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2 July 2024
Denison Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Gun and Silencer PossessionRead the Press Release
Ian Ward, 37, from Denison, Iowa, pled guilty on July 2, 2024, to one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm, one count of possession of a short-barreled rifle, and one count of possession of silencers.
At the plea hearing, evidence showed that on August 21, 2023, a traffic stop in Pocahontas County found Ward, high on fentanyl (he admitted as much to the deputy who stopped him), with six traditional firearms, including an illegal, short-barreled rifle, plus several full silencer/suppresser type devices. Law enforcement also located and seized from Ward’s vehicle methamphetamine, THC wax, and drug user paraphernalia. Ward admitted to being a user of fentanyl, meth, and marijuana and to a previous conviction for a felony drug offense in Minnesota. Being a felon as well as illegal user of drugs prohibited Ward from possessing any firearm.
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.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Ward remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. On the prohibited possession of firearm conviction, Ward faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. On the two convictions of possession of illegal firearm/silencers, Ward faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $10,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release following imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Pocahontas County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-3024. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Defendant Sentenced to 16 Months in Prison for Mass Shooting Threat at University of ArizonaRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Michael Pengchung Lee, 27, of Tucson, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 16 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The conditions of supervised release include substance abuse testing, a mental health assessment, location monitoring, and a no-contact provision that precludes defendant from being on the University of Arizona campus. Lee pleaded guilty on April 10, 2024, to Interstate Threats for transmitting threats through interstate communications to commit a mass shooting at the University of Arizona.
The complaint previously filed in this case alleged that on October 22, 2023, Lee transmitted threats to commit a mass shooting at the university in a group chat on Snapchat. Lee is not a student at the university but expressed a desire to get revenge on “all the chads and stacies!!” “Chads” and “stacies” are commonly used terms by self-described involuntary celibates (incels). Lee made further reference to incel ideology and finished the conversation by stating “im gonna do it guys, my mind is made up and there’s nothing u can do or say to stop me.”
On April 10, 2024, Lee admitted to sending multiple Snapchat messages on October 22, 2023, to a group chat threatening to commit a mass shooting at the University of Arizona. Lee further admitted that those messages referenced incel ideology, language, and motivations, including referring to a well-known, self-identified incel and mass shooter. Lee also admitted to threatening to commit a mass shooting at the university in at least two other Snapchat conversations, citing the same incel ideology and motivations.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the University of Arizona Police Department, as part of the FBI’s Southern Arizona Violent Crime and Gang Task Force, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Rossi, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-01694-TUC-RM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-086_Lee# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Darnell Bishop Pleads Guilty to Role in Benton Harbor Dunham’s Store Handgun TheftRead the Press Release
Faces potential life sentence for kidnapping of Dunham’s manager
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Darnell Bishop, 33, of Benton Harbor, pled guilty to kidnapping and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Bishop faces a maximum possible penalty of life in prison.
“My office is laser focused on those few individuals driving gun violence in our communities, including active shooters and gun traffickers,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “Darnell Bishop’s brazen crimes, if successful, would have flooded the streets of Benton Harbor and beyond with illegal firearms. I’m grateful to our law enforcement partners for their swift investigative work that put a stop to this criminal scheme.”
Bishop was charged along with his codefendant, Dontrell Nance, for the theft of 123 handguns from the Benton Harbor Dunham’s Sports. As part of his plea agreement, Bishop admitted that he and Nance kidnapped the Dunham’s manager from outside the manager’s home using a pistol, took him to a second location, and convinced the manager to provide the alarm code for Dunham’s. Bishop said he then went to the store and stole 123 pistols, which he carried away in two large coolers. Law enforcement has since recovered all the firearms.
Nance previously pled guilty to kidnapping and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 22, 2024.
“Today’s plea is the best-case scenario for our industry partners and their innocent employees. Armed robberies of FFLs are one of ATF’s top priorities,” said Detroit Field Division Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “The message continues to be clear: There is no place in our community for illegal firearms traffickers and those who choose to target and victimize business owners and employees who are just trying to provide for their families.”
“Today's guilty plea confirms that justice has been served, and Mr. Bishop will be held accountable for the heinous crimes committed against the victim and the victim's place of work,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “I commend the investigative efforts and achievements of the FBI's Benton Harbor Safe Streets Task Force and our local, state, and federal partners for their dedication to this case. Nevertheless, our daily work continues to contribute to the safety of our communities.”
This case was investigated by the Benton Charter Township Police Department, Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety, Berrien County Sheriff’s Department, Michigan State Police, ATF, and FBI.
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Media note: The previous press releases, complaint, and press conference can be viewed here, here, and here.
Convicted child abuser sent to prison for distributing child pornography on FacebookRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas - A 34-year-old Texas City resident has been sentenced for distributing and possessing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Anthony Joseph Kiamar pleaded guilty Nov. 20, 2023.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown has now ordered Kiamar to serve 180 and 120 months for the distribution and possession convictions, respectively. They will run concurrently for a total 180-month-term of imprisonment. At the hearing, the court also heard excerpts of a victim impact statement detailing the ongoing harm the dissemination of these child pornography images and videos caused. In handing down the prison terms, the court noted the seriousness of the crime and Kiamar’s history and characteristics. Kiamar was further ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution to a known victim and will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Kiamar will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
The investigation began after authorities discovered Kiamar had been distributing child pornography in 2019 using the Facebook Messenger platform. Prior to seizing his electronic devices, law enforcement also found he had engaged in an indecent assault against a minor victim. He was convicted of those offenses.
As part of the federal investigation, authorities conducted a forensic examination of his devices and uncovered 27 images and 44 videos of child pornography, some depicting all forms of sexual abuse of children. Several of the identified victims were as young as three.
Kiamar 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 the Houston Metro Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Lu prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Colombian National Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Prison for Trafficking over $55 Million of Cocaine on the High SeasRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday sentenced Jhon Zambrano Caicedo (37, Colombia) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine on a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. He entered a guilty plea in March 2024.
According to the plea agreement, a maritime patrol aircraft spotted a panga-style “go-fast vessel” (GFV) in the Pacific Ocean, about 60 miles north of the nearest point of land in Ecuador. The vessel was suspected of drug smuggling because it had several fuel barrels, no registration numbers on the hull, was flying no flag, was operating at a high rate of speed, and was sailing in a location where maritime drug smuggling by similar vessels is common. A U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) helicopter and a USCG law enforcement team were deployed from USCG Cutter James to intercept the suspicious vessel.
The helicopter signaled the GFV to stop, but the vessel and its crew were non-compliant until the firing of warning shots. The boarding team found Zambrano Caicedo and two others onboard. A search of the vessel revealed over 3,100 kilograms of cocaine, worth more than $55 million.
Zambrano Caicedo had previously been convicted in the Southern District of Florida for trafficking approximately 750 kilograms of cocaine via a go-fast vessel on the high seas in February 2016.
This case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard and the Panama Express Strike Force, a standing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Strike Force comprised of agents and analysts from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South. 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Haynes.
Charlotte Businessman Pleads Guilty to Tax OffenseRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Peter Anthony Thomas, 63, formerly of Charlotte and now a resident of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty today to failing to account for and pay over to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) the trust fund taxes due and owing on behalf of the employees of PT Media, LLC for the quarter ending June 30, 2021, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS, Criminal Investigation, Charlotte Field Office (IRS-CI) joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to plea documents and today’s court proceedings, Thomas was the owner of Club One CLT, LLC, Sports ONE, Inc., Sports ONE CLT LLC, and PT Media, LLC, (collectively “the Charlotte businesses”) which operated as sports-themed bar/restaurant/lounges in Charlotte. Thomas also owned several other bars, restaurants, and lounges in Florida and Maryland, including Bar One Miami Beach LLC and Bar One Baltimore LLC. Thomas exercised control over the Charlotte businesses’ financial and business affairs and was responsible for collecting trust fund taxes and accounting for employment taxes by filing Forms 941 with the IRS and paying over to the IRS the employment taxes for the Charlotte businesses’ employees.
Between 2017 and 2022, Thomas caused the Charlotte businesses to collect more than $640,000 in trust fund taxes from the wages of their employees, but Thomas did not pay over these taxes to the IRS. In addition, between 2021 and 2023, Thomas caused Bar One Miami Beach LLC and Bar One Baltimore LLC to collect more than $1.1 million in trust fund taxes from the wages of their employees, but Thomas did not pay over these taxes to the IRS. In total, between 2017 and 2023, Thomas caused the Charlotte businesses, Bar One Miami Beach LLC, and Bar One Baltimore LLC to fail to pay over more than $2.5 million in employment taxes, including more than $1,740,000 in trust fund taxes from the wages of their employees.
Court documents show that instead of paying the trust fund taxes that were due on behalf of the Charlotte businesses, Thomas used the trust fund taxes for other purposes, including cash withdrawals, travel, real estate purchases, and retail purchases. Thomas also caused more than $2.9 million to be transferred between the Charlotte businesses, Bar One Miami Beach, LLC, and Bar One Baltimore, LLC.
Thomas was released on bond following his plea hearing. The tax charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.
Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Lannie Earl Shaffer, 33, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 31, 2023, Shaffer possessed a Taurus model 605 .357-caliber revolver in Sissonville.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Shaffer admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for transferring and receiving stolen property in Kanawha County Circuit Court on February 5, 2015.
Shaffer is scheduled to be sentenced on October 17, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-181.
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Canadian Man Sentenced to 3½ Years in Prison for Role in Penny Stock Scheme that Caused More Than $215 Million in LossesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former trader for a group of hedge funds was sentenced today to 42 months in federal prison for participating in a scheme that manipulated penny stock prices to inflate the hedge fund’s reported profits – fraudulent gains that generated millions of dollars in management and performance fees – and caused investors to lose more than $215 million when the funds collapsed.
Colin Heatherington, 49, of Vancouver, Canada, was sentenced by United States District Judge John A. Kronstadt, who also ordered him to pay $215,815,031 in restitution – jointly and severally with co-defendant Todd Michael Ficeto, 57, a former Beverly Hills stockbroker who also was convicted in this case following a jury trial.
Heatherington pleaded guilty on February 1 to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud. He has admitted his role in the scheme run out of Absolute Capital Management Holdings (Absolute Funds), a Cayman Island-based company that managed eight hedge funds from offices in Mallorca, Spain.
Heatherington was a securities trader who worked closely with the founder and chief investment officer of Absolute Funds, Florian Wilhelm Jürgen Homm, 64, a German financier who was indicted in March 2013 and is currently a fugitive from justice.
As part of the scheme, which lasted from 2004 to June 2008, Heatherington oversaw the purchase of billions of shares of United States-based penny stocks, which were then traded using various manipulative practices, such as cross trading, which fraudulently inflated the value of the stocks and, in turn, the value of the Absolute Funds.
Heatherington and others in the scheme also reaped millions in profits through self-dealing trades in which they sold their own shares of artificially inflated penny stocks to the Absolute Funds.
After this case was indicted, Heatherington was in Canada, and the United States sought his extradition. After fighting extradition, Heatherington agreed in 2021 to come to the United States.
Ficeto was sentenced to six years in federal prison after being found guilty by a jury in July 2019 of 18 felonies relating to his managerial role in the scheme to manipulate penny stock prices, which garnered him many millions of dollars from fees and commissions and self-dealing trades. Ficeto also allowed Heatherington and other members of the conspiracy to trade the manipulated penny stocks through his company, among other fraudulent acts.
The FBI investigated this matter. The Department of Justice’s Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, IRS Criminal Investigation, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) provided assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Cassie D. Palmer of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, Scott Paetty of the Major Frauds Section, and Ian V. Yanniello of the General Crimes Section prosecuted this case.
Arkansas man guilty of possessing machinegun conversion deviceRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Little Rock, Arkansas, man has pleaded guilty to a federal firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.
Jajuan Lee Bonds, 23, pleaded guilty to possession of a machinegun before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christine L. Stetson on July 2, 2024.
According to information presented in court, on July 21, 2022, an officer with the Corrigan Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by Bonds. The officer observed what appeared to be marijuana in a clear plastic baggie in the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, the officer located a firearm outfitted with a machinegun conversion device, commonly referred to as a “Glock Switch”. The modified handgun had been previously reported stolen. Federal law defines a machinegun as a weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger.
Bonds’ plea comes less than a month after Diggs and U.S. Attorneys for the Northern, Southern, and Western Districts of Texas announced, “Operation Texas Kill Switch,” a statewide initiative targeting illegal machinegun conversion devices. At a June 10, 2024, press conference, U.S. Attorney Diggs stated that, “machinegun conversion devices are incredibly dangerous and pose an unacceptable risk to the public and law enforcement.” Diggs went on to say, “they’re also illegal and simply possessing a machinegun conversion device—let alone firing one—comes along with a hefty prison sentence. As U.S. Attorney, I am committed to keeping them off the streets of the Eastern District of Texas.” Operation Texas Kill Switch relies on partnerships with state and local law enforcement as well as rewards offered by Crime Stoppers.
Bonds faces up to ten years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Corrigan Police Department and prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tommy Coleman.
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Anderson County Man Sentenced for Trafficking Fentanyl Resulting in an Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Lawrenceburg, Ky., man, Daniel Hudson, 36, was sentenced on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, to 240 months in prison, for distribution of fentanyl resulting in an overdose death.
According to his plea agreement, on March 24, 2022, Hudson was booked into the Franklin County Region Jail, for state offenses. At the time, Hudson had approximately six grams of a fentanyl mixture concealed upon his person, and he was able to smuggle the drugs into the facility. Ultimately, Hudson then distributed the fentanyl, and had buyers (or individuals on their behalf) send payments, via Cash App, to an account held by his friend.
Specifically, on March 29, 2022, Hudson distributed fentanyl to an inmate who overdosed, but was successfully resuscitated with the administration of Narcan by jail personnel. Thereafter, on March 31, 2022, Hudson distributed fentanyl that was used by another inmate, who was later found deceased in his cell.
Under federal law, Hudson must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Erek Davodowich, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Louisville Field Division; and Chief Dustin Bowman, Frankfort Police Department, jointly announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and the Frankfort Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Bradbury is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Alien Smuggling Guide Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Jesus Ernesto Dessens-Romero, 28, of Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced today by United States District Judge John Hinderaker to 10 years in prison. Dessens-Romero was found guilty by a jury of multiple alien smuggling offenses, including Conspiracy to Transport and Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit and Bringing in Illegal Aliens to the United States for Profit. The jury also found that Dessens-Romero placed human life in jeopardy during and in relation to his alien smuggling offenses.
Dessens-Romero was the human smuggling foot guide for five Mexican nationals who illegally crossed into the United States on or about February 13, 2021. The group included three sisters – ages 23, 20, and 17 – and their family friend, age 16. Dessens-Romero led the individuals on a perilous route into the rugged and remote Huachuca Mountains near Fort Huachuca in Southern Arizona where there was less law enforcement presence. The group had limited food and water, and at night, suffered through serious weather conditions including cold and snow.
By February 15, 2021, the 23-year-old sister was in significant physical distress. She was unable to eat or walk or follow simple commands. Dessens-Romero told the group that they were close enough to a well-traveled roadway where the sick woman could be found if the group left her. Dessens-Romero did not call emergency services. Instead, he located cell phone reception at higher ground in order to call a transnational criminal smuggling organization. Dessens-Romero then led the rest of the group to Sierra Vista, Arizona, where they were picked up by unidentified co-conspirators and transported further into the United States.
The family of the woman left behind contacted authorities on February 16, 2021, to report a missing person. Despite extensive search efforts by United States Border Patrol, military officials from Fort Huachuca, Cochise County Sheriff’s Department, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), she was not located. During this time, Dessens-Romero contacted the surviving sisters on behalf of the smuggling organization to try to convince them to remove a “missing person” social media post. In the months following, HSI worked collaboratively with SOS Búsqueda y Rescate, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding missing migrants, to continue searching for the missing woman. On November 20, 2021, members of SOS Búsqueda y Rescate located skeletal remains in an isolated area of the Huachuca Mountains, on the Fort Huachuca Army installation. Dental records confirmed that the remains belonged to the missing 23-year-old sister. The deceased is survived by her husband and daughter.
Dessens-Romero continued to smuggle undocumented non-citizens within the United States until June of 2021. He used WhatsApp to set up the transportation of undocumented non-citizens to various locations within the United States, including the transportation of two persons through Tennessee. Dessens-Romero was arrested on June 30, 2021, by Tennessee Highway Patrol while transporting these two individuals.
“Human smugglers profit from the exploitation of migrants and routinely expose them to violence, injury, and death,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Today’s sentence shows the Justice Department will continue to hold accountable these smugglers and the criminal networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants.”
“Alien smugglers care only about the money to be made and not about the human beings whose lives they endanger,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino. “Unfortunately, one young woman’s desire for a better life in the United States cost her her life due to the greed and recklessness of Dessens-Romero. This case should serve as a warning to other smugglers and the transnational smuggling organizations they work for: my office and our law enforcement partners will be undaunted in our efforts to bring you to justice.”
This prosecution resulted from the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is part of JTFA, which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime.
Homeland Security Investigations-Douglas conducted the investigation in this case, in coordination with the Fort Huachuca Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System, HSI-Nashville office, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-00376-TUC-JCH-JR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-087_Dessens-Romero# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Albany Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kamaro Campbell, age 42, of Albany, pled guilty today to possessing cocaine and fentanyl with the intent to distribute them and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New York Division made the announcement.
The charges to which Campbell pled guilty carry a combined mandatory prison sentence of between 10 years and life; a combined fine of up to $5,250,000; and a term of supervised release of at least 4 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Agents found 105 grams of fentanyl, 95 grams of cocaine, and a fanny pack containing a loaded pistol and $15,000 all inside of Campbell’s bedroom closet when executing a search warrant. A separate court-ordered search of Campbell’s storage unit led to the recovery of an additional 105 grams of cocaine. Over the course of five law enforcement operations leading up to those searches, Campbell collectively sold 155 grams of cocaine and 74 grams of methamphetamine.
The DEA is investigating the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting.
Alabama Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Craig Anthony (25, Alabama) to 15 years and 6 months in federal prison for distribution of child sex abuse material. Anthony entered a guilty plea on January 29, 2024.
According to court documents, beginning on May 31, 2023, Anthony distributed multiple videos containing child sex abuse material to a social media account operated by an undercover Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent in Lake County. Anthony believed he was distributing the child sex abuse material to a minor. On August 3, 2023, HSI executed a federal search warrant at Anthony’s residence in Alabama. At least one image of child sex abuse material was confirmed on Anthony’s cellphone. Anthony later admitted to sending child sex abuse material over the internet to the undercover agent.
“The distribution of child sexual abuse material creates a permanent record of a child’s darkest moments, and revictimizes them in perpetuity,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “When predators distribute images of children being sexually exploited online, it forces these victims to confront the enduring, widespread circulation of their abuse for a lifetime. This is an unacceptable scenario for HSI, as we dedicate ourselves daily to stopping this vile behavior.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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 locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
1 July 2024
Woman arrested for smuggling rare Vietnamese chickens into United StatesRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 46-year-old Aransas Pass resident has been taken into federal custody for smuggling merchandise into the United States and illegal transfer of merchandise, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Jennifer Mayo turned herself in to authorities June 27. She is expected to make her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Julie Hampton at 9:45 a.m.
According to the indictment, returned May 22, it is illegal to import poultry into the United States from regions where pathogenic avian influenza or Newcastle disease exist in commercial poultry populations unless specific conditions are met.
However, the charges allege she smuggled merchandise into the United States contrary to law. From Aug. 1, 2023, to Sept. 15, 2023, Mayo allegedly imported and brought into the United States Dong Tao Chicken eggs.
She is also charged with illegal importation and transfer of merchandise. Mayo allegedly facilitated the transportation and concealment of merchandise imported contrary to law - Dong Tao chicken eggs and hatchlings.
The indictment also includes a notice of forfeiture for the chickens and eggs.
As part of the investigation, authorities seized the chickens mentioned in the indictment. Due to their health, they had to be euthanized and are being held pending further investigation and evaluation.
If convicted, Mayo faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Department of Agriculture conducted the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Liesel Roscher is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Woman Who Defrauded Health & Human Services Tech Company Sentenced to 4+ Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A Mansfield woman convicted in a $3.7 million wire fraud scheme was sentenced Monday to more than four years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Tanisha Adderley, 51, was charged via criminal information in September 2023. She pleaded guilty to wire fraud in November 2023 and was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay to 51 months in federal prison. The judge also ordered her to pay $3,769,401.90 in restitution.
According to court documents, Ms. Adderley worked for a health and human services technology company that recovered fees paid by their clients and remitted refunds to them via wires from their funds recovery bank account. Ms. Adderley had access to the funds recovery bank account and was responsible for obtaining approvals and processing fee refunds.
Over the course of four years, from 2019 to 2023, Ms. Adderley manufactured false approvals and processed wire payments to business bank accounts that she controlled.
Ms. Adderley fraudulently obtained more than $3.7 million in company funds.
The United States Secret Service Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nashonme Johnson prosecuted the case.Wilkes-Barre Man Convicted of Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Kevin Jones, aka “Hat,” age 39, formerly of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl after a four-day jury trial before United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the jury found Jones guilty of having conspired to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl during the course of the conspiracy. Jones was one of fifteen individuals indicted in February 2023 for conspiring to distribute fentanyl in Northeastern Pennsylvania and elsewhere. Jones and his co-conspirators obtained pills containing fentanyl via the mail from co-conspirators in Arizona. Jones and his co-conspirators then distributed the pills in Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, and other locations in Northeastern Pennsylvania, as well as other states.
At trial, the Government presented testimony from six of Jones’ co-conspirators. Investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, and the United States Postal Inspection Service also testified. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. O’Hara and Gerard T. Donahue prosecuted the case.
To date, thirteen co-defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
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.
Jones faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. The maximum penalty under federal law for the offense is life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.
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Wayne County Man Sentenced to 149 Months’ Imprisonment for Committing $2 Million in Covid-19 Pandemic FraudRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Christopher J. Miller, age 36, formerly of Newfoundland, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on June 28, 2024, by United States District Judge Julia K. Munley to 149 months of imprisonment, following his convictions of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and unlawful monetary transactions.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Miller filed approximately 50 fraudulent applications for pandemic stimulus funds, including under the Payment Protection Program (PPP), for Economic Injury and Disaster Loans (EIDLs), and for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits. Some of the applications submitted by Miller were filed on behalf of corporate entities under his control that did not, in fact, have actual business operations, and that bore false addresses, false IRS-issued Employee Identification Numbers, false dates of business establishment and operation, false employee headcount information, and fabricated gross income, gross receipts and payroll obligation information. The applications also included forged IRS income tax returns, and federal employment tax documents. Miller failed to disclose in the applications that he was previously convicted of a felony.
Miller also filed fraudulent applications on behalf of himself and numerous family members, friends and associates. In exchange, he received cash kickbacks from those individuals. Through his scheme, Miller and his associates secured over $2.1 million in pandemic stimulus funds. Instead of using his funds on business expenses, as intended, Miller used them to purchase automobiles, vacations, and real estate, among other personal expenses.
In pronouncing the sentence, Judge Munley labeled Miller’s criminal activities a “devious, extensive, and elaborate scheme to swindle the United States government,” and highlighted how, after the FBI executed a search warrant at his residence, Miller and his wife fled to South Carolina, where he lived under an assumed name until being apprehended. In addition to the sentence of imprisonment, Judge Munley also sentenced Miller to five years of supervised release, following his term of imprisonment, and to pay full restitution.
The PPP and EIDL programs, both funded by the March 2020 CARES Act, were designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP funds were offered in forgivable loans, provided that certain criteria are met, including use of the funds for employee payroll, mortgage interest, lease, and utilities expenses. EIDL funds are offered in low-interest rate loans, designated for specific business expenses, such as fixed debts, payroll, and business obligation. The PUA program was created by the CARES Act, as part of the United States government’s efforts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the public’s health and economic well-being. The PUA program was designed to provide unemployment benefits to individuals not eligible for regular unemployment compensation or extended unemployment benefits.
In addition to Miller, the United States prosecuted Robert Reynolds, also of Newfoundland, Pennsylvania, for obtaining fraudulent PUA benefits with Miller. Reynolds pleaded guilty to wire fraud and awaits sentencing.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and by the Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo is prosecuting the case.
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Watervliet Woman Charged with Pandemic FraudRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Elizabeth Lashley, a/k/a “Elizabeth Bonilla,” age 42, of Watervliet, New York, has been indicted on wire fraud charges for fraudulently obtaining pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits in multiple states.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, Northeast Region, United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG); Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.
Lashley was arraigned in federal court today on an indictment alleging that from about May 2020 to July 2020, she fraudulently obtained unemployment insurance benefits worth more than $65,000 by submitting applications for benefits in her own name or an alias with the state workforce agencies of California, Arizona, and Massachusetts. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The wire fraud charges carry a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The case is being investigated by USDOL-OIG, USPIS, and HSI, with assistance from the Albany Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew M. Paulbeck, Joseph S. Hartunian, and Joshua R. Rosenthal are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
United States Obtains Consent Decree Against Gristedes Supermarkets for Violating Refrigerant Management RegulationsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced today that the United States filed a civil lawsuit against GRISTEDE’S FOODS NY, INC. (“GRISTEDES”) alleging violations of the Clean Air Act and the Environmental Protection Agency’s (“EPA”) Recycling and Emissions Reduction Rule (“RER Rule”) due to GRISTEDES’ failure to comply with regulations designed to limit the emission of refrigerants from appliances at its store into the atmosphere. The United States and GRISTEDES simultaneously entered into a Consent Decree resolving that lawsuit. The Consent Decree requires GRISTEDES to pay a $400,000 civil penalty and to undertake millions of dollars of repairs to reduce its future emissions of refrigerants that are greenhouse gasses.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Between 2019 and 2021, Gristedes systematically violated EPA refrigerant regulations, resulting in greenhouse gas emissions at a rate far higher than others in the industry. To give a sense of scale, Gristedes’ emissions had a global warming effect equal to driving a car 140,000,000 miles. As a result of our lawsuit, Gristedes is now required to reduce its emissions by over 70% from their 2020 levels to offset at least some of the damage it has caused, and it will face significant additional penalties under the Consent Decree if it fails to do so.”
The Clean Air Act and the RER Rule impose requirements on the owners and operators of commercial refrigeration appliances to prevent the emission of regulated refrigerants into the atmosphere. Many refrigerants (including those utilized in GRISTEDES stores) are powerful greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change when emitted. They also deplete the ozone layer and are toxic to humans when present in the air in large quantities.
As alleged in the United States’ Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court:
GRISTEDES has owned and operated a chain of approximately 20 supermarkets in New York City. Between 2019 and 2021, despite utilizing regulated refrigerants known as hydrochlorofluorocarbons and hydrofluorocarbons at its supermarkets, GRISTEDES systematically failed to comply with key aspects of the RER Rule — failing to calculate the rate at which its appliances were leaking when adding new refrigerants, failing to timely repair leaks, failing to conduct verification testing after repairing appliances, failing to retrofit or retire leaking appliances, and failing to report chronically leaking appliances to EPA.
As a result, GRISTEDES’ refrigerators have leaked refrigerants into the atmosphere at a rate far higher than industry standards. These leaks have emitted more than 40,000 pounds of regulated climate-impacting refrigerants, with a greenhouse gas effect equivalent to driving an average, gasoline-powered vehicle an extra 140,000,000 miles.
In the Consent Decree, GRISTEDES admits, acknowledges, and accepts responsibility for the following conduct between 2019 and 2021:
- Failing failed to adopt or implement refrigerant management practices that were consistent with the RER Rule.
- Failing to calculate the leak rates for appliances upon addition of refrigerants to those appliances and to maintain records of the same.
- Failing to repair appliances that had leak rates above applicable thresholds under the RER Rule and to maintain records of the same.
- Failing to perform initial and follow-up verification tests to ensure that the repairs were successful, to perform subsequent leak inspections at intervals required by the RER Rule, and to maintain records of the same.
- Failing to implement retrofit or retirement plans for the appliances that had uncontrolled leaks or to maintain records of the same.
- Failing to submit reports to EPA related to chronically leaking appliances.
- Maintaining corporate-wide leak rates of 40%, 59%, and 46% in 2019, 2020, and 2021, respectively, resulting in the emission of 42,094 pounds of refrigerants, in total.
Pursuant to the Consent Decree, GRISTEDES will pay a penalty of $400,000, an amount based on the company’s documented inability to pay the full civil penalty for which it otherwise would be liable. Further, the Consent Decree requires GRISTEDES to undertake repairs of its commercial refrigeration equipment with an estimated cost of $13,500,000, to adopt a comprehensive refrigerant compliance management plan, to convert three stores to utilize advanced refrigerants with low global warming potential, and to lower its corporate leak-rate below 16%. Failure to comply with the Consent Decree will give rise to significant additional penalties.
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To provide public notice and afford members of the public the opportunity to comment on the Consent Decree, the Consent Decree will be lodged with the District Court for a period of at least 30 days before it is submitted for the Court’s approval.
Mr. Williams thanked the attorneys and enforcement staff at EPA’s Region 5 for their critical work in this matter.
This case is being handled by the Environmental Protection Unit of the Office’s Civil Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zack Bannon and Dominika Tarczynska are in charge of the case.
U.S. Marshals Find 200 Missing Children Across the Nation During Operation We Will Find You 2Read the Press Release
The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), along with federal, state, and local agencies in seven federal judicial districts and geographical locations across the United States, led a six-week national operation that resulted in finding 200 critically missing children, which includes endangered runaways and those abducted by noncustodial persons.
Operation We Will Find You 2 (OWWFY2), the second-of-its-kind nationwide missing child operation, was conducted from May 20 to June 24 and focused on geographical areas with high clusters of critically missing children. Children who go missing may be in serious danger and can be vulnerable to child sex trafficking, abuse, exploitation, and other crimes against children.
With technical assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), OWWFY2 resulted in the recovery and removal of 123 children from dangerous situations. An additional 77 missing children were located and found to be in safe locations, according to law enforcement or child welfare agencies. Of the 200 children found, 173 were endangered runaways, 25 were considered otherwise missing, one was a family abduction, and one was a non-family abduction. The youngest child recovered was five months old. 14 of the children were found outside the city where they went missing. Additionally, of the missing children recovered, 57% were recovered within seven days of the USMS assisting with the case.
“There are no words to describe the terror felt by missing children, their families, and their communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “I am grateful to the dedicated professionals of the U.S. Marshals Service and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children who worked to find 200 critically missing children during this six-week operation, and who work every day to keep children safe.”
“One of the most sacred missions of U.S. Marshals Service is locating and recovering our nation’s critically missing children,” said USMS Director Ronald L. Davis. “This is one of our top priorities as there remain thousands of children still missing and at risk.”
“Operation We Will Find You is a shining example of the results we can achieve when we unite in our mission to find missing children,” said President and CEO Michelle DeLaune of NCMEC. “We are grateful that vulnerable children have been recovered as part of this operation, and we commend the U.S. Marshals Service and all the agencies involved for their commitment to protect youth and ensure these children are not forgotten. Behind every statistic, there is a child who deserves to grow up safe from harm.”
The operation was conducted from the following locations: District of Arizona (Phoenix, Glendale, Goodyear, Tucson, South Tucson, and Pima counties); Eastern District of California (San Joaquin County, Stockton, and Sacramento County); Southern District of Florida (Broward, St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties); Western District of Michigan (Kent, Lake, Ingham, and Ottawa counties); Eastern District of North Carolina (New Hanover, Brunswick, Harnett, Onslow, Pitt, Wake, Johnston, Robeson, Cumberland, Sampson, Nash, and Pender counties); Southern and Eastern Districts of New York (New York City); and District of Oregon (Multnomah, Washington, and Deschutes counties, as well as Portland and Eugene, and the Warm Springs Reservation).
The goal of OWWFY2 was to highlight partnerships amongst government and non-government agencies to develop a multi-disciplinary team whose focus was to pull together resources to find critically missing children and to bring more attention to the epidemic of missing children in America. During the operation, the USMS worked with their respective federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, NCMEC, the Department of Children and Family Services, and other agencies to safely find missing children at risk of endangerment. These missing children were considered some of the most challenging recovery cases in the area, based on indications of high-risk factors such as victimization of child sex trafficking, child exploitation, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and medical or mental health conditions. In addition, other children who had been reported missing were located at the request of law enforcement to ensure they were safe and to confirm the child’s location.
The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 enhanced the USMS’ authority to assist law enforcement with recovering endangered missing children, regardless of whether a fugitive or sex offender was involved. The USMS established a Missing Child Unit to oversee and manage the implementation of its enhanced authority under the Act. Members of the USMS Sex Offender Investigations Branch, Behavioral Analysis Unit, and Missing Child Unit began training personnel in the participating locations months before the operation to ensure that case selection, vetting, and all pre-operational requirements were met.
Operation We Will Find You Links:
- B-roll links:
- Miami B-roll: https://vimeo.com/964878547?share=copy
- North Carolina B-roll: https://vimeo.com/958138308?share=copy
- Photos and posters: https://www.flickr.com/gp/usmarshals/d44Ch0J1q3
Significant Recoveries:
Western District of Michigan:
On Jan. 11, a 16-year-old female child was reported missing from her home in Edwardsburg, Michigan, by her legal guardian. Information obtained through interviews showed the child was likely with a 30-year-old adult male somewhere in the state of Indiana. The investigation showed the child was likely being controlled and abused by the adult male. During the investigation, operation personnel learned information that the child had either attempted to get away from the adult male multiple times or the child wanted to do so. The child was in a difficult and dangerous situation, especially since she had traveled across state lines and was now in a new state, a long distance from where she was first reported missing. The adult male had recent photos of cash and firearms on his social media profile, including one photo where the adult male is apparently pointing a handgun with an extended magazine at the missing child. USMS identified multiple warrants for the adult male from multiple states, including Michigan. The USMS determined a likely location for the adult male and the child in Indiana. A collateral lead request was sent by the Western District of Michigan to the Northern District of Indiana and the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force. On June 13, USMS personnel attempted to arrest the adult male and recover the child at an apartment in Hammond, Indiana. The adult male jumped out of a window and attempted to flee the area—but was apprehended by a Police K-9 before his eventual arrest. USMS personnel located the child safely inside the apartment and released her to child protective services.
Southern District of Florida:
On May 13, a 15-year-old female was reported missing by her legal guardian. Information indicated that she might be staying at other people's houses or sleeping in parks in Miami-Dade, Florida. During the investigation, it was discovered the child had become a victim of human trafficking in the Miami-Dade area. On June 7, personnel from the U.S. Marshals Service, in collaboration with detectives from the Miami Police Department, located the child in an apartment complex in Miami-Dade after an extensive investigative search throughout the city. Upon being recovered, she was debriefed by Florida State Attorney’s Office Human Trafficking personnel and subsequently returned to the Florida Department of Child and Family Services custody.
District of Arizona:
On April 16, a 16-year-old was reported missing after she ran away from her group home in Phoenix. The female has a history of being sex trafficked. The investigation revealed the child was in Los Angeles, possibly being sex trafficked. The suspected trafficker was murdered in Los Angeles on May 25. The child told a family member she was going on vacation to Miami but when she got there her new “trafficker” dropped her off at the beach and told her to make money. On June 11, the child was located by USMS in Flint, Michigan, in a hotel, and was taken into custody on an outstanding arrest warrant for a probation violation. Her male associate was arrested on local charges for driving without a license and insurance. An additional 20-year-old female was identified in the hotel. The suspected trafficking case was referred to Homeland Security Investigations and they will continue to investigate the case.
New York/New Jersey Regional Task Force:
On Nov. 3, 2023, a 16-year-old female was reported in the National Crime Information Center as missing from New York City, New York Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), and was a prior victim of human trafficking. On May 1, 2024, the New York City Police Department Missing Persons Unit (NYPD MPU) requested USMS assistance in recovering the missing child. On June 3, New York USMS Regional Fugitive Task Force Members executed two arrest warrants for a 27-year-old male who was the primary subject of an ongoing investigation into the whereabouts of the missing minor who was being sexually exploited by the adult male. Upon execution of the warrant, the child was found in the male’s bedroom, and evidence of sexual exploitation was found at the premise. The child was placed in the care of ACS and transported to the hospital for medical treatment.
Eastern District of North Carolina:
On April 29, a one-year-old was reported missing to the Raleigh, North Carolina, Police Department (RPD), after her mother neglected to surrender her to the Department of Social Services (DSS). The RPD requested assistance from the USMS in finding the missing child. The child’s mother was previously convicted for her actions in the strangulation, assault, and death of one of her children, a four-year-old boy. Additionally, she was wanted on a felony probation violation pertaining to the original charge of cruelty toward a child. On May 15, USMS personnel and RPD personnel arrested the child’s mother without incident in Raleigh. The missing one-year-old was subsequently safely recovered in Raleigh by USMS investigators and handed over to DSS custody.
Eastern District of California:
On Oct. 26, 2023, a 17-year-old female was reported missing by her legal guardian. Information obtained revealed that she was likely staying with her older adult sister who was a known prostitute. The child’s older sister was recently arrested and on pretrial release for Human Trafficking, Pimping, and Pandering. On May 30, USMS personnel determined that the child and her adult sister were staying at a known prostitution and trafficking motel in Oakland, California. USMS personnel from the Eastern District of California coordinated with USMS personnel in the Northern District of California to establish a location for the child and her sister. Management at the hotel confirmed that both sisters had two rooms and had been staying there for some time with an unknown adult male. At one point, USMS observed the three individuals leave the rooms and begin packing their car. Once inside the vehicle, the USMS was able to safely move in and detain all three individuals. The child was then turned over to authorities.
District of Oregon
On May 21, a 12-year-old female went missing from her family home in Portland, Oregon, and had reported allegations of sexual abuse by family members. Law enforcement officers contacted the child through her cell, and she agreed to meet them at a grocery store in the Portland area. The officers received a call back from the child and a friend stating that her father was trying to pull her into his car, and she was scared. USMS investigators were able to intervene and separate the endangered child from her father. The child told law enforcement that she had been raped by two Hispanic males and that her father touched her inappropriately. On May 24, the child was safely recovered and placed in a foster home while the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) investigated the allegations. Within 24 hours of being placed in foster care, the foster family kicked the child out of their home. The child then called a Deputy U.S. Marshal (DUSM) that had built rapport with her to ask for assistance. The DUSM subsequently contacted DHS to report the incident. As a result, DHS placed the child in a state-run shelter.
Additional information about the USMS can be found at www.usmarshals.gov.
- B-roll links:
U.S. Attorney Announces Six Charged in Raleigh Kidnapping and Robbery Conspiracy as part of Federal Violent Crime StrategyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment, filed on Friday, June 21, 2024, charging six Raleigh men with kidnapping, robbery, use of a firearm during a violent crime and conspiracy. Some of the individuals were also charged with separate gun and drug offenses.
“Two years ago, we launched a new multi-agency partnership to drive down violent crime in Raleigh,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Today’s announcement shows the next phase of our strategy: a proactive focus on federal charges for violent offenders. We want Raleigh citizens to know our partners are working around the clock to keep our city safe.”
“This is another example of how collaborative relationships between the RPD and our Federal partners facilitated through the Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) reduce the drivers of violence by focusing on prolific offenders and the criminal activity they propagate. Violence that wreaks havoc on our community will not be tolerated. I thank U.S. Attorney Michael Easley, the Department of Justice, and our multi-agency partners for their continued support in combating violent crime in Raleigh. This case reinforces our unwavering commitment to the safety of our residents and the relentless pursuit of justice for crime victims,” said Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson.
According to the indictment, Mario Scott, also known as "Homicide" or "Homi," age 21, Tyferia Shakur Sherrod, also known as "2 Wop" or "Wop," age 23, Donta Lamont Bush Jr., "Gonzo" or "Zo," age 24, Hasheem Langston, also known as "Tek," age 23, Quest Jaquan Davis, also known as "Tek," age 29, and Deivon Jalil Spidle, also known as "BDay," age 22, conspired to kidnap and rob an adult victim.
Conspirators allegedly attached a GPS tracking device to the victim’s car in order to track and target him prior to the crimes. On the night of January 15, 2024, conspirators allegedly confronted the victim and held him at gunpoint, stealing jewelry and cash from his person. Conspirators then allegedly forced the victim into a vehicle and drove him to other locations in Wendell and Knightdale as they attempted to force the victim to get family members to give the kidnappers more money. During the course of the kidnapping, conspirators allegedly tied the victim’s hands and feet with duct tape and put a trash bag over his head. Some of the conspirators also allegedly used the victim’s apartment access information to break into his home and steal additional items. Eventually, when the victim’s family members did not provide additional money, the indictment alleges the victim was told he would be killed. The victim fought one of the conspirators and was able to escape a moving vehicle. One of the conspirators allegedly shot the victim as he escaped.
Mario Scott, Tyferia Shakur Sherrod, Donta Lamont Bush, Jr., Hasheem Langston, Quest Jaquan Davis, and Deivon Jalil Spidle are charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping and aiding and abetting, conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery and aiding and abetting, and use and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence and aiding and abetting. If convicted as charged, each faces a mandatory minimum of ten years’ imprisonment and a maximum possible term of life imprisonment.
Additionally, Davis is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted as charged, he faces a mandatory minimum of fifteen years’ imprisonment and a maximum possible term of life imprisonment. Respectively, Spidle is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted as charged, he faces a mandatory minimum of ten years’ imprisonment and a maximum possible term of life imprisonment.
On July 12, 2022, U.S. Attorney Easley announced a new federal violent crime strategy in partnership with the RPD, FBI, ATF, USMS, and Wake County DAs Office to prioritize cases against the most significant drivers of violence in the City of Raleigh. This indictment is a result of the ongoing Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) initiative which is collaborative effort with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, working with the community, to identify and address the most significant drivers of violent crime. VCAP involves focused and strategic enforcement, interagency coordination, and intelligence-led policing. Since inception, there have been 63 cases indicted on federal charges.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Raleigh Police Department are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah E. Nokes and Charles E. Loeser are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Three Former Executives Sentenced for $1B Corporate Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Three former executives of Outcome Health (Outcome), a Chicago-based health technology start-up company, were sentenced for their roles in a fraud scheme that targeted the company’s clients, lenders, and investors and involved approximately $1 billion in fraudulently obtained funds.
- Rishi Shah, 38, a co-founder and former CEO of Outcome, was sentenced on June 26 to seven years and six months in prison.
- Shradha Agarwal, 38, a co-founder and former president of Outcome, was sentenced yesterday to three years in a half-way house.
- Brad Purdy, 35, the former chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Outcome, was also sentenced yesterday to two years and three months in prison.
“Outcome’s former executives deceived their clients, their auditor, their lenders, and their investors for years,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their sentences should serve as yet another reminder that ‘faking it until you make it’ is not an acceptable practice for any business, whether that company is a technology start-up or a well-established corporation. Lying about your revenue to obtain customers or financing is fraud, plain and simple. The Criminal Division is committing to holding companies and their executives accountable for their misconduct.”
“The defendants’ vast scheme defrauded the clients, investors, and lenders who supported their business,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois. “Although they sought to hide the fraud by silencing whistleblowers and duping auditors, a jury rightly held the defendants accountable for their extensive fraud scheme. Our office will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to deliver justice for the victims of complex fraud schemes.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Outcome, which was founded in 2006 and known as Context Media prior to January 2017, installed television screens and tablets in doctors’ offices across the United States and then sold advertising space on those devices to clients, most of which were pharmaceutical companies. Shah, Agarwal, and Purdy sold advertising inventory the company did not have to Outcome’s clients and then under-delivered on its advertising campaigns. Despite these under-deliveries, the company still invoiced its clients as if it had delivered in full. Shah, Agarwal, and Purdy lied or caused others to lie to conceal the under-deliveries from clients and make it appear as if the company was delivering advertising content to the number of screens in the clients’ contracts. Purdy and others at Outcome also inflated metrics that purported to show how frequently patients engaged with Outcome’s tablets installed in doctors’ offices. According to the trial evidence, the scheme targeting Outcome’s clients began in 2011 and lasted until 2017, and resulted in at least $45 million of overbilled advertising services.
“This was an elaborate, billion-dollar fraud scheme by three people who were supposed to be leaders of the company,” said Executive Assistant Director Timothy Langan of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. “Instead, these now former executives attempted to illegally line their own pockets. This type of fraud and abuse takes critical resources out of our health care system, and the FBI will always work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute anyone who intends to defraud the American public.”
Shah, Agarwal, and Purdy also defrauded Outcome’s lenders and investors. The under-delivery to Outcome’s advertising clients resulted in a material overstatement of Outcome’s revenue for the years 2015 and 2016. The company’s outside auditor signed off on the 2015 and 2016 revenue numbers because Purdy caused others to fabricate data to conceal the under-deliveries from the auditor. Shah, Agarwal, and Purdy then used the inflated revenue figures in Outcome’s 2015 and 2016 audited financial statements to raise $110 million in debt financing in April 2016, $375 million in debt financing in December 2016, and $487.5 million in equity financing in early 2017. The $110 million debt financing resulted in a $30.2 million dividend to Shah and a $7.5 million dividend to Agarwal, and the $487.5 million in equity financing resulted in a $225 million dividend that benefited Shah and Agarwal.
“The defendants in this case have been brought to justice for their actions in deceiving Outcome Health’s clients and fraudulently obtaining approximately $1 billion from its lenders and investors,” said Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Shimon R. Richmond of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG). “The FDIC-OIG will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to hold accountable individuals who harm lenders, investors, and clients by committing such fraudulent acts."
A federal jury convicted Shah, Agarwal, and Purdy in April 2023. Shah was convicted of five counts of mail fraud, 10 counts of wire fraud, two counts of bank fraud, and two counts of money laundering. Agarwal was convicted of five counts of mail fraud, eight counts of wire fraud, and two counts of bank fraud. Purdy was convicted of five counts of mail fraud, five counts of wire fraud, two counts of bank fraud, and one count of false statements to a financial institution.
Three other former Outcome employees pleaded guilty prior to trial. Ashik Desai, the former chief growth officer, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Kathryn Choi, a former senior analyst, and Oliver Han, a former analyst, both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Desai will be sentenced on Sept. 20. Choi and Han will be sentenced on Oct. 4 and Oct. 11, respectively.
The FBI and FDIC-OIG investigated the case. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission provided assistance in the case.
Assistant Chief Kyle C. Hankey of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Yonan, Corey Rubenstein, and William Hogan for the Northern District of Illinois prosecuted the case. Former Assistant Chief William E. Johnston of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew F. Madden and Saurish Appleby-Bhattacharjee for the Northern District of Illinois also prosecuted the case through trial.
Texas Couple Serving Decades in Federal Prison for Importing, Distributing MethRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Texas man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 37 years in prison for conspiracy to import and distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Joseph Ivy, 45, and his spouse, Yvette Contreras, 35, imported and sold large amounts of methamphetamine. Deputies from the Dimmit County Sheriff’s Office conducted a search warrant on their home in Catarina Aug. 18, 2020, discovering 1.5 kgs of methamphetamine, $7,389 in cash, two firearms, and a ledger documenting narcotic transactions. On Aug. 21, 2023, DCSO deputies apprehended Ivy during a traffic stop and found 2.4 kgs of methamphetamine in his vehicle.
Ivy admitted to transporting three kgs of methamphetamine to Moorhead, Minn. and four kgs to Charlotte, Texas. He and Contreras also admitted to working with a third conspirator, Margaret Charles Garcia. On at least two occasions, Garcia imported methamphetamine from Mexico at the instruction of Ivy.
Contreras was sentenced April 13, 2023 to 25 years in prison for her role in the conspiracy. Garcia pleaded guilty March 7, 2022 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Garcia’s sentence hearing is scheduled for Oct. 2.
“These traffickers worked directly with Mexican drug cartels to bring loads of harmful narcotics into our communities and peddle them for a profit,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “My office remains committed, along with our local, federal and state partners, to dismantling criminal organizations and holding their personnel accountable for these serious offenses.”
“This Texas couple pushed large amounts of methamphetamine onto South Texas streets, and this lengthy prison sentence officially puts them out of business,” said Deputy Special Agent in Charge Alejandro Amaro for the Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Division. “HSI is committed to disrupting prolific drug traffickers like Joseph Ivy and Yvette Contreras - criminals with no regard for the incredible damage they inflict on so many lives and communities.”
HSI and the DCSO investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brett Miner and Zach Bird prosecuted the case.
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Suburban Chicago Physician Pleads Guilty to Federal Health Care Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago physician has pleaded guilty to federal health care fraud charges for billing Medicaid and private insurers for nonexistent services.
MONA GHOSH owned and operated Progressive Women’s Healthcare, S.C., a medical office in Hoffman Estates, Ill., specializing in obstetrics and gynecology services. From 2018 to 2022, Ghosh submitted and caused her employees to submit fraudulent claims to Medicaid, TRICARE, and numerous other insurers for procedures and services that were not provided or were not medically necessary, some of which were performed without patient consent. Ghosh also fraudulently overstated the length and complexity of in-office and telemedicine visits and submitted claims using billing codes for which the visits did not qualify in order to seek higher reimbursement rates, her plea agreement states. Ghosh admitted in the plea agreement that she prepared false patient medical records to support the fraudulent reimbursement claims.
Ghosh, 51, of Inverness, Ill., pleaded guilty Thursday to two counts of health care fraud. Each count is punishable by up to ten years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Franklin U. Valderrama set sentencing for Oct. 22, 2024.
It is the government’s position that Ghosh is accountable for at least $2.4 million in fraudulently obtained reimbursements. Ghosh admitted in the plea agreement that she is accountable for more than $1.5 million of such fraudulently obtained reimbursements. The final amount will be determined by the Court at sentencing.
The plea agreement was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; Darrin K. Jones, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Southeast Field Office; Mario Pinto, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; and Kwame Raoul, Illinois Attorney General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Misty N. Wright.
Ghosh plea agreementStatement of U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers on the Passing of Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Goodloe Jr.Read the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, issued the following statement on the death of former Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Goodloe Jr.:
Mr. Charles Goodloe, Jr., was a native of Greenfield, Indiana, and earned his undergraduate and law degrees at Indiana University. He joined the U.S. Attorney’s office in 1971 as a law clerk and was appointed as an Assistant U.S. Attorney upon passing the bar exam that year. Mr. Goodloe was the first Black person to ever serve as an AUSA in the state of Indiana and was the office’s longest-ever serving attorney when he retired in 2008.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is deeply saddened to learn of Charles Goodloe Jr.’s passing. Mr. Goodloe was an extraordinarily talented trial attorney, dedicated public servant, and trailblazer who opened doors of opportunity for others,” said U.S. Attorney Myers. “Charles Goodloe prosecuted many complex, important, and difficult cases, including complex fraud prosecutions of corporate executives and what turned out to be the final prosecution of the Indiana leader of the Ku Klux Klan. Ever the gentleman, he approached his work with dignity, kindness, attention to detail, and tremendous skill. Mr. Goodloe was an inspiration and mentor to me and many others who followed in his footsteps. His impact was so significant he was the first person to have a conference room in our office dedicated in their honor. We offer our heartfelt condolences to Mr. Goodloe’s family, friends, and colleagues who join us in mourning his passing and celebrating his legacy.”
In addition to his accomplishments as a prosecutor, Mr. Goodloe served our country in the United States Army for two years. Charles was a beloved husband and father, an avid reader, and incredibly generous with his time and talent. He will be missed.
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Starr County justice of the peace and another sent to prison for roles in drug trafficking organizationRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Two Starr County residents, one a former justice of the peace (JP), are now headed to federal prison for their roles in a drug-trafficking organization, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Roel Valadez Jr., 33, and Diego Alberto Reyes-Roiz, 43, both of Rio Grande City, pleaded guilty March 18 and March 25, respectively.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Reyes-Roiz to serve a total of 22 years in prison, while former JP Valadez must serve 21 months. Reyes-Roiz must also serve five years of supervised release following release from prison. Valadez will be on supervised release for three years.
In handing down the sentence, Judge Crane found Reyes-Roiz was the leader of a drug-trafficking organization that imported substantial quantities of drugs into the United States from Mexico which was then distributed throughout Texas. Reyes-Roiz was found responsible for the importation of approximately 43 kilograms of meth from Mexico into the United States in addition to large amounts of cocaine and marijuana.
The Court learned about how Valdez had been doing favors for Ignacio Garza - one of the heads of the drug trafficking organization. Garza had received information that authorities had stopped and apprehended one of his drug couriers. Valadez, a JP since 2018, made a series of phone calls to the Starr County jail to see if the courier had been booked, and if so, by whom and reached out to another Justice of the Peace to see if he could be released on his own recognizance.
“As an elected official in Starr County, a judge none the less, Valadez swore an oath to uphold the law,” said Hamdani. “However, he betrayed his oath of office and the citizens of Starr County when he abused his office to assist and protect a local drug-trafficking organization.”
At the time of his plea, Valadez admitted he had possessed with intent to distribute less than 100 kilograms of marijuana. He also acknowledged he had used his JP position to assist another person in obtaining a low bond for one of his workers that law enforcement had detained.
Reyes-Roiz will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Valadez was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender at a later date.
Garza, 53, Rio Grande City, also pleaded guilty and is set for sentencing Sept. 5. At that time, he faces up to life in federal prison as well as a possible $10 million fine. He remains in custody.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigations conducted the Organized Crime and Dug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigations with the assistance of local task force officers. 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. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia Cook Profit and Ted Parran prosecuted the cases.
Standing Pine Man Sentenced to Almost 4 Years in Prison for Domestic Violence Assault on Choctaw Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Standing Pine man was sentenced to 46 months in in federal prison for a domestic assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
According to court documents, Kendall D. Ben, 31, physically assaulted his girlfriend in the Standing Pine Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation.
Ben was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 25, 2022. He pled guilty on February 17, 2023, to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
U.S. Attorney Todd Gee and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin J. Payne and Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Man Admits Receiving Drugs in Mail, Shipping Drug CashRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –A St. Louis, Missouri man on Monday admitted receiving drugs shipped to St. Louis and mailing out the resulting drug proceeds.
Timothy Carter, 35, pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl. His co-defendant, A.D. Harris, 31, of St. Louis County, pleaded guilty to the same charge in December.
Both men admitted receiving drugs in the mail and mailing the proceeds of the drug sales. On Aug. 23, 2021, investigators spotted a suspicious package being mailed to an address in the 4800 block of Allemania Street in St. Louis. The package was shipped in a retail box for a microwave. Harris then took the package to Carter’s home in the 7300 block of Hampshire Drive.
On Sept. 8, 2021, investigators spotted a microwave box being mailed from St. Louis to Texas. A court-approve search uncovered $28,500 in drug proceeds heavily wrapped inside the shell of a microwave, Carter’s plea agreement says. Fingerprints of Harris and Carter were on the microwave, the wrappings that concealed the currency, or both.
Investigators later identified another microwave box that was being shipped to an address associated with a Harris relative. On October 4, Harris picked up the package. When law enforcement tried to stop Harris, he fled at high speed to Carter’s house. Agents followed Harris into the garage and arrested both Harris and Carter.Investigators seized Harris’ vehicle, along with $11,000, several mobile devices, and a notebook with a drug ledger and receipts, including a receipt for the purchase of a microwave on Sept. 7, 2021. Agents recovered $4,000 in drug proceeds from a Harris relative and a package containing $7,000 in drug proceeds. A package in Harris’ vehicle contained 406.92 grams of fentanyl.
Carter is scheduled to be sentenced September 30. Harris was sentenced in March to 87 months in prison.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Casey is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis Felon Caught Twice with Guns Sentenced to 100 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Monday sentenced a convicted felon from St. Louis, Missouri who was caught twice with a firearm and drugs to 100 months in prison.
Dawon Hennings, 40, pleaded guilty in March to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted being caught with a 9mm handgun and methamphetamine on April 12, 2022 by Saint Louis County Police Department officers engaged in a special enforcement detail within the North County Precinct. Officers had spotted a Kia Optima without a front license plate and pulled the vehicle over.
After Hennings was indicted and a warrant was issued for his arrest, detectives with the St. Louis County Police Department saw him walking on Lookaway Drive in St. Louis County on Dec. 26, 2022. Detectives arrested Hennings and found a stolen Glock .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol in his pocket, as well as a baggie containing meth and another containing a small amount of a mixture of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl.
The St. Louis County Police Department 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.
St. Louis County Man Admits Fatally Shooting Acquaintance Before Stealing DrugsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –A man pleaded guilty Monday to three felony charges and admitted shooting a sleeping acquaintance in the head in a St. Louis County, Missouri home before stealing his jewelry and drugs.
Terry W. Winebarger, 52, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime resulting in death and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Winebarger admitted fatally shooting an acquaintance, referred to in the indictment as “J.S.,” in the head with J.S.’s 10mm Glock handgun on Feb. 18, 2023, in a home in Hanley Hills. Winebarger then stole the victim’s gun, jewelry and some methamphetamine that J.S. had bought earlier. J.S. was asleep when he was shot.
Winebarger had been picked up in Overland, Missouri, by the victim and his roommate earlier in the evening. Investigators later apprehended Winebarger leaving a bar.
Winebarger is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 30, 2024.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the St. Louis County Police Department, the Major Case Squad and the North County Police Cooperative investigated the case, with assistance from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the St. Charles County Police Department.
St. Louis County Man Accused of Robbing Three BanksRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri who has been accused of robbing at least three banks appeared in court Monday.
Derrick Snulligan, 61, of Velda Village Hills, was charged by complaint in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on June 28 with bank robbery. Charging documents accuse Snulligan, also known as Derrick Jackson, of robbing a credit union in Florissant, Missouri and another in St. Louis, Missouri on June 27, as well as a credit union in Hazelwood on June 24.
In each robbery, Snulligan handed a threatening note to a teller demanding cash, the charging documents say.
Charges set forth in a criminal complaint are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The FBI, the Florissant Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Northwoods Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D’Agrosa is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
St. Francis Man Sentenced for AssaultsRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Robert A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a St. Francis, South Dakota man convicted of two counts of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The sentencing took place on July 1, 2024.
Charles Cordier, age 25, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Cordier was indicted by a federal grand jury in June of 2023. He pleaded guilty on April 1, 2024.
On February 12, 2023, Cordier was in St. Francis when he struck a man in the face with a metal bar. The victim suffered a mandible fracture and received medical care in Rosebud and in Rapid City for the injuries. For most of the month of March, 2023, Cordier had been quarreling with another man. On March 26, 2023, their feud came to a head when they encountered each other and the victim was armed with a chain and Cordier had a pistol. Cordier fired his gun at the other man and struck him, fracturing a bone in his forearm. This victim received medical care in Rosebud and Rapid City to treat his injuries. Both assaults occurred within the Rosebud Reservation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Maher prosecuted the case.
Cordier was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal to serve his sentence.
Sierra Leone Man Pleads Guilty to Car Loan Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Sierra Leone man pleaded guilty today in federal court to orchestrating a fraudulent car loan scheme, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Solomon Yarteh, 50, pleaded guilty to three counts of bank fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro scheduled sentencing for October 7, 2024. Co-defendants Donna Silva, Niurka Lebron, and Robosteur St. Felix previously all pled guilty and were sentenced in 2022.
Yarteh was the owner and President of Allied Imports, a car wholesaler located in Manchester. As a wholesaler, Allied Imports was not licensed to conduct retail sales of vehicles and could only sell to dealers. Allied Imports was located next to Cap’s Auto Sales, a business licensed to sell cars. Cap’s Auto was controlled by St. Felix.
Between February 2019 and July 2019, Yarteh led a scheme to fraudulently obtain multiple car loans from multiple financial institutions. The loans were supposed to be secured by vehicles being sold by Allied Imports or Cap’s Auto. Yarteh and his co-conspirators used fraudulent documents to trick lenders into believing that Allied Imports or Cap’s Auto owned and held title to the vehicles when the cars actually belonged to other companies. The loan proceeds were deposited into accounts Yarteh controlled. Yarteh was able to fraudulently obtain over $430,000 through this scheme.
Yarteh was originally indicted in 2021, but had already left the United States. INTERPOL then issued a red notice for his arrest. In spring 2023, authorities in the United Arab Emirates arrested Yarteh in Dubai. With the cooperation of the Emirati government, Yarteh was removed to the United States in late November 2023. He has continuously been in custody since.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 30 years in prison, 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and United States Postal Inspection Service. The New Hampshire Banking Department, INTERPOL, Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and Government of the United Arab Emirates provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander S. Chen and Charles L. Rombeau are prosecuting the case.
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Sherwood Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Karen Hoskins will spend 15 months in federal prison for money laundering. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by Chief United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker.
On February 3, 2021, Brian Jeffrey Litton and eight others were indicted on conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and other charges. Litton is the son of Hoskins, 63, of Sherwood. Litton was subsequently released to home detention with electronic monitoring. Litton’s bond conditions required him to reside in the Eastern District of Arkansas and to maintain regular contact with his United States Probation Officer and his defense attorney.
An investigation revealed that in May 2021, Litton failed to report to the United States Probation Office and failed to maintain contact with his defense counsel, and his whereabouts became unknown. Litton was declared a fugitive and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Later in May, Hoskins, who denied knowing Litton’s location, returned his electronic monitoring equipment, and represented that Litton removed the monitoring equipment and was missing.
In August 2021, Litton was determined to be living in a wooded area of Pulaski County, and Hoskins was observed meeting with Litton in this remote location. Evidence in the case, including text communications, revealed that Hoskins knew Litton’s whereabouts beginning in July 2021, and that she intentionally concealed Litton from law enforcement.
Through the investigation, it was learned that during 2020 and 2021 Hoskins engaged in a money laundering scheme with her son, in which Hoskins received drug proceeds from Litton in the amount of $2,000 to $5,000 cash on a weekly basis. Hoskins, who knew that her son’s drug trafficking activity was the source of the cash, concealed the drug proceeds at her house to avoid seizure of the money by law enforcement. Litton would retrieve the cash he needed from Hoskins’ home to purchase multiple pound quantities of methamphetamine which he and others distributed in central Arkansas. Hoskins provided Litton with an American Express card to use for living expenses and paid her son’s bills using the drug proceeds. During 2020 and 2021, Hoskins used more than $150,000 in drug proceeds to fund her gambling habit.
On October 6, 2021, Hoskins was charged in a Superseding Indictment with harboring a fugitive. On July 6, 2022, a Second Superseding Indictment was returned charging Hoskins with conspiracy to money launder, as well as five counts of money laundering in connection with her son’s drug trafficking activity. Hoskins pleaded guilty on August 14, 2023, to one count of money laundering.
Chief Judge Baker also sentenced Hoskins to two years of supervised release, and Hoskins was ordered to pay a money judgment in the amount of $200,000 as part of the plea agreement. There is no parole in the federal system.
This investigation 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 investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anne Gardner.
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Schuylkill County Man Sentenced to 84 Months’ Imprisonment for Conspiracy to Commit RobberyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Joshua Marsh, age 29, of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 84 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Marsh previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery. As part of his guilty plea, Marsh admitted that on August 30, 2020, he participated in an armed home-invasion robbery in Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania. During that robbery, Marsh, along with his co-conspirators Joushton Rodriguez and Solomon Rodriguez, entered the victims’ home and robbed the victims of a lockbox containing drug proceeds. All three perpetrators were masked and Joushton Rodriguez was armed with a homemade AR-15 style machinegun. The ringleader of the conspiracy, Steven Wong, along with four remaining co-conspirators, are still awaiting sentencing.
The charges stem from an investigation involving the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Pennsylvania State Police, the Mahanoy City Police Department, the Schuylkill Haven Police Department, the Pottsville Police Department, the Shillington Police Department, the Reading Police Department, and the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James Buchanan, Jenny Roberts, and Sarah Lloyd.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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San Francisco Man Faces Federal Charges for Embezzling More Than $1.2 Million from His EmployersRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging a San Francisco man with bank fraud and other crimes relating to a scheme in which he embezzled more than $1.2 million from his employers, local law firms.
U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California and FBI San Francisco Division Special Agent-in-Charge Robert K. Tripp made the announcement.
According to the indictment unsealed today, Tony Archuleta-Perkins, 48, started a non-profit organization called “Murrieta Valley High School 1994” (MVHS 1994), in 2013.
From 2017 to 2023, Archuleta-Perkins worked for two San Francisco law firms. He held various roles at the firms, eventually becoming Chief Financial Officer (CFO). As the CFO, Archuleta-Perkins was in a position of trust and had access to the law firms’ end-to-end payments automation platform.
The indictment alleges that from at least May 2018 through December 2023, Archuleta-Perkins used the access he had as an employee in a position of trust at the law firms to cause the law firms to make false and fraudulent payments to MVHS 1994 that had not been authorized by the law firms’ management and were not for any legitimate business purpose.
Once the stolen funds were in MVHS 1994’s bank account, Archuleta-Perkins would sometimes directly issue payments to vendors and accounts for personal expenses that had nothing to do with the stated purposes of MVHS 1994 or the law firms. On other occasions, he wrote checks from MVHS 1994 to himself and deposited those checks into his personal bank account.
Additionally, on at least one occasion, Archuleta-Perkins falsely endorsed a $41,663.69 U.S. Treasury check made out to one of the law firms, deposited it into a bank account belonging to MVHS 1994 and then wrote himself a check for the same amount.
The indictment further alleges that Archuleta-Perkins used the stolen money for personal expenses, including payments on Best Buy and Home Depot credit cards, and towards the purchase, renovation, and improvement of at least three properties in California.
In sum, the indictment charges Archuleta-Perkins with eight counts of bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344(2), and five counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity (otherwise known as money laundering), in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1957.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Archuleta-Perkins faces a maximum statutory sentence of 30 years in prison on each of the bank fraud counts and a maximum statutory sentence of 10 years in prison on each of the money laundering counts. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Special Agents of the FBI arrested Archuleta-Perkins in San Francisco this morning. He subsequently appeared in federal court and was released pending trial on a $500,000 bond.
Archuleta-Perkins’s next court appearance is scheduled on July 31, 2024 before United States District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nikhil Bhagat is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Madeline Wachs. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Lisa H. Miller of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division provided valuable assistance. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
Saginaw Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting MinorsRead the Press Release
BAY CITY – Eric Hartman, 34, of Saginaw was sentenced to 19½ years in federal prison for sexually exploiting children, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Detroit Field Office.
United States District Court Judge Thomas L. Ludington imposed sentence on Hartman, on June 27, 2024, following his guilty plea to sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor. Judge Ludington also sentenced Hartman to five years of federal supervised release following his release from incarceration.
Hartman’s crimes became known in 2023 when a 13-year-old reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation that Hartman was threatening her and forcing her to send sexually explicit images and videos to him online. Law enforcement traced Hartman to Saginaw, and the FBI executed a search warrant at Hartman’s residence where they recovered multiple electronic devices. The FBI analyzed the devices and found numerous online conversations between Hartman and minors where Hartman requested the minors send him sexually explicit videos. They also found numerous images and videos of other child sexually abusive material.
“This case came to light through the bravery of a young victim who came forward to bring her predator to justice. This sentence justly punishes the defendant for preying on children and hopefully will encourage others to seek help from trusted adults and law enforcement if they are being coerced into sending explicit images online,” U.S. Attorney Ison said.
"Mr. Hartman is a glaring example of the manipulative nature of sexual predators, underscoring the relentless efforts of the FBI to apprehend these criminals and safeguard our children," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "His actions were despicable, and those who perpetrate such crimes will face justice. The FBI urges anyone with knowledge of child sexual exploitation to report it at tips.fbi.gov or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI."
This case was investigated by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katharine Hemann.
Sacramento Man Charged with Serial Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment on June 6, 2024, against Sean Ryan Angelo Grace, 32, of Sacramento, charging him with producing images and videos depicting child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between August 2021 and August 2023, Grace convinced at least five underage female victims to send him images and videos depicting themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit of the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force, which includes the Folsom Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stefanki is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, on each count, Grace faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison, as well as a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Reynosa man sent to prison for attempting to smuggle several firearms to MexicoRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 24-year-old resident of Reynosa, Mexico, has been sentenced for attempting to smuggle multiple firearms to Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Guadalupe Mendiola-Urbina pleaded guilty March 21, 2023.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Mendiola-Urbina to serve 38 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, Mendiola-Urbina is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.
On May 18, 2022, Mendiola-Urbina entered the United States through the Hidalgo Port of Entry in a vehicle. He was found to be in possession of $4,000 at the time he entered. That same day, Mendiola-Urbina attempted to leave the United States and enter Mexico through the Hidalgo Port of Entry in the same vehicle.
Upon inspection, authorities discovered seven Glock pistols and eight firearm magazines concealed in his vehicle. Mendiola-Urbina admitted to hiding the firearms and magazines in the vehicle to take them to Mexico.
Mendiola-Urbina will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection conducted the joint investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cahal P. McColgan prosecuted the case.
Prominent Ghanaian “Influencer” Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Receiving Romance Scam ProceedsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that MONA FAIZ MONTRAGE was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken on June 28, 2024. MONTRAGE previously pled guilty on February 21, 2024, to conspiracy to receive stolen money.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Mona Faiz Montrage knowingly received illegal funds from older Americans who were victims of romance scams and now faces serious consequences for her actions. Romance scams such as Montrage’s harm vulnerable, elderly victims not only in the cruel betrayal of trust in the realization that their online romantic connection was fiction, but by also callously stealing their money. This Office and our law enforcement partners are relentless in bringing fraudsters who target Americans to justice, no matter where they are.”
As alleged in the Indictment and statements made in public filings and public court proceedings:
From at least in or about 2013 through in or about 2019, MONTRAGE was a member of a criminal enterprise (the “Enterprise”) based in West Africa that committed a series of frauds against individuals and businesses in the U.S., including romance scams.
Many of the Enterprise’s romance scam victims were vulnerable, older men and women who lived alone. The Enterprise frequently conducted the romance scams by sending the victims emails, text messages, and social media messages that deceived the victims into believing that they were in romantic relationships with a person who was, in fact, a fake identity assumed by members of the Enterprise. Once members of the Enterprise had successfully convinced victims that they were in a romantic relationship and had gained their trust, they convinced the victims, under false pretenses, to transfer money to bank accounts the victims believed were controlled by their romantic interests, when, in fact, the bank accounts were controlled by members of the Enterprise.
MONTRAGE is a Ghanaian public figure who rose to fame as an influencer through her Instagram profile under the username “Hajia4Reall,” which at one point had approximately 3.4 million Instagram followers and was among the top 10 most followed profiles in Ghana.
MONTRAGE received money from approximately forty victims of romance frauds, whom members of the Enterprise tricked into sending money. Among the false pretenses used to induce victims to send money to MONTRAGE were payments to transport gold to the U.S. from overseas, payments to resolve a fake Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) investigation, and payments to assist a fake U.S. Army officer in receiving funds from Afghanistan.
In total, MONTRAGE controlled bank accounts that received over $2 million in fraudulent funds for the Enterprise.
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In addition to the prison term, MONTRAGE, 32, of Accra, Ghana, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and order to forfeit $216,475 and pay restitution in the amount of $1,387,458.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mitzi Steiner and Kevin Mead are in charge of the prosecution.
Plattsburgh Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK –Jason Miller, age 33, of Plattsburgh, New York, was sentenced today to serve 120 months in federal prison for possession of 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 guilty plea, Miller admitted that on March 17, 2021, he possessed images on his cell phone of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The defendant’s conduct was uncovered during a joint law enforcement investigation into an online group sharing images of child pornography on Kik, a social media messaging application. The defendant admitted to receiving, distributing, and possessing child pornography on Kik.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed a term of 15 years of supervised release, which will start after Miller is released from prison. Miller will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Miller was previously convicted on May 16, 2016, in Clinton County Court of disseminating indecent material to minors in the first degree. Following multiple violations of probation, he was sentenced to 16 months to 4 years’ imprisonment.
The FBI investigated this case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carling Dunham prosecuted the case.
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), and is designed to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Northeast Kingdom Man Sentenced in Drug Conspiracy CaseRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on June 28, 2024, Clair Deslandes, 65, of Island Pond, Vermont, was sentenced by United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 30 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Deslandes previously pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base pursuant to a plea agreement with the United States.
According to court records, Deslandes became associated with his codefendant Juan Carlos “JC” Ortiz in late 2021 while Ortiz was staying at multiple residences in and around Orleans County, Vermont, for the purpose of distributing drugs. Deslandes purchased controlled substances from Ortiz, both for his own consumption and for distribution to others in the Northeast Kingdom. Witnesses explained that Deslandes allowed Ortiz and other drug dealers to periodically stay at his Island Pond residence, which was used to store and distribute controlled substances to customers. Deslandes appears to have continued his drug interactions with Ortiz until Ortiz was arrested in August 2022. Earlier in this case, Judge Reiss sentenced Ortiz to 95 months’ imprisonment for his role in the conspiracy.
The sentencing hearing followed a long-term investigation conducted by multiple local, county, state and federal agencies that was led by the Northeastern Vermont Drug Task Force (NEVDTF) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). NEVDTF and ATF were assisted in this investigation by agents with Homeland Security Investigations, detectives and troopers from the Vermont State Police; members of the Orleans and Essex County Sheriff’s Departments, the Newport Police Department; aviators with the Air & Marine Operations component of United States Customs & Border Protection; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaboration of federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies during the investigation and prosecution of the case.
The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Lasher. William Kraham, Esq. represented Clair Deslandes.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Nine Individuals Charged in Middle District of Florida in Connection with Health Care Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces criminal charges against nine individuals in connection with alleged schemes to defraud programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled, and to obtain controlled substances through fraud. The charges filed in the Middle District of Florida (MDFL) are part of the Department of Justice’s 2024 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our federal, state, and local partners to investigate and prosecute health care fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Handberg. “This enforcement action demonstrates my office’s resolve, and that of the Department of Justice, to protect these programs and the people they benefit from exploitation.”
“It does not matter if you are a trafficker in a drug cartel or a corporate executive or medical professional employed by a health care company, if you profit from the unlawful distribution of controlled substances, you will be held accountable,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will bring to justice criminals who defraud Americans, steal from taxpayer-funded programs, and put people in danger for the sake of profits.”
The MDFL cases are part of a strategically coordinated, two-week nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 193 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes that resulted in the submission of over $2.75 billion in alleged false billings. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets, and the Government, in connection with the enforcement action, seized over $231 million in cash, luxury vehicles, gold, and other assets.
The Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces 32 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are prosecuting the cases in the National Enforcement Action, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here.
The MDFL has worked with the Department’s Criminal Division and the following law enforcement organizations to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the enforcement period: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; Homeland Security Investigations; and Food and Drug Administration - Office of Criminal Investigations.
The following individuals have been charged in Middle District of Florida:
- Ma Gracia Cadet, 53, of Kissimmee, Florida, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain over $9.3 million in Medicare funds. According to the information, Cadet, the owner of durable medical equipment (“DME”) companies KGA Medical Supply LLC and Sapphire Medical Supply LLC, caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for DME that was medically unnecessary and ineligible for reimbursement by Medicare. Cadet offered and paid illegal kickbacks to her co-conspirators at purported telemedicine companies in exchange for signed doctors’ orders for medically unnecessary orthotic braces that were ultimately billed to Medicare. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Jessica A. Massey of the Florida Strike Force.
- Eva LeBeau, 65, of Clearwater, Florida, and Lori Lebrecht, 60, of Largo, Florida, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive illegal health care kickbacks, as well as with paying illegal health care kickbacks to patient recruiters, all in connection with an alleged scheme to refer Medicare beneficiaries to Prestigious Senior Home Health Care, Inc. and to submit false and fraudulent claims totaling over $2 million for home health services. LeBeau owned Prestigious and Lebrecht was Prestigious’ Director of Nursing. The indictment alleges that LeBeau and Lebrecht conspired to pay, and paid, patient recruiters per patient referral that Prestigious to billed to Medicare. Medicare paid approximately $1.3 million based on the false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Reginald Cuyler Jr. and Charles D. Strauss of the Florida Strike Force.
- Robert Desselle, 46, of Sarasota, Florida was charged by indictment with conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive health care kickbacks, and with paying illegal health care kickbacks, in connection with a scheme to pay illegal health care kickbacks to patient recruiters in exchange for referring Medicare beneficiaries. The alleged scheme involved Desselle, through his company Desselle’s Sky High Enterprise, LLC, paying marketers on a per-patient basis to recruit Medicare beneficiaries for cancer genetic testing (“CGx”) tests which were not medically necessary. As a result of the charged scheme, Medicare paid approximately $4.5 million on CGx claims billed for these beneficiaries. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Charles D. Strauss of the Florida Strike Force.
- Marques Elijah Green, 29, of Windermere, Florida, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain over $3.4 million in Medicare funds. According to the information, Green, owner of durable medical equipment (“DME”) companies Onyx Medical Supply LLC and AquaMed Supply LLC, caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for DME that was medically unnecessary and ineligible for reimbursement by Medicare. Green offered and paid kickbacks to his co-conspirators at purported telemedicine companies in exchange for signed doctor’s orders for medically unnecessary orthotic braces that were ultimately billed to Medicare. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Jessica A. Massey of the Florida Strike Force.
- Lisa Williams, 56, of Lithia, Florida, was charged by indictment with six counts of tampering with a consumer product and six counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud in connection with her unlawfully acquiring and tampering with fentanyl infusion bags at a hospital. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Pizzo of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
- Lawrence Waldman, 57, of Miami, Florida, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to defraud the United States and to solicit and receive illegal kickbacks and bribes, as well as with illegal monetary transactions, in connection with a scheme to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare. As alleged in the indictment, Waldman worked for ASAP Lab, LLC as a sales representative. Waldman used his position with ASAP to travel throughout the State of Florida, and elsewhere, to obtain genetic test and respiratory viral panel test swabs from Medicare beneficiaries. Waldman and his coconspirators used the test swabs, along with requisition forms containing forged and unauthorized signatures of medical practitioners, to obtain approximately $380,000 in illegal kickbacks and bribes for causing the submission of false and fraudulent claims for reimbursement from Medicare. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany E. Fields of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
- Erin Kim, 54, of Orlando, Florida, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances, in connection with her role in an unlawful scheme to distribute Adderall and other stimulants. As alleged in the indictment, Kim was a nurse practitioner employed by Done, a California-based digital health company. In the course of her employment with Done, Kim prescribed Adderall and other stimulants that were not for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional practice. The indictment further alleges that Kim and others fabricated patient files and signed prescriptions for Adderall and other stimulants where Done patients did not meet the requisite diagnostic criteria for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, where the prescriptions posed a risk of diversion, and where the dosages went beyond what was normally prescribed. In total, Kim is alleged to have prescribed over 1.5 million pills of Adderall and other stimulants, for which she was paid by Done over $800,000. Trial Attorney Raymond Beckering III of the National Rapid Response Strike Force is prosecuting the case.
- Eric Brewer, 28, of Lakeland, Florida, was charged by indictment with tampering with a consumer product and obtaining a controlled substance by fraud in connection with his unlawfully acquiring and tampering with fentanyl infusion bags. As alleged in the indictment, Brewer, a registered nurse who worked in intensive care units, engaged in two similar criminal schemes to divert fentanyl at five different Tampa-area hospitals across seven different dates. In the first scheme, which Brewer executed on several occasions, Brewer stole fentanyl by checking out 100 mL bags of liquid fentanyl from locked controlled substance cabinets but keeping the bags for himself rather than administering them to patients or returning them. In the second scheme, Brewer used hospital computers to research which patients were receiving fentanyl intravenously, entered those patients’ rooms even when he had no medical reason to do so, and surreptitiously siphoned fentanyl from their IV drip bags into his own vessel; Brewer would then go to the hospital bathroom, where he would inject himself with stolen fentanyl. Sometimes, Brewer tried to cover his theft by replacing the fentanyl he withdrew with an equivalent volume of saline, but sometimes he did not. In both scenarios, however, Brewer’s actions deprived the most vulnerable patients of needed medicine. Brewer was caught when colleagues observed him acting impaired during a shift and the person who entered the bathroom immediately after Brewer exited found a bloody paper towel and needle inside. Hospital officials subsequently examined records and video and discovered Brewer’s pattern of diversion. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Gordon of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
- Waymon Wallace, 63, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was charged by information with conspiracy to solicit and receive illegal kickbacks and bribes in connection with a scheme to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare. Wallace, a licensed physician and an enrolled Medicare provider agreed to sign, and authorize the use of his signature on, laboratory requisition forms for medically unnecessary genetic and respiratory panel tests in exchange for cash. Wallace and his coconspirators caused over $500,000 in false and fraudulent claims for reimbursement to be submitted to Medicare. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany E. Fields of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
A complaint, indictment, or information is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New Orleans man sentenced to federal prison for Vidor carjackingRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A New Orleans, LA, man has been sentenced to over 12 years in federal prison for a 2022 violent carjacking in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.
Aubrey Young, 37, pleaded guilty to carjacking and was sentenced to 150 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on July 1, 2024.
According to information presented in court, on October 26, 2022, Young approached two people in Vidor asking if they had any work for him. When they said they did not, Young pulled a firearm from his backpack and demanded the keys from the victims. Young then fled in their vehicle. The car was spotted near Anahuac and a high-speed chase ensued. Young was arrested and a firearm was located in the stolen vehicle.
On April 18, 2024, U.S. Attorney Diggs announced the newly formed Carjacking Task Force in the Eastern District of Texas. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), will work alongside state and local law enforcement partners to more effectively address the threat of carjackings in Southeast Texas.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Vidor Police Department, the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove.
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New Orleans Man Sentenced for Being Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DAVID COULTER, age 34, of New Orleans, was sentenced on June 27, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter to the statutory maximum of 120 months incarceration after he previously pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).
Judge Vitter also ordered that COULTER be placed on supervised release for three (3) years following his release from imprisonment and pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, COULTER has a prior conviction for possessing cocaine and multiple convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm or weapon in Orleans Parish. Due to this criminal history, he is prohibited from having a firearm.
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.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and New Orleans Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit prosecuted this matter.
National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action Results in 193 Defendants Charged and over $2.75 Billion in False ClaimsRead the Press Release
Today, Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Yelovich, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, announced criminal charges against four defendants in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud federal health care benefit programs including Medicare and Medicaid. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2024 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action. The charges stem from an alleged conspiracy to provide prescriptions for Adderall and other stimulants to customers of an online health care service without a legitimate medical purpose for doing so. According to the several informations and the indictment filed against the defendants, they each had a role in enabling members of an online telehealth company to obtain Adderall and other stimulants from pharmacies by illegitimate means including making false and fraudulent representations to pharmacies, seeking to obstruct efforts by pharmacies to exercise their corresponding responsibility, and causing pharmacies to submit false and fraudulent claims for reimbursement to health care insurance plans.
“It does not matter if you are a trafficker in a drug cartel or a corporate executive or medical professional employed by a health care company, if you profit from the unlawful distribution of controlled substances, you will be held accountable,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will bring to justice criminals who defraud Americans, steal from taxpayer-funded programs, and put people in danger for the sake of profits.”
“We allege that each defendant played a role in a scheme to submit fraudulent requests to Medicare and Medicaid to obtain reimbursements for drugs that were improperly prescribed through online services,” said Deputy Chief Yelovich. “Making controlled substances available to persons without a legitimate medical purpose is drug dealing and knowingly facilitating bogus reimbursements from federal programs is fraud. This office will vigorously prosecute both.”
The charges announced today by Deputy Chief Yelovich are part of a strategically coordinated, two-week nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 193 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes that resulted in the submission of over $2.75 billion in alleged false billings. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets, and the Government, in connection with the enforcement action, seized over $231 million in cash, luxury vehicles, gold, and other assets.
The Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Southern District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Connecticut, Middle District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District to Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, Western District of Louisiana, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Rhode Island, Eastern District of Tennessee, Middle District of Tennessee, Eastern District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, and Eastern District of Wisconsin; and State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, and South Dakota are prosecuting the cases in the National Enforcement Action, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here.
The Northern District of California, in particular, worked with the Department’s Criminal Division and the following law enforcement organizations to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the enforcement period: Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and IRS Criminal Investigation.
The following individuals are charged in the Northern District of California:
• Riley Levy, 30, of Peoria, Arizona, was charged by information with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in connection with his role in an unlawful scheme to distribute Adderall and other stimulants. As alleged in the information, in the course and scope of his work for Done Health, P.C. and Done Global Inc. (“Done”), Levy, Done’s Executive Leader, Operations and Strategy, conspired to distribute Adderall and other stimulants by means of the Internet that were not for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional practice. Health Care Fraud Unit Principal Assistant Deputy Chief Jacob Foster, Trial Attorney Raymond Beckering III of the National Rapid Response Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina Green and Katherine Lloyd-Lovett of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California are prosecuting the case.
• Christopher Lucchese, 58, of Plano, Texas, was charged by information with conspiracy to defraud the United States and distribute controlled substances in connection with his role in an unlawful scheme to distribute Adderall and other stimulants. As alleged in the information, in the course and scope of his work for Done Health, P.C. and Done Global Inc., Lucchese, a medical doctor, issued prescriptions for Adderall and other stimulants that were not for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional practice. Health Care Fraud Unit Principal Assistant Chief Jacob Foster, Trial Attorney Raymond Beckering III of the National Rapid Response Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina Green and Katherine Lloyd-Lovett of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California are prosecuting the case.
• Yina Cruz, 37, of Glenwood, New Jersey, was charged by information with conspiracy to defraud the United States and distribute controlled substances in connection with her role in an unlawful scheme to distribute Adderall and other stimulants. As alleged in the information, in the course and scope of her work for Done Health, P.C. and Done Global Inc., Cruz, a nurse practitioner, issued prescriptions for Adderall and other stimulants, including to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, that were not for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional practice. Health Care Fraud Unit Principal Assistant Chief Jacob Foster, Trial Attorney Raymond Beckering III of the National Rapid Response Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina Green and Katherine Lloyd-Lovett of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California are prosecuting the case.
• Katrina Pratcher, 70, of Altadena, California, was charged by information with conspiracy to defraud the United States and distribute controlled substances in connection with her role in an unlawful scheme to distribute Adderall and other stimulants. As alleged, in the course and scope of her work for Done Health, P.C. and Done Global Inc., Pratcher, a nurse practitioner, issued prescriptions for Adderall and other stimulants, including to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, that were not for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional practice. Health Care Fraud Unit Principal Assistant Chief Jacob Foster, Trial Attorney Raymond Beckering III of the National Rapid Response Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina Green and Katherine Lloyd-Lovett of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California are prosecuting the case.A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Multiple Orleans Parish Residents Indicted for Violating the Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control ActsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on June 27, 2024 a ten-count indictment charging the following Orleans Parish residents:
- WILBERT SMITH, (“SMITH”), age 44
- DAVID KELLUP, (“D. KELLUP”), age 44
- IVAN KELLUP, (“I. KELLUP”), age 41
- VINCENT HENDERSON, (“HENDERSON”), age 50
- ELI MATHINS, (“MATHINS”), age 36
- DEONTAE DORSEY, (“DORSEY”), age 43
- RONALD KELLUP, (“R. KELLUP”), age 76
SMITH, D. KELLUP, I. KELLUP, HENDERSON, MATHINS, and DORSEY were indicted in Count 1 of the indictment, charging them with Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), 841(b)(1)(B), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846. If convicted of Count 1, they face a minimum of 10 years and up to life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000 fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release following imprisonment.
SMITH and D. KELLUP were indicted in Count 2 of the indictment, charging them with Possession with intent to distribute over 40 grams of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine and heroin, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and § 841(b)(1)(C). If convicted of Count 2, they face a minimum of 5 years and up to 40 years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and at least 4 years of supervised release following imprisonment.
HENDERSON was indicted in Count 3 of the indictment, charging him with Possession with Intent to Distribute a quantity of fentanyl and cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). If convicted of Count 3, HENDERSON faces up to twenty years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least 3 years of supervised release following imprisonment.
HENDERSON was also indicted in Count 4 along with SMITH, D. KELLUP, I. KELLUP, MATHINS, and DORSEY for possessing firearms in furtherance of these drug trafficking crimes, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1). A conviction on Count 4 carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years up to life imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 5 years of supervised release following imprisonment. Any sentence on Count 4 must run consecutive to any other sentence.
D. KELLUP, SMITH, and MATHINS were also indicted in Counts 5, 6, and 7, respectively, for possessing firearms as convicted felons, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). They face up to 15 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release following imprisonment. All eight individuals were indicted in Count 8 for maintaining a drug-involved premises, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 856(a) and 18 U.S.C. § 2. Count 8 carries up to 20 years imprisonment, up to a $500,000 fine, and at least 3 years of supervised release following imprisonment. All eight counts also carry a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to the indictment, beginning on a time unknown but continuing until at least May 8, 2024, these seven individuals maintained three residences in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans for the purpose of packaging and distributing narcotics, including fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin. Several of the individuals furthered their drug trafficking conspiracy by possessing firearms, which they are prohibited from doing under federal law and also due to their prior felony convictions.
United States Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of a defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
United States Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Louisiana State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.
Monroe County Man Sentenced to 147 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking and Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that James Williams, III, aka “Dilly,” age 45, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on June 26, 2024, to 147 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, for drug trafficking and firearms charges.
On April 20, 2023, following a jury trial, Williams was convicted of two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school, possession with intent to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession or a stolen firearm.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on March 29, 2018, and April 18, 2018, law enforcement made two controlled purchases of cocaine from Williams in a commercial parking lot adjacent to Stroudsburg High School property. On May 3, 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Williams’s residence and recovered multiple firearms, over 600 grams of cocaine, drug packing materials and over $21,000 in U.S. currency.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Stroud Area Regional Police Department, and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jenny P. Roberts and Sean A. Camoni 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.
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Mexican National Indicted for Making False Statements in Passport ApplicationRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on June 27, 2024, DARVELIO ALVARO (“ALVARO”), age 24, a citizen of Mexico, was indicted for making false statements in an application for a United States passport in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1542.
According to court documents, on or about July 2, 2023, ALVARO provided a false name and social security number and falsely claimed he was born in Puerto Rico, to apply for a United States passport.
If convicted, ALVARO faces up to 10 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
U. S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service. Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing over $30,000 in Postage Stamps Using Fraudulent ChecksRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – William Soto, age 32, of Springfield, Massachusetts, pled guilty today to a federal indictment charging him with twelve counts of theft of government property, United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) announced.
During the plea, Soto admitted that, on twelve separate occasions, he used fraudulent checks to purchase more than $30,000 worth of United States Postal Service postage stamps over the course of two days in Oneida County, Oswego County, and Onondaga County in August 2023. In one instance, he bought $9,438.00 in stamps from a post office in Oswego County using a fake check.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 29, 2024. Soto faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
The USPIS is investigating the case with the help of the City of Fulton Police Department and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck is prosecuting the case.