strong message to those who prey upon authentic Alaska Native artists and vulnerable consumers that this destructive conduct will not be tolerated, and Act violators will be held accountable.”
“The Rodrigos sold imported products as Alaska Native made in their Ketchikan, Alaska store,” said Edward Grace, Assistant Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. “This deceptive business practice cheated customers and undermined the economic livelihood of Alaska Native artists. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a dedicated team of special agents that work on violations of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act. Today’s sentence was the result of the strong collaboration between our special agents, the Indian Arts and Crafts Board, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
The Department of Interior – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Office of Law Enforcement, with assistance from the Indian Arts and Crafts Board, U.S. Customs and Border Protections, and U.S. Department of Agriculture, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Schmidt prosecuted the case.
If you suspect potential Indian Arts and Crafts Act violations are being committed, a complaint may be submitted through the Indian Arts and Crafts Board’s online complaint form, www.doi.gov/iacb/should-i-report-potential-violation, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 888-278-3253.
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Felon Who Shot New Mexico State Police Officer Sentenced to 9 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Los Lunas man who shot a New Mexico State Police officer during a high-speed chase was sentenced to 9 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to publicly available court records, on February 11, 2022, New Mexico State Police (NMSP) Lt. Jeremy Vaughan was on duty at a gas station in Edgewood when he was alerted to a woman in distress. As Lt. Vaughan approached a vehicle containing the woman and Caleb Elledge, 26, of Los Lunas, Elledge fled, ramming the officer's vehicle.
A pursuit ensued, ending when Lt. Vaughan performed a pursuit intervention technique. Elledge then fired at Lt. Vaughan, striking him in the neck. Despite his injury, Lt. Vaughan returned fire before Elledge and his passenger fled on foot.
The following day, acting on a tip, NMSP agents located and arrested Elledge in McIntosh, New Mexico. During the arrest, Elledge apologized for shooting the officer. Agents recovered the firearm used in the shooting.
As a previously convicted felon, Elledge was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Lt. Vaughan medically retired due to the severity of his injuries from the shooting. Lt. Vaughan, his family, many of his NMSP colleagues, as well as numerous members of other law enforcement agencies, were present in the courtroom when Elledge was sentenced.
“Attacking a law enforcement officer is a guarantee that you will be caught and punished,” said U.S. Attorney Uballez. “We stand shoulder to shoulder with our state and local partners to keep this community safe. Their bravery and tireless dedication to our communal safety deserves our utmost respect. At today’s sentencing, Lt. Vaughn addressed Elledge directly, stating ‘you and I should never have been enemies . . . I have never been angry with you, there is nothing for me to forgive . . . I care about you as a fellow human being.’ Lt. Vaughn and his wife offered grace grounded in faith, challenging Elledge to change: ‘Today is day one.’ Lt. Vaughn’s bravery, faith, and message of hope is a credit to the New Mexico State Police and an inspiration for us all.”
“Today’s sentencing of the defendant is reassuring that violence, especially when directed towards law enforcement, is never acceptable in our society,” said Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI - Albuquerque Division, "The FBI will continue to work with our local, state and tribal partners to use all available resources to make sure that repeat armed offenders are held accountable and bring to justice anyone who assaults law enforcement officers."
"The sentencing of Caleb Elledge is a significant step towards justice for Lt. Jeremy Vaughan and the entire New Mexico State Police family. This incident is a stark reminder of the dangers our officers face daily in their commitment to protect and serve” said Troy Weisler, Chief of the New Mexico State Police. “We are grateful for the collaboration with our federal law enforcement partners that led to this outcome. We will continue to honor our duty to keep the citizens of New Mexico safe."
Upon his release from prison, Elledge will be subject to 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office, Edgewood Police Department, and Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office assisted the New Mexico State Police with the investigation of this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Mysliwiec prosecuted the case.
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Felon Caught Twice with Guns Sentenced to 78 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry on Tuesday sentenced a man who was caught with guns twice while on supervised release to 78 months in prison.
On May 28, 2022, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers tried to pull over a Nissan Maxima with no front license plate and a rear license plate belonging to a truck when the driver sped away. The vehicle traveled at a high rate of speed in an erratic manner violating traffic signs and causing other vehicles to take evasive action. The driver struck another vehicle before getting on Interstate 70. After exiting at Adelaide Avenue and stopping, Edward A. Crawford got out and ran away. When detectives arrested Crawford, they found a loaded .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol. Crawford said he tried to discard the gun on the interstate but only succeeded in throwing the magazine out.
After he was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, deputy U.S. Marshals arrested him on August 17, 2023, at a home in the 3400 block of Montana Street in St. Louis. They found a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol and four individually wrapped baggies containing cocaine base weighing a total of 25.95 grams. Crawford was on supervised release after pleading guilty in 2018 to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Crawford, 43, pleaded guilty in March.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christian Goeke prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Federal Jury Convicts St. Petersburg Armed Career CriminalRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Devaris Lemain Simmons (33, St. Petersburg) guilty of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The jury further found that Simmons is an Armed Career Criminal after having committed three prior serious drug offenses. Simmons faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on March 23, 2023, officers with the St. Petersburg Police Department approached an idling vehicle registered to Simmons and smelled the odor of marijuana emanating from inside. When Simmons opened the vehicle, officers observed green leaf-like particles inside and conducted a search. During the search officers located a Taurus PT-111 Millennium Pro 9mm semi-automatic pistol loaded with five rounds of ammunition stored in the center console. A DNA swab of the grip and trigger of the firearm matched the DNA of Simmons.
Testimony and evidence presented at trial also established that Simmons had sold cocaine on three separate occasions in 2014 to an undercover officer with the St. Petersburg Police Department. The jury found that the above three offenses were committed on occasions separate from one another.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the St. Petersburg Police Department, and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make out neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Durham Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Role in Mortgage and COVID-19 Pandemic Fund Frauds Exceeds $2.9 MillionRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Durham man was sentenced to 84 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining over $1,300,000 in mortgages and over $1,600,000 in fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) proceeds. On April 13, 2023, Reynold Eugene Mullen pled guilty to the charges.
“This white-collar fraud on American taxpayers is stunning. We live in a generous nation that lends a hand to those in need,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. "When defendants like Mullen take advantage of that generosity – to buy beach houses and plastic surgery – we will fight for every penny to be returned to the public purse.”
“Mullen not only used washed credit reports and fabricated bank statements to obtain mortgages; he also took advantage of aid programs intended to provide critical relief for hardworking members of our communities impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak by fraudulently obtaining pandemic program loans,” said Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS CI) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Brian Thomas, Charlotte Field Office. “IRS CI, along with our law enforcement partners remain vigilant in identifying, investigating, and recommending those individuals for prosecution who willfully seek to defraud the United States Treasury and blatantly disregard the victims of their schemes.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, between 2019 and 2021, Reynold Eugene Mullen, 48, and his girlfriend, Tiffany Dawn Russell, used “washed” credit reports and fabricated bank statements to obtain four mortgages totaling $1,374,000, for the purchase of properties in Miami, Florida, Rocky Mount, North Carolina, and Nags Head, North Carolina.
Between March 2020 and July 2021, Mullen and Russell also submitted fraudulent EIDL and PPP applications on behalf on entities that were either owned entirely, or in part, by them. On these applications, Mullen and Russell provided false monthly payroll amounts and misrepresented the entities’ number of employees. Mullen and Russell also submitted fraudulent tax returns as part of these applications. As a result of these frauds, Mullen and Russell obtained more than $1,600,000. Mullen and Russell used the fraud proceeds to purchase six properties and pay for Mullen’s plastic surgery.
On May 25, 2022, Russell (5:20-cr-00505-D-3) was sentenced to 63 months in prison and five years of supervised release for her role in this scheme.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa K. Labresh prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-33-D.
Disbarred attorney pleads guilty to Social Security number fraud as part of scheme to obtain jobs at law firmsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A disbarred attorney who previously practiced law in the Cincinnati area admitted in U.S. District Court this afternoon that he used false identities to obtain employment with at least seven law firms.
Richard Louis Crosby III, 37, of Mason, Ohio, pleaded guilty to three counts of Social Security number fraud. His plea agreement includes a sentence recommendation of 37 months in prison.
At various times throughout his scheme, Crosby used identifying information belonging to his elderly father, his girlfriend, a deceased man and others. He falsely told at least one law firm that he was a University of Michigan football player and an ex-Marine.
According to court documents, the Cincinnati Bar Association filed a complaint against Crosby in November 2020. In April 2021, he indicated his intent to resign from the practice of law.
In both June and November 2021, Crosby was indicted and charged in Hamilton County with crimes related to stealing client funds. After his indictments, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio entered an order disbarring Crosby.
In May 2022, Crosby was arrested in both of his Hamilton County cases. He was sentenced to probation in both cases in June 2023.
According to his federal plea agreement, while Crosby’s local cases were pending, he created an email account using “richardcwilliamsesq.” Crosby used the email address and the alias Richard Williams to communicate with a law firm in Washington D.C. in June 2021. The firm briefly employed “Williams.”
In June 2022 – at which point Crosby had been disbarred in Ohio and arrested on the Hamilton County charges – Crosby used his alias to apply online for an attorney position with a law firm in California. The firm offered Crosby a position as an associate attorney with a salary of $150,000. The defendant was employed under his alias for approximately three months and used a firm email address with his alias name.
In September 2022, Crosby used his alias to apply for an attorney position with a law firm based in Miami, Florida. Crosby met with a recruiter via Zoom, and represented himself as Richard Williams, a licensed attorney admitted to the bar in New York and D.C.
Crosby then met with one of the firm’s hiring managers in Florida and was ultimately offered employment in October 2022. His starting salary was $185,000 per year with a $5,000 signing bonus. Crosby used his girlfriend’s Social Security number, passport number and banking information to complete his onboarding paperwork at the law firm.
In April 2023, the firm received an inquiry from an investigator with the Clermont County Child Support Enforcement Office, making the firm aware of Crosby’s true identity. He was subsequently fired.
In July 2023, Crosby interviewed with the founding partner of a different California law firm. He also falsely claimed to work at the law firm of Kirkland and Ellis. After the founding partner asked Crosby to verify with whom he worked with at Kirkland and Ellis, Crosby withdrew his interest in the job.
A few days later, Crosby again used the alias to attempt to obtain employment. He interviewed over Zoom with senior management of a law firm located in Coral Gables, Florida. Crosby doctored a “screen shot” of the name Richard Coleman Williams Jr. in the online D.C. bar membership directory to attach with his resume.
The firm offered Crosby a starting salary of $195,000 per year with a $10,000 signing bonus, but eventually determined Crosby was using a false identity and did not hire him.
In August 2023, the defendant applied for a job at another law firm. The firm, located in Michigan, sent Crosby a letter offering a salary of $145,000 per year and a $10,000 signing bonus. When his credential information had discrepancies, the firm terminated their working relationship before issuing Crosby’s first paycheck.
In September 2023, one month prior to his arrest on federal charges, Crosby used a different alias to apply for a job at another law firm in California. He claimed that he was a University of Michigan football player and an ex-Marine. Crosby was hired as an attorney at a salary of $250,000 per year. He used the Social Security number of a deceased man from North Carolina in his tax paperwork to the firm.
Crosby was arrested by federal agents in October 2023. As part of his guilty plea, Crosby has agreed to pay nearly $171,000 in restitution to law firms he defrauded.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio announced the charges. The case is being investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office, Clermont County Department of Job and Family Services, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and United States Marshals Service. Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Landry is representing the United States in this case.
If you have information related to Crosby’s conduct, please contact the Social Security OIG tip line at 1-800-269-0271.
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Costa Rican National Sentenced to 97 Months in Prison for $2 Million Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Costa Rican man, illegally in the United States, was sentenced today to 97 months in prison for his role in laundering over $2 million in proceeds of a number of wire fraud schemes, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Esteban De Jesus Campos Chanto, 43, of Trenton, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Judge Quraishi imposed sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in the case:
Between August 2019 and October 2021, Chanto participated in a multimillion-dollar money laundering conspiracy operating out of Costa Rica that targeted elderly victims in the United States. Conspirators in Costa Rica called senior citizens in the United States over the phone and induced them to mail or wire money to Chanto by claiming that the victims needed to pay off taxes and fees on lottery winnings or taxes and penalties to the United States government. In total, Chanto received more than $2 million from elderly victims who had been defrauded by Chanto’s co-conspirators. Chanto then wired the majority of the funds to his co-conspirators in Costa Rica and retained approximately $400,000 for himself as payment for his money laundering services.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Quraishi sentenced Chanto to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $2.07 million.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, and special agents of the FBI, Cleveland Division, Youngstown Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory D. Nelsen, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander E. Ramey and Ashley Super Pitts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
Convicted Sex Offender Indicted for Allegedly Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material and Enticing Two Minors into Sex WorkRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Ventura County man was charged today in an 11-count federal grand jury indictment alleging that – months after his release from state prison after being convicted of child sex offenses – he produced child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and used online chat programs to entice two minors into prostitution.
Kai Whitney Sommers, 36, of Ventura, is charged with two counts of sex trafficking of minors, two counts of use of a facility of interstate commerce to entice a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, one count of production of child pornography, three counts of distribution of child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, and two counts of commission of a felony offense involving a minor while required to register as a sex offender.
Sommers has been in federal custody since June 26 and is scheduled for arraignment on July 15 in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to the indictment and a criminal complaint previously filed in this case, in September 2021, Sommers was convicted in Los Angeles Superior Court of statutory rape and engaging in lewd or lascivious acts with a minor for enticing a minor on an online chat room to make money as a sex worker. Sommers then lured the victim to meet with him and sexually assaulted the victim.
In August 2023, months after being released from state prison for the previous conviction, law enforcement conducted a search inside Sommers’ residence and allegedly found him to be in possession of CSAM. Following the search, officers allegedly found Sommers had chatted online with two minors, intending to persuade them to make money as sex workers.
One of the victims allegedly produced CSAM for Sommers, who used both their images online to advertise them as 18-year-old sex workers. Sommers allegedly impersonated the victims while he communicated with potential adult clients and told the victims that if the clients asked for their age, they had to say “18.” Sommers allegedly coerced one victim to meet twice with adult men and have sex with them for approximately $160 total.
An indictment and a complaint contain allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, Sommers would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
The FBI and Ventura Police Department are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Derek R. Flores of the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.
Convicted Felon from Carroll Plantation Sentenced to 15 Months after Loaded Firearm Recovered During ArrestRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Carroll Plantation man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Jason Levasseur, 48, to 15 months time served to be followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court records, in November 2022, a Maine State Police trooper arrested Levasseur for a state probation revocation after recognizing his pickup truck at a gas station in Danforth. The trooper ordered Levasseur to get on the ground and restrained him. The trooper removed a sheathed knife from Levasseur’s belt and asked whether he was carrying a gun. Levasseur indicated there was a firearm in the truck, and the officer retrieved a .458-caliber rifle wrapped in a blanket from the backseat. The rifle had two rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber.
Levasseur is precluded from possessing firearms due to multiple prior convictions including three state convictions for illegal possession of a firearm.
The Maine State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
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Clark County man sentenced to 22 years in prison for producing child pornography by paying adults to abuse minor victims live on social media appsRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – Dustin Johnson, 38, of New Carlisle, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 22 years in prison for creating child pornography by paying adult females to sexually abuse minor girls live on social media chats.
According to court documents, in June 2022, Johnson paid an adult female to engage in sexually explicit conduct with a prepubescent girl live on Snapchat. Johnson recorded the communications with a screen recorder app, saving video recordings approximately 10 minutes and 17 minutes in length on separate days in June.
After diligent investigation, law enforcement was able to locate the adult female and the child, who were located overseas. The child victim was 5 years old. Local law enforcement was able to remove the child from the adult female offender’s custody.
Johnson engaged in similar social media chats with other adult females, who at Johnson’s request sexually abused individuals who appeared to be children, on live video chat for Johnson to view. Johnson also engaged in online chats discussing the possibility of meeting up with other adults who had children so that he could engage in sexually explicit conduct with their children.
Investigators discovered more than 24,000 child pornography files on Johnson’s hard drives. The pornography included more than 500 files depicting bestiality, at least 400 files involving violence or masochistic abuse and more than 3,500 pornographic files depicting infants and toddlers.
Johnson was arrested in February 2023 and pleaded guilty in February 2024 to producing child pornography.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed on July 2 by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Thomas M. Rose. Assistant United States Attorney Christina E. Mahy is representing the United States in this case.
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Cincinnati woman sentenced to federal prison for Social Security number fraudRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati woman was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 24 months in prison for committing Social Security number fraud. The defendant stole the identity of a deceased child and used it to avoid a pending criminal prosecution and to obtain thousands of dollars in government benefits.
Christina Vaskovsky, 56, pleaded guilty in March 2024 to five counts of Social Security number fraud. She was charged and arrested in November 2023.
According to court documents, Vaskovsky was indicted in Hamilton County in July 2008 for allegedly stealing $14,500 from her employer. Vaskovsky failed to appear at her trial scheduled in December 2008. A nationwide warrant was issued for her arrest.
In 2010, Vaskovsky obtained a new Ohio driver’s license using the name, date of birth and Social Security number of a child who was born the same year as Vaskovsky but who died in 1977 at the age of 10.
The defendant then began using the deceased child’s identity in a variety of contexts over a span of 13 years, including:
- Receiving $19,570 in food stamp benefits;
- Filing bankruptcy to discharge nearly $128,000 in debt;
- Obtaining Social Security disability benefits totaling nearly $39,000;
- Providing the false identity upon being arrested for shoplifting in Kentucky;
- Applying for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan;
- Receiving more than $11,600 in unemployment benefits;
- Obtaining Supplemental Security Income disability benefits totaling $4,833; and
- Receiving Medicare benefits under the stolen identity totaling more than $116,000.
As part of her sentence, Vaskovsky will pay nearly $191,000 in restitution to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Social Security Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins. This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General with assistance from the USDA Office of Inspector General, Ohio BMV Investigations, Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Marshals Service. Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Landry is representing the United States in this case.
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Chelsea Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Fake Social Security Cards and Green CardsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chelsea man pleaded guilty yesterday to selling fraudulent Social Security cards and Legal Permanent Resident cards, often referred to as “Green Cards.”
Wilberto Sandoval Mazariego, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful transfer of a document or authentication feature. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Oct. 3, 2024. In October 2023, Sandoval Mazariego was arrested and charged by criminal complaint. Sandoval Mazariego was later indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2023.
During an investigation into Tomas Xirum for selling fraudulent Green Cards and fraudulent Social Security cards, law enforcement allegedly identified Sandoval Mazariego as the creator of the fraudulent documents Xirum was selling. Following Xirum’s arrest in August 2022, law enforcement found a text message string between Xirum and Sandoval Mazariego that contained approximately 568 attachments. Xirum would regularly text Sandoval Mazariego pictures of unknown persons along with a name, date of birth and country of birth – to which Sandoval Mazariego would later respond with pictures of Social Security cards and/or Green Cards with the person’s photo and information that Xirum provided.
On Aug. 17, 2023, Sandoval Mazariego sold a fraudulent Green Card and a fraudulent Social Security card to an undercover agent.
On Oct 3, 2023, Sandoval Mazariego was arrested after leaving his Chelsea residence. During a search of his residence, all items necessary to produce counterfeit forms of identification were found, including two laminators, card stock paper, photo paper, glue, trimmers and printers. Also recovered were nine Legal Permanent Resident cards, six Social Security cards and five driver’s licenses. Five of the recovered Social Security cards contained the names provided by the undercover agent to Sandoval Mazariego as part of the investigation. A total of $17,095 in cash was also recovered from the residence.
On Aug. 21, 2023, Xirum pleaded guilty to three counts of unlawful transfer of document or authentication feature and three counts of unlawful production of document or authentication feature. In January 2024, Xirum was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force, a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity and benefit fraud schemes.
Butler Felon Charged with Unlawful Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Butler, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Thomas James Clark, 32, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on January 20, 2024, Clark—who has prior felony convictions—possessed a firearm and ammunition. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, 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 of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine C. Jordan and Kelly M. Locher are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Buffalo man going to prison on gun and drug chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Mario Kelly, 38, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, was sentenced to serve 130 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan E. Leydecker, who handled the case, stated that in April 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Kelly’s Kenmore residence, during which they seized approximately 374 grams of fentanyl, approximately seven grams of crack cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and three firearms. Kelly was previously convicted of two felony crimes in Erie County Court, and three federal crimes in the Western District of New York, and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller, New York Field Division.
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Brooklyn Resident and Canadian National Plead Guilty to Multi-Million Dollar Export Control SchemeRead the Press Release
Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, Canadian national Nikolay Goltsev and Brooklyn resident Salimdzhon Nasriddinov pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit export control violations for their roles in a global procurement scheme on behalf of sanctioned Russian companies, including companies with Russian military contracts. Some of the electronic components shipped by the defendants were later found in seized Russian weapons platforms and signals intelligence equipment in Ukraine. The proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Taryn A. Merkl. When sentenced, Goltsev and Nasriddinov each face up to 20 years in prison.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Lisa O. Monaco, United States Deputy Attorney General; Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations New York (HSI), Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Matthew S. Axelrod, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement, U.S. Department of Commerce, announced the plea.
“The defendants flouted U.S. law to help Russia in its war against Ukraine, but they were stopped in their tracks and swiftly brought to justice,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office will take on and successfully neutralize the complicated procurement networks that are making it possible for Russia to continue its unprovoked war against Ukraine.”
Mr. Peace thanked the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for their valuable assistance to the investigation.
“The defendants shipped millions of dollars of U.S. electronics critical to the missiles and drones Russia uses to attack Ukraine, and they now face U.S. prison time for their scheme,” stated Deputy Attorney General Monaco. “As Russia continues to wage its unjust war of aggression against Ukraine, the Department remains committed to holding accountable those who fuel Putin’s war machine.”
“The defendants shipped millions of dollars’ worth of electronic components to Russia, including the exact type of parts found in Russian weapons and drones used to attack Ukraine,” stated Assistant Attorney General Olsen. “We know the devastation and destruction that these weapons cause and the Justice Department is committed to holding accountable those who violate U.S. laws to supply the Russian war machine.”
“With today’s guilty pleas, all three defendants have acknowledged their involvement in their scheme to provide more than $7 million worth of material support to the Kremlin in its inhumane attacks on Ukraine. Nikolay Goltsev, Salimdzhon Nasriddinov, and their co-conspirator coordinated the deployment of over 300 shipments of restricted electronics that were ultimately used on the Russian battlefield. HSI New York remains committed to utilizing its unique authorities to relentlessly pursue individuals who seek to exploit U.S. export control laws for financial gain,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Arvelo. “I am proud to stand alongside the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the Department of Commerce in confronting these issues directly.”
“The defendants in this case orchestrated a sophisticated, illegal scheme to smuggle electronic components to Russia for use in its invasion of Ukraine,” stated FBI Acting Assistant Director Curtis. “By using front companies, they sought to disguise their treachery but were ultimately exposed and brought to justice. These cases are critical because they undermine the global sanctions regime designed to isolate adversarial nations and protect international security. The FBI will relentlessly pursue and hold accountable those who threaten our national security and violate international laws.”
“Eliminating illegal global procurement networks that prop up the Russian war machine requires a full-court press,” stated Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Axelrod. “That’s why we and our law enforcement partners are working nonstop to ensure that those operating such networks – like Nasriddinov and Goltsev – face American justice.”
According to the court filings and statements made during the plea proceeding, the defendants used two Brooklyn companies, SH Brothers Inc. and SN Electronics Inc., to unlawfully source, purchase, and ship millions of dollars in dual-use electronics from U.S. manufacturers to sanctioned end users in Russia. Some of the electronic components and integrated circuits shipped by the defendants through SH Brothers have been found in seized Russian weapons platforms and signals intelligence equipment in Ukraine, including the Torn-MDM radio reconnaissance complex, the RB-301B “Borisoglebsk-2” electronic warfare complex, the Izdeliye 305E light multi-purpose guided missile, the Vitebsk L370 airborne counter missile system, Ka-52 helicopters, Orlan-10 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and T-72B3 battle tanks. Some of these components were critical to Russia’s precision-guided weapons systems being used against Ukraine. During the period charged in the indictment, SH Brothers made hundreds of shipments valued at over $7 million to Russia.
To carry out their criminal scheme, Nasriddinov and Goltsev purchased the electronic components from U.S. manufacturers and distributors under the auspices of SH Brothers and SN Electronics, and arranged for the items to be shipped from those manufacturers and distributors to various locations in Brooklyn. Nasriddinov and Goltsev then unlawfully shipped the items to a variety of intermediary front companies located in other countries, including Turkey, Hong Kong, India, China, and the United Arab Emirates, where they were rerouted to Russia.
The defendants were aware of the potential military applications of the electronics that they exported to Russia. For example, in a message exchange on or about and between November 8, 2022 and November 15, 2022, Goltsev commented how shipping to Russia had become “dangerous” and discussed a shipment of electronic components that had been detained by U.S. officials at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York. Nasriddinov responded that “Ukrainians alleged that they’re being bombed from parts from there [the U.S. manufacturer], maybe that’s why they started investigating everything?” Goltsev responded that, “we need to figure out why they keep holding the package . . . I don’t really understand how they figured [it] out.” In a subsequent message, Goltsev commented that, “in the future we will need to load from several companies, not to attract attention . . . for now large packages will be dangerous until we understand what they figured out . . . we will need to think of diversifying the load . . . so that not everything is moving from the same deck.”
In a February 23, 2023 message, Nasriddinov wrote to Goltsev, “Happy Defender of the Fatherland,” referring to the holiday in Russia and parts of the former Soviet Union celebrating those who served in the armed forces. Goltsev responded, “happy holiday to you too my friend, we are defending it in the way that we can [smile emoji].”
The scheme involved millions of dollars and proved to be lucrative for the defendants. For example, in a September 15, 2022 text message from Nasriddinov to Goltsev, Nasriddinov boasted, “SH [Brothers] is one of the best companies in the world, it’s time to move forward onto the stock exchange and stock market, capital should be in the billions, we are working.” Goltsev responded, “pushing components to those who need it I can do, everything else you will have to teach me [three smile emojis].”
The government seized $20,000 in cash from the New York hotel room in which defendant Goltsev was arrested. In total, the government has seized approximately $1.68 million in connection with this export scheme.
A third co-defendant, Kristina Puzyreva, pleaded guilty in February 2024 to conspiracy to launder the proceeds of the export scheme. She is awaiting sentencing.
Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force and the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states. Task Force KleptoCapture is an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions, and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Artie McConnell and Ellen H. Sise are in charge of the prosecution, along with Trial Attorney Christopher M. Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Assistant United States Attorney Laura Mantell of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters.
The Defendants:
NIKOLAY GOLTSEV
Age: 38
Montreal, CanadaSALIMDZHON NASRIDDINOV
Age: 53
Brooklyn, New YorkDefendant Who Previously Pleaded Guilty
KRISTINA PUZYREVA
Age: 32
Montreal, CanadaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-452 (LDH)
Boyd County Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Firearm and Fentanyl Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
ASHLAND, Ky. – An Ashland, man, Christopher Prince, 43, was sentenced on Monday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, to 205 months for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
In May 2023, law enforcement officers with ATF, DEA, and the Northeast Kentucky Drug Task Force, received information regarding the drug distribution activities of Christopher Prince. During the ensuing investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 250 grams of crystal methamphetamine (actual methamphetamine), 3 pounds of methamphetamine, 2.5 grams of fentanyl and 2 firearms. Prince admitted that he possessed the firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking activity.
Under federal law, Prince must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon Prince’s release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; Erek Davodowich, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Louisville Field Division; and Director Scott Hardcorn, Northeast Kentucky Drug Task Force, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by ATF, DEA, and the Northeast Kentucky Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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Bloods Gang Leader Sentenced to Life in Prison for Racketeering ChargesRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, New York, Howard Davis, also known as “Mousey” and “Mr. Fedup,” a leader of the violent Bloods street gang, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack to life in prison plus 132 years for attempted murder, assault, robbery, distribution of controlled substances, obstruction of justice and brandishing and discharging firearms during the commission of these offenses. Davis was convicted of all 48 counts in the indictment after a six-week trial in June 2021.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York, and Robert E. Waring, Acting Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the sentence.
“Davis and his violent gang tormented our Long Island neighborhoods for years,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today’s sentence ends his reign of terror and demonstrates my Office’s commitment to eradicate gang violence that has plagued our communities for too long.”
“Howard Davis’s tyranny over Long Island has come to an end. His myriad of crimes repeatedly violated the law as Davis used his status as the gang’s leader to breed further criminality and gun violence. Today’s sentence demonstrates the FBI’s determination to take armed criminals who threaten the safety of our communities off the streets,” stated FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Curtis.
“Howard Davis was a prolific gang leader responsible for heinous crimes that terrorized Long Island communities and he actively recruited other members of the Bloods to perpetuate the same brutality. Today’s sentencing has effectively stripped him of the violent power he once wielded with impunity,” stated HSI New York Special Agent-in-Charge Arvelo. “As a result of the outstanding coordination between HSI New York and our law enforcement partners, this merciless gangster can no longer wreak havoc on our communities.”
“Howard Davis committed countless crimes while both free and incarcerated which proves his callousness and depraved indifference to others,” SCPD Acting Commissioner Waring stated. “It is my hope this sentence sends a message that the Suffolk County Police Department and its law enforcement partners will stand against these criminal organizations.”
As proven at trial and in court filings, Davis was the leader of Long Island-based G-Shine set of the Bloods, a racketeering enterprise that engaged in multiple crimes of violence and narcotics trafficking. While leading this criminal organization, Davis directed a campaign of violence against his rivals, including issuing a standing order to kill certain individuals whenever and wherever they were found. Between June 2016 to November 8, 2017, Davis ordered two shootings that left two people wounded; he ordered two armed home invasions; he actively participated in three shootings, including one where three victims were struck by gunshots leaving one of those victims in a coma for an extended period of time; he ordered an armed robbery of two individuals; he physically assaulted a person at a bar, causing the victim to suffer a broken kneecap and broken nose; he sold fentanyl, heroin and crack; and he possessed countless firearms. Davis also convinced the mother of his child to testify falsely before a federal grand jury, resulting in the 2016 dismissal of a firearms charge.
While incarcerated, Davis continued to commit crimes. He incurred nine disciplinary violations, including assaults and slashing a victim in the face. In addition to those violations, on Christmas in 2018, Davis used the mother of one of his children and his infant child to smuggle narcotics into the Metropolitan Correctional Center.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Caffarone and Mark Misorek are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Samantha Schroder.
The Defendant:
HOWARD DAVIS (also known as “Mousey” and “Mr. Fedup”)
Age: 36
Bellport, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-615 (JMA)
Arizona Man Detained on Methamphetamine Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – An Arizona man has been ordered detained in federal custody in Rhode Island after more than four kilograms of methamphetamine were seized in an investigation into the trafficking of methamphetamine into Rhode Island from western states, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
According to charging documents unsealed in U.S. District Court in Providence, it is alleged that Carl Sharp, 49, of Peoria, AZ, participated in a conspiracy to ship controlled substances through the U.S. Mail from Arizona, California, and Nevada to numerous addresses in the Providence Metro Area, and to ship money from Rhode Island out West.
It is alleged that United States Postal Inspectors (USPS) identified at least 16 Priority Mail parcels that were shipped to Rhode Island from the Western United States, and six related parcels that were sent from Rhode Island to Western states. Investigators seized and searched four of these packages pursuant to federal search warrants and seized 4.44 kilograms of methamphetamine, 249 grams of cocaine, and $3,000 in cash.
According to court documents, a financial investigation of Sharp, conducted with the assistance of the FBI, determined that, between January 2022 and May 2024, Sharp deposited over $320,000 in cash into his personal bank account. Most of these cash deposits were made at ATMs in Arizona and Rhode Island, with some of the money deposited at ATMs in California, Nevada, and Massachusetts. It is alleged that during this time, Sharp withdrew over $225,000 in cash at casinos. According to investigators, casinos are often used to launder money by converting illicit funds into chips and then cashing out those chips after gambling.
Sharp was ordered detained following his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on Monday on a criminal complaint charging him with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine. He was arrested by Providence Police in the early morning hours of July 6, 2024.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra R. Hebert.
A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra R. Hebert.
The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, with the assistance of the Providence Police Department.
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A Former TSA Employee is Indicted After a Bomb Hoax at the Tulsa International AirportRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, a former TSA employee made an initial appearance before the federal court for leaving notes in the airport restroom, claiming there was a bomb in the airport. Sharon Jean Devine, 48, of Tulsa, is charged with two counts of False Information and Hoaxes in an unsealed indictment.
“My office has no tolerance for threats of violence, especially bomb threats within an airport,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
“Every time a threat is made, a sophisticated law enforcement response is set into motion to ensure public safety,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Kaplan of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. “Bomb hoaxes like the ones alleged to have been fabricated by the defendant put the community at risk and will not be tolerated.”
Statement from the Tulsa International Airport: “Tulsa International Airport Police received a report of a bomb threat on a handwritten note that was located in the pre-security side of the airport. Airport police immediately responded and secured the area and determined that there was no threat to public safety. Airport police then conducted an investigation where they identified a possible suspect and contacted the Tulsa FBI office. Tulsa FBI took over the investigation from that point forward and proceeded with their own investigation.”
As a result of the investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Oklahoma filed a criminal indictment. Court records show that Devine left a note in the restroom on March 5, 2024, and March 23, 2024. The notes stated there was a bomb located in the airport. If convicted, Devine faces up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
The FBI, Tulsa Airport Police, and the Tulsa Police Department are assisting in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan E. Michel 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.
8 July 2024
Violent human smuggling stash house operation leads to significant federal prison sentencesRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Four individuals have been sentenced for harboring aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Abel Cavazos, 45, Mission; Rodrigo Acevedo, 24, and Darrel Palomares 24, all of Donna; and Jesus Valdez, 23, San Juan, pleaded guilty at varying times in early 2021.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Cavazos to serve a total of 63 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. Palomares and Valdez were each previously sentenced to 120 months in federal prison, while Acevedo received 87 months.
At the hearings, the court heard additional evidence that described the inhumane conditions where these aliens were held and the ransoms demanded. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the brutal facts of the case.
On Dec. 3, 2020, law enforcement encountered five undocumented aliens who had been released after paying a ransom to smugglers. They reported others were being held hostage at a stash house in Donna. Authorities arrived at the property where they observed several individuals fleeing from the residence, including Valdez, Palomares and Acevedo whom law enforcement eventually placed under arrest.
Authorities located 17 other undocumented aliens at the stash house. Evidence revealed approximately 30 individuals were harbored at the property.
The investigation revealed Cavazos was the owner of the residence. He leased the property to Valdez who was in charge of the stash house operations. Valdez further recruited Acevedo and Palomares to participate in the scheme.
Upon further investigation, law enforcement discovered all four men would often carry pistols and AK-47 style rifles to intimidate the victims and assaulted both male and female undocumented aliens on multiple occasions. Multiple individuals also reported receiving death threats from the smugglers if their families did not pay their ransoms.
They held the undocumented aliens on the second floor of a barn with no air conditioning, running water or bathrooms. At the time of the arrests, evidence revealed Cavazos and the others had not fed the individuals in approximately four days. The property was unsanitary, crowded and filthy.
All four men will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection and San Juan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia prosecuted the case.
Upper Darby Man Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Mail Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Anthony Mazzccua, 25, of Upper Darby, PA, was sentenced today to 12 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and $26,654.94 in restitution by United States District Court Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro, for his participation in a scheme to attempt to steal mail from a U.S. Postal Service (“USPS”) collection box and his possession of stolen mail. His codefendant, Hervens Toussaint, 26, also of Upper Darby, PA, was sentenced in May to three years of probation, a $1,000 fine, and restitution of $15,706.67.
Both men admitted their roles in the scheme, pleading guilty earlier this year to attempted mail theft, and aiding and abetting attempted mail theft, and possession of stolen mail. The charges arose from the codefendants’ use of a USPS Arrow Key to steal mail from collection boxes in Delaware County, PA. The codefendants would then locate checks, wash and alter the payee names and amounts on the checks, and deposit the altered checks into bank accounts belonging to third-party individuals. In at least some instances, the codefendants withdrew or attempted to withdraw the fraudulently deposited funds from those third-party bank accounts.
On October 27, 2021, law enforcement found the codefendants, along with an unindicted juvenile, attempting to steal mail from a blue collection box in Aston, PA. At the time he was apprehended, Mazzccua had six stolen checks and a USPS route key tag on his person. Moreover, law enforcement found approximately 13 pieces of stolen mail and eight stolen checks in the car being used by the codefendants to steal mail. The actual fraud loss for which Mazzccua was responsible for, as a result of his depositing of washed and altered checks stolen from Delaware County, was approximately $26,654.94.
“The U.S. postal system is a cornerstone of American society, delivering essential items such as income, bills, and expenses,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Through their actions, the defendants assaulted the integrity and reliability of that system, negatively impacting the lives of numerous victims who had their checks stolen from the mail. Today’s sentence reflects the grave consequences that await those who compromise the security of our mail system. We ask everyone to help support this critical service and protect our postal system by reporting any suspicious activity.”
“Today Anthony Mazzccua was held accountable for stealing checks out of the U.S. Mail and fraudulently passing those checks through the financial system,” said Christopher Nielsen, Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division for the Postal Inspection Service. "Protecting the mail from theft is a core mission of the Inspection Service. When someone steals mail, Postal Inspectors will work relentlessly to hold those individuals to account. I want to thank the investigators from the Upper Chichester Township Police Department who assisted in identifying and apprehending these suspects. I also want to acknowledge the efforts of the United States Attorney’s Office for their continued support in prosecuting these cases."
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Social Security Administration, and the Upper Chichester Township Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eileen Castilla Geiger.
U.S. Attorney Announces Abuse Conviction in Child Torture CaseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Ohkay Owingeh man pleaded guilty in federal court to an assimilated charge of child abuse resulting in great bodily harm arising from a series of brutal assaults and torture of a five-year old girl that occurred over a seven-week period in 2021.
According to publicly available court documents, between May 20, 2021, and July 10, 2021, Christopher Marquez, 34, an enrolled member of the Ohkay Owingeh tribe, repeatedly assaulted Jane Doe with his hands and miscellaneous household items in a manner that constituted torture and cruel punishment. As a result, Jane Doe suffered broken arms, broken ribs, internal bleeding, and bruising.
Marquez will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has been scheduled for October 9, 2024.
As a part of his agreement, Marquez will receive a definite term of 18 years in prison at sentencing. This is the statutory penalty of assimilated first-degree felonies. There is no parole in the Federal system.
Upon his release from prison, Marquez will be subject to up to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark A. Probasco and Matthew J. McGinley are prosecuting the case.
View the Plea Agreement# # #
Two Tax Preparers Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On July 1, two tax preparers were sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a scheme to file false tax returns.
Napoleon Tabot, 60, of Chandler, Ariz., was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison and co-defendant Lovet Ayuk-Ako, 40, of Silver Spring, Md., was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman following their convictions for conspiracy to commit tax fraud. Upon release from custody, Tabot and Ayuk-Ako must serve three years of supervised release and pay $397,818.00 in restitution to the U.S. government.
As outlined in court documents, Tabot recruited individual tax return clients (co-workers at an employer located in Hollywood, Fla.) for Ayuk-Ako’s tax preparation business, Money Back Tax, LLC, located in Maryland. The Money Back Tax business had clients in Florida, Maryland, and Washington, DC. After Tabot had collected personal identifying information (PII) and tax information from his client victims, he would provide it to co-conspirators Ayuk-Ako and Arnold Zio for tax return preparation at Money Back Tax. Thereafter, Ayuk-Ako and Zio filed and caused to be filed false tax returns which claimed inflated refunds and directed all or part of the refunds to be deposited into bank accounts under their control, without the taxpayer’s knowledge or consent. As a result of the fraudulent scheme, the United States suffered a tax loss in excess of $500,000.
Co-conspirator Zio remains a fugitive. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, announced the sentences imposed.
IRS-CI Miami investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton prosecuted it.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-60077.
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Two Individuals Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Bank FraudRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Two individuals were sentenced by United States District Court Judge Silvia Carreño Coll for their roles in a bank fraud conspiracy which resulted in the theft of $526,797. Carmelo Santiago-Santiago was sentenced to 33 months (two years and nine months) in prison and a supervised release term of five years. Efraín Delgado-Rodríguez was sentenced to 30 months (two years and six months) in prison and a supervised release term of five years. Both were ordered to pay a restitution of $526,797. Santiago-Santiago previously pleaded guilty on November 30, 2023, and Delgado-Rodríguez pleaded guilty on December 1, 2023.
According to court documents, from May 2017 to October 2019 Carmelo Santiago-Santiago and Efraín Delgado-Rodríguez conspired with each other to execute a bank fraud scheme to obtain money held by Company A, an insurance company located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Carmelo Santiago-Santiago worked at Company A since 2016 as an accountant overseeing matters related to accounts’ reconciliation and closing journal entries. Due to his position, he had access to Company A’s accounting information, including outstanding checks and unpaid vendors. Efraín Delgado-Rodríguez was the President of Fast Contractors LLC, a general construction company in Puerto Rico.
The defendants used Santiago-Santiago’s position within Company A to create false and fraudulent checks using the check numbers of outstanding checks and voided checks originally issued to legitimate vendors and service providers of Company A. To illegally divert the funds to themselves, the defendants changed the name of payees and made fraudulent checks payable to Delgado-Rodríguez and Fast Contractors LLC using Company A’s bank account information. Once the false checks were deposited, funds were then transferred and shared with Santiago-Santiago. The fraudulent checks were created and negotiated without the knowledge or consent of Company A. The defendants’ conspiracy and scheme to defraud involved approximately $526,767 in actual losses.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge for the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie Christine Amy prosecuted the case.
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Texas Residents Sentenced for Their Involvement in a Counterfeit Prescription Drug Distribution OperationRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A pair of Texas residents have been sentenced to federal prison resulting from their involvement in a counterfeit prescription drug distribution operation involving methamphetamine and counterfeit Adderall to various locations within the United States, including Western Tennessee. Kevin G. Ritz, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentencings today.
Winrose Ndichu, 33, was convicted of aiding and abetting the structuring of financial transactions to evade reporting requirements, and Eric Bernard Russell, Jr., 39, was convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Kevin Olando Ombisi, 35, was previously sentenced to 210 months imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution and attempted distribution of methamphetamine, sale of counterfeit Adderall, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and mail fraud.
According to information presented in Court, in November 2019, law enforcement began conducting undercover buys of purported Adderall from a vendor known as CARDINGMASTER on the Darknet. CARDINGMASTER advertised “100% AUTHENTIC Adderall Brand 30 mg” pills for sale. Narcotics sold by CARDINGMASTER were shipped from Texas to the Western District of Tennessee in exchange for Bitcoin cryptocurrency. Although the drugs appeared consistent with what was advertised for sale (amphetamine-based prescription Adderall), laboratory testing indicated that the drugs received did not contain the active pharmaceutical ingredient contained in Adderall, but in fact contained the Schedule II controlled substance methamphetamine.
A financial investigation revealed that proceeds from these sales were funneled through fictitious businesses, various bank accounts, and in the form of cryptocurrency in an effort to conceal the unlawful nature of the source of these proceeds. These transactions were directed by Ombisi and conducted by Ndichu. In a span of one year, Ndichu withdrew more than $250,000 from these accounts in increments of less than $10,000 to avoid federal reporting requirements, knowing that these funds were proceeds of unlawful activity or intended to promote the unlawful activity.
United States District Court Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Russell to 42 months of imprisonment on March 28, 2024. On June 27, 2024, Judge Norris sentenced Ndichu to 18 months of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Nashville Field Division; the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigation (FDA-OCI); Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), El Paso; the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); and our local law enforcement partners.
United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Kimbril-Parks, who prosecuted this case, as well as our law enforcement partners who investigated this case.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Ten-Time Convicted Felon, Who Fled from Girlfriend’s Violent Death, Pleads Guilty to Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Albert Ayala (34, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Ayala faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. Sentencing has been set for August 21, 2024.
According to court records, Ayala was driving a vehicle on I-4 when his girlfriend, the sole passenger in the vehicle, was ejected from the car. The woman was struck by multiple vehicles, causing her death. Ayala continued driving and crashed the vehicle at the base of an I-4 exit. Ayala then fled the scene on foot, leaving behind a pistol and 11 rounds of ammunition in the vehicle. Ayala’s DNA was located on the firearm and airbag that had deployed during the crash. At the time, Ayala had 10 prior felony convictions and therefore is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
Although the firearms offense falls under federal jurisdiction and was, accordingly, prosecuted in federal court, any investigation or prosecution related to [decedent’s] death lies with state officials.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Orlando Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie A. McNeff.
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.
Saint Martin Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Narcotics Trafficking and Possession of Firearm by Illegal AlienRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A Saint Martin citizen unlawfully residing in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 60 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on his convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, heroin, and cocaine, and unlawful possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Hector Concepcion, 35.
According to information presented to the Court, from in and around August 2019 to in and around April 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Concepcion conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing cocaine base in the form commonly known as “crack” and quantities of heroin and cocaine. Further, in and around July 2021, Concepcion, an illegal alien who is unlawfully in the United States, possessed a firearm and ammunition. Federal law prohibits anyone who is illegally or unlawfully in the United States, or who is an alien admitted to the United States under a non-immigrant visa, from possessing a firearm. Concepcion was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of crack cocaine, heroin, and cocaine that he distributed to others.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Concepcion. Additional agencies participating in the investigation included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Repeat Child Sex Offender Sentenced to 25 Years for Attempted Transfer of Obscene MaterialRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Chad Michael Rabon, 34, of Lugoff, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor and two corresponding counts of commission of a felony sex offense involving a minor by a registered sex offender.
Evidence presented to the court showed that from May 23 to June 30, 2022, Rabon, a previously convicted and registered sex offender, knowingly had sexually explicitly conversations with an undercover agent who Rabon believed to be a 13-year-old girl. He used the social media platform KIK Messenger for the purpose of persuading the perceived minor to engage in sexual activity. In addition, on May 26 and June 29, 2022, Rabon sent pornographic images and obscene videos to the undercover agent, to entice the person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity.
“Rabon, a registered sex offender, knowingly preyed on who he believed to be a child. This sentence reflects the serious nature of Rabon’s crime, and we will continue to hold such offenders accountable," said Adair F. Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina.
“HSI is a global leader in the fight against child predators and their exploitative behavior,” said Cardell T. Morant, special agent in charge of HSI Charlotte that covers North and South Carolina. “HSI and its partners remain steadfast in the fight to protect our most vulnerable population from exploitation.”
Rabon is a registered sex offender having previously been convicted on state charges of criminal solicitation of a minor and criminal sexual conduct with a minor, victim 11 to 14 years of age, second degree.
United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Rabon to 300 months' imprisonment, to be followed by a lifetime term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Rabon will also be required to register as a sex offender upon release from prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Mount Pleasant Police Department, and South Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which is operated through the State of South Carolina Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dean H. Secor is prosecuting the case.
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Queens Woman Charged with Using a Hitman-For-Hire Website on the Dark Web to Order Murder of Her Lover’s WifeRead the Press Release
This afternoon, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Yue Zhou is scheduled to be arraigned on an indictment charging her with murder-for-hire. Zhou was arrested on June 5, 2024 in the Eastern District of Virginia and removed to the Eastern District of New York on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. Today’s proceeding will be held before United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), announced the charges.“As alleged, the defendant took affirmative steps to hire a hit man to carry out the ruthless killing of the wife of her romantic partner,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Her depraved plan was only thwarted because the web site she used to set up the murder-for-hire was a scam. Although the scheme involved newer technologies like the Internet and Bitcoin, the end result would have been age-old cold-blooded murder.”
Mr. Peace thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia for their assistance.
“Yue Zhou is accused of offering cryptocurrency, cash, and even sexual favors during her discussions related to having her then-partner’s spouse and adult daughter killed. Little did she know, the website she allegedly thought she was using to solicit a hitman was a farce, and the crimes of which she is accused soon caught up to her,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Arvelo. “I commend HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force Cyber Division, Customs and Border Protection, the New York Police Department, and the Eastern District of New York for their unwavering commitment to utilizing their state-of-the-art methods to secure justice on behalf of New Yorkers.”
As alleged in the indictment and other court documents, between March 25, 2019 and April 4, 2019, Zhou sought to hire a hitman through a murder-for-hire website on the dark web (Website) to murder Victim-1, the spouse of the defendant’s then-romantic partner. Using an alias on the website, Zhou placed an order to have Victim-1 murdered. To pay for the murder, Zhou contracted with a Bitcoin exchange service in Ukraine to make a $5,000 payment in Bitcoin on her behalf to the Website. Zhou provided approximately $5,000 in cash to a middleman in Brooklyn and then communicated with the Website administrator to confirm payment. After sending payment, Zhou provided a detailed description of Victim-1, including her home, her work schedule, and the best times to target Victim-1, so that Victim-1’s husband would have an alibi for the murder. Zhou later tried to use to the Website to secure the murder of Victim-2, her romantic partner’s adult daughter. In February 2021, Zhou also sent a text message to a neighbor of Victim-2 seeking to hire that neighbor to kill Victim-2. Zhou offered the neighbor $10,000 and sexual favors in exchange for killing Victim-2 and disposing of the body in a lake. Zhou was not aware at the time of her scheme that the Website was a scam operated by a third party and there was no actual hitman for hire.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda Shami and Andy Palacio are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
YUE ZHOU
Age: 42
Flushing, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-123 (MKB)
Pico Rivera Man Who Helped International Drug Traffickers Launder More Than $15 Million Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Pico Rivera man was sentenced today to 48 months in federal prison for his role in a money laundering conspiracy that moved millions of dollars in narcotics-related funds from the United States to international drug trafficking organizations.
Gustavo Adolfo Aldana-Martinez, 57, was sentenced by United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner, who also ordered him to pay a $25,000 fine.
At the conclusion of a three-day trial in December 2021, a jury found Aldana-Martinez guilty of one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
Aldana-Martinez accepted wire transfers of trafficker-directed drug proceeds sent from an undercover account run by agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). After nearly $300,000 was sent to a bank account in the name of his bogus business, Aldana-Martinez made a series of wire transfers to unrelated companies to pay for electronic items that were then shipped to Colombia and Mexico, where they were sold to produce laundered funds for the drug traffickers.
The evidence showed that Aldana-Martinez laundered approximately $15.5 million between 2015 and 2017.
The man who oversaw the money laundering enterprise – Daniel Shaun Zilke, a.k.a. “The Englishman,” 49, of Mexico City – pleaded guilty in December 2023 to conspiracy to aid and abet drug distribution, conspiracy to launder money, and obstruction of an official government proceeding for stealing and attempting to cover up the theft of $150,000 in DEA undercover funds. Zilke is expected to be sentenced in the coming months.
The third defendant in the case – Jeffrey Mark Thompson, a.k.a. “The Cowboy,” 62, of Springtown, Texas – pleaded guilty in November 2023 to conspiracy to aid and abet drug distribution, conspiracy to launder money, and money laundering. Thompson is expected to be sentenced in the coming months. Zilke and Thompson face decades in prison.
A fourth defendant in the case – Juan Rachid Dergal-Zulbaran, 49, of Mexico City – is currently a fugitive.
According to court documents, the investigation into Zilke’s operation started in late 2015 when an undercover DEA agent posing as a money launderer contacted Zilke. When he pleaded guilty, Zilke admitted telling the undercover “he had a client in Europe who needed hundreds of millions of dollars moved to Mexico, and that he could use the bank account of a charity in Dallas, Texas to assist in laundering the money.”
The undercover agent agreed to assist Zilke by allowing him to use bank accounts associated with cash-intensive businesses. Subsequently, Zilke and his associates arranged numerous pickups of large sums of cash from drug traffickers in cities all over the country, funds that were deposited at Zilke’s direction into various bank accounts, including one controlled by Aldana-Martinez and another in the name of Thompson’s purported charity, Peace Through Water Foundation.
When he pleaded guilty, Thompson admitted that he used the Peace Through Water bank account to launder drug money.
Zilke, Thompson, and Aldana-Martinez each earned a commission that was a percentage of the amount laundered through their respective accounts, according to court documents.
During the investigation, Zilke approached the DEA in 2019 and offered his cooperation to expose the money laundering organization. After being made a cooperator and agreeing to always be truthful, Zilke received $200,000 in official government funds to be delivered to defendant Thompson. The intent was for Thompson to launder the money through his bank accounts and return the money to DEA undercover accounts. But, as Zilke admitted in his plea agreement, approximately two weeks after the cash delivery, Zilke returned to Thompson’s residence and took back $150,000 without telling the DEA agents. After this theft of government funds, he repeatedly lied to the agents about the money and made excuses for why it was taking so long to receive the wire transfers for the full $200,000.
DEA Seattle and DEA San Ysidro investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Julie J. Shemitz, James A. Santiago and Kyle W. Kahan of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section prosecuted this case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Paxful Inc. Co-Founder Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Fail to Maintain Effective Anti-Money Laundering ProgramRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The co-founder and former chief technology officer of Paxful Inc. pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to fail to maintain an effective anti-money laundering (AML) program.
According to court documents, from July 2015 to June 2019, Artur Schaback, 36, of Tallin, Estonia, used Paxful Inc. to operate Paxful, an online peer-to-peer virtual currency platform and money‑transmitting business where customers negotiated for and traded virtual currency for a variety of other items, including fiat currency, prepaid cards, and gift cards. During this time, Schaback allowed customers to open accounts and trade on Paxful without gathering sufficient know-your-customer (KYC) information; marketed Paxful as a platform that did not require KYC; presented fake AML policies to third parties that he knew were not, in fact, implemented or enforced at Paxful; and failed to file a single suspicious activity report, despite knowing that Paxful users were perpetrating suspicious and criminal activity.
As a result of his failure to implement AML and KYC programs, Schaback made Paxful available as a vehicle for money laundering, sanctions violations, and other criminal activity, including fraud, romance scams, extortion schemes, and prostitution.
Schaback pleaded guilty to conspiracy to willfully fail to establish, develop, implement, and maintain an effective AML program as required by the Bank Secrecy Act. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 4, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The actual sentence, however, will 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. Schaback will also resign from Paxful Inc.’s Board of Directors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California; Tatum King of Homeland Security Investigations; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Mosley of IRS Criminal Investigation Oakland Field Office made the announcement.
This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation. Bank Integrity Unit Deputy Chief and National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team Deputy Director Kevin Mosley and Trial Attorneys Emily Cohen, Victor Salgado, and Caylee Campbell of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Thuesen for the Eastern District of California are prosecuting the case.
MLARS’ Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers, and employees, whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Paxful Inc. Co-Founder Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Fail to Maintain Effective Anti-Money Laundering ProgramRead the Press Release
The co-founder and former chief technology officer (CTO) of Paxful Inc. pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to fail to maintain an effective anti-money laundering (AML) program.
According to court documents, from July 2015 to June 2019, Artur Schaback, 36, of Tallin, Estonia, used Paxful Inc. to operate Paxful, an online peer-to-peer virtual currency platform and money transmitting business where customers negotiated for and traded virtual currency for a variety of other items, including fiat currency, pre-paid cards, and gift cards. During this time, Schaback allowed customers to open accounts and trade on Paxful without gathering sufficient know-your-customer (KYC) information; marketed Paxful as a platform that did not require KYC; presented fake AML policies to third parties that he knew were not, in fact, implemented or enforced at Paxful; and failed to file a single suspicious activity report, despite knowing that Paxful users were perpetrating suspicious and criminal activity.
As a result of his failure to implement AML and KYC programs, Schaback made Paxful available as a vehicle for money laundering, sanctions violations, and other criminal activity, including fraud, romance scams, extortion schemes, and prostitution.
Schaback pleaded guilty to conspiracy to willfully fail to establish, develop, implement, and maintain an effective AML program as required by the Bank Secrecy Act. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 4 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Schaback will also resign from Paxful Inc.’s Board of Directors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California; Special Agent in Charge Tatum King of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Francisco; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Mosley of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Oakland Field Office made the announcement.
HSI and IRS-CI are investigating the case.
Bank Integrity Unit Deputy Chief and National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team Deputy Director Kevin Mosley and Trial Attorneys Emily Cohen, Victor Salgado, and Caylee Campbell of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Thuesen for the Eastern District of California are prosecuting the case.
MLARS’ Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers, and employees, whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Niskayuna Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Aaron Griesche, age 41, of Niskayuna, New York, was sentenced today to 135 months of imprisonment, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for possessing child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
As part of his prior guilty plea, Griesche admitted that on July 11, 2021, he possessed child pornography on a USB flash memory stick found in his residence. Griesche admitted that he had purchased the memory stick from an online retailer and transferred numerous videos of child pornography from the Internet to the device.
In addition to the imprisonment and supervised release terms, Griesche was ordered to pay a total of $18,000 in restitution to child victims depicted in the files he possessed.
The FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force investigated this case. The FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Assistant United States Attorney Dustin C. Segovia prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locates, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Mobile Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Mail Theft, Fraud, and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced to 36 months in prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft involving checks that he stole from the mail.
According to court documents, Jonathan Taylor Randle, 32, pleaded guilty to defrauding numerous banks and credit unions between October 2022 and May 2023. Randle admitted that he carried out the scheme by stealing checks from the mail, producing counterfeited and forged checks, making false identification documents, and conducting unlawful deposits, transfers, and withdrawals.
In March 2023, federal agents began receiving complaints about someone “fishing” mail from U.S. postal collection boxes using tools covered in rat trap glue. Agents recovered several of these “fishing” devices from tubs inside postal collection boxes at post offices in Mobile, Alabama and Escatawpa, Mississippi. A fingerprint examiner found Randle’s fingerprints on the devices.
In April 2023, Randle deposited several forged checks bearing identifiers of mail-theft victims at Regions Bank ATMs in the Mobile area. Surveillance cameras captured Randle making the fraudulent deposits. Thereafter, in May 2023, agents executed a search warrant at Randle’s house in Mobile, seizing hundreds of checks and pieces of stolen mail, fraudulent identifications bearing Randle’s picture and stolen identifying information, multiple debit/credit cards in the names of other people, a laptop, a notebook containing stolen identifying information, and a rifle. Agents also seized and searched Randle’s cell phone, which contained evidence of his fraud scheme.
In addition to the three-year prison term, Senior United States District Judge William H. Steele ordered Randle to serve a five-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will be subject to credit restrictions, undergo drug testing, and receive mental health treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Steele ordered Randle to pay $33,042.95 in victim restitution and $200 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Secret Service, and Mobile Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Meridian Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Meridian man pled guilty today to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Ernest Quintez Clark, 24, a convicted felon, was found in possession of a handgun while attending a Meridian High School football game on October 20, 2023.
Clark is scheduled to be sentenced on October 1, 2024 and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The Meridian Schools Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Goff is prosecuting the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Marco Island Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sherri Polster Chappell today sentenced Nicholas Munson Troemner (41, Marco Island) to 5 years and 5 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Troemner to forfeit the firearm and ammunition. Troemner entered a guilty plea on January 24, 2024.
According to court documents, on February 16, 2023, Troemner possessed a loaded Taurus pistol in North Fort Myers. At the time, had multiple prior felony convictions and there was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make out neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.
Lynchburg Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Distributing Pressed Fentanyl PillsRead the Press Release
LYNCHBURG, Va. – A Lynchburg, Virginia man, who distributed nearly 75 grams of pressed fentanyl pills, was sentenced last week to 12 Years in federal prison.
Elijah Pollard, 25, previously pled guilty to possessing pressed fentanyl pills with the intent to distribute.
According to court documents, after repeatedly making controlled purchases of pressed fentanyl pills from Pollard, the Lynchburg Police Department executed a search warrant at Pollard’s apartment in 2023 and discovered approximately 75 grams of pressed fentanyl pills, digital scales, and cash. In addition, police discovered a loaded AR-15 propped up against the wall outside Pollard’s bedroom door.
U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and ATF Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Washington Field Division made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lynchburg Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Lee Brett prosecuted the case for 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.