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27 June 2024
Middlesex County Man Sentenced to 108 Months in Prison for Role in Gunpoint RobberyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 108 months in prison for his role in an attempted robbery in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where the victim was shot 14 times, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Jonathan Rosales, 23, of New Brunswick, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and attempted Hobbs Act robbery. Judge Kirsch imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Dec. 28, 2020, Rosales, along with his accomplices, Saul Peralta and Giovanni Hoyos-Jaimes, attempted to rob the victim in New Brunswick. During the struggle, the victim was shot 14 times causing him to sustain serious injuries. Peralta and Hoyos-Jaimes previously pleaded guilty before Judge Kirsch for their involvement in this incident.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kirsch sentenced Rosales to three years of supervised release.
Peralta was sentenced by Judge Kirsch on May 22, 2024, to 78 months in prison and Hoyos-Jaimes is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI in Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy; members of the New Brunswick Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Vincent Sabo; and members of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the leadership of Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin, Co-Chief of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
Middle District of Tennessee Charges Four Individuals Responsible for $15 Million in False Medicare Billing as Part of National Health Care Fraud TakedownRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Today, United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis announced criminal charges against four defendants in connection with alleged schemes to defraud Medicare. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Justice Department’s 2024 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action. The charges stem from schemes to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary genetic tests, durable medical equipment, and medications that were procured through kickbacks used to obtain doctors’ orders and patient information.
"Fraud and abuse continue to plague our federal health care programs and divert funds away from deserving patients,” said Henry C. Leventis, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. “As United States Attorney for the nation’s health care capital, I am proud of my office’s leadership on health care fraud enforcement and I am very appreciative of Attorney General Garland highlighting our efforts during his remarks earlier today.”
“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 charges announced today by United States Attorney Leventis 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 United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee worked with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the FBI to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the enforcement period.
“We will not tolerate fraud that preys on patients who need and deserve high quality health care,” said the Honorable Christi A. Grimm, the Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “The hard work of the HHS-OIG team and our outstanding law enforcement partners makes today’s action possible. We must protect taxpayer dollars and keep Americans safe from harms to their health, privacy, and financial well-being.”
“Health care fraud is a crime that hurts all of us and each dollar taken from programs that help the elderly and the disabled is one dollar too many,” said Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Memphis Field Office. “The FBI is committed to fighting fraud and protecting taxpayer dollars, and with our law enforcement partners we will continue to identify and investigate the criminals who target the systems each of us depends on.”
The following individuals have been charged in the Middle District of Tennessee:
James Brandon “Brady” Washburn, 44, of Franklin, Tennessee, and Robert Houston McDowell, 43, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive health care kickbacks, and paying and receiving health care kickbacks, in connection with their role in selling doctors’ orders for medically unnecessary genetic tests, medications, and durable medical equipment (“DME”) to laboratories, pharmacies, and DME companies. The defendants also owned and operated their own DME companies in Franklin and Brentwood, Tennessee, and bought doctors’ orders for orthotic braces and submitted claims for medically unnecessary items to Medicare. The defendants obtained the orders by paying kickbacks and bribes to purported telemedicine companies and marketers in exchange for doctors signing orders for DME. The indictment alleges that the defendants and their co-conspirators received over $1 million in kickbacks for selling doctors’ orders to laboratories, pharmacies, and DME companies; that they submitted and caused to be submitted, through their DME companies, over $6 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for DME; and that their DME companies were paid over $2 million on those claims.
Paulo R. Costa, 36, of Palm City, Florida, and Mark J.W. Carr, 35, of Lighthouse Point, Florida were each charged by separate information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and to pay and receive health care kickbacks in connection with an over $9 million scheme involving multiple pharmacies, including in Mt. Juliet and Goodlettsville, Tennessee. As alleged in the informations, the defendants obtained patient information through the use of call centers where telemarketers persuaded Medicare beneficiaries to accept prescriptions for expensive medications, which the beneficiaries neither needed nor wanted. The defendants obtained signed prescriptions by paying kickbacks to marketers and telemedicine companies and then billed Medicare Part D plan sponsors for prescriptions that were procured through the payment of kickbacks and that were medically unnecessary.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah K. Bogni and Robert S. Levine of the Middle District of Tennessee are prosecuting the cases in the Middle District of Tennessee.
An information or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Mexican Citizen Indicted for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Armando Lara-Contreras, age 33, a Citizen of Mexico, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for illegally reentering the United States.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Lara-Contreras was previously removed from the United States on February 24, 2016, through Brownsville, Tx, and it is alleged that he was subsequently found in the United States without having first obtained legal permission to reenter the country. The indictment also alleges that on April 29, 2024, Lara-Contreras was encountered in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
The case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorney K. Wesley Mishoe is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty upon conviction for the charged offense is two years imprisonment, one year of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine, and a special assessment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by a court after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Maryland Man Found Guilty After A Four-Day Trial of Wire Fraud and Theft of Government PropertyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – After a four-day trial, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict convicting William Rich, age 43, of Windsor Mill, Maryland, of fraudulently obtaining more than $750,000 dollars in veteran disability benefits by falsely claiming that he was paralyzed. Rich was convicted of five counts of wire fraud and one count of theft of government property.
The guilty verdict was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland and Kim R. Lampkins, Special Agent in Charge, Mid Atlantic Field Office, United States Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”).
Evidence at trial established Rich intentionally misrepresented his physical condition during VA disability compensation and pension exams and in other communications with the VA in pursuit of VA disability benefits. Rich claimed that he was paralyzed and unable to walk. As a result, Rich received more than $750,000 in VA benefits to which he was not entitled including special monthly compensation, caregiver assistance compensation, and medical equipment.
Rich served in the United States Army from on or about September 22, 1998, to February 27, 2007, sustaining injuries on August 23, 2005, after being injured in a bombing in Baqubah, Iraq. Rich’s injuries included temporary paralysis. Rich then applied to the VA’s disability compensation program, and according to the evidence presented at trial, approximately six weeks after Rich’s injuries, he made substantial progress toward recovery and was no longer paralyzed. A subsequent medical report, indicated that Rich was able to perform certain essential daily activities with “complete independence” or “modified independence.”.” However, largely based on an October 11, 2007, exam, where Rich reported paralysis in his lower extremities and being confined to a wheelchair, he was granted permanent disability from VA.
In 2018, the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) launched a proactive investigation of disabled veteran files and learned of conduct by Rich inconsistent with his purported physical condition. For more than two years, VA OIG Special Agents (SAs) investigated Rich, including conducting video surveillance. Footage presented at trial showed Rich walking, going up and down stairs, entering and exiting vehicles, lifting, bending, and carrying items—all without visible limitation or assistance of a medical device, including a wheelchair.
Throughout the course of their surveillance, the only time agents observed Rich use a wheelchair was when he attended VA medical appointments. Between March 2019 and February 2021, VA OIG investigators observed Rich standing and loading his wheelchair into the trunk of his car before VA medical appointments, using a wheelchair at VA appointments, wheeling himself from a VA medical appointment to his car, and then standing to load his wheelchair back into his car. A review of Rich’s publicly available social media accounts revealed multiple images of Rich standing, with no indication that he was wheelchair bound, including an image Rich took of himself standing in front of a mirror at a gym, as well as videos of Rich lifting weights.
In addition to receiving more than $8,000 in monthly disability benefits from the VA, Rich also received grants from the VA for “Automobile and Adaptive Equipment,” and “Specially Adapted Housing.” Rich used funds intended for the purchase of a specially adapted vehicle to buy a BMW 645ci luxury sports coupe.
Rich faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud and a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for theft of government property. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Federal district court judges determine sentences after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The date for Rich’s sentencing has not been scheduled.
U.S. Attorney Barron thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kertisha Dixon and Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen McGuinn, who prosecuted the case. Mr. Barron also thanked former lead Special Agent, Brian Maddox, currently a Special Agent with the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and Patrick Prewitt, Senior Special Agent and National Fleet Manager, with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Lying to Buy a Gun and Possessing Multiple Guns While a Drug UserRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man who made a false statement when purchasing a firearm and possessed multiple firearms as a drug user was sentenced today to more than four years in federal prison.
Alexander Wesley Ledvina, age 27, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 1, 2023 verdict following a bench trial in which Ledvina was found guilty of one count of possession of a firearm by a drug user and one count of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.
Evidence at the bench trial and sentencing hearing showed that on July 29, 2022, Ledvina purchased a firearm from a gun store in the Northern District of Iowa and falsely stated that he was not an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any other controlled substance. However, during the bench trial, Ledvina stipulated that he knew that he was using controlled substances, including marijuana, THC, and cocaine, in March, April, May, June, and July 2022. On August 11, 2022, law enforcement investigators searched Ledvina’s home. Investigators located a total of five firearms. Investigators also located multiple rounds of ammunition, multiple firearm magazines, a drum magazine that had a 100-round capacity, marijuana, and cannabis inside Ledvina’s residence.
Ledvina was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Ledvina was sentenced to 51 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
Ledvina is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-36.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Man Sentenced to 19 Months in Prison for Stealing Mail in ChesterfieldRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Thursday sentenced Christopher Ali Pate, a man who stole mail from mailboxes in Chesterfield, Missouri, to 19 months in prison.
Pate, 32, pleaded guilty in March in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of mail theft. His co-defendant, Eryk Campbell, 28, pleaded guilty to the same charge in February.
Both men stole mail from multiple mailboxes in Chesterfield on Aug. 28, 2023, at the direction of Pate, before driving to a gas station in St. Louis. When a police vehicle drove onto the gas station lot, Pate and Campbell fled and refused to stop for police, throwing stolen mail out of the vehicle as they drove away.
Campbell was sentenced to six months behind bars and 16 months of supervised release.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cort VanOstran prosecuted the case.
Magellan Diagnostics Pleads Guilty to Criminal FDCA ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON –Magellan Diagnostics, Inc., a medical device company headquartered in Billerica, Mass., pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to criminal charges relating to its concealment of a device malfunction that produced inaccurately low lead test results for tens of thousands of children and other patients.
Magellan pleaded guilty to two counts of introducing a misbranded medical device into interstate commerce, in violation of the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). United States District Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Oct. 9, 2024.
According to the plea agreement, Magellan also has agreed to pay a $28.1 million fine, $10.9 million in forfeiture, and a minimum of $9.3 million to compensate patient victims.
Magellan’s LeadCare Ultra and LeadCare II devices detected lead levels and lead poisoning in the blood of children and adults using either venous (i.e., blood draws through the arm) or fingerstick samples. LeadCare II, which was predominantly used to test fingerstick samples, accounted for more than half of all blood lead tests conducted in the United States from 2013 through 2017. LeadCare Ultra was predominantly used to test venous samples.
Magellan admitted today that it failed to timely notify the FDA about a serious malfunction that caused the company’s LeadCare devices to produce inaccurate blood lead level results when used to test venous blood samples. Magellan also admitted that it changed the user instructions for the LeadCare devices without prior FDA notice or approval.
Magellan first learned that a malfunction in its LeadCare Ultra device could cause inaccurate lead test results – specifically, lead test results that were falsely low – during the FDA clearance process in June 2013. Magellan, however, released LeadCare Ultra to the market in late 2013 without informing customers or the FDA of the malfunction. In August 2014, LeadCare Ultra customers independently discovered the malfunction and complained about inaccurate results. FDA regulations required the company to file a medical device report about the malfunction within 30 days, but Magellan did not do so.
In November 2014, Magellan sent a letter to its LeadCare Ultra customers advising them of the malfunction and recommending that they wait 24 hours before running their tests. This contradicted the instructions for use approved by the FDA. Magellan did not, however, report the malfunction to the FDA or advise the FDA of its change to the instructions until April 2015, nearly 21 months after Magellan discovered the malfunction and almost 8 months after customers discovered the malfunction on their own.
Magellan’s testing in 2013 also indicated that the same malfunction affected the LeadCare II device when it was used to test venous samples. Magellan, however, did not notify the FDA about the LeadCare II malfunction until November 2016.
In August 2015, Magellan changed the label instructions for the LeadCare Ultra device to require users to wait 24 hours before using the device to test blood samples, rather than testing the samples immediately. FDA regulations required the company to provide advance notice of the label change and file necessary reports of device correction, but Magellan did neither.
The FDA ultimately found that the LeadCare devices could not accurately test venous samples, leading to a recall of all LeadCare devices using venous samples and a warning to the public not to use LeadCare Ultra, LeadCare II or LeadCare Plus for testing venous blood samples because of the malfunction and a recommendation that doctors retest certain patients
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is no safe level of lead in the blood. Lead exposure may cause irreversible lifelong physical and mental health problems. Young children and pregnant women are most vulnerable to lead exposure, especially those from low-income households and those who live in housing built before 1978 because those homes are more likely to contain lead-based paint and have fixtures containing lead.
As part of the criminal resolution, Magellan has agreed to compensate all patients who were demonstrably harmed for the pecuniary damages they suffered as a result of the malfunction in Magellan’s blood lead testing devices. If you or a family member believe you received an inaccurate blood lead test result from a LeadCare device between 2013–2017, please complete the questionnaire located on the FBI’s website at www.fbi.gov/MagellanCaseInquiry. Information about the status of the case is located on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/victim-and-witness-assistance-program/magellan-diagnostics-inc.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Herbert, Kelly Lawrence, and Leslie Wright of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Madison Man Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud the United States as Part of Department of Justice’s 2024 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement ActionRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Today, United States Attorney Todd Gee announced criminal charges against a defendant in connection with an alleged conspiracy to defraud the United States. 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 a scheme to pay kickbacks to a marketer in exchange for completed doctors’ orders so the defendant could cause his durable medical equipment companies to bill Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans for orthotic braces that were medically unnecessary and/or ineligible for reimbursement.
“This defendant engaged in a scheme that cost taxpayers in Mississippi and throughout the nation millions of dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Todd Gee. “The Department of Justice is committed to investigating and prosecuting fraud in Mississippi, and I encourage doctors, patients, and others that are aware of such schemes to report them to federal authorities.”
The charges announced today 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.
During the enforcement period, the Southern District of Mississippi worked with the Department’s Criminal Division, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate and prosecute this case.
The defendant charged in the Southern District of Mississippi as part of this enforcement action is Reginald Fullwood, Jr., 59, of Madison, Mississippi. Fullwood was charged by information with conspiracy to defraud the United States in connection with a scheme to pay kickbacks to a marketer in exchange for completed doctors’ orders so that he could cause his durable medical equipment company, Jackson Medical Supply, to bill Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans for orthotic braces that were medically unnecessary and/or ineligible for reimbursement. When Medicare initiated an investigation of Jackson Medical Supply, the defendant opened another entity in the name of a nominee owner and again paid kickbacks to a marketer in exchange for doctors’ orders so that the new entity could continue to bill Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans for orthotic braces. Overall, Fullwood caused these entities to bill Medicare and Medicare Advantage approximately $12,441,625.30 and the entities were reimbursed approximately $6,448,092.61 for durable medical equipment that was medically unnecessary and/or ineligible for reimbursement.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Sara Porter of the Gulf Coast Strike Force and Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Purdie.
An information is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Louisiana Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl across State BordersRead the Press Release
Gulfport, MS – A Covington, LA man was sentenced to 84 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl across state borders.
Santana Phillipe Elzy, 23, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
According to court documents, on August 29, 2023, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration followed up on a written complaint alleging drug trafficking at the Motel 6 in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Agents surveilled the motel and were able to narrow down the suspected parties and rooms. During surveillance, agents observed a red Toyota Camry arrive at the Motel 6 to pick up two of the individuals suspected of selling drugs. Once the vehicle departed, agents followed the vehicle across state lines and observed the occupants of the vehicle, who were identified as Christopher Fricke, Kolby Sims, Emma Stoute, and Dakari Sykes, participate in what appeared to be a drug transaction with an individual, later identified as Santana Elzy, at a Wal-Mart parking lot in Louisiana. After the transaction, agents followed the Camry back into Mississippi and conducted a traffic stop where they recovered approximately 1,000 fentanyl laced pills and it was confirmed that Elzy had sold the group the pills for distribution in the Southern District of Mississippi.
According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. The DEA reports that two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal, and one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people. More facts on fentanyl can be found at https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl and https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl.
Elzy pled guilty on March 4, 2024, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose prosecuted the case.
Los Angeles County and Nevada Men Charged in Indictment Alleging They Used Instagram to Sell Firearms, Including ‘Ghost Guns’Read the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Nevada man was arraigned today on a federal grand jury indictment charging him and three other defendants – two of them from Los Angeles County – with using Instagram to sell more than 60 firearms, including ones lacking serial numbers – or “ghost guns” – as well as machine gun conversion devices known as “Glock switches.”
Mark Perez, 22, of Henderson, Nevada, pleaded not guilty today at his arraignment in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. An August 6 trial date has been scheduled in this case. Perez is free on $10,000 bond.
Perez is charged along with Ivan Quintos, 27, of Azusa, and Salvador Lopez, 24, of Whittier, and Zachary Dry, 23, of Henderson, Nevada, with one count of conspiracy and one count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. Perez also is charged with four counts of being a prohibited person in possession of firearms and ammunition, one count of possessing a firearm with a removed or altered serial number, and one count of possession of a machine gun.
According to the 11-count indictment that a federal grand jury returned on June 13, from July 2023 to May 2024, Perez and the other defendants used Instagram to coordinate and sell more than five dozen firearms. Some of the defendants used Instagram – direct messages and public posts – to sell the firearms, which included so-called “ghost guns” and “Glock switches” as well as firearms with obliterated serial numbers and firearms that had been stolen. The illegal firearm sales occurred in North Hollywood, Las Vegas, and elsewhere, the indictment alleges.
According to the indictment, Perez, Quintos, Lopez, and Dry are not federal firearms licensees and are not permitted to sell firearms. The indictment alleges that Perez is prohibited from possessing firearms due to his 2021 misdemeanor conviction in Nevada for domestic violence, and that Dry is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions for assault and battery in Nevada in 2023.
In addition to Perez, Quintos is charged with firearms trafficking and possession of a machine gun, Dry with possessing a firearm as a felon, Quintos with possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, and Lopez with possession of a firearm within a school zone.
Quintos and Dry have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them and await a trial date of August 6. Lopez’s arraignment is scheduled for July 9.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Perez faces a maximum sentence of 100 years in federal prison, Quintos faces a maximum sentence of 35 years in federal prison, Lopez faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison, and Dry faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in federal prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Baldwin Park Police Department, and Los Angeles Police Department are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney William M. Larsen of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
Local Air Force Veteran Arrested for Disclosing Sensitive Information Related to National DefenseRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Paul J. Freeman, 68, of Niceville, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with unauthorized possession and transmission of classified national defense information. Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today after Freeman made his initial appearance in federal court in Pensacola, Florida.
As alleged in the indictment, Freeman, on multiple occasions between November 2020 and March 2021, transmitted classified national defense information about United States Air Force aircraft and weapons to people not authorized to access the information.
A detention hearing has been set for July 1, 2024, at 1:00 p.m., at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before the Honorable United States Magistrate Judge Zachary Bolitho.
If convicted, Freeman faces up to a maximum of ten years’ imprisonment on each of the nine counts in the indictment.
The United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Goldberg for the Northern District of Florida, Senior Trial Attorney Heather M. Schmidt, and Trial Attorney Yifei Zheng of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Leon County Man Sentenced to Prison for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of A Minor and Possessing of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Shawn Lei Burge, 50, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison after having previously pleaded guilty to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor for sexual activity and possession of child pornography. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“There is no greater charge than the protection of our children,” stated U.S. Attorney Coody. “This sentence is yet another example of the unwavering commitment to the protection of our most vulnerable and should serve as a significant deterrent to those who would attempt to harm them. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who engage in such heinous conduct.”
During July 2023, a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), serving in an undercover capacity, met the defendant in a social media chat group focused on child pornography. During chats, Burge asked for videos or photographs depicting girls younger than 15 years of age. Over the course of a week, Burge and the undercover FBI agent communicated through private direct messaging about the undercover agent’s fictious girlfriend’s 11-year-old daughter. Burge requested photos of the fictious 11-year-old girl and indicated that he wanted to meet in-person so he could engage in sexual activity with the child.
“Child predators use the pseudo-anonymity of the internet to locate those who would help them feed their perversion of molesting children,” said HSI Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “This more than a decade sentencing is yet another example of the unwavering dedication and commitment of HSI special agents and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, alongside our law enforcement partners with Leon County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Attorney’s Office, to bring to justice those who prey upon our children.”
On August 6, 2023, Burge traveled to an agreed upon location for his stated purpose of engaging in sexual activity with the fictious 11-year-old child. Instead, Burge was promptly arrested by law enforcement. A search of Burge’s cell phone revealed a child pornography video shared during previous group chats with undercover agents. Further investigation revealed that Burge had 14 other child pornography photos and videos depicting children—including toddlers—being sexually abused.
Burge’s prison sentence will be followed by twelve years of supervised release, and he will be required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to all sex offender conditions. The Court also ordered forfeiture of Burge’s cell phone which was used in the commission of the offenses.
This conviction was the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations as part of a larger undercover operation conducted along with the Tallahassee Police Department and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Lebanon Insurance Broker Sentenced to over Seven Years in Federal Prison for Stealing Nearly $4 Million from Clients in “Ponzi” SchemeRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Brian Simms, 46, of Lebanon, has been sentenced to 90 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to wire fraud.
According to court documents, between 2012 and 2020, Simms was a licensed insurance broker and registered agent at Brendanwood Brokerage.
Beginning in 2013, and continuing through August 4, 2021, Brian Simms defrauded at least twenty-two victims by promoting investment services to current Brendanwood insurance clients and others. During that period, neither Simms nor Brendanwood were registered through the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority to provide financial advising services, or by the Indiana Securities Division or licensed to sell securities.
As part of his scheme, Simms advised victims to liquidate their traditional and long-term insurance investments, such as 401(k)-retirement savings accounts and life insurance policies. He encouraged the victims to reinvest the funds with him at Brendanwood. In exchange, Simms told victims he would invest their money on their behalf and yield higher rates of return than their current investments. He directed them to deposit those liquidated funds into their personal bank accounts and wire transfer or make checks payable to Brendanwood.
Instead of investing clients’ money as promised, Simms took it for his own personal benefit, such as paying Brendanwood’s payroll and other business expenses, and for his own personal expenditures including credit card payments, Amazon purchases, and other personal expenses.
Simms concealed the scheme through Ponzi-scheme type payments—using funds wrongfully taken from some investors to pay purported returns to others. He also falsified financial reports and made it appear that the victims’ funds were earning an increased rate of return and properly invested in traditional, legitimate investment products.
In total, Simms’ scheme caused 200 fraudulent deposits of client funds into Brendanwood’s accounts, totaling approximately $3,995,535.46 from at least twenty-two victim investors from Indiana, Ohio, and elsewhere. Simms stole significant portions of victims’ life savings, including six who lost over six-figure amounts, and two who lost over $1 million.
“This fraudster targeted those closest to him—friends, family, current customers, even widows and the elderly—folks relying on their savings to fund retirement, send kids to school, or simply live their lives with dignity,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “He stole his victims’ financial security and damaged or derailed their plans for the future. Fraudsters and Ponzi-schemers cause tremendous harm to the public, and their crimes merit serious punishment like the federal sentence imposed against Mr. Simms. Working closely with our partners at the FBI and the Indiana Securities Division, our federal prosecutors will continue to seek accountability for financial crimes and justice for victims.”
‘“Simms’ sentence reflects the ongoing efforts of collaboration between law enforcement agencies to protect Hoosier investors. The Securities Division will continue to work with our partner agencies to investigate these types of crime and ensure investment fraud is investigated and disrupted,” said Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales.
“The victims placed their trust in Mr. Simms with the expectation he would manage and invest their money for their future needs and not exploit that trust through lies and deceit,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “The FBI and our partners are committed to investigating these types of crimes to protect Hoosiers from swindlers such as the defendant.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Indiana Secretary of State investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker. Judge Barker also ordered that Simms must pay $2,617,028.36 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany J. Preston, who prosecuted this case.
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Lake Andes Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Prohibited Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Lake Andes, South Dakota, man, convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on June 25, 2024, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Reginald Robinson, Jr., age 31, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $100 as a statutorily required special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Robinson was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in February of 2023. He pleaded guilty on March 7, 2024.
On January 17, 2021, Sioux Falls Police responded to Walmart for a report of shoplifting. Upon arrival, law enforcement came into contact with Robinson. Robinson was searched and found to be in possession of a magazine located in his pants pocket and a firearm tucked into the waistband of his pants. Upon arrest and further search, Robinson was also found to be in possession of methamphetamine and marijuana.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.
Robinson was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to continue serving his sentence.
Kenai man pleads guilty to threatening U.S. SenatorRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Kenai man pleaded guilty yesterday to making interstate threats to kidnap and injure a sitting U.S. Senator.
According to court documents, Arther Graham, 46, sent a web form submission to a U.S. Senator on Sept. 28, 2023, threatening to injure the Senator. Congressional staff members reported the threat to the U.S. Capitol Police and an investigation was launched.
Graham identified himself in the threat. Law enforcement later confirmed the sender was Graham and lived in Kenai. He was taken into custody by special agents from the U.S. Capitol Police and FBI at his home on Oct. 30, 2023.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 1 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“Threats of violence against public servants are abhorrent and unacceptable, and as this plea makes clear, the Justice Department will not tolerate them,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Our democracy depends on the ability of members of Congress to do their jobs without fearing for their safety. The Justice Department will continue to do everything in our power to protect those who serve the public and hold accountable those who endanger them.”
U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the U.S. Capitol Police made the announcement.
The U.S. Capitol Police and FBI Anchorage Field Office, with assistance from the Kenai Police Department and the Alaska State Troopers, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Vandergaw is prosecuting the case.
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Kalamazoo Doctor Charged for Role in Telehealth Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Case part of Department of Justice’s 2024 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Theresa A. Kordish, D.O. has admitted in a plea agreement to costing Medicare over $794,000, by using a telehealth application to improperly approve orders for medical braces and genetic testing. The charges filed in this case are part of the U.S. Justice Department’s 2024 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action.
Dr. Kordish signed and certified that each order was medically indicated and necessary for a particular Medicare beneficiary. In reality, Dr. Kordish clicked to approve orders in a matter of seconds, without conducting any meaningful review. On June 18, 2024, Kordish was charged by Felony Information with making a false statement in a matter involving the Medicare program. Kordish will be arraigned on the charge and a plea hearing will be held in July 2024.
“Medicare is a lifeline to millions of Americans, and its viability depends on the good faith and honesty of doctors to ensure that funds are spent appropriately,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “When doctors violate their sacred trust, they damage the integrity of our entire healthcare system. My office has zero tolerance for medical fraud.”
“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.”
According to Dr. Kordish’s admissions in her plea agreement, she worked with a purported telehealth company called Real Time Physicians LLC, to approve orders for medical braces and genetic testing. Real Time did not operate a legitimate telehealth company, but instead created and maintained an internet-based exchange that produced fraudulent medical records, which were used to cause Medicare to pay fraudulent claims. Despite certifying that she had conducted the required medical review for each order she signed, Dr. Kordish approved most orders in less than 60 seconds, and still others in as little as 20 seconds—approximately the minimum time necessary to click through and apply an electronic signature. In June 2022, a federal court sentenced Real Time’s owner, Marc Sporn, to 14 years in prison for his role in the scheme.
“When practitioners submit false claims to our federally funded insurance programs, whether it be for prescription drugs or durable medical equipment, it severely undermines the integrity placed in our healthcare providers and contributes to millions of dollars in losses that could go to patients in need,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “With the support of our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to hold responsible all who try to defraud the government.”
“We will not tolerate fraud that preys on patients who need and deserve high quality health care,” said the Honorable Christi A. Grimm, the Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “The hard work of the HHS-OIG team and our outstanding law enforcement partners makes today’s action possible. We must protect taxpayer dollars and keep Americans safe from harms to their health, privacy, and financial well-being.”
The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Mark Totten 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.
This case is being investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Castle.
A complaint, felony information, or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Jury finds Parmelee Man Guilty of Attempted RobberyRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Phillip Clairmont, age 25, of Parmelee, South Dakota, was found guilty of Attempted Robbery following a federal jury trial in Pierre, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on June 21, 2024.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Clairmont was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2024. The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on January 13, 2024, in the Rosebud Indian Reservation. On that date, Clairmont assaulted a man and attempted to steal money from him.
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 Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date has not been set. Quigley was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of First-Degree Murder While Armed in Double Homicide in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Beysean Jones, 29, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a Superior Court jury for the July 2022 deadly shooting of Ronald Brown, 19, and Tijuan Wilson, 41, in Southeast Washington, D.C. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
When the jury returned their verdict on June 26, 2024, Jones was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder while armed, one count of assault with intent to kill and related charges. He was also found guilty of various firearms related charges. The jury returned a verdict after less than a day of deliberations following a two-week trial before Superior Court Judge Michael K. O’Keefe. Sentencing is scheduled for September 20, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence presented at trial, on July 22, 2022, surveillance video captured an argument between Ronald Brown and Beysean Jones at the SC Discount Tobacco and Grocery store on South Capitol St. SW on the Maryland border. Shortly thereafter, shots fired from Brown’s vehicle struck Jones’ vehicle and Jones returned fire in the 4000 block of Livingston Rd. SE. A civilian witness who associated with Jones in the drug trade called in a tip, and provided testimony at trial, about texts he received from Jones about the shooting on the 22nd and statements and actions Jones made in preparation for retaliating against Brown, including putting a $30,000 bounty on the person who shot him.
Just five days later, surveillance video captured a vehicle follow Ronald Brown’s vehicle from a nearby apartment and then that same tobacco store for several minutes, eventually into a residential parking lot surrounded by apartments in the 4300 block of 4th St. SE. That vehicle backed into a parking space several spaces down from Brown’s vehicle and at least two shooters opened fire with both .40 caliber and rifle rounds, firing over 60 rounds in the direction of Brown. This barrage of fire killed Tijuan Wilson and badly injured his partner of over 18 years, though luckily their children, who were outside at the time, were unharmed. Others in the parking lot returned fire. Multiple vehicles and residential buildings were damaged by gunfire.
Casings left behind on July 27, 2022, near the suspect vehicle were ballistically linked to the casings Jones fired at Brown on July 22, 2022.
Jones was arrested on November 1, 2022, and has been in custody since that time. The government’s evidence at trial included witness testimony, video surveillance, cell site records, ShotSpotter audio, body worn camera footage, ballistics evidence, and DNA evidence.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Antonelli and Zach Horton.
Jefferson Parish Woman Guilty of Misprision of a FelonyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that WHITLEY DEMOLLE (“DEMOLLE”), age 40, of Terrytown, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on June 20, 2024, to Misprision of a Felony, to wit, a Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, before United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo.
According to court records, beginning on a date unknown, but prior to June 3, 2021, and continuing to on or about February 4, 2022, having knowledge of the commission of a felony, specifically conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, did conceal the same by allowing a co-conspirator to store controlled substances in their shared apartment and failing to report the co-conspirator’s identity and involvement in a crime to law enforcement.
DEMOLLE faces up to 3 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 1 year of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. DEMOLLE’s sentencing is scheduled for September 18, 2024.
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 Drug Enforcement Administration, Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit.
Jefferson County Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Smuggle Controlled Substances into William E. Donaldson Correctional FacilityRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala – A federal judge sentenced a Birmingham-area man for his role in a conspiracy to smuggle methamphetamine and heroin into the William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Hofer.
U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala sentenced Adam Demond Andrews, 35, of Birmingham, to 132 months in in prison. In February 2024, Andrews pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including methamphetamine and heroin.
According to the plea agreement, Andrews repeatedly smuggled controlled substances and other contraband into Alabama Department of Corrections (“ADOC”) facilities.
On March 20, 2022, ADOC received information that individuals were trespassing on state property at Donaldson Correctional Facility. ADOC officers responded to the area and observed four suspects on the southwest side of the facility. After being confronted by ADOC officers, the people dropped multiple bags containing contraband on the ground and fled into a wooded area near the facility. The bags contained 60.71 grams of a mixture containing a detectable amount of heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, and Delta-Nine-Tetrahydrocannabinol, and 1406.1 grams of methamphetamine. ADOC officers also recovered a pistol, ammunition, an extended magazine, pocketknives, a canister of pepper spray, prescription medication used to treat opioid use disorder, marijuana, THC gummies, cell phones, cell phone chargers, cell phone cables, a mobile hotspot, memory cards, SIM cards, scales, lighters, cigarillos, cigar wrappers, shoes, jewelry, and watches. Later that same day, ADOC officers apprehended Andrews near the entrance to Donaldson.
The charges against Andrews are related to a larger investigation into fraud and corruption at Donaldson. Link to the related cases: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal/pr/member-gangster-disciples-sentenced-235-months-prison-role-wide-ranging-prison-based
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case against Andrews with assistance of the U.S. Secret Service and ADOC’s Law Enforcement Services Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward J. Canter and John M. Hundscheid prosecuted the case.
Illinois Man Sentenced to 15 Months’ Imprisonment for Fraud Involving Luxury VehiclesRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on June 26, 2024, Tomasz Bazarewicz (age: 39) was sentenced to fifteen months’ imprisonment for conspiring to commit money laundering. Bazarewicz’s term of imprisonment will be followed by three years of supervised release. Along with his coconspirators, Bazarewicz also will be responsible for paying $3,500,000 in restitution to his victims.
Publicly filed documents in the case reflect that Bazarewicz and his coconspirators engaged in a sophisticated scheme to defraud vehicle brokers and dealerships involving the foreign sale of luxury automobiles. Over the course of the conspiracy, Bazarewicz both lied to the conspirators’ customers, calming their fears about missing automobiles, and laundered the conspiracy’s proceeds during luxury gambling trips. All told, Bazarewicz was responsible for laundering over three million dollars of ill-gotten funds.
“At the time he learned of the ongoing conspiracy, Mr. Bazarewicz was professionally successful and doing well financially,” said U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “Despite this, rather than avoiding the criminal conduct or doing the right thing by reporting it, he joined in and helped further it for his own financial gain. I commend the hard work of the investigating agents and all who worked to hold the conspirators accountable in this matter.”
“Our commitment to justice is unwavering, and the outcome of this case exemplifies our dedication to dismantling criminal enterprises that exploit the financial system,” said Ramsey Covington, acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “The collaborative efforts of IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office has been instrumental in achieving this result, ensuring Bazarewicz and his co-conspirators are held accountable for their criminal activities.”
At the sentencing hearing, United States District Judge Lynn Adelman noted that confinement was appropriate in Bazarewicz’s case to deter other would-be fraudsters from engaging in similar conduct. Judge Adelman also noted that while Bazarewicz was not the conspiracy’s ringleader, he took an active role in advancing these crimes, establishing his own subsidiary company to be used in the scheme and encouraging other members of the conspiracy, via text message, to “run it up.”
This matter was investigated by the Criminal Investigation division of the Internal Revenue Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Kwaterski and Kevin Knight.
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Hickory Man Armed with “Ghost” AR-15 Is Sentenced to Prison for Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Kadeem Jamal Albright, 30, of Hickory, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for firearms offenses, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Reed Baer of the Hickory Police Department (HPD) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, on December 27, 2022, at approximately 11:22 p.m., HPD officers received a call for service for a hit and run incident involving a silver vehicle near Main Avenue in Hickory. Officers responding to the call located the silver vehicle and determined Albright was the driver. The officers attempted to pull the vehicle over. Albright initially did not comply, but eventually stopped the vehicle. Albright was intoxicated. Over the course of the traffic stop, the officers searched the vehicle and found more than 9 ounces of marijuana and a loaded .40 cal. pistol underneath the driver’s seat. They also found a bag containing 362 fentanyl pills in the rear passenger area. Finally, they found almost a pound and a half of marijuana and a loaded short-barrel AR-15 semi-automatic rifle with a drum magazine in the trunk. Law enforcement determined that the AR-15 was a privately made firearm, commonly referred to as a “ghost gun.” Albright has prior federal and state criminal felony convictions and he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
On December 5, 2023, Albright pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm by a felon. He was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment on each charge with the sentences to run consecutive to one another, for a total sentence of 120 months imprisonment.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the ATF and HPD for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Kent of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte 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.
Herkimer County Woman Sentenced to 37 Months for Stealing from her Former EmployerRead the Press Release
UTICA, NEW YORK – Carol Evans, age 56, of West Winfield, New York, was sentenced yesterday to serve 37 months in federal prison for wire fraud, announced 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).
As part of her earlier guilty plea, Evans admitted that, while she was employed at Sullivan Contracting, Inc., she doctored invoices from vendors to reflect inflated charges. Unaware that the invoices were altered, Sullivan Contracting, Inc. then issued checks for the amount due in the doctored invoices and gave the checks to Evans to pay the invoices. Evans thereafter deposited the checks into her own bank account. Altogether, Evans admitted to depositing approximately $1,800,000 in checks into her personal bank account from Sullivan Contracting, Inc. Though she used some of that money to pay vendors in furtherance of her scheme, she profited nearly $500,000.
United States District Judge David N. Hurd further sentenced Evans to a three-year term of supervised release to begin after Evans serves her term of imprisonment and imposed a restitution order and forfeiture judgment in the amount of $498,690.01.
FBI investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck prosecuted the case.
Goldsboro Cocaine Distributer Sentenced to 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Christopher Montrell Williams, a 33-year-old resident of Goldsboro, has been sentenced to 240 months in federal prison for distributing cocaine in the Goldsboro area. Williams pled guilty on August 31, 2021.
“This sentence demonstrates that we will not tolerate drug trafficking and violence in our community. We are dedicated to protecting our residents and ensuring that those who threaten our safety are held accountable,” said Goldsboro Police Chief Michael West.
According to the court documents and other information presented in court, on March 18, 2018, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office in Goldsboro conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Williams. A search of the vehicle revealed a handgun, cocaine, marijuana, and a digital scale. In October of 2018, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) began investigating Williams. During the investigation, law enforcement conducted a number of controlled purchases of cocaine from Williams using a confidential source. Thereafter, Williams attempted to purchase a kilogram of cocaine from a second confidential source. On February 2, 2020, the Goldsboro Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Williams. Williams fled the vehicle and was apprehended after a short chase by law enforcement. Officers located a stolen, loaded .45 caliber handgun and approximately 15 grams of “crack” cocaine near the vehicle. Officers also located a cell phone and approximately $2,800 in Williams’ possession during his arrest. While in custody and pending sentencing, Williams engaged in a brutal attack on another inmate causing the inmate to lose consciousness, suffer injuries to his head and face, and be transported to the hospital.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Judge James C. Dever III. The ATF and the Goldsboro Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Nucci prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for case number 5:20-cr-0043-D.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 120 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Andre L. Hutchins, 53 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Hutchins was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 8 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in November 2023, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant on a Fort Wayne, Indiana, residence associated with Hutchins. As a result of the search, agents and officers recovered over 3 kilograms of cocaine and evidence of controlled substance distribution. Hutchins has a previous federal conviction in 2012 for conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Allen County Police Department, and the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Teresa L Ashcraft.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 100 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Patrick N. Adams, 34 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Adams was sentenced to 100 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on two occasions in August 2023, Adams sold counterfeit M30 pills containing fentanyl. Additional counterfeit M30 pills containing fentanyl and a handgun were found during a subsequent search of his residence.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R, Speith.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Fort Bend County convicted felon sentenced to federal prison for firearms violationRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Richmond man was sentenced to federal prison for firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.
Aaron Martinez, 33, pleaded guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on June 27, 2024.
According to information presented in court, on August 3, 2021, Martinez was stopped for a traffic violation in Vidor. During the stop, it was discovered that Martinez had an outstanding felony warrant. A search of the vehicle revealed a loaded firearm and ammunition. Further investigation showed Martinez to be a convicted felon and prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Vidor Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove.
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Former Regions Bank Manager Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement and Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Eric Jason Schouest, age 53, of Plaquemine, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles to embezzlement and bank fraud. Schouest’s embezzlement and bank fraud convictions are each punishable by a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, a fine of $1 million, and a period of supervised release.
According to admissions made during his plea, Schouest was employed at Regions Bank from 2010 to 2021 as a branch manager overseeing business transactions and practices at the Regions Bank Plank Road branch. In his capacity as branch manager, he had the authority to access customer accounts, instruct others to open and close accounts, issue cashier’s checks, and transfer funds in and out of bank customers’ accounts.
Beginning in or about 2020, and continuing through in or about April 2021, Schouest exploited his position of trust at Regions Bank to embezzle funds from customer accounts and deposit the money into his personal bank accounts. He also sent false and fraudulent emails and forged documents to other Regions Bank employees to conceal his scheme. Some of the traceable fraudulent funds were used to make loan payments on personal items such as a house and a car. Through his scheme, Schouest misappropriated more than $250,000 from Regions customer bank accounts.
This matter is being investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, the United States Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and the U.S. Secret Service. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Edward H. Warner and Litigation Counsel Jennifer M. Kleinpeter.
Former Hartford Resident Involved in Illegal Pill Trafficking Ring Sentenced to 5 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOHNATTAN FERNANDEZ-LOPEZ, 37, a citizen of the Dominican Republic formerly residing in Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 60 months of imprisonment for his role in a narcotics trafficking organization that distributed oxycodone pills, counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, and other drugs in the Hartford area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a joint investigation by the DEA Tactical Diversion Squad and the FBI Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force targeting individuals who were distributing oxycodone pills, counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, and other drugs from neighborhood grocery stores in New Britain and Hartford.
Between January 2020 and March 2021, investigators made several controlled purchases of illegal pills at the Washington Market, formerly located at 453 Washington Street in Hartford; JZ Tobacco, located at 25 New Britain Avenue in Hartford, and Prestige Market, located at 23 New Britain Avenue in Hartford. Fernandez-Lopez was the primary seller of pills during the evening hours at JZ Tobacco, and possessed a firearm in connection with the offense.
On December 20, 2020, investigators stopped a vehicle registered to Ray Urena, a co-defendant of Fernandez-Lopez, and found approximately 4,000 illegal pills and $51,000 in cash in a hidden “trap” beneath the front passenger seat of the car.
Urena and others were arrested on May 18, 2021. On that date, searches of an apartment on Colonial Street in Hartford that was used by the drug trafficking organization, and two vehicles parked outside of the stash house, revealed approximately two kilograms of fentanyl, approximately 170 grams of heroin, more than 5,000 real and counterfeit oxycodone pills, approximately 2,000 Xanax pills, approximately one kilogram of cocaine, approximately 100 grams of crack, items used to process and package narcotics, two handguns, and ammunition. A search of Urena’s residence in Waterbury revealed approximately $54,000.
Fernandez-Lopez has been detained since his arrest on November 10, 2021. On March 28, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl. He faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term.
Urena pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
The DEA’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad is composed of personnel from the DEA and the Bristol, East Windsor, Hamden, New Britain, West Haven, Newington, Manchester, Glastonbury, and Watertown Police Departments. The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr.
Former Department of Defense Employee Sentenced for Assaulting a U.S. Military Member in KoreaRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A former Department of Defense civilian employee was sentenced today to one year and eight months in prison for assaulting a U.S. military member in July 2020.
U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent Andrew D. Franz of the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Osan Air Base Korea; and Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office made the announcement.
According to court documents, Gerald Leon Ray III, 27, of Lathrop, California, intentionally struck the victim in the face near Osan Air Base, a U.S. military installation in the Republic of Korea. The assault caused the victim to fall to the ground strike his head on the pavement and suffer serious bodily injury. The evidence showed that, without immediate medical attention, which he received, the victim could have died. The victim’s injuries included a broken jaw, brain hemorrhage, and ongoing physical and mental health symptoms. At the time, Ray was employed in the Republic of Korea by the Defense Commissary Agency, a Department of Defense agency, on Osan Air Base.
The charge was brought under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA), which establishes U.S. jurisdiction over certain offenses committed abroad by, among others, civilian employees of the Armed Forces.
Ray previously pleaded guilty on March 21 in the Eastern District of California to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
The U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the FBI investigated this case, with assistance from the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigation Division and the U.S. Marshals Service in connection with the arrest, initial detention, and transport of Ray.
Trial Attorney Marie Zisa of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Heiko P. Coppola for the Eastern District of California prosecuted the case.
Former Department of Defense Employee Sentenced for Assaulting a U.S. Military Member in KoreaRead the Press Release
A former Department of Defense civilian employee was sentenced today to one year and eight months in prison for assaulting a U.S. military member in July 2020.
According to court documents, Gerald Leon Ray III, 27, of Lathrop, California, intentionally struck the victim in the face near Osan Air Base, a U.S. military installation in the Republic of Korea. The assault caused the victim to fall to the ground, strike his head on the pavement, and suffer serious bodily injury. The evidence showed that, without immediate medical attention, which he received, the victim could have died. The victim’s injuries included a broken jaw, brain hemorrhage, and ongoing physical and mental health symptoms. At the time, Ray was employed in the Republic of Korea by the Defense Commissary Agency, a Department of Defense agency, on Osan Air Base.
The charge was brought under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA), which establishes U.S. jurisdiction over certain offenses committed abroad by, among others, civilian employees of the Armed Forces.
Ray previously pleaded guilty on March 21 in the Eastern District of California to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California; Special Agent Andrew D. Franz of the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Osan Air Base Korea; and Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office made the announcement.
The U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations and FBI investigated this case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigation Division and U.S. Marshals Service in connection with the arrest, initial detention, and transport of Ray.
Trial Attorney Marie Zisa of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Heiko P. Coppola for the Eastern District of California prosecuted the case.
Essex County Man Admits Defrauding U.S. Department of Defense and Agreeing to Rig Bids for U.S. Department of Defense ContractsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man today admitted engaging in multiyear schemes to defraud the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) by providing military equipment parts that were not authorized under the governing contracts and agreeing with another individual to rig bids for DoD contracts, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Alan Aranowitz, 75, of Roseland, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Julien X. Neals in Newark federal court to an information charging him with two counts of wire fraud conspiracy.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Count One
From 2015 through August 2018, Aranowitz conspired with others to defraud the DoD and one of its combat logistic support arms, the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), by engaging in a pattern of unlawful product substitution. Aranowitz owned and operated Arlo Corporation (Arlo), which entered into contracts with the DoD to supply replacement parts for the military, such as screws, nuts, and bolts. Aranowitz conspired with two owner/operators of two companies to provide cheaper counterfeit and/or non-conforming parts to the DoD.
For instance, Aranowitz sometimes falsely represented that the parts would be MIL-SPEC, that is, suitable for military use because the parts had met certain specific requirements—when in fact, he submitted such bids intending to provide parts that were not MIL-SPEC. Aranowitz sometimes falsely represented that the parts would be “Exact Product,” that is, that they derived from a particular manufacturer, when, in fact, he submitted such bids intending to provide parts that were not Exact Product. He also sometimes falsely represented that Arlo or one of the companies he conspired with would be the manufacturer of the parts, when in fact he knew that Arlo or that company would not be the manufacturer. Aranowitz sometimes submitted bids to the DoD in the name of one of the companies with the owner/operator’s knowledge and approval. By committing these acts, Aranowitz and his conspirators increased their own profits. DLA received numerous Product Quality Deficiency Reports (PQDRs) from U.S. military end users reporting that a particular part supplied by Arlo did not physically conform to the contract specifications.
As part of the plea, Aranowitz agreed to forfeit $684,168 in proceeds of the fraudulent scheme charged in Count One and to pay restitution in the amount of $878,644 to the DoD.
Count Two
From 2017 through August 2018, Aranowitz conspired with the owner operator of a company to defraud the DoD and DLA by coordinating bid prices, engaging in bid rigging, with another DoD contractor. Arlo, like all DoD contractors, was required to certify that it had arrived at its bids independently and without consulting or colluding with any other offeror or competitor. On the contrary, Aranowitz regularly consulted with another DoD contractor regarding the bids that each was submitting.
The charges of wire fraud conspiracy each carry a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine, which could run consecutively. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 29, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian J. Solecki, and special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa T. Wiygul of the Criminal Division in Camden.
aranowitz.information.pdfEl Paso Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Poisoning Death of 19-Year-OldRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – Two El Paso women have been sentenced in a federal court in El Paso prison for their roles in the fentanyl poisoning death of a 19-year-old single mother.
According to court documents, Kathy Lee Nicole Bradford, 32, coordinated the sale of M-30 pills to a woman in El Paso in April 2022. On Bradford’s behalf, codefendant Patricia Tafoya, 40, delivered 10 counterfeit M-30 pills containing fentanyl to the purchaser, who consumed some of the pills and, as concluded by the El Paso County Medical Examiner’s Office, died of acute fentanyl toxicity.
Bradford admitted in March to knowing the pills contained fentanyl, pleading guilty to one count of distribution of a controlled substance causing death or serious bodily injury. She was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison.
Tafoya pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. She was sentenced to 21 months in prison and ordered into a drug treatment program.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip Countryman prosecuted the case.
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Eight charged locally as part of national health care fraud enforcement actionRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Several local residents and others are now charged in six separate cases in the Southern District of Texas (SDTX) with varying counts related to the Justice Department’s 2024 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
“The enforcement actions, including one against a Houston-area lab that is alleged to have fraudulently billed Medicare hundreds of millions of dollars, represents our coordinated efforts to combat health care fraud and prosecute those who exploit vulnerable individuals for profit,” said Hamdani.
Those charged in the SDTX include Houston residents Sharon Pickrom, 64, Darlene Burbridge, 65, and Carmalita Landry, 53; as well as Ijeoma Victoria Ehieze, 61, Katy; Michael Ogbebor, 43, Richmond; and Harold Albert “Al” Knowles, 56, Delray Beach, Florida, Chantal Swart, 49, Boca Raton, Florida, and Svitlana Meier, 50, Clearwater, Florida.
The charges are part of a strategically coordinated, two-week law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against a total of 193 people nationwide 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. They allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets. In connection with the enforcement action, authorities seized over $231 million in cash, luxury vehicles, gold and other assets.
A federal grand jury indicted Pickrom June 12 with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and paying and receiving kickbacks as well as receipt of kickbacks in connection with a $1.7 million health care fraud and kickback scheme. Pickrom allegedly controlled a purported nonprofit corporation, referred false and fraudulent prescriptions that prescribers issued without their knowledge in the name of Department of Labor - Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (DOL-OWCP) claimants, often without their knowledge, to Custom Care Pharmacy in exchange for illegal kickbacks.
In a separate but related case, Burbridge and Landry were charged by information with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and paying and receiving kickbacks in connection with the same $1.7 million scheme. As alleged in the information, Burbridge owned Criterion Therapy Center, a physical therapy company that serviced DOL-OWCP claimants. She allegedly referred prescriptions to Landry, a pharmacist and owner of Custom Care Pharmacy, in exchange for illegal kickbacks and bribes.
Ehieze was indicted June 5 with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, five counts of health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks. The charges are in connection with an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain over $1.5 million in Medicare and Medicaid funds. Ehieze, the owner of Sanctified Home Health Services Inc., allegedly billed Medicare and Medicaid for home health services that were not provided and/or not medically necessary and based on illegal kickback payments to marketers and patients.
A federal grand jury indicted Ogbebor June 12 with health care fraud in connection with an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain millions in private insurance funds. According to the charges, Ogbebor was the chief financial officer of Stafford Dialysis before being fired. Following his termination, the indictment alleges Ogbebor created a “phantom” business under the name “Stafford Renal” through which he billed private insurance for dialysis treatments that were never administered to people who were formerly patients of Stafford Dialysis. Ogbebor allegedly billed approximately $26 million to Cigna and Allegiance - private insurance companies - and caused them to pay over $5.1 million to Stafford Renal for services that were not rendered.
A federal grand jury indicted Knowles and Swart June 25 with conspiracy to defraud the United States and paying and receiving kickbacks. Knowles is also charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, while Swart also faces a charge of receipt of health care kickbacks. The allegations are in connection with a $359 million scheme to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary genetic tests that were induced by kickbacks. As alleged in the indictment, Knowles was the owner of two Houston-area labs, Bio Choice and Bios Scientific. He allegedly entered an agreement with Swart for the referral of Medicare beneficiary DNA samples and signed doctors’ orders for genetic testing Knowles used to bill Medicare through his labs. Knowles allegedly concealed his kickback arrangement with Swart through sham flat fee contracts. The charges allege Knowles knew Swart used call centers and telemedicine doctors to obtain the DNA samples and signed doctors’ orders, and that providers Swart used to obtain these orders were not the beneficiaries’ treating physicians and did not use the genetic testing results to treat the beneficiaries.
The final case against Meier was indicted June 12. She is charged with money laundering and unlawfully operating a money transmitting business in connection with a pharmacy at the center of a health care fraud scheme. Meier allegedly owned Kim Long Pharmacy in Houston that billed private insurance companies for medicines the pharmacy never provided to alleged patients. During the course of the conspiracy, the pharmacy received approximately $4.3 million of fraudulent funds from the insurance companies, according to the charges. At the direction of others, Meier then allegedly transferred approximately $3.6 million of the fraudulent proceeds to overseas accounts in Hong Kong and Singapore.
Conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks carry possible five-year prison sentences. If convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, paying and receiving kickbacks, health care fraud, receipt of health care kickbacks or money laundering, those charged face up to 10 years, while unlawfully operating a money transmitting business carries a possible five-year prison sentence. They could also be ordered to pay hundreds of thousands in fines.
FBI, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General (OIG), Texas Attorney General’s Office – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Department of Homeland Security, DOL-OIG, Veterans Affairs – OIG and U.S. Postal Service – OIG conducted the various investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Olson and Grace Murphy of the SDTX and Trial Attorneys Ethan Womble, Devon Helfmeyer, Andrew Tamayo and Monica Cooper of the Department’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force are prosecuting the respective cases.
An information or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Eastern District of Wisconsin Participates in National Health Care Fraud Law Enforcement ActionRead the Press Release
Today, United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad announced that a grand jury had indicted Lori Banyard Butts (age 47; of Wales, Wisconsin) in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Wisconsin Medicaid and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The indictment charges Butts with eight counts of healthcare fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1347, and eight counts of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. The indictment alleges that through her company, Butts billed for the staffing of adult family homes that was not provided. The indictment alleges that her company received approximately $1.4 million to which it was not entitled, and that Butts then converted a substantial portion of this money to her personal use.
U.S. Attorney Haanstad explained that the indictment in this case was part of the Department of Justice’s 2024 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action, which was a strategically coordinated, two-week initiative 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.
More on the nationwide effort, including statements from the Attorney General and the leadership of other participating federal agencies and departments can be found here https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/national-health-care-fraud-enforcement-action-results-193-defendants-charged-and-over-275-0.
If convicted, Butts would face up to ten years’ imprisonment on each of the health care fraud counts and up to 20 years’ imprisonment on the wire fraud counts. Each count of conviction also could result in a fine of up to $250,000.
The case was investigated by FBI-Milwaukee, with assistance from the Criminal Investigation division of the Internal Revenue Service. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Carter Stewart and Zachary Corey.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent.
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Dumfries businesswoman sentenced for employment tax crimesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Dumfries woman was sentenced today to one year and three months in prison and payment of $950,100.18 in restitution of for not paying employment taxes to the IRS.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Gail Jones, 57, was a co-owner who also served as Director, Vice President and President of S&G Property Management Inc. (S&G), a parcel delivery service. Between 2013 and 2018, Jones caused income, Social Security, and Medicare taxes to be withheld from S&G’s employees. However, Jones did not pay those withholdings to the IRS as she was required to do. Moreover, to thwart potential IRS levies and other collection activities, Jones opened new bank accounts using other individuals’ social security numbers, as well as new Employer Identification Numbers, and variations of her business’ name. Between December 2016 and December 2018, she withdrew over $450,000 in cash from business bank accounts in lieu of paying the taxes owed.
In total, Jones caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $950,000.
Additionally, Jones fraudulently applied for two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, which were part of a COVID-19 relief program intended to provide loans to certain businesses to help them retain their employees or stay afloat during the pandemic. Jones applied for the loans even though S&G was no longer operating. She fraudulently received $20,800 in loans.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Stuart M. Goldberg, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Shartar for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Marissa Brodney of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-50.
Department of Justice seizes more than $1 million of collectible stamps as proceeds of criminal fraud schemeRead the Press Release
Seattle – The Department of Justice has seized more than $1 million in proceeds from a massive fraud scheme targeting seniors and other vulnerable populations, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington filed a Verified Civil Forfeiture Complaint seeking forfeiture of 149 lots of collectible stamps and other items seized from the Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries Inc. of New York. An investigation revealed that the stamps were purchased with monies stolen from victims who were swindled by fraudsters impersonating government agents, regulators, or romantic interests. Once the stamps have been forfeited to the United States, they will be liquidated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the government will seek to return the funds to the victims.
“Too often when victims have been defrauded in these schemes, their money is gone for good,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “We are delighted to be able to share good news with these victims and hope to be able to return funds to them through this civil forfeiture action.”
According to the court filings, the deposits made to the Siegel Galleries and used to purchase the stamps, have been traced to victims of crime. Multiple frauds were used in this case, both government impersonation scams and romance scams. Siegel Galleries is not accused of any crime.
The government has identified 28 victims, from Western Washington and from across the country who were defrauded and mislead. The fraud occurred in two phases. In phase one, victims were called by a person claiming to be from a government entity such as the FBI, SEC, or DOJ reporting that the victim’s bank account or personal identity had been breached and stating that the victim needed to send their funds to a different entity for safe keeping. In some instances, victims were told they had been implicated in a money laundering scheme and to prove their innocence and protect their funds they needed to send them to the account designated by the caller. Victims were told their funds would be returned once the matter had been resolved. Some victims were defrauded of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Some of the victims sent cashier’s checks directly to the gallery. Others were instructed to send the money via cashier’s check to a second set of victims: romance scam victims. These victims were contacted via social media, and believed they were assisting a romantic interest with money from an inheritance, or an investment or to pay debts. This second set of victims were told to deposit the cashier’s checks from the first set of victims and then withdraw the funds and send or wire the money to the gallery.
In all investigators have traced $1,012,300 to the various victims. Funds deposited toward the invoices for purchase of the stamps total $1,383,437. Prosecutors and agents are still working to trace funds to additional victims.
No criminal charges have been filed yet. Potential charges include conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.
The FBI is investigating the case in coordination with Asset Forfeiture Assistant United States Attorney Krista Bush.
Dallas Gang Member Charged with Possessing Glock SwitchesRead the Press Release
A gang-affiliated murder suspect has been charged with possessing multiple Glock switches, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Jamarion White, 19, was charged by the feds via criminal complaint with possession of a machinegun and was arrested Thursday evening. He was subsequently charged by the state with the June 9 murder of an 18-year-old boy.
“To think that some of our DFW’s most violent alleged criminals are armed with machinegun conversion devices is not just unsettling – it’s terrifying,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “Switch-equipped guns can fire faster than military-issue M4s. This is not the kind of weapon we want criminals carrying. This is why my office is focused on prosecuting switch cases—to protect our north Texas communities from the life-shattering effects of these devices.”
According to the federal complaint, on June 12, just three days after the alleged murder, law enforcement received a call about two suspicious men smoking marijuana inside a “beat-up Ford.” When officers arrived on scene, they approached the suspect vehicle and found Mr. White, a known member of the 65 Groveside criminal street gang, in the front seat.
An officer spotted a Glock pistol under Mr. White’s leg and directed him to place his hands on the dash. Instead, Mr. White allegedly fled, leaving the gun in plain view on the seat. Officers pursued him into a wooded area, where they lost sight of him. Eventually, they located him at a nearby home after receiving a call about an unknown intruder.
When the officers returned to the vehicle to secure the firearm, it was gone. A bystander reported that during the pursuit, another man had removed a bag from the Ford and placed it in a nearby car. Officers located the bag, which contained three loaded Glocks, all equipped with machinegun conversion devices, colloquially known as “switches.”
A subsequent search of Mr. White’s social media accounts yielded photos of the defendant allegedly holding one of the switch-equipped guns, as well as a music video in which the defendant allegedly explained how switches operate and the devastation they cause.
A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Mr. White is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted of the machinegun charge, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division, and the Mesquite Police Department conducted the federal firearms investigation. The Dallas Police Department conducted the homicide investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marissa Aulbaugh is prosecuting the federal case.
The case is part of “Operation Texas Kill Switch,” a statewide initiative taking aim at machinegun conversion devices, which transform commercially available semi-automatic firearms into fully-automatic weapons capable of firing faster than military-grade machine guns. Spearheaded by U.S. Attorneys Leigha Simonton, Alamdar Hamdani, Damien Diggs and Jaime Esparza, Operation Texas Kill Switch relies on partnerships with state and local law enforcement as well as rewards offered by Crime Stoppers.
Convicted Felon Is Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Castillo Hopkins, 39, of Matthews, N.C. was sentenced today to 42 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a felon, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, on June 10, 2022, CMPD officers received a call for service for an armed individual at a gas station in the area. When officers arrived on the scene, they observed the individual, later identified as Hopkins, sitting on the hood of his vehicle. As the officers approached Hopkins, the defendant got off the hood of the car and kneeled by the front driver’s side wheel. The officers heard a metallic object hit the ground. Hopkins was arrested and the officers retrieved a semi-automatic pistol from underneath the vehicle. According to court documents, on July 23, 2022, a shooting occurred at The Gold Club in Charlotte. During the investigation, law enforcement identified Hopkins as the possible shooter in that incident. On July 23, 2022, law enforcement located Hopkins sitting in a vehicle at the same gas station he had been arrested previously. Law enforcement ordered Hopkins to step out of the vehicle and proceeded to search the car’s interior, where they located a semi-automatic pistol that had been reported stolen. Hopkins has multiple prior convictions, including strong arm robbery, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, and carrying a concealed weapon, and he is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
On January 10, 2024, Hopkins pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the ATF and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Sielaff of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte 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.
Clint Huss, 47, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced June 27, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.Read the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Clint Huss, 47, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced June 27, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Huss to 151 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Huss’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On May 17, 2022, Omaha police narcotics detectives established surveillance at an Omaha motel. Huss exited the motel, went to his vehicle, placed some items inside, and drove away. During a traffic stop based upon traffic violations, Huss consented to a search of his vehicle and told detectives there would be drugs in the vehicle. Detectives found approximately 236 grams (0.52 pounds) of meth in a fanny pack on the front passenger seat.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
Clay Woman Sentenced to 6 Years for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Lauren Roosa, age 39, formerly of Clay, New York, was sentenced today to 72 months in federal prison for her role in a drug-trafficking organization that distributed methamphetamine in Onondaga County and elsewhere in Central New York.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.
As part of her prior guilty plea, Roosa admitted that from approximately January 2020 through at least April 2021, she conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in Central New York, which had been transported from California. Roosa further admitted that she agreed to receive shipments of methamphetamine at her residence in Clay, New York, which had been sent via commercial delivery service by coconspirators. One of these shipments contained 879 grams of pure methamphetamine. Roosa also acknowledged that she knew that a coconspirator had stored methamphetamine at a small convenience store in Syracuse, New York, which included 405 grams of pure methamphetamine seized by law enforcement, and that the $17,460 in U.S. currency also seized from that location was drug proceeds.
United States District Judge David N. Hurd also ordered Roosa to serve a 3-year term of supervised release to follow her release from prison, and the forfeiture of a total of $22,010 seized currency.
This case was investigated by DEA, U.S. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), New York State Police-Violent Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team (NYSP-VGNET), Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, Syracuse Police Department, Oklahoma City Police Department, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie.
Child rapist sentenced for receiving child pornography and assaulting a federal officerRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Honduran national who raped a 13-year-old victim was sentenced today to five years in prison for receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and assaulting a federal officer.
According to court documents, Jhoan Esau Lemus Ramos, 23, illegally entered the United States in 2021. In February 2022, Lemus Ramos contacted a 13-year-old girl through SnapChat. In March 2022, Lemus Ramos met the victim in a parking lot in Herndon. When the victim attempted to resist Lemus Ramos’ sexual advances, he forcibly raped her.
For the next several months through at least August 2022, Lemus Ramos repeatedly asked the victim for nude or semi-nude photographs. She eventually complied and sent the photos via cellphone. When she wanted to stop interacting with him, he used the photos to threaten her and force her to have sex with him. The threats only stopped when the victim contacted Herndon Police for help.
A forensic examination revealed messages between him and the victim as well as CSAM.
On Jan. 4, 2024, Deportation Officers from Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., arrived at Lemus Ramos’ residence in Springfield with a warrant for his arrest. As they attempted to arrest Lemus Ramos, he struck an officer in the face, causing an injury that required stitches and left a lasting scar.
This is the second federal conviction for assaulting, resisting, and impeding an ICE officer in the Eastern District of Virginia this year. On Jan. 4, Jose Reyes Rubio pled guilty for causing injury to an ICE officer during an arrest in Woodbridge.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Liana Castano, Field Office Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sehar Sabir and April Russo prosecuted the case, with assistance from Special Assistant United States Attorney Jamie Cohn.
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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-34.
Charlotte Fentanyl Trafficker Is Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced today that Antonio Lamar Stukes, 33, of Charlotte, was ordered to serve 61 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for trafficking fentanyl, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, in October 2022, law enforcement learned that Stukes was trafficking fentanyl in and around the Charlotte area. Law enforcement initiated an investigation into Stukes. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement arranged several controlled buys of fentanyl from the Stukes. The investigation of Stukes led to the identification of his supplier and several additional co-conspirators. Stukes has a lengthy criminal history, including a 2014 federal conviction in the Western District of North Carolina for possession of a firearm by a felon.
On January 25, 2024, Stukes pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl and aiding and abetting.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI, the ATF, and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rose of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte 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.
Canadian Man Sentenced for Stolen Valor and Unlawfully Forging Military Discharge PaperworkRead the Press Release
PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK – Randall J. Montour, age 45, a resident of Cornwall, Ontario, was sentenced today to two years of probation for violating the Stolen Valor Act of 2013 and for falsifying his military discharge certificate. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and United States Marshal David L. McNulty made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea on February 29, 2024, Montour admitted that he falsely altered his Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, Form DD-214, to reflect he received an honorable discharge from the United States Air Force and that he earned numerous decorations, medals, badges, citations or campaign ribbons, including the Purple Heart. Military records show, however, that Montour received a bad conduct discharge from the Air Force in 2001 and was only awarded the Air Force Training Ribbon during his time in service. He is not a Purple Heart recipient. Montour also admitted that he used his altered Form DD-214 to purchase Purple Heart Recipient license plates from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, which he then affixed to his vehicle.
Montour also appeared at veterans’ events wearing an Air Force uniform belonging to a senior non-commissioned officer, a rank the defendant did not achieve in the Air Force, and displaying a ribbon stack depicting many decorations, medals, badges, citations or campaign ribbons that he did not earn, including the Purple Heart.
United States Magistrate Judge Gary L. Favro also sentenced Montour to 200 hours of community service and a $10,000 fine.
The United States Marshals Service investigated the case with assistance from the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas G. Collyer prosecuted the case.
California Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Large Quantities of Fentanyl PillsRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A California man was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release for conspiring with others to distribute hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills throughout the United States.
According to court documents, on March 17, 2021, George Anthony Manzo (37), of Redlands, California, sold 500 fentanyl pills to an individual. As part of the conspiracy, Manzo primarily utilized Snapchat to arrange drug transactions and communicate with customers. On April 2, 2021, Manzo sold approximately 2,000 fentanyl pills to his co-defendant Michel Flores-Paredes. Later, on June 29, 2021, a traffic stop was conducted on a vehicle driven by Manzo’s girlfriend and Manzo was in the front passenger seat. They were traveling back to Las Vegas from Phoenix where they picked up the pills. During a search of the vehicle, investigators found approximately 30,000 pills. A DEA laboratory analysis found that the pills contained fentanyl. Manzo and his girlfriend were released from custody while investigators waited for the drug test results on the pills found in their car. After their release, Manzo, his girlfriend, and her three minor children fled the United States. In December 2021, Manzo was taken into custody in Tijuana, Mexico and returned to the United States that day.
On January 2, 2024, Manzo pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance – Fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance – Fentanyl.
United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kevin Adams for the DEA Las Vegas District Office made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the DEA and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Melanee Smith prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
If you are aware of controlled substance violations in your community — which may include the growing, manufacture, distribution or trafficking of controlled substances — please submit your anonymous tip through the DEA Tip Line at https://www.dea.gov/submit-tip.
Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat the United States has ever faced, killing 38,000 Americans in the first six months of 2023 alone. In 2022, more than two thirds of the reported 107,081 drug overdose deaths in the United States involved fentanyl. Just one fentanyl pill can kill. Two milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially fatal dose and laboratory testing indicates seven out of 10 pills seized by the DEA contain a lethal dose of fentanyl.
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Businesswoman sentenced for tax evasionRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Missouri woman was sentenced to six months in prison followed by six months of home confinement after keeping money that her company collected as payroll taxes from employees instead of sending the funds the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as required by federal law.
According to court documents, Chelli Payne, 59, of Raymore, Missouri, pleaded guilty to one count of failing to account for or pay over employment taxes.
A Family Tree Enterprises (AFTE), is a business in Olathe, Kansas, providing day and residential services to individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. AFTE withheld taxes from its employees' paychecks, including federal income taxes.
Based on her position with the company, it was Payne’s responsibility to oversee collecting and paying over employment taxes to the IRS on behalf of AFTE. In most quarters between the second quarter of 2015 and 2019, Payne failed to pay over the withheld employment taxes causing a tax loss to the IRS of $1,055,367.
A federal judge also ordered Payne to pay restitution in the amount of $1,055,367.
IRS- Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Oakley prosecuted the case.
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Burnsville Man Charged with Defrauding Electronics Manufacturer of $1.2 MillionRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Burnsville man has been charged with three counts of wire fraud after defrauding an electronics manufacturing business out of more than $1.2 million, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, between 2019 and 2020, Thomas Thanh Pham, 52, devised a scheme to defraud a California based company of approximately $1.2 million. Pham, who was the CEO of Enterprise Products, LLC, purported to provide consulting and financial services to commercial clients involved in engineering and manufacturing. Pham held himself out as a broker with supposed business relationships with large, well-known companies. As a supposed broker, Pham claimed he could arrange service agreements between an electronic manufacturing services company based in San Jose, California, (identified as Victim A) and his ostensible business affiliates in the electronics and technology sectors.
According to court documents, starting in June 2019, Pham began a series of discussions with Victim A, in which Pham pitched that Enterprise Products could facilitate multi-million-dollar manufacturing and repair contracts between Victim A and large electronics companies. Pham supplied Victim A with bogus documents, including fabricated contracts, correspondence, and business proposals. As part of the scheme, Pham first required Victim A to pay a “deposit bond” in the amount of $1,278,000. Pham’s fraudulent tactics resulted in Victim A agreeing to enter into a contract in September 2019, through which Victim A ostensibly would receive millions of dollars in exchange for repair services. Pham unsuccessfully pitched other phony deals to Victim A that purportedly involved even larger financial contracts deals with other companies.
As part of the scheme and to give the impression that he was fulfilling the fraudulent contract, Pham caused the initial delivery to Victim A in California of approximately 20 samples of electronic devices that supposedly required repairs by Victim A. However, Pham failed to disclose to Victim A that these 20 “sample” devices were, in fact, stolen property. It was additionally part of the scheme that Pham tried to lull Victim A into a false sense of security by offering a series of excuses and promises when Victim A either inquired about its money or demanded a refund. Rather than maintain the money securely in a refundable escrow as promised, Pham fraudulently misappropriate Victim A’s funds for a series of unauthorized uses and transactions.
The indictment charges Pham with three counts of wire fraud. Pham made his initial appearance today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Douglas L. Micko.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert and Rebecca E. Kline are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bronx Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Bronx man pleaded guilty today to travelling to the Worcester area to distribute approximately one kilogram of fentanyl.
Jose Luis Lopez Genao, 32, of Bronx, N.Y., pleaded guilty today to one count of distribution of and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Sept. 23, 2024. Genao was arrested and charged in December 2022.
In and around June 2021, Genao and other subjects were identified as receiving large shipments of fentanyl from outside the United States and then distributing it throughout the Springfield and New England areas. On Dec. 8, 2022, Genao travelled from New York to the Worcester area to deliver approximately one kilogram of fentanyl. Genao was arrested immediately after he delivered the fentanyl to a government witness.
The charge of distribution of and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised released, and a fine of up to $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.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Massachusetts State Police; Chicopee, West Springfield and Easthampton Police Departments; and the Berkshire, Hampden and Franklin County Sherriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches of the Springfield Branch Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.
Bronx Daycare Provider Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of A Child and Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that SILFREDO CASTILLO MARTINEZ was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for producing child pornography with a minor victim who was under his watch in the Bronx daycare CASTILLO MARTINEZ owned and operated. On March 21, 2024, CASTILLO MARTINEZ pled guilty to sexual exploitation of a child and production of child pornography before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, who imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Silfredo Castillo Martinez exploited the trust placed in him as a daycare provider by sexually abusing one of the minor children under his care and recording that abuse. This lengthy prison sentence holds Castillo Martinez accountable for his horrific crimes and the extraordinary harm and trauma he caused.”
According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Information and the Complaint:
From about July 2015 through about May 3, 2022, CASTILLO MARTINEZ operated a licensed daycare facility for children at his residence in the Bronx, New York (the “Daycare Facility”).
From about May 2018 through about July 2018, CASTILLO MARTINEZ induced an 11-year-old minor (“Minor Victim-1”) who attended the Daycare Facility to engage in sexually explicit conduct with him at the Daycare Facility while CASTILLO MARTINEZ recorded that conduct on his cellphone and camera.
On about May 3, 2022, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at CASTILLO MARTINEZ’s residence and seized several electronic devices belonging to CASTILLO MARTINEZ. Those devices contained, among other things, several images and a video containing child pornography depicting Minor Victim-1 and approximately 9,800 other images depicting child pornography.
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In addition to his prison term, CASTILLO MARTINEZ, 34, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the U.S. Secret Service’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the New York City Police Department. Mr. Williams also thanked the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackie Delligatti is in charge of the prosecution.
Bloomfield Man Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud ChargeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that, on June 21, 2024, SHAWN TYSON, 54, of Bloomfield, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to health care fraud.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Tyson was a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (LADC) with an office located at 330 Main Street in Hartford. From November 2019 to April 2023, Tyson, together with an individual identified in court as “Provider 1,” defrauded the Connecticut Medicaid program (“Medicaid”) by submitting fraudulent claims for psychotherapy counseling sessions that were not provided by Tyson or Provider 1. In addition, Tyson and Provider 1 agreed to submit claims to Medicaid under Tyson’s unique Medicaid provider number for services purportedly provided by Provider 1 that falsely represented that Tyson had personally provided the services to Medicaid patients.
In order to conceal the fraud scheme, in October and November 2022, Tyson provided fraudulent patient records in response to an audit of his claims performed by the Medicaid program.
Health care fraud carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. As part of his plea, Tyson agreed to pay $670,960.72 in restitution to the Connecticut Medicaid program.
Tyson is released on a $15,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.
This investigation has been conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Social Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Sheldon and Auditor Susan Spiegel.
This matter is part of the Department of Justice’s 2024 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action, 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 U.S. Attorney’s Office, Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney’s Office, and Connecticut Attorney General’s Office meet regularly as part of The Medicaid Fraud Working Group. The Working Group also includes representatives from the Connecticut Department of Social Services; the Connecticut Department of Public Health; the Drug Control Division of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection; the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the FBI. The Working Group reviews pending issues and cases, identifies trends that might indicate fraudulent activity, and coordinates efforts for maximum results.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.