Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Friday 26 April 2024
Quad Cities Man Sentenced to 84 Months in Federal Prison for Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Quad Cities man was sentenced April 23, 2024, to seven years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.
According to public court documents, Marveon Dashawn Jovan Williams, 27, in May 2022, Davenport Police responded to a call for a gunshot victim in a vehicle. Upon arrival on the scene, the victim was located in the driver seat of a vehicle, with a gunshot wound to the head. Several firearms, including one located on the passenger side, and one located on the sidewalk outside the passenger side of the vehicle were recovered. A cell phone belonging to Williams was also located on the scene. Witnesses described a shootout between two different vehicles. A male, matching Williams’ physical description was seen possessing the firearm that was dropped on the sidewalk and recovered by police and fleeing the crime scene. Video surveillance footage of the scene showed Williams fleeing the area and then changing his clothing in a nearby wooded area. The discarded clothing was recovered by law enforcement and tested for DNA. DNA belonging to Williams was located on the clothing recovered from the wooded area.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Williams will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by Davenport Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Previously Convicted Clinton Resident Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Clinton, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possessing material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Roderick T. Long, 59, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on March 9, 2020, Long—who had previously served a 121-month federal sentence of imprisonment for receiving material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor—was found in possession of more than 500 videos and still images in computer graphics and digital files depicting the sexual exploitation of minors, many of whom had not attained the age of 12 years. The Pennsylvania State Police had obtained a search warrant for Long’s home, where they found the sexually exploitive material saved in his laptop computer and cellular telephone.
Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for August 8, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the Court ordered that Long remain in custody.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Long.
Port Charlotte Drug Dealer Sentenced to Twelve Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber today sentenced John Alton Knight, Jr. (58, Port Charlotte) to 12 years in federal prison for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it. Knight entered a guilty plea on April 26, 2023.
According to court documents, on August 9, 2022, Knight was arrested by deputies from the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office after he was found in possession of over 2,700 grams of methamphetamine and approximately 49 grams of fentanyl. Deputies located evidence showing Knight’s intention to distribute those drugs including a scale, plastic baggies, a drug cutting agent, and vacuum sealed bags.
This case was investigated by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.
Plaquemines Parish Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl, Heroin and Cocaine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – CHRISTOPHER GLASS (“GLASS”) , age 46, a resident of Plaquemines Parish, La., pleaded guilty on April 18, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agents started investigating GLASS in June 2020 as a narcotics distributor in the New Orleans metropolitan area. The investigation involved use of physical and electronic surveillance, confidential sources, and controlled purchases of narcotics, all of which led to a court authorized wiretap. During the investigation, agents discovered GLASS was conspiring with conspiring wirh others to distribute cocaine and pills containing heroin and fentanyl.
GLASS faces up to twenty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, at least three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was investigated by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Pearl River Woman Pleads Guilty to Assault on the Choctaw Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Pearl River woman pled guilty to assaulting a tribal member with a knife in the Pearl River Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation.
According to court documents, in 2023, Telinah Kowi Tek Farve, 25, stabbed the tribal member with a knife causing serious bodily injury. Farve was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury and she pled guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
Farve is scheduled to be sentenced on August 6, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.
Oxford Man Charged with Sexually Exploiting MinorRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A federal grand jury sitting in Worcester has returned an indictment against an Oxford man for child exploitation offenses.
Michael Lamountain, 41, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, one count of sex trafficking of a minor and four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. Lamountain is currently in state custody on related offenses and will appear in federal court in Worcester on April 30, 2024. The defendant was previously charged by criminal complaint with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor on Feb. 16, 2024.
According to the charging documents, on July 19, 2023, Lamountain sex trafficked a minor victim and coerced the minor victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. It is further alleged that Lamountain coerced three other minor victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography.
Lamountain was arrested in August 2023 and subsequently charged by state authorities in Worcester Superior Court with rape of a child, aggravated indecent assault and battery on a child, depicting minors in sexual conduct, human trafficking of a minor, possession of child pornography, distribution of child pornography and intimidation of a witness.
The charge of sexual exploitation of a minor provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of sex trafficking of a minor provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Worcester Police Chief Paul B. Saucier; and Oxford Police Chief Michael K. Daniels made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Rhode Island State Police and Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Noto of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Orleans Parish Man Indicted for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that, on April 19, 2024, JASON PICK, age 42, of New Orleans, was indicted on eight counts of wire fraud.
According to the indictment, from June 2020 through October 25, 2021, PICK worked as an accountant for Company A. Company A manages residential and commercial real estate in the New Orleans area. During his employment, PICK stole approximately $64,137.00 from Company A by altering the face of money orders intended to be rent payments from tenants and deposited the altered money orders into his own bank account. While awaiting sentencing for a scheme to defraud his previous employer, PICK submitted a fraudulent letter from Company A to a federal judge. The letter was intended to delay his prison report date so he would have more time to make fraudulent changes in Company A’s accounting system, thereby concealing his scheme to defraud Company A.
If convicted, PICK faces up to 20 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Secret Service in investigating this matter. G. Dall Kammer, Chief of General Crimes, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy L. Bell of the Violent Crimes Unit, are in charge of the prosecution.
Orlando Man Charged with Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the filing of a criminal complaint charging George Andrew Pherai-Bogeajis (35, Orlando) with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and the seizure of numerous kilograms of methamphetamine, suspected fentanyl and cocaine, pressed pills, firearms, and drug proceeds. If convicted on all counts, Pherai-Bogeajis faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
According to court documents, a federal search warrant was executed on April 9, 2024, at two residences – one in Orlando and one in Ocoee – used by Pherai-Bogeajis. At the Orlando residence, DEA agents located approximately 150 pounds of methamphetamine and over 100,000 pressed pills in the garage.
In Pherai-Bogeajis’ bedroom, agents recovered 3 kilograms of cocaine. They also found four firearms and over $700,000 in drug proceeds.
At the residence in Ocoee, agents found several thousand pressed pills, 10 kilograms of marijuana, and two vehicles with hidden compartments commonly used for concealing narcotics. Pherai-Bogeajis was not present at either premises but was later apprehended and is now in federal custody.
A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Orlando Police Department, the Ocoee Police Department, the Oviedo Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Customs Border Protection. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Transportation of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Timothy Sousa, age 58, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on April 25, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for transportation of child pornography. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Sousa to 120 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Sousa’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. Sousa was ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution to the victims depicted in the images.
On September 6, 2022, Timothy Sousa uploaded 161 images of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct to his Gmail account while using the internet. Google reported this activity, and the Nebraska State Patrol was ultimately notified.
On February 7, 2023, the Nebraska State Patrol executed a search warrant at Sousa’s residence in Omaha, Nebraska. During the warrant, Sousa agreed to speak with law enforcement and stated he would view young girls in bikinis with “maybe a nipple slip or something.” Numerous devices of Sousa’s were seized during the search warrant to include hard drives, a computer, and a flash drive. A search warrant was also conducted for Sousa’s Google account. Sousa was in possession of 5,222 images and videos of child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Firearm and Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Maen Chuol, 24, of Omaha, Nebraska was sentenced on April 24, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for distributing fentanyl and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Chuol to 46 months’ imprisonment on the drug charge and a consecutive 60 months’ imprisonment on the firearm charge, for a total sentence of 106 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Chuol’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On October 19, 2021, Chuol delivered fifty fentanyl pills to a confidential source with the Omaha Police Department. The transaction occurred in Omaha, Nebraska. On February 24, 2022, a federal arrest warrant for Chuol was issued by the District of Nebraska for distribution of fentanyl.
Chuol was observed exiting his residence and driving away. His vehicle was stopped, and Chuol was arrested without incident. Officers immediately noticed a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, looked into the open driver door and observed a small plastic baggie of marijuana on the center console in plain view.
The Ziploc style bag contained numerous small plastic baggies commonly used to distribute narcotics. One small plastic baggie contained seventy-seven suspected fentanyl pills, one contained white powder (suspected cocaine) weighing 3 grams, and three individually packaged pills, one blue pill (suspected fentanyl) and two unknown pills.
Officers secured a search warrant for Chuol’s residence and recovered fifty-six grams of blue fentanyl pills, a plastic baggie containing nine grams of cocaine, a plastic baggie containing seventeen grams of psilocybin mushrooms, and a loaded 9mm Taurus firearm loaded with live rounds, twelve in the magazine and one in the chamber. Officers also located a safe which contained eight thousand US dollars ($8,000) in various denominations. The money was determined to be drug sale proceeds and administratively forfeited to the United States.
The narcotics were later confirmed via forensic laboratory analysis as 4-ANPP (a fentanyl precursor), fentanyl, and cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
Omaha Man Sentenced for COVID Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Ramel D. Thompson, 60, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on April 25, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Thompson to 70 months’ imprisonment and ordered him to pay $2,518,556.75 in restitution for the loans and grants, plus interest and processing fees, Thompson actually acquired. After Thompson’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
During 2020 and 2021, Thompson provided direction and assistance to others in preparing and submitting applications containing material misrepresentations to obtain inflated Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) loans and grants on behalf of their businesses. Those loan programs were created or expanded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, which was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thompson also submitted one fraudulent application for a loan on his own behalf, but it was not funded.
Thompson assisted in inflating the amount of the loans for which his and others’ businesses would qualify by overstating on applications what the businesses had paid in past compensation or had received in revenue, and/or by understating the expenses the businesses had incurred. He also created and assisted in creating phony documents in support of applications, such as false tax documents that were not filed with the IRS.
Thompson also assisted others in preparing and submitting false applications for forgiveness of PPP loans. The forgiveness applications were supported by false documents that Thompson helped prepare and falsely stated, among other things, that the PPP proceeds had been expended for proper purposes.
The fraudulent applications that Thompson helped prepare and submit sought loans and grants totaling approximately $5,844,999, and co-conspirators obtained $2,442,616.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General.
Olathe Man Indicted for Stealing 41 FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Olathe, Kansas, man was arrested yesterday while crossing the border from Mexico back into the United States after being indicted by a federal grand jury for stealing 41 firearms from a gun store in Raytown, Mo.
“We are committed to stanching the flow of illegal firearms on the black market, whether they’re trafficked within the United States or smuggled into Mexico,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore of the Western District of Missouri. “Stolen firearms often supply black market dealers and fuel more crime and violence. It’s critical that we hold to account everyone involved along this chain of criminal activity.”
“Today’s charges demonstrate the power of crime gun intelligence and cooperation with Mexican law enforcement to stem the flow of firearms from the U.S. into Mexico — where they arm the violent cartels that flood our communities with deadly drugs,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “By submitting information about recovered firearms to ATF’s eTrace system, Mexican law enforcement helped us link the alleged theft of firearms in Missouri to their international transport and recovery in Mexico.”
“Mexican organized crime groups use firearms to commit heinous crimes against civilians and rival criminal groups,” stated Bernard G. Hansen, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Kansas City. “There is no safe hiding place for anyone engaged in illegal firearms trafficking to Mexico. Stemming the flow of illegal guns to Mexico is of the highest priority for ATF and we will work relentlessly to investigate firearm thefts in order to prevent and dismantle the flow of illegal firearms.”
Frank Guereca, 22, was charged with one count of stealing firearms from a federal firearms licensee in an indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, April 24. The indictment was unsealed and made public today. Guereca is scheduled for his initial court appearance today at 2:30 p.m. in El Paso, Texas (3:30 p.m. CST) before U.S Magistrate Judge Miguel Torres of the Western District of Texas.
The federal indictment alleges that Guereca, aiding and abetting others, stole the firearms on June 16, 2023. All of the stolen firearms were pistols of various manufacturers and calibers.
According to court documents, Guereca and at least two others used a stolen U-Haul to conduct the firearms theft. One of the stolen pistols from the gun store was recovered in Tracy, Calif., on Nov. 14, 2023. A second stolen pistol was recovered in Chihuahua, Mexico, on Dec. 19, 2023. A third stolen pistol was recovered in Juarez, Mexico, on Feb. 6, 2024.
Guereca was arrested on Thursday, April 25, as he attempted to cross back into the United States from Mexico. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection records, Guereca had previously crossed the border approximately 20 times since the burglary and theft on June 16, 2023.
The charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Raytown, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.
North Carolina Man Sentenced for Role in Counterfeit Currency ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Xavier Sanders, 24, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced today to three years of probation after serving five months in jail, for conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. Sanders admitted to his role in a conspiracy to create and pass counterfeit United States currency in the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 12, 2022, Sanders and co-defendants Jamarcus Harris and Crystal Wilks traveled with another individual from North Carolina to West Virginia. Sanders admitted that they passed counterfeit $100 bills at businesses in Beckley, Fayetteville and Summersville.
Sanders and his co-conspirators rented a room that evening at a Summersville hotel, where they attempted to create new counterfeit United States currency. Sanders admitted that their counterfeiting process involved bleaching $1 bills, scanning a genuine $100 bill, and printing the scanned image on the bleached bills.
Harris, 33, and Wilks, 24, of Lenoir, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on October 13, 2023 to conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. Harris was sentenced on February 2, 2024, to two years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $800 in restitution. Wilks awaits sentencing.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Secret Service.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Redmon, Andrew D. Isabell and Ryan Blackwell prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-54.
New York Woman Sentenced for Defacing Degas Sculpture Exhibit at the National Gallery of ArtRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joanna Smith, 54, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today to 60 days in prison for the April 2023 defacement of an exhibit at the National Gallery of Art that displayed a wax sculpture, Little Dancer Aged Fourteen, created by Edgar Degas, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott, of the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
Smith pleaded guilty on December 15, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson to one count of causing injury to a National Gallery of Art exhibit. In addition to the prison term, Judge Berman Jackson ordered Smith to serve 24 months of supervised release, serve 150 hours of community service, of which 10 hours must involve cleaning graffiti, and pay restitution for the damage to the Degas exhibit. Smith is also barred from entering the District of Columbia and all museums and monuments for two years.
According to the government’s evidence, Smith, along with other co-conspirators, traveled to Washington D.C., on April 27, 2023, to smear red and black paint on the National Gallery of Art permanent exhibition of the Little Dancer Aged Fourteen created by Degas from 1878 to1881. Smith and a co-conspirator previously had conducted research on the piece and specifically targeted it. Before entering the National Gallery, the duo recorded video statements explaining their intent. Smith and the co-conspirator passed through security undetected with paint secreted inside water bottles.
The duo approached the exhibit, removed the bottles from their bags, and began smearing paint on the case and base surrounding the sculpture. Smith delivered statements telling onlookers why she was undertaking the action as paint dripped from the exhibit onto the surrounding floor.
Following the action, the National Gallery was required to remove the sculpture from public display for 10 days while it assessed the sculpture for damage and made repairs to the case. Gallery officials said it cost over $4,000 to repair the damage.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, specifically the FBI’s Art Crime Team, with assistance from National Gallery of Art Police, and U.S. Park Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron A. Tepfer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Violating the Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – IVAN BALLARD (“BALLARD”), age 21, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on April 25, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier after previously pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court records, New Orleans Police Department officers responded to an event in the 4700 block of Erato Street when they saw BALLARD ducking by a car to put something under the vehicle. An officer looked under the vehicle and saw a rifle. BALLARD ran and was detained by the officers. As they attempted to handcuff BALLARD, his brother took the rifle from beneath the car and threw it over a nearby fence. The officers ultimately recovered what was later determined to be an AR-15 style rifle. Record checks revealed that BALLARD had pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a firearm only few weeks before. As a result, the officers arrested him for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The United States later adopted these state charges for federal prosecution and charged BALLARD with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Judge Barbier sentenced BALLARD to 60 months in the Bureau of Prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Barbier also ordered BALLARD to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the New Orleans Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller, Senior Litigation Counsel.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KEVIN JOHNSON (“JOHNSON”), age 33, a New Orleans resident, pleaded guilty on April 24, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, the Federal Bureau Investigation New Orleans Gang Task Force and the New Orleans Police Department investigated JOHNSON for his involvement in a drug distribution operation in April 2021. The investigation revealed that JOHNSON conspired with AL VERNON BROWN, CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON, DONALD MYLES, and others to distribute heroin. On June 22, 2021, agents seized a package containing 485 grams of heroin that was mailed by AL VERNON BROWN from California to New Orleans and intended for JOHNSON.
JOHNSON faces up to twenty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, at least three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation New Orleans Gang Task Force, with the assistance of the New Orleans Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, led the investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Financial Crimes Unit.
New Orleans Man Indicted for Federal Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DWINE HARDY (“HARDY”), age 32, a resident of New Orleans, was charged by a federal grand jury in a three-count indictment. Count One charges him with being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). Count Two charges him with possession of a machinegun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2). Count Three charges him with possession with the intent to distribute cocaine hydrochloride, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). Count Four charges him with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
If convicted, HARDY faces up to 15 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release for Count One; up to 10 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release for Count Two; up to 20 years of imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least 3 years of supervised release for Count Three, and a mandatory minimum 5-year term up to life imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 5 years of supervised release for Count Four. As to all four counts, HARDY also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, on December 23, 2023, Kenner police officers arrested HARDY for being a felon in possession of 15 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition and a stolen Glock Model 23, .40 caliber pistol equipped with a machinegun conversion device and an extended twenty-two round capacity magazine. HARDY was also charged with possession with the intent to distribute cocaine hydrochloride and possessing the above-described firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Kenner Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy Bell of the Violent Crimes Unit.
Murder for Hire Convict Sentenced to Ten Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO –Allen Gessen was sentenced to 120 months in prison for arranging to pay an undercover FBI agent for the murder of the mother of his young children, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. Jacqueline Scott Corley, U.S. District Judge.
Gessen was convicted of the crime by a jury after a one-week trial before Judge Corley. The evidence at trial established that Gessen, 49, of Massachusetts, was an attorney licensed in New York when he was introduced to an undercover FBI agent by a target of a separate FBI investigation into violations of international money laundering. In the summer of 2022, Gessen met with the undercover FBI agent on two occasions, first in Boca Raton, Florida, and then again in New York City, New York. During the meetings, Gessen volunteered details of a years-long dispute with his former partner which had resulted in contentious child custody proceedings. At these meetings and through a series of encrypted electronic messages, Gessen initiated plans to commit two different crimes utilizing the undercover FBI agent’s connections. The evidence at trial established that over the course of the investigation, Gessen’s objectives quickly transformed from bribing an immigration official to deport his former partner to hiring someone to murder her. Gessen resolved to murder his former partner because it was a “cheaper way to get rid of her” and was a more permanent solution.
The trial evidence established that Gessen wired a total of $23,000 to an FBI undercover bank account in San Francisco to carry out the murder. Around the same time, Gessen also sent to the undercover FBI agent a written agreement containing a promise to pay for phony “consulting services” as a method to disguise the true nature of the funds. Gessen also provided to the undercover FBI agent a target package containing details about his former partner’s whereabouts, schedule, and lifestyle habits.
A federal grand jury indicted Gessen on July 26, 2022, charging him with one count of murder for hire, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1958. The jury convicted Gessen of the charge.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Corley also ordered Gessen to serve three years of supervised release to begin after his prison term.
The case is being prosecuted by the Corporate and Securities Fraud Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The case is a result of an investigation by the FBI.
Mount Vernon Mother and Daughter Sentenced to Prison for $1.7 Million COVID-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ALICIA AYERS and ANDREA AYERS were sentenced today to two years in prison followed by six months of home confinement and 42 months in prison, respectively, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and making false statements in connection with a scheme to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”), resulting in a loss to the SBA of approximately $1.7 million. ALICIA AYERS and ANDREA AYERS previously pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román, who imposed today’s sentences.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “These defendants stole from a taxpayer-funded program intended to help small businesses that were in desperate need of assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. As their convictions and sentences reflect, my Office is determined to continue to work to bring to justice those who exploit and defraud government programs during a national emergency. I thank the FBI and the career prosecutors of this Office for their outstanding work investigating and prosecuting this scheme.”
According to the Indictment, other public filings, and statements made in court:
The SBA is a federal agency of the Executive Branch that administers assistance to American small businesses. This assistance includes making direct loans to applicants through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) Program. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress expanded the SBA’s EIDL Program to provide small businesses with low-interest loans of up to $2 million prior to in or about May 2020 and up to $150,000 beginning in or about May 2020 in order to provide vital economic support to help overcome the loss of revenue small businesses were experiencing due to COVID-19. Applicants seeking a loan under the EIDL program were also permitted to request and receive an advance of approximately $1,000 per employee, for an amount up to $10,000, which the SBA generally provided while the loan application was pending.
In June and July 2020, ALICIA AYERS and her mother, ANDREA AYERS, a former Code Enforcement Officer for the City of Mount Vernon Police Department, used the identities of approximately 300 other individuals (the “Applicants”) to submit approximately 315 online applications to the SBA, seeking over $3 million of funds through the SBA’s EIDL Program (the “EIDL Applications”). In connection with the EIDL Applications, ALICIA AYERS and ANDREA AYERS falsely represented to the SBA that the applicants were the owners of businesses with 10 or more employees. However, that was a lie – as ALICIA AYERS and ANDREA AYERS knew, the applicants did not employ the number of people reported, and the majority of the applicants did not own businesses or have any employees. Based on the fraudulent EIDL Applications, the SBA made advance payments of approximately $1,690,000 to the applicants, who then kicked back a portion of the advance payments to ALICIA AYERS and ANDREA AYERS.
* * *
In addition to the prison terms, ALICIA AYERS, 37, and ANDREA AYERS, 57, both of Mount Vernon, New York, were each sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $1,690,000 and to pay restitution to the SBA in the amount of $1,690,000.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey C. Coffman and Courtney L. Heavey are in charge of the prosecution.
Morgantown Man Guilty of Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Morgantown, West Virginia man has been convicted of possessing and receiving child pornography.
United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced that Christopher Harp, age 39, was found guilty by a jury on multiple counts of receiving and possessing child pornography. According to the evidence introduced at trial, FBI agents identified an Internet Protocol (IP) address in Morgantown that appeared to be active in the distribution and receipt of illegal images and videos via a peer-to-peer network. Agents determined that the IP address was associated with Mr. Harp and executed a search warrant, seizing his computers, tablets, phones and thumb drives. Agents discovered hundreds of downloads to Harp’s devices, with many of the videos and images including children under the age of 12.
“Protecting young people is one of our most important responsibilities at the Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. “Whenever we identify someone who is engaged in this type of activity, we devote all resources necessary to hold the offender accountable and prevent further victimization of the children involved.”
Harp faces a sentence of five to twenty years in federal prison for each of the receipt charges and up to twenty years for the possession charge when sentenced. Harp was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal’s Service following the guilty verdicts where he will remain pending his sentencing hearing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Conklin and David Perri prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
###
Montgomery County Man Sentenced to 19 Years’ Imprisonment for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tylee Brown, age 39, of Norristown, Montgomery County, was sentenced on April 23, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to 19 years’ imprisonment on the charge of possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Brown previously pleaded guilty and admitted to possessing between 1.5 kilograms and 5 kilograms of high-quality crystal methamphetamine for further distribution in the Susquehanna County area in April 2020. On April 30, 2020, the Pennsylvania State Police apprehended Brown in Susquehanna County and seized approximately four pounds of crystal methamphetamine from a vehicle in which Brown was traveling. Brown had traveled from Montgomery County to distribute the crystal methamphetamine to other individuals in Susquehanna County. Brown was indicted by a grand jury in Scranton for methamphetamine trafficking in October 2020.
The charges against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara 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.
# # #
Missouri Man Sentenced to 60 Months for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Chillicothe, Missouri man, Scott Young, 37, was sentenced on April 25, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless to 60 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine.
Young was indicted in December 2019 and pleaded guilty in September 2023.
At sentencing, the Court found that Young had distributed methamphetamine on two occasions in Adams County, Illinois in 2019. The Court further noted the terrible effects methamphetamine use has had on communities in the Central District of Illinois.
The statutory penalties for distributing methamphetamine are up to 40 years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and up to a life term of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Illinois State Police, and Quincy Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Young 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.
Mexican Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Juan Tapia-Torres, 44, of Guadalupe Victoria Miramar, Mexico, was sentenced April 26, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for his involvement in a methamphetamine conspiracy. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Tapia-Torres to 90 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On March 2, 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted a controlled drug purchase of meth from Tapia-Torres in Omaha. During the controlled buy, special agents purchased approximately 437.3 grams of pure meth. The controlled buy was orchestrated by a Mexico-based source of supply that was in communication with Tapia-Torres and the special agents.
On or about March 14, 2023, a search warrant was executed on Tapia-Torres’s residence in Omaha. During the search, 3,966 grams of pure meth was located in multiple packages located inside the basement ceiling.
This case was investigated by the DEA.
Mescalero Man Pleads Guilty to AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man, Lestat Cree Valdez, 21, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges arising from the stabbing of an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe.
According to court records, on May 18, 2023, Valdez assaulted Jane Doe, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache tribe by straddling her and stabbing her repeatedly in the head, face, and chest with a knife, causing Jane Doe to suffer serious bodily injury.
At sentencing, Valdez faces up to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau Investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorneys Joni Autrey Stahl and Eliot Neal are prosecuting the case.
# # #
Mason City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Thomas Alan Newman, from Mason City, Iowa, who received, distributed, and possessed images of child pornography was sentenced on April 25, 2024, to 6 years in federal prison.
Newman, age 60, from Swaledale, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 18, 2023, guilty plea to Possession of Child Pornography.
Evidence at the hearing showed that in May 2021, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a report from Facebook of a user trafficking in child pornography. Pursuant to a search warrant, the content of Newman’s account was provided to law enforcement. The content included several chats of a sexual nature where Newman solicited child pornography from others. Newman and another individual proposed they create a group on Facebook in order to share and trade child pornography. When interviewed by agents, Newman admitted to the activity associated with the NCMEC CyperTip report as well as sharing and receiving child pornography that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct or the sexual abuse and exploitation of an infant or toddler. Newman admitted he shared approximately 50 videos of child pornography.
Newman was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Newman was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay a total of $30,000 in fines and assessments. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term and register as a sex offender. There is no parole in the federal system.
Newman is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case is being was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-3016.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Maryland Payroll Company Owner Pleads Guilty to Employment Tax Crimes and Embezzling from Employees’ 401(k) PlansRead the Press Release
A Maryland woman pleaded guilty today to failing to pay employment taxes to the IRS and embezzling from an employee benefit plan.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Michelle Leach-Bard, of Lutherville-Timonium, was the owner and sole corporate officer of iProcess Online Inc., a third-party accounting company that specialized in payroll, human resources and bookkeeping. From at least October 2016 through the end of 2021, she was, as iProcess’s sole corporate officer, responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from employees’ wages and paying those wages to the IRS. Though the taxes were withheld from employees wages, Leach-Bard did not pay them to the IRS, as she was required to do.
In total, Leach-Bard caused a tax loss to the IRS of $2,663,264.12.
In addition, iProcess had a Section 401(k) Profit Sharing and Retirement Plan for the benefit of some of its employees. Contributions to the 401(k) Plan were deducted from participating employees’ wages. Beginning in or around 2007, Leach-Bard did not pay those employee contributions to the 401(k) Plan. In total, Leach-Bard did not pay to the 401(k) plan approximately $207,180.41 in wages that had been withheld from employees’ paychecks. Additionally, Leach-Bard did not make approximately $18,740.37 in employer matching contributions for certain employees.
Leach-Bard is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 20 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for both the tax and embezzlement charges. She also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Catriona Coppler and Jeffrey McLellan of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Man Who Downloaded Child Pornography After Previous Conviction for Child Pornography Offense Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
A man who received child pornography over the internet while in a residential facility for a prior child pornography charge pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Brady David Salow, age 27, from Vinton, Iowa, was convicted of one count of receiving child pornography.
In a plea agreement, Salow admitted that he was convicted of four counts of possession of a depiction of a minor in a sex act in Dubuque County in 2019. As a condition of his sentence in that case, in 2023 he was residing at a residential facility in Vinton. Per the rules of the facility, Salow was not permitted to have access to a phone or a computer. Beginning in the summer of 2023, however, Salow repeatedly persuaded an employee at the facility to loan him her cellular phone under the pretense that he was going to use it for either looking up photos of celebrities or to listen to music. By at least August 2023, Salow began receiving and downloading child pornography to the employee’s phone without the employee’s knowledge, saving downloaded images to a hidden folder on the phone. In October 2023 a fellow resident alerted staff that Salow had been using a phone, and the staff member turned over her phone for examination. A forensic examination of the phone revealed child pornography, and Salow admitted that he had downloaded child pornography to the phone.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Salow remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Salow faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and lifetime term of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23‑CR‑00089.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
- Man Sentenced for Distributing Meth to a Minor
Man Sentenced for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Tyrece Thomas, 23, of Macy, Nebraska, was sentenced on April 26, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., sentenced Thomas to 24 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Thomas’s release from prison, he will begin a 2-year term of supervised release.
In May 2023, Thomas assaulted an adult male, knocking him unconscious, before then continuing to strike, kick, and stomp on the victim. Thomas’s assault resulted in serious injuries to the victim which required medical attention, including a broken jaw. When a third party attempted to help the victim, who was lying unconscious in a roadway, Thomas kicked the third party in the face, breaking that person’s nose.
This case was charged in United States District Court as there is federal jurisdiction under the Major Crimes Act for felony assaults on an Indian Reservation.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Madison County Man Sentenced for Distributing FluorofentanylRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Richmond, Ky., man, James A. Phelps, 42, was sentenced on Friday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, to 220 months in prison, for distribution of fluorofentanyl.
According to his plea agreement, on December 6, 2022, Phelps sold a confidential informant an ounce of suspected heroin; and when the substance was tested, it was found to be 27.919 grams of a mixture containing fluorofentanyl. Additionally, on two other occasions, November 16, 2022, and January 18, 2023, Phelps sold the confidential informant fluorofentanyl and other controlled substances. Each of those sales involved approximately 28 grams of fluorofentanyl. Phelps admitted to knowing that the substance that he distributed contained a controlled substance.
Phelps has previously been convicted of a felony drug offense, distribution of cocaine. He was convicted in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky in 2011.
Under federal law, Phelps must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for six years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Erek Davodowich, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Louisville Field Division, jointly announce the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, with the assistance of the AHIDTA. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Chapman is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
— END —
Leader of $50 Million Health Care Fraud Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MANISHKUMAR PATEL pled guilty today in connection with a $50 million health care fraud and kickback scheme involving the sale of fraudulent prescriptions for durable medical equipment, among other medical supplies, to suppliers, pharmacies, and laboratories who obtained payment for those fraudulent prescriptions from Medicare. PATEL pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 26, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Lorna Schofield.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Behind every dollar siphoned through fraud lies a patient denied rightful care. Manishkumar Patel cost Medicare nearly $50 million in resources that could have been used to provide genuine care to those in need. His guilty plea today is a step toward restoring integrity and trust in our health care system.”
According to the charging documents and other filings and statements made in court:
Between 2019 and 2022, PATEL and a co-conspirator (“CC-1”) fraudulently sold prescriptions and doctors’ orders for durable medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, and laboratory tests (collectively, “scripts”) to durable medical equipment suppliers, pharmacies, and laboratories (collectively, the “Medicare Providers”).
PATEL obtained the scripts from call centers that called Medicare beneficiaries and asked them perfunctory questions designed to justify a script that would be reimbursed by Medicare. PATEL turned the information from those calls into scripts by arranging cursory telemedicine appointments with the beneficiaries — a practice called “doctor chasing,” in which the information was sent to a doctor who signed the script without seeing the patient and who was frequently unaware of what they were signing — and obtaining forged scripts. PATEL then sold the scripts to Medicare Providers, which filled the orders and billed Medicare.
Because the scripts were fraudulently obtained, many beneficiaries rejected the items they were sent by the Medicare Providers, many doctors threatened to report PATEL for fraud, and Medicare frequently refused to pay for the scripts.
The Medicare Providers made payments to PATEL for the scripts in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statue. PATEL and the Medicare Providers entered into sham contracts for generic marketing services at flat rates in an attempt to conceal their illegal kickback scheme.
PATEL was a leader of the scheme, which resulted in losses to Medicare of nearly $50 million.
* * *
PATEL, 44, of Pelham Manor, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, one count of wire fraud, and one count of violating the Anti-Kickback Statute, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. In addition, PATEL was ordered to pay $48,150,692.49 in restitution to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and forfeit $6,839,900.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Mead is in charge of the prosecution.
Lackawanna County Woman Indicted for Production and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Mykayliah Hevener, age 25, of Carbondale, Pennsylvania, was indicted on April 23, 2024, for production and distribution of child pornography.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that in 2023, Hevener both produced and distributed child sexual abuse material in the form of images and videos of herself engaging in sexual contact with a toddler.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Honora Berti is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments, Complaints, and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
# # #
Labelle Felon Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Angel Gabriel Hernandez (29, LaBelle) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Hernandez faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on August 9, 2023, Hernandez sold a Beretta 9mm handgun to an undercover ATF agent. As a convicted felon who previously served time in Florida state prison for burglary, Hernandez is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make out neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon Eth.
La Crosse Man Sentenced to 2 ½ Years for Possessing Stolen Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Briante Banks, 31, La Crosse, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 2 ½ years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. Banks pleaded guilty to this charge on February 6, 2024. He was also ordered to serve a three-year term of supervised release.
On May 2, 2023, Banks was arrested for violating the conditions of his state probation. During a post-arrest search, Banks was found to be in possession of a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun. Law enforcement determined that the handgun had previously been stolen from a La Crosse area gun shop. Banks is legally prohibited from possessing firearms because he has prior felony convictions for drug trafficking.
At sentencing, Judge Conley noted that Banks has been under state supervision since 2014 and has largely failed to comply. Judge Conley told Banks that he had so far failed to learn any lessons from his past and unless he made good use of his time in prison and engaged with his supervising probation officer after release, he would likely end up back in prison.
The charge against Banks was the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department; La Crosse County Sheriff’s Office; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Kenton County Woman Sentenced for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – An Elsemere, Ky., woman, Nalisha Nichole Stewart, 38, was sentenced on Thursday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, to 126 months in prison, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to her plea agreement, in May and June 2023, law enforcement coordinated two controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Stewart. The first purchase was tested to contain approximately 29.2 grams of methamphetamine. Before the second controlled purchase, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on Stewart’s vehicle and recovered an additional 24.832 grams of methamphetamine.
Under federal law, Stewart must serve 85 percent of her prison sentence. Upon her release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for six years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Detroit Field Division; and Chief Jeff Mallery, Florence Police Department, jointly announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Florence Police Department Drug Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Winslow is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
— END—
Kansas Man Indicted for Stealing 41 FirearmsRead the Press Release
A Kansas man was arrested yesterday while crossing the border from Mexico back into the United States after being indicted by a federal grand jury for stealing 41 firearms from a gun store in Raytown, Missouri.
A federal grand jury indictment was unsealed today charging Frank Guereca, 22, of Olathe, with one count of stealing firearms from a federal firearms licensee. Guereca made his initial court appearance in El Paso, Texas, today in the Western District of Texas.
“Today’s charges demonstrate the power of crime gun intelligence and cooperation with Mexican law enforcement to stem the flow of firearms from the United States into Mexico — where they arm the violent cartels that flood our communities with deadly drugs,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “By submitting information about recovered firearms to ATF’s eTrace system, Mexican law enforcement helped us link the alleged theft of firearms in Missouri to their international transport and recovery in Mexico.”
“Unlawful firearms trafficking is not a victimless crime,” said Director Steven Dettelbach of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “Guns trafficked to Mexico often end up in the hands of violent cartels that use them to hurt people and commit crimes. Here, ATF’s agents and National Tracing Center staff quickly used our eTrace system to generate critical leads. As today’s indictment shows, working jointly with our Mexican and domestic law enforcement partners, ATF can help stop traffickers. That way, we protect communities on both sides of the border.”
“We are committed to stanching the flow of illegal firearms on the black market, whether they’re trafficked within the United States or smuggled into Mexico,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore for the Western District of Missouri. “Stolen firearms often supply black market dealers and fuel more crime and violence. It’s critical that we hold to account everyone involved along this chain of criminal activity.”
The federal indictment alleges that Guereca, aiding and abetting others, stole the firearms on June 16, 2023. All of the stolen firearms were pistols of various manufacturers and calibers.
According to court documents, Guereca and at least two others used a stolen U-Haul to conduct the firearms theft. One of the stolen pistols from the gun store was recovered in Tracy, California, on Nov. 14, 2023. A second stolen pistol was recovered in Chihuahua, Mexico, on Dec. 19, 2023. A third stolen pistol was recovered in Juarez, Mexico, on Feb. 6.
Guereca was arrested yesterday, as he attempted to cross back into the United States from Mexico. Guereca is scheduled for his initial court appearance today at 2:30 p.m. in El Paso, Texas (4:30 p.m. ET) before U.S Magistrate Judge Miguel Torres of the Western District of Texas. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection records, Guereca had previously crossed the border approximately 20 times since the burglary and theft on June 16, 2023.
ATF and the Raytown Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley K. Kavanaugh for the Western District of Texas is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
KC Police Officer Indicted for $300,000 Charity Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., police officer who ran an anti-crime charity has been indicted by a federal grand jury for a scheme in which he spent more than $300,000 in donations for his own personal expenses.
Aaron Wayne McKie, 46, was charged in a 16-count indictment returned under seal on Tuesday, April 23. The indictment was unsealed and made public today upon McKie’s arrest and initial court appearance.
McKie has worked as a police officer for the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department for 24 years, since April 2000. He was assigned as a police officer to the Crime Free Multi-Housing section from 2002 through 2023.
McKie served from 2009 to 2023 as president of Mid-America Crime Free, Inc. (MACF), a non-profit organization that claimed to provide training to persons in the rental housing industry and promote anti-crime programs. He was an officer of the charity for three years prior, from 2006 to 2009.
The federal indictment alleges that McKie devised a scheme to defraud MACF and its donors that began in July 2009 and lasted until October 2023. According to the indictment, individuals and businesses contributed $387,620 to MACF, not including in-kind donations. McKie spent at least $320,060 for his own personal purposes.
The biggest source of MACF funds was an annual golf tournament, “Fairways 4 Fuzz Golf Tournament.” Individuals and businesses donated both money and in-kind donations, such as food and beverages, to MACF via the golf tournament. At least 121 donors have been identified.
From 2009 to 2023, the flyers soliciting donations and players for the tournament claimed the funds raised would enable MACF to provide free seminars to owners of rental properties and train police officers. In reality, the indictment, those claims were false. The Kansas City Police Department paid the salaries and expenses of Crime Free Multi-Housing unit officers who may have provided training to landlords; McKie used the majority of MACF funds for personal spending; and the IRS had revoked the organization’s tax exempt status in 2010.
The indictment alleges that McKie used the MACF bank account as his own personal account. McKie allegedly spent most of the money donated for charitable purposes in the following ways:
- $125,989 in travel, entertainment, restaurants, and bars;
- $57,278 in retail and luxury;
- $41,040 in transfers to personal accounts;
- $36,874 in cash;
- $27,279 pre-2016;
- $23,298 in household expenses;
- $8,299 in personal tax payments.
The federal indictment charges McKie with 14 counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen D. Mahoney. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Jefferson County Man Sentenced to More Seven Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge sentenced a Jefferson County man for illegal possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala sentenced Terrell Corey McMullin, 31, of Fairfield, to 87 months in prison. In October 2023, a jury convicted McMullin of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to evidence presented at trial, on February 1, 2022, a Pleasant Grove police officer conducted a traffic stop on McMullin. The officer attempted to make contact with McMullin, but he sped away. The chase ended when the driver lost control of the vehicle and wrecked a short distance later. McMullin got out of the vehicle and ran. The pursuit ended when McMullin crossed into the Fairfield city limits. During the search of the abandoned vehicle, the officer found a Glock 9mm pistol with an installed “Glock switch” – a device designed to illegally convert a semiautomatic Glock pistol into a fully automatic machine gun – in the driver’s seat. The Glock was later determined to be stolen.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
The ATF investigated the case along with the Pleasant Grove Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael A. Royster and William R. McComb are prosecuting the case.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt:
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on April 22 was:
Donnell Deriky White, 29, of Billings, on charges of attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. If convicted of the most serious crime, White faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release. White was detained pending further proceedings. The Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-152.
Charles Jesse Sanchez, Jr., 58, of Lame Deer, on charges of conspiracy with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute meth and distribution of meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Sanchez faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Sanchez was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-30.
Sergio Rene Tagaban, 54, of Calexico, California, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Tagaban faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Tagaban was detained pending further proceedings. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-34.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
XXX
Henryetta Resident Sentenced for Child Abuse in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Zion Alexander Canard, age 25, of Henryetta, Oklahoma was sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by a 5-year term of supervised release, for one count of Child Abuse in Indian Country.
Canard was found guilty of child abuse following a federal bench trial on August 14, 2023. During the trial, the United States presented evidence that on September 12, 2022, Canard abused an infant left in his care, resulting in a brain hemorrhage, lacerations, and bruising. The crime occurred in Hughes County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The guilty verdict was the result of investigations by the Muscogee Nation Lighthorse Police, the Tulsa Police Department, the Glenpool Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Keith Starrett, Senior U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, sitting by appointment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Canard will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Caila M. Cleary represented the United States.
Gore Resident Sentenced for Voluntary Manslaughter, Assault with A Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announces that Gary Lynn Armer, Jr., age 19, of Gore, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 87 months in prison for one count of Voluntary Manslaughter in Indian Country, and 87 months in prison for one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with the Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country. The sentences are to be served concurrently.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office.
On October 19, 2022, Armer pleaded guilty to a two-count felony information. According to investigators, on March 26, 2022, Armer drove to a residence outside Gore, Oklahoma, and confronted an individual there. During the ensuing argument, Armer fatally shot the victim. Armer then fired upon a second individual sitting in a nearby vehicle, causing serious bodily injury, before fleeing the scene. Armer was arrested a short time later by investigating officers, who located Armer at his residence. The crimes occurred in Sequoyah County, which is within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation and the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the sentencing hearing. Armer will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.
Gary Woman Sentenced to 300 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Briana White, age 29, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to armed bank robbery and murder resulting from the discharge of a firearm during the bank robbery, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
White was sentenced to 300 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, White’s convictions stem from a June 11, 2021, bank robbery in Gary, Indiana. White, along with, Hailey Gist-Holden, and two other co-defendants formulated a plan to rob the bank. White was involved in the planning stages and her role included facilitating a three-way call between herself, Gist-Holden and the getaway driver during the robbery and getaway. She also listened to a police scanner during the robbery to advise her co-defendants about police response. On his way to entering the bank, Gist-Holden, at point blank range, shot and killed the bank’s security guard who was outside the bank at the time. Approximately $9,000 was taken during the armed bank robbery.
Previously, co-defendant Gist-Holden was found guilty by a jury of armed bank robbery and murder resulting from the discharge of a firearm during the robbery. For his role in the offense, Gist-Holden was sentenced to imprisonment for two life sentences. White is the last of the defendants to be sentenced for this crime.
This investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Gang Response Investigative Team with the assistance of the Lake County Sheriff’s Department; the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office; the Indiana State Police; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the Gary Police Department. Additional investigative assistance was provided by the FBI Chicago, FBI Miami, and FBI Atlanta along with the Georgia State Police, the Atlanta Police Department, and the Lowndes County (GA) Sheriff’s Department. In addition, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Northern District of Georgia, Middle District of Georgia, and Middle District of Florida were involved in this cooperative effort. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Caitlin M. Padula and Michael J. Toth.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Fugitive Arrested, Arraigned in Multi-State Burglary RingRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – Yoel Andres Barrera Garrido, 20, of New York, a fugitive wanted since December 2023 for his alleged role in a sweeping, multi-state burglary ring that primarily targeted business owners of Asian descent has been arrested, arraigned, and ordered detained in federal custody, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Barrera Garrido, a Chilean national, was arrested in Grove City, OH, on March 11, 2024. He had been sought since December 13, 2023, when a federal indictment was returned against him; he was subsequently charged in a superseding indictment on April 3, 2024, charging him with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property and two counts of attempt to commit interstate transportation of stolen property.
It is alleged that Barrera Garrido participated in a conspiracy with three other individuals to identify and surveil business owners, typically of Asian descent, at the victims’ residences and businesses. Members of the conspiracy then allegedly executed well-planned burglaries at their victims’ homes in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Wisconsin, and Florida, typically targeting large sums of money, jewelry, credit and debit cards, and other valuable items.
As alleged in charging documents, in addition to surveilling individuals, the conspirators used drones and GPS trackers placed on vehicles to monitor victim’s movement and identify times when they were away from their residences. They are also alleged to have used drones and lookouts to monitor law enforcement activity, and to have had a getaway car and driver at the ready while other conspirators broke into and burglarized the residences.
Barrera Garrido was ordered detained on Thursday following his return to Rhode Island and arraignment in U.S. District Court.
Other alleged members of the conspiracy, Mohammed Islam, 29, of Stamford, CT, a Bangladesh national, Basneyareth Rebollar Martinez, of Stamford, CT, a Mexican national, and Tania Valentina Espitia Cuellar, 24, a Columbian national whose local home address is unknown, have pleaded guilty in this matter and are detained while awaiting sentencing. The defendants’ sentences will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jorge Andres Cardenas Murillo, 30, of College Point, NY, was released on a GPS bracelet while awaiting trial on charges on charges of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property and two counts of attempt to commit interstate transportation of stolen property. A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ly T. Chin and Julianne Klein.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Warwick and Smithfield, RI Police Departments; Shrewsbury and Framingham, MA Police Departments; Gorham, NH Police Department; Stamford, Wallingford, and Westport, CT Police Departments; West Allis, WI Police Department; New Castle County, DE Police Department; Manalapan, NJ Police Department; New York City Police Department; Jacksonville and Flagler County Police Departments; Massachusetts State Police; Pennsylvania State Police; Grove City OH Police Department; and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
###
Four More Co-Conspirators Charged in Alleged Nationwide Abusive-Trust Tax Shelter SchemeRead the Press Release
A superseding indictment was returned this week by a federal grand jury in Denver charging four people with conspiring with Larry Conner and Timothy McPhee to defraud the IRS. Connor and McPhee had previously been indicted for conspiring to defraud the IRS related to the same scheme in September 2023.
According to the superseding indictment, from February 2018 until September 2023, Marcia Predmore, Roderick Prescott, Suzanne Thompson and Weldon Wulstein allegedly conspired with Conner, McPhee and others to promote, sell and implement an abusive-trust tax shelter scheme. The superseding indictment further charges Thompson and Wulstein with assisting in the preparation of false income tax returns on behalf of clients who used the shelter. Predmore and McPhee had previously been charged with tax evasion related to their use of the tax shelter to conceal their own income from the IRS. Conner and McPhee had also previously been charged with assisting in the preparation of false income tax returns on behalf of clients who used the shelter.
According to the superseding indictment, the shelter was marketed as a way for business owners to avoid paying federal income taxes on nearly all of their business income. Conner and McPhee allegedly instructed clients to use the fraudulent tax shelter by assigning nearly all of their business income to a series of sham trusts and a purported “private family foundation” to create the illusion that the income did not belong to the client. Conner and McPhee then allegedly referred the clients to handpicked tax-return preparers for the preparation of false individual income tax returns that did not report the income assigned to the trusts or that was donated to the foundation. In reality, however, the clients allegedly retained full control and use of that income. Although the income assigned to the sham trusts was reported on tax returns for the trusts, those tax returns allegedly offset the income with improper deductions, including donations, to report $0 in taxes owed.
As to Prescott, the superseding indictment charges that through his business, The Stewardship Institute, Prescott promoted the “private family foundation” that was advertised as the final step of the tax shelter. Prescott allegedly taught about the foundation at workshops he hosted with Conner, McPhee, Predmore and others. Prescott allegedly advised clients how to spend the funds “donated” to their private family foundations for their own personal use and to disguise the transactions to make them appear charitable. Prescott also allegedly oversaw the preparation of the instruments used to create the so-called private family foundations.
The superseding indictment alleges that Conner, McPhee and Predmore referred clients to Thompson for bookkeeping services and Wulstein for return preparation services. Thompson allegedly operated a bookkeeping firm called The CFO Agency; Wulstein allegedly operated a return preparation firm called Wulstein Financial Services. Thompson and her employees allegedly prepared financial statements for clients who used the abusive-trust tax shelter and sent those financial statements to Wulstein for the preparation of false tax returns.
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States. Conner, McPhee, Thompson and Wulstein also face a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of assisting in the preparation of a false tax return. McPhee and Predmore face a maximum sentence of five years in prison for each count of tax evasion. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Amanda R. Scott and Lauren K. Pope and Senior Litigation Counsel Corey J. Smith of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Four Defendants in Firearms Trafficking Ring SentencedRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – A firearms trafficking ring has been dismantled and four people have been sentenced to years in prison for conspiring to buy guns in the metro Atlanta area that were later smuggled to the Dominican Republic.
“Firearms traffickers present an immediate danger to communities within and outside our district,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “We are committed to working with our federal, state, local, and international partners to disrupt the illegal flow of firearms by identifying and prosecuting those who illegally purchase and traffic these weapons.”
“Among ATF’s top priorities is ensuring that firearms traffickers are aggressively investigated and swiftly brought to justice,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones, Atlanta Field Division. “This is an excellent example of such an investigation that was worked cooperatively by multiple partner agencies with outstanding results.”
“These defendants took steps to disguise dozens of illegally acquired firearms using everyday household items further hidden in shipping containers. Proactive and collaborative law enforcement played a vital role in thwarting the illicit trafficking of deadly weapons both in the United States and overseas,” said HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo. “I commend HSI New York’s Border Enforcement Security Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia for their unwavering commitment to the public’s safety.”
“These sentences were made possible through close coordination between our federal, local, and international law enforcement partners,” said Special Agent Edwin Lopez, Homeland Security Investigations Attaché, U.S. Embassy, Santo Domingo. “Our thanks especially goes out to the Dominican Republic’s Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit (TCIU) which contributed significantly to the final outcome of this investigation.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2021, Jonathan Hiraldo Abreu contacted Cornel Rashard Miley to inquire about a firearm Miley advertised for sale. Hiraldo Abreu met Miley in Georgia to purchase the gun. Miley then agreed that he and his wife, Charqweshia Sierra Miley, would acquire additional firearms for Hiraldo Abreu in exchange for a premium paid for each gun. To obtain the additional guns, the Mileys repeatedly deceived licensed firearms dealers by falsely certifying at the point of sale that they were purchasing the firearms. In fact, Hiraldo Abreu was the actual purchaser who provided the money to the Mileys and told them which guns to buy. Within less than seven months, the Mileys purchased at least 73 firearms for Hiraldo Abreu, all of which were Glock 9 mm semiautomatic pistols.
Hiraldo Abreu traveled from Pennsylvania to Georgia in November 2021, December 2021, February 2022, and April 2022 to pick up guns from the Mileys. In June 2022, Hiraldo Abreu recruited his cousin, Jose Munoz, who was living in Rhode Island, to manage the gun purchases in his place. Munoz met Hiraldo Abreu in Pennsylvania, traveled to Georgia, directed the Mileys’ purchase of 22 firearms, and then returned to Hiraldo Abreu’s home. Within approximately three weeks, nine of the firearms that the Mileys purchased under Munoz’s supervision were recovered during an x-ray inspection of a shipping container in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The guns had been stashed inside the container with various household goods without having been declared or approved for export.
Although the Mileys were Georgia residents when they bought guns for Hiraldo Abreu between November 2021 and April 2022, they relocated to Arizona in June 2022. Hiraldo Abreu paid the Mileys to fly back to Georgia so they could falsely claim Georgia residency and buy more guns for him in July 2022. After returning to Arizona, the Mileys were arrested when officers observed them operating a vehicle with a fictitious license plate. The Mileys were armed, and a search of their vehicle uncovered more than 3,200 rounds of ammunition, nearly three dozen handgun magazines, and body armor.
After the defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer in connection with the acquisition of a firearm, U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Geraghty sentenced them as follows:
- Jonathan Hiraldo Abreu, 31, of Reading, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to four years, two months in prison to be followed by two years of supervised release.
- Charqweshia Sierra Miley, 33, of Lithonia, Georgia and Golden Valley, Arizona, was sentenced to two years, three months in prison to be followed by two years of supervised release.
- Cornel Rashard Miley, 31, of Lithonia, Georgia and Golden Valley, Arizona, was sentenced to two years, three months in prison to be followed by two years of supervised release.
- Jose Munoz, 21, of Cranston, Rhode Island, was sentenced to one year and one month in prison to be followed by two years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the New York City Police Department, the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security, and the Dominican Republic’s customs authority, Dirección General de Aduanas.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg 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.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former flooring company bookkeeper sentenced to three years in prison for scheme to steal from company co-ownerRead the Press Release
Seattle – The former bookkeeper of a Mukilteo, Washington, flooring company was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to three years in prison for four counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Jodi Hamrick, who now resides near Memphis, Tennessee, was convicted following a five-day jury trial. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones said Hamrick “had a pattern and practice of defrauding employers… and continued her manipulation for personal gain.” Judge Jones noted Hamrick “was motivated by pure greed. There was no justification, no hardship, no financial need.”
According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, Hamrick conspired with David M. Gluth, the co-owner of Gluth Contract Flooring, to steal from the company and defraud the silent partner who had put up the money for the business. In the jury trial, prosecutors detailed how Hamrick and Gluth carried out the scheme by embezzling more than $400,000 from the commercial flooring business. Between 2011 and 2016, Gluth and Hamrick raided the company accounts to pay for everything from a home mortgage, to luxury vacations, to Nordstrom bills.
The two not only raided company funds, they also defrauded financial institutions by taking out loans without the knowledge or permission of the company’s co-owner. The two used the company funds for a variety of personal expenses. The lies and deceit in this scheme involved forged signatures, forged documents, altered records, secret bank accounts, secret credit cards, false bookkeeping entries, and false statements in declarations and court filings. The evidence in the case included years of Skype instant messages between Hamrick and Gluth, showing the planning and execution of the fraud in minute detail.
Ultimately, the company co-owner had to go to court to try to get the truth about the embezzlement from the company. The flooring company went bankrupt in 2016, and the victimized business partner was left with nothing but debt.
In imposing the sentence requested by prosecutors, Judge Jones highlighted the fact that Hamrick had stolen from an earlier employer but was not prosecuted for that theft. “You didn’t learn from it, you used it as an opportunity to get an advanced degree in theft,” Judge Jones said.
Judge Jones will determine how much restitution Hamrick must pay at a hearing scheduled for June 21, 2024. Hamrick will be on supervised release following prison for three years.
Gluth was charged in November 2020, and pleaded guilty in January 2021. Gluth was sentenced in 2021 to two years in prison and agreed to a restitution figure of $325,000.
The case was investigated by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Dion and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jessica M. Ly.
Former Teacher’s Aide Sentenced for Using the Internet to Attempt to Entice a Minor to Engage in Sexual ConductRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A Lily, Ky., man, James Samuel Jones, 39, was sentenced on Thursday, by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier, to 20 years in prison, for the distribution of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, on September 13, 2022, Jones, through his Yahoo email account, distributed a video depicting two minor victims engaged in sexual activity. The video was sent to an email account believed to have child pornography and sent with the expectation of receiving child pornography in return for the distributed video.
Under federal law, Jones must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 20 years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Robert Holman, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service; and Russell Coleman, Kentucky Attorney General, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Secret Service and Kentucky Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Parman is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
— END —
Former Teacher’s Aide Sentenced for Using the Internet to Attempt to Entice a Minor to Engage in Sexual ConductRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Danville, Ky., woman, Ellen Phillips, formerly known as Ellen Shell, 38, was sentenced on Friday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, to 188 months in prison, for using the internet to attempt to entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct.
Phillips, who at the time of her offenses was employed as a teacher’s aide, was conducting sexual relationships with numerous teenage boys in the Boyle and Garrard County areas. Phillips would communicate with the victims via Snapchat, Facebook, or text messaging; and in many instances, she would meet the victims for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity. According to Phillips’ plea, she engaged in sexual activity with multiple minors at the same time.
In her plea agreement, Phillips specifically admitted that on December 20, 2022, she attempted to entice a 15-year-old minor to engage in sexual activity. In this conversation, Phillips messaged the victim using Facebook and repeatedly attempted to get the victim to sneak out of his house for sexual activity. When the victim said he could not leave, Phillips offered alcohol and oral sex to the minor and offered excuses the victim could tell his mother as to why he needed to leave his home.
Under federal law, Phillips must serve 85 percent of her prison sentence. Upon her release from prison, she will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Phillip J. Burnett, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police (KSP); Willie Skeens, Garrard County Sheriff; and Chief Tony Gray, Danville Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the HSI, KSP, Garrard County Sheriff’s Office, and Danville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
— END —
- Former Social Security Administration Employee Facing Federal Charges for Fraudulent Telework, Emergency Childcare, and Medical Leave Schemes
Former Post Office Employee Indicted for Mail TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former United States Postal Service (USPS) employee has been indicted by a federal grand jury of theft of mail and theft of government funds.
Michael Murray, 36, of Lynn, has been indicted on one count of theft of mail matter by an employee and one count of theft of government money. Murray was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston at 11 a.m. today.
According to the indictment, from around September 2022 through July 2023, Murray worked as a USPS postal clerk at the Beach Street Post Office in Revere and the Melrose Post Office. From around April 2023 through July 2023, Murray allegedly used his official position to steal the contents of hundreds of pieces of mail entrusted to him, including gift cards, cash and checks totaling approximately $3,422. It is further alleged that, during the same time period, Murray stole and fraudulently negotiated USPS money orders by generating them for postal customers for his own use totaling approximately $5,131.
The charge of theft of mail by employee provides a sentence of up to five years in prison, three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of theft of government funds valuing over $1,000 provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris, Deputy Chief of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit, is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.