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Monday 22 April 2024
Ten Charged and One Arrested in Connection with Sanctions Evasion SchemeRead the Press Release
Defendants Conspired to Unlawfully Export Millions of Dollars’ Worth Of Aircraft Parts From the United States to Venezuela’s State-Owned Oil Company Through Costa Rica And Spain
MIAMI – The Justice Department today announced the unsealing of an indictment charging 10 defendants with conspiring to violate the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA) for their roles in a scheme to evade U.S. sanctions imposed on Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), the Venezuelan state-owned oil company, in January 2019. One of the defendants, George Clemente Semerene Quintero, 60, was arrested on April 19, 2024, upon arrival at the Miami International Airport.
As alleged in the indictment, between January 2019 and December 2021, after learning of the sanctions imposed on PDVSA, the defendants devised a scheme to illegally procure aircraft parts, including Honeywell Turbofan Engines, from the United States to service PDVSA’s aircraft fleet in Venezuela, in violation of U.S. sanctions and export controls. To carry out this scheme, the defendants concealed from U.S. companies that the goods were destined for Venezuela and PDVSA by exporting them to third parties in other countries, including Novax Group SA (Novax), a Costa Rican company, and Aerofalcon SL (Aerofalco), a Spanish company. The Department of Commerce added Novax and Aerofalcon to its Entity List in November 2023.
According to court documents, the defendants include:
- Four individuals associated with PDVSA: Gilberto Ramon Araujo Prieto, 54, a PDVSA air transport manager and colonel in the Venezuelan military; Guillermo Ysrael Marval Rivero, 62, and Fernando Jose Blequett Landaeta, 52, both PDVSA air transport managers and logistics analysts responsible for procurement; and Semerene, PDVSA’s head of logistics, procurement and warehousing.
- Four individuals associated with Novax: Luis Alberto Duque Carvajal, 63, of San Jose, Costa Rica, the owner of Novax; Melvin Aleman Espinoza, 39, Novax’s director of operations; Mikhail Largin, 60, Novax’s director of special projects; and Pedro Elias Sucre Salazar, 58, a Novax employee located in Venezuela.
- Two individuals associated with Aerofalcon: Juan Carlos Gonzalez Perez, 60, the owner of Aerofalcon; and Juan David Guerra Viera, 54, a director for Aerofalcon.
The defendants are charged with conspiring to violate IEEPA, and if convicted, face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Defendants Duque, Aleman, Sucre, Gonzalez, and Guerra Viera are additionally charged with submitting false or misleading export information and smuggling of goods, which respectively carry maximum penalties of five and 10 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) made the announcement.
BIS is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Stratton for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section (CES) are prosecuting the case. CES Deputy Chief Matthew McKenzie provided valuable assistance during the investigation.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-CR-20589.
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Ten Charged and One Arrested in Connection with Sanctions Evasion SchemeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced the unsealing of an indictment charging 10 defendants with conspiring to violate the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA) for their roles in a scheme to evade U.S. sanctions imposed on Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), the Venezuelan state-owned oil company, in January 2019. One of the defendants, George Clemente Semerene Quintero, 60, was arrested on April 19, 2024, upon arrival at the Miami International Airport.
As alleged in the indictment, between January 2019 and December 2021, after learning of the sanctions imposed on PDVSA, the defendants devised a scheme to illegally procure aircraft parts, including Honeywell Turbofan Engines, from the United States to service PDVSA’s aircraft fleet in Venezuela, in violation of U.S. sanctions and export controls. To carry out this scheme, the defendants concealed from U.S. companies that the goods were destined for Venezuela and PDVSA by exporting them to third parties in other countries, including Novax Group SA (Novax), a Costa Rican company, and Aerofalcon SL (Aerofalco), a Spanish company. The Department of Commerce added Novax and Aerofalcon to its Entity List in November 2023.
According to court documents, the defendants include:
- Four individuals associated with PDVSA: Gilberto Ramon Araujo Prieto, 54, a PDVSA air transport manager and colonel in the Venezuelan military; Guillermo Ysrael Marval Rivero, 62, and Fernando Jose Blequett Landaeta, 52, both PDVSA air transport managers and logistics analysts responsible for procurement; and Semerene, PDVSA’s head of logistics, procurement and warehousing.
- Four individuals associated with Novax: Luis Alberto Duque Carvajal, 63, of San Jose, Costa Rica, the owner of Novax; Melvin Aleman Espinoza, 39, Novax’s director of operations; Mikhail Largin, 60, Novax’s director of special projects; and Pedro Elias Sucre Salazar, 58, a Novax employee located in Venezuela.
- Two individuals associated with Aerofalcon: Juan Carlos Gonzalez Perez, 60, the owner of Aerofalcon; and Juan David Guerra Viera, 54, a director for Aerofalcon.
The defendants are charged with conspiring to violate IEEPA, and if convicted, face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Defendants Duque, Aleman, Sucre, Gonzalez, and Guerra Viera are additionally charged with submitting false or misleading export information and smuggling of goods, which respectively carry maximum penalties of five and 10 years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), and U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.
BIS is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Stratton for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section (CES) are prosecuting the case. CES Deputy Chief Matthew McKenzie provided valuable assistance during the investigation.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
IndictmentSt. Michael, ND, Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Second-Degree Murder and ArsonRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that Cody James Belgarde, age 37, from St. Michael, ND, was sentenced by Chief Judge Peter D. Welte to 327 months in prison following conviction at trial on charges of Second-Degree Murder and Arson.
In January of 2021, Belgarde shot and killed a boy who was two weeks past his seventeenth birthday. Belgarde then set fire to the house where the murder took place. In November of 2023, a jury found Belgarde guilty of Second-Degree Murder and Arson within Indian country. The jury acquitted Belgarde on a charge of First-Degree Murder.
“The violent murder of this young man was as utterly senseless as it was brutal,” Schneider said. “No amount of time in prison can undo the heart-rending and pointless loss of life in this case, but we hope this sentence provides a measure of justice for the victim’s family. The United States Attorney’s Office is deeply committed to increasing public safety in Indian country, and we will continue to aggressively prosecute perpetrators of violent crime in tribal communities.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation; and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori H. Conroy and U.S. Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota.
Previous Press Release for this case can be found at: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nd/pr/st-michael-nd-man-convicted-second-degree-murder-and-arson
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Somerset County Man Charged with Federal Hate Crime for Breaking into Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University and Destroying PropertyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Somerset County, New Jersey, man has been charged with a federal hate crime for breaking into the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University (CILRU) in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and destroying property, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and New Jersey State Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced.
Jacob Beacher, 24, was arrested this morning and is charged by complaint with one count of intentional or attempted obstruction of religious practice and one count of making false statements to federal authorities. Beacher is scheduled to have his initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa in Newark federal court.
According to the criminal complaint, on April 10, during the Eid-al-Fitr holiday, Beacher broke into the CILRU around 2:41 a.m., where he damaged the CILRU’s property, including several religious artifacts, such as Turbah prayer stones, which are clay stones on which Muslims prostrate during prayer, and numerous other items that contained holy language from the Qur’an, Islam’s sacred scripture. The complaint also alleges that Beacher also stole a Palestinian flag and a charity box belonging to the CILRU.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger and Attorney General Platkin credited the many agencies that collaborated on this joint investigation: special agents of the FBI, Branchburg Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; prosecutors and detectives from the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, under the direction of Director J. Stephen Ferketic; detectives from the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone; the Rutgers University Police Department-New Brunswick Division, under the leadership of Chief of University Police Kenneth Cop; the New Brunswick Police Department, under the leadership of Chief Vincent Sabo; the New Jersey State Police, under the leadership of Colonel Patrick J. Callahan and the New Jersey Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin and Deputy Chief R. Joseph Gribko for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney Daniel Grunert of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
beacher.complaint.pdfSex Traffickers Sentenced in MaineRead the Press Release
Ricardo Middleton, 32, of Boston, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release after a jury found Middleton guilty in December 2023 of sex trafficking a young woman through force, fraud and coercion and obstruction in Maine.
Middleton’s co-defendant, Sherry Jones, of Dorchester, Massachusetts, was sentenced today to 80 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Jones had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking on May 23, 2023.
“This significant sentence imposed by the court reflects the severity of the defendant’s exploitation of the victim over three days. He used drugs, threats, physical force and rape to force her to engage in commercial sex for his own profit,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “These acts were odious and intolerable. They denied the victim’s basic humanity. The Justice Department will vigorously prosecute human trafficking crimes to hold offenders accountable and to seek justice for survivors of these heinous crimes.”
“Commercial sex trafficking traumatizes its victims and strips them of their freedom and dignity,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine. “Addressing this serious crime is a priority to my office. I commend the commitment of the law enforcement team that diligently worked this important case for years, always keeping the safety and recovery of Middleton’s vulnerable victim as the main priority.”
“The horrific violence inflicted upon women by Middleton and his co-conspirators is difficult to comprehend,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New England. “He targeted someone battling substance use issues and used this as a lever to control, making it even harder for her to escape the nightmare she found herself in. We hope that today’s sentence marks and end to this traumatic experience as he faces a lengthy federal sentence and a beginning for those he victimized to look forward and work towards a life of dignity and self-determination.”
The evidence presented at trial demonstrated that Middleton exploited a 25-year-old Maine woman who was suffering with substance abuse disorder and compelled her to engage in commercial sex, using drugs, lies, intimidation, physical violence and rape as means to control her. Testimony provided details of the three days in November 2015, in which Middleton, along with Jones and co-defendant Mathew Thatcher, of Scarborough, Maine, transported the victim to several locations in Maine and Massachusetts. Along the way, Middleton berated the victim, abused her and humiliated her, including raping her and saying he was “going to make a lot of money off” her. The evidence further detailed how Middleton, while detained pending trial, instructed a co-defendant not to cooperate with the government or incriminate him.
On March 22, Thatcher was sentenced to 44 months in prison and three years of supervised released. Thatcher pleaded guilty on Nov. 17, 2023, to interstate transportation in aid of racketeering and contempt of court. Neither of Middleton’s co-defendants testified at the December trial.
The HSI New England Field Office, Portland Resident Agent in Charge Office investigated the case, with assistance from the FBI, Biddeford Police Department, Portland Police Department, South Portland Police Department, Topsham Police Department and Saco Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Joyce for the District of Maine and Trial Attorney Meghan Tokash and Deputy Director William Nolan of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Rochester man arrested, charged with threatening to murder members of federal law enforcementRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Eric Anthony, 27, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with threatening to assault, kidnap, or murder federal law enforcement officers with intent to impede, intimidate, or interfere with such law enforcement officers while engaged in the performance of official duties, or with intent to retaliate against such law enforcement officers on account of the performance of their official duties. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Everardo A. Rodriguez, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on April 18, 2024, Anthony sent an email to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, criticizing federal gun laws and the actions of multiple federal and local law enforcement agencies, including the ATF, FBI, HSI, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Rochester Police Department. The email also included threats to murder law enforcement officers. The email stated that if anything happened to Anthony or his family, “then I am left no choice to impose my ‘hellish strategic move.’” The complaint further states that Anthony followed up his email with a fax to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. The fax included much of the same information that was included in the ATF email.
“Any and all threats to harm or injure any member of our law enforcement community are taken seriously,” stated U.S. Attorney Ross. “I commend the collaboration and teamwork that went into locating and arresting this defendant, who was prepared to act on the threats he made, which could have resulted in deadly consequences for the men and women whose mission it is to protect our communities and its citizens.”
“This recent arrest serves as a reminder that serious threats of violence will not be tolerated,” stated ATF Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller. “The suspect was found to be illegally stockpiling weapons capable of carrying out the repeated threats of violence he had made against law enforcement. Thanks to the decisive actions of the ATF NY Rochester Violent Crime Task Force, this individual is now being held accountable for his actions. We commend the efforts of the Rochester Police Department, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of NY for their collaboration in bringing this individual to justice.”
“Federal task forces augment local agencies with specialized investigative resources and open pathways for federal prosecution,” said Matthew Miraglia, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI’s Buffalo Field Office. “Thanks to these efforts and partnerships with the U.S. Attorneys’ Office, ATF, and other federal, state, and local agencies, the FBI continues to be successful in combatting potential threats and protecting our communities.”
“At a time when individuals are violently attacking law enforcement, costing us so dearly just this past week, this person posed a targeted threat to those serving,” said Sheriff Todd K. Baxter. “The diligent teamwork of these law enforcement partners in preempting any harm and safely taking him into custody, is to be commended.”
“This is another example of the partnerships that exist in Rochester law enforcement that work towards keeping our city safe,” state Rochester Police Chief David Smith. “The work of the violent crime task force to safely take this dangerous individual into custody is truly remarkable.”
Anthony made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and is being held pending a detention hearing on April 23, 2024, at 12:30 p.m.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Bryan Miller, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Monroe County Sherriff’s Office under the direction of Sherriff Todd Baxter, and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Rochester Man Charged with Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Rochester man has been indicted for production and possession of child pornography and coercing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on multiple occasions between 2015 and 2023, Mathew Richard Adamson, 45, produced child pornography involving 12 and 13-year-old minor girls, including surreptitiously recorded videos. Adamson also possessed sexually explicit images and videos of minors and coerced a minor girl to engage in sexual conduct with him.
The complaint charges Adamson with three counts of production and attempted production of child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of coercion and enticement. Adamson was arraigned today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Rochester Police Department, the FBI, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Kline is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ringleader Pleads Guilty in Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization CaseRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Derrell Cashawn Massey, also known as “Rell,” and “Fat Rell,” 34, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty to distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Massey admitted to a leading role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 3, 2023, Massey distributed approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at a Ninth Street residence in Huntington where Massey was living. The confidential informant had called Massey beforehand to arrange the transaction, agreeing to pay $2,000 in exchange for the methamphetamine.
Massey admitted to the transaction and further admitted to participating in the DTO from at least November 2022 through November 2023. Massey’s participation included arranging for quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl to be transported from Detroit and other areas to Huntington for distribution. Massey also distributed at least 30 pounds of methamphetamine to a specific customer in Nitro, West Virginia, and directed other individuals to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl to various customers. Massey admitted that he aided and abetted the distribution of a total of 8.6 pounds of methamphetamine on 10 separate occasions between February 27, 2023, and September 7, 2023.
Massey and other DTO participants used multiple residences to store and distribute quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, including Massey’s Ninth Avenue residence in Huntington. On September 12, 2023, law enforcement officers seized six 9mm semiautomatic pistols at Massey’s Ninth Avenue residence.
Massey is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.
Massey is among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia.
Massey is also among 21 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. One other of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting the case..
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
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. 3:23-cr-180.
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Republic Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Republic, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing fentanyl to distribute and several firearms following two instances in which he fled from law enforcement officers.
Tonikko Fewell, 34, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to two counts of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On Aug. 16, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Fewell’s residence. Fewell drove by his residence while officers were executing the search warrant. Officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but Fewell dropped off a female passenger and quickly sped away at speeds over 100 miles per hour. Officers discontinued the pursuit over public safety concerns.
Officers searched Fewell’s residence and found approximately 588 grams of fentanyl, $3,420 in cash, and an Anderson .223-caliber semi-automatic rifle, which had been reported stolen, with a fully loaded 40-round magazine. Officers also found a Jimenez Arms 9mm semi-automatic pistol that had been reported stolen and a Walther 9mm semi-automatic pistol in a vehicle parked at the residence.
On Dec. 8, 2021, a Springfield, Mo., police detective attempted to conduct a traffic stop of an orange Cadillac Fewell was driving. The detective did not pursue the vehicle, but shortly afterward saw the vehicle had been involved in a three-car accident at the intersection of Commercial Street and National Avenue. The detective searched the vehicle and found 54 grams of fentanyl and $4,232 in cash. Fewell, a passenger, and their 2-year-old daughter were transported to the hospital for treatment.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Fewell has a prior felony conviction for unlawful use of a weapon.
Under federal statutes, Fewell is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Republic, Mo., Police Department, and the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s 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.
Red Oak Woman Pleads Guilty to Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Ann Sulsberger, 49, from Red Oak, Iowa, pled guilty April 18, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
At the plea hearing, evidence showed that between April 2023 and May 2023 Sulsberger and others conspired to distribute over a pound of methamphetamine in the Woodbury and Monona County areas.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Sulsberger remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Sulsberger faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Bureau of Indian Affairs, DEA Laboratory, Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4002. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Rasta, Court Therapy Dog, Honored for Service to ChildrenRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore presents the annual Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award to Rasta, a courtroom therapy dog, and the golden retriever’s handler and owner, Jennifer Vernon.KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Teresa Moore, United State Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, presented the annual Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award today to Rasta, a courtroom therapy dog, and the golden retriever’s handler and owner, Jennifer Vernon.
The award, presented annually during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (April 21 to 27), honors the memories of Ali Kemp and Crystal Kipper, both of whom were fatal victims of tragic crimes. This is the 20th year for the award, which recognizes the outstanding work of an individual or organization in recognition of a valued contribution to preventing and responding to the exploitation of children.
“Every dog lover has had the experience of being comforted by their devoted canine friend,” Moore said. “This year we are recognizing Rasta’s invaluable contribution of a calming influence for traumatized children during stressful, sometimes intimidating, legal proceedings. By helping to reduce the anxiety of these vulnerable victims, Rasta contributes to our goal of achieving justice for them. And by presenting Rasta with this award, we hope to encourage the use of court therapy dogs in more settings.”
Tina Sutter, a victim-witness coordinator with the U.S. Attorney's Office, treats Rasta to a cupcake following the award presentation.Rasta provides emotional support to help young victims and witnesses speak up to describe truthfully and accurately what happened to them. The scientific evidence for the physical and mental calming effects of appropriately bred and trained dogs is overwhelming, according to the Courthouse Dogs Foundation, and includes both physical and psychological effects.
Rasta, a trained therapy dog, originally worked in hospice as well as working alongside Vernon, the Director of Child, Youth and Family Clinical Services at Synergy Services, Inc. Rasta has provided comfort to children at Synergy who experienced trauma, to homeless and traumatized teens, and even to the adult staff at Synergy. In 2019, following some additional training, Rasta went into the courtroom for the first time. He sat in the witness box with a teen abuse survivor during his first trial experience in Platte County Circuit Court.
Since then, said Vernon, Rasta has worked at more trials, depositions, and other hearings. Sometimes he is present to provide comfort to survivors before and after testimony.
Moore presented the Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Award alongside Anna Kipper Rea, the mother of Crystal Kipper, and Jill and Bob Leiker of the Ali Kemp Educational Foundation, an organization founded by the late Roger Kemp, the father of Ali Kemp.
The theme for the 2024 Crime Victims’ Rights week is “How would you help? Options, services, and hope for crime survivors.” There is a focus on creating safe environments for crime victims to share what happened to them and offer support, options for life-saving services, and most importantly, hope.
The Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award
This is the 20th year for the award to be presented in memory of Crystal Kipper and Ali Kemp, two young women who were both fatal victims of tragic crimes. Crystal Kipper was an 18-year-old Gladstone, Mo., resident who was murdered after her car ran out of gas on Interstate 29, just north of Platte City, on Feb. 24, 1997. Ali Kemp was a 19-year-old Blue Valley North High School graduate who was murdered on June 18, 2002, while she worked at the Foxborough neighborhood swimming pool in Leawood, Kan.
U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore (center) with Rasta and Jennifer Vernon following the presentation of the annual Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award. Moore presented the award alongside Anna Kipper Rea (with her husband, Mark), the mother of Crystal Kipper, and Jill and Bob Leiker of the Ali Kemp Educational Foundation, an organization founded by the late Roger Kemp, the father of Ali Kemp, whose son Tyler Kemp is also pictured.Pinson Man Sentenced for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Pinson, Alabama man was sentenced on April 17, 2024, to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine.
According to court documents, Darnell Watkins, 61, plead guilty to the charge in October of 2022. Watkins was one of several conspirators charged in Mobile when an investigation conducted by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigations revealed that cocaine and heroin supplied by James Harding, Jr., in Birmingham, was being distributed in Daphne and Fairhope by other members of the organization, including Darrell Williams. Harding and Williams were convicted by a federal jury in Mobile in October of 2022. Harding was sentenced to 480 months imprisonment, and Williams was sentenced to 324 months imprisonment. Court documents reflect that Watkins assisted the conspirators in south Alabama in connecting with Harding and arranging for the delivery and transportation of the drugs and the payment of the drug money.
United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer imposed the 10-year sentence in Watkins’ case and ordered that he be placed on supervision by the United States Probation Office for 5 years following his release from custody. No fine was imposed, but Judge Moorer ordered that Watkins pay $100 in special assessments.
The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Baldwin County Drug Task Force, the Safe Streets Task Force and the FBI. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Owner, captains of crab fishing vessels charged with illegally transporting crab from AlaskaRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging the owner and captains of two crab catcher vessels with illegally transporting crab from Alaska, in violation of the Lacey Act.
According to court documents, Corey Potter is the owner of the two crab catching vessels, and Justin Welch and Kyle Potter are the captains of the vessels. In February and March 2024, the vessels harvested over 7,000 pounds of Tanner and golden king crab in Southeast Alaska. Corey Potter allegedly directed Kyle Potter and Justin Welch to take the crab to Seattle, Washington, where they intended to sell it at a higher price than they would have in Alaska. Neither captain landed the harvested crab at a port in Alaska and the harvest was never recorded on a fish ticket, which is a requirement under state law.
The crab was allegedly taken through Canadian and Washington waters. Upon arrival in Washington, a large portion of the king crab was deceased and unmarketable. Corey Potter allegedly acknowledged that some of the crab aboard was infected with Bitter Crab Syndrome (BCS), a parasitic disease that is fatal to crustaceans. Over 4,000 additional pounds of Tanner crab were destroyed due to the risk of BCS infection. Court documents allege that had the crab been properly landed in Alaska, the harvest would have been inspected and infected crab would have been sorted out and disposed of before leaving Alaska.
Corey Potter is charged with two counts of unlawful transportation of fish or wildlife in violation of 16 U.S.C. 3372(a)(2)(A) and 3373(d)(1)(B), and Justin Welch and Kyle Potter are both charged with one count of the same violation. The defendants will make their initial court appearance on May 2 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment and a $20,000 fine per count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska and Assistant Director Benjamin Cheeseman with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of Law Enforcement made the announcement.
NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Brickey is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Operators of Florida Labor Staffing Companies Sentenced to More than Three Years in Prison for Tax and Immigration ChargesRead the Press Release
Two operators of several Key West, Florida, labor staffing companies – including PSEB Services Inc., E.S.F. Services Inc. and Expert Services F.S. Inc. – were each sentenced to over three years in prison today for tax and immigration-related crimes.
According to court documents and statements made in court, at various times between January 2014 and October 2019, Zdenek Strnad, Vasil Khatiashvili and others helped run a series of labor staffing companies that facilitated the employment in hotels, bars and restaurants in Key West and elsewhere of non-resident aliens who were not authorized to work in the United States. These labor staffing companies did not withhold federal income taxes or Social Security and Medicare taxes from these workers’ wages and did not report the wages to the IRS.
U.S. District Court Judge Jose E. Martinez for the Southern District of Florida sentenced Strnad to 44 months in prison and Khatiashvili to 38 months in prison. In addition to their prison sentences, Judge Martinez ordered Strnad and Khatiashvili to both serve three years of supervised release and to pay $1,836,960.68 in restitution to the United States.
Khatiashvili and Strnad’s co-defendant, Petr Sutka, was sentenced to 48 months in prison on March 18.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami and Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Miami Field Office made the announcement.
HSI and IRS-CI investigated the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorneys Jessica A. Kraft, Nicholas J. Schilling Jr., Matthew C. Hicks and Wilson Rae Stamm of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Clark of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida prosecuted the case.
Operators of Florida Labor Staffing Companies Sentenced to More than Three Years in Prison for Tax and Immigration ChargesRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Two operators of several Key West, Florida, labor staffing companies – including PSEB Services Inc., E.S.F. Services Inc. and Expert Services F.S. Inc. – were each sentenced to over three years in prison today for tax and immigration-related crimes.
According to court documents and statements made in court, at various times between January 2014 and October 2019, Zdenek Strnad, Vasil Khatiashvili and others helped run a series of labor staffing companies that facilitated the employment in hotels, bars and restaurants in Key West and elsewhere of non-resident aliens who were not authorized to work in the United States. These labor staffing companies did not withhold federal income taxes or Social Security and Medicare taxes from these workers’ wages and did not report the wages to the IRS.
U.S. District Court Judge Jose E. Martinez for the Southern District of Florida sentenced Strnad to 44 months in prison and Khatiashvili to 38 months in prison. In addition to their prison sentences, Judge Martinez ordered Strnad and Khatiashvili to both serve three years of supervised release and to pay $1,836,960.68 in restitution to the United States.
Khatiashvili and Strnad’s co-defendant, Petr Sutka, was sentenced to 48 months in prison on March 18.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami, and Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Miami Field Office made the announcement.
HSI and IRS-CI investigated the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Clark of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorneys Jessica A. Kraft, Nicholas J. Schilling Jr., Matthew C. Hicks and Wilson Rae Stamm of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-CR-10015.
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Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Robert Dewayne Miller, 36, of Charleston, was sentenced today to six years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, admitting to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Miller participated in the conspiracy from in or about October 2022 to in or about January 2023. Miller is responsible for over 2 and a half pounds of methamphetamine due to this involvement in the conspiracy. Miller distributed quantities of methamphetamine supplied by co-defendant Alexandria Jasmine Estep, who acquired pound-level quantities of methamphetamine from co-conspirator Jasper Wemh. Estep would check with Miller to see if the methamphetamine had been sold and Estep would collect the proceeds of such sales from Miller. Occasionally, Estep would receive methamphetamine back from Miller for the purpose of selling it.
Miller, Estep and Wemh are among 32 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash.
Estep, 22, of Charleston, was sentenced on February 22, 2024, to four years and two months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Wemh, 39, of Charleston, pleaded guilty on March 30, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and awaits sentencing. Miller, Estep and Wemh are among 27 defendants who have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-33.
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Ohio Man Sentenced for Fentanyl and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Tyler Jordan Sands, age 23, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for fentanyl and firearms offenses.
Sands pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and unlawful possession of a firearm in November 2023. According to court documents and statements made in court, Sands was under investigation for traveling from Akron to sell drugs in the Clarksburg area. A search warrant was executed on a home being used by Sands in Clarksburg, along with his vehicle and hotel room. Officers found 500 fentanyl pills, powdered fentanyl, cash, and a semi-automatic pistol. Because of a prior conviction, Sands is prohibited from having firearms.
Sands will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
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Northern Virginia Businessman Pleads Guilty in Federal Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A Northern Virginia businessman, who paid a $25,000 cash bribe to then-Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Jenkins’ reelection campaign, pled guilty today to federal bribery charges.
Rick Rahim, 60, of Great Falls, Virginia, pled guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery and honest services mail fraud and one count of honest services mail fraud.
Rahim is the third Northern Virginia businessman to plead guilty as part of the bribery scheme. In March 2024, James Metcalf of Manassas, Va., pled guilty to one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. Fairfax Attorney Frederic Gumbinner pled guilty in November 2023 to an identical charge.
“Today’s guilty plea demonstrates how seriously the Justice Department takes public corruption and the bribery of public officials,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “The badges and guns worn by the men and women who swear an oath to protect and serve the Commonwealth of Virginia is not for sale and those who attempt to buy that honor will be held to account.”
According to court documents, Rahim owned and operated several businesses, including BV Management LLC and Food Truck Company LLC. Rahim had no law-enforcement of military experience and was disqualified from owning a firearm due to a prior state felony conviction.
In 2003 or 2004, Rahim met a businessman residing in Prince William County, Virginia who was also an Auxiliary Deputy with the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office. In late 2019, the businessman asked Rahim if he wanted to “support” Jenkins. At that time, Rahim understood support to mean give money. The businessman told Rahim that Jenkins would probably agree to make Rahim an Auxiliary Deputy in exchange for his support.
Rahim agreed.
On July 31, 2019, Rahim, the businessman, and Jenkins met at the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office. During the meeting, they discussed Rahim’s previous felony record and his desire to get his firearms rights restored. Jenkins claimed he could use his official position to ensure that Rahim’s petition to restore his firearms rights would be granted.
Jenkins and Rahim agreed that Rahim would provide things of value to Jenkins in exchange for Jenkins’ use of his official position to get Rahim’s rights restore and to appoint him an Auxiliary Deputy with the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office.
On two occasions, Rahim gave Jenkins manila envelopes filled with cash- once with $15,000 and a second time with $10,000. In addition to the $25,000 in cash, Rahim also made in-kind donations to Jenkins’ campaign, including a campaign billboard and approximately 200 customized knifes.
In addition, Rahim loaned Jenkins $17,500 towards a new home Jenkins was building. Rahim never requested repayment because he wanted to maintain a good relationship with Jenkins.
On May 27, 2020, the Circuit Court Clerk of Culpeper County swore Rahim in as an Auxiliary Deputy Sheriff and the Sheriff’s Office issued him a deputy badge and identification card.
The FBI’s Richmond Field Office, Charlottesville Resident Agency is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Celia Choy and Lina Peng of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie Smith of the Western District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
New York City Man Convicted of Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Rasheed Mingues, age 44, a resident of New York City staying in the Utica, New York, area, pled guilty on Friday to possession of controlled substances with the intent to distribute them and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.
Mingues admitted that, between April and October 2022, he sold over 100 grams of methamphetamine and over 30 grams of fentanyl in the Utica, New York area. He also admitted that on December 9, 2022, he possessed over 700 grams of fentanyl, over 700 grams of methamphetamine, and over 100 grams of cocaine with the intent to distribute them, and that he possessed a loaded 9mm handgun in the same bag as the drugs. Federal law prohibits Mingues from possessing the firearm as a result of a prior felony conviction.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 23, 2024, in Syracuse, at which time Mingues faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life, a fine of up to $10,000,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
The DEA and New York State Police are investigating the case with assistance from the Utica Police Department, Syracuse Police Department, Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica N. Carbone and Benjamin Gillis are prosecuting the case.
New Jersey Man Charged with Federal Hate Crime for Breaking into Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University and Destroying PropertyRead the Press Release
A New Jersey man has been charged with a federal hate crime for breaking into the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University (CILRU) in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and destroying property.
Jacob Beacher, 24, of Somerset County, was arrested this morning and charged by complaint with one count of intentional or attempted obstruction of religious practice and one count of making false statements to federal authorities.
According to the criminal complaint, on April 10, during the Eid-al-Fitr holiday, Beacher broke into the CILRU around 2:41 a.m., where he damaged the CILRU’s property, including several religious artifacts, such as Turbah prayer stones, which are clay stones on which Muslims prostrate during prayer, and numerous other items that contained holy language from the Qur’an, Islam’s sacred scripture. The complaint also alleges that Beacher stole a Palestinian flag and a charity box belonging to the CILRU.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey and New Jersey State Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin made the announcement.
The FBI Newark Field Office, Branchburg Resident Agency, New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, Rutgers University Police Department-New Brunswick Division and New Jersey Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin and Deputy Chief R. Joseph Gribko for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney Daniel Grunert of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New Haven Pharmacy and Owner Agree to Pay $120,000 to Settle Controlled Substances Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that Cornerstone Pharmacy, Inc. (doing business as “Whalley Drug”), and its owner, Yong Kwon, have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal government and paid $120,000 to resolve allegations that they violated civil provisions of the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”).
On June 22, 2021, the DEA served an Administrative Inspection Warrant on Whalley Drug, a retail pharmacy located in New Haven, owned by Kwon, a pharmacist. During execution of the warrant, the DEA interviewed Kwon concerning patients who overdosed after filling prescriptions at Whalley Drug prescribed by certain area practitioners, and Kwon’s practices in filling prescriptions for controlled substances prescribed by area practitioners. The DEA also audited Whalley Drug for its compliance with CSA recordkeeping requirements, which the government alleges revealed recordkeeping discrepancies for several controlled substances.
The government alleges that, between September 2017 and June 2021, Kwon and Whalley Drug filled prescriptions for controlled substances that had been issued without a legitimate medical purpose, in violation of the pharmacist’s corresponding responsibility to ensure that only valid prescriptions are dispensed. The invalid prescriptions included prescriptions for controlled substances to individuals displaying red flags of abuse and addiction; prescriptions to individuals who received dangerous combinations of controlled substances, including the high-risk “holy trinity” drug combination of at least one opioid, benzodiazepine, and a muscle relaxant; excessive and unsafe amounts of benzodiazepines, including for extended periods of time; and one dosage unit of a controlled substance to an individual who was already concurrently receiving two additional dosage units of the same controlled substance from a different provider.
On June 22, 2021, Kwon agreed to voluntarily surrender the DEA license for Whalley Drug, which no longer operates as a retail pharmacy.
This investigation was conducted by the DEA’s Office of Diversion Control and the DEA New Haven’s Tactical Diversion Squad, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Drug Control Division. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Gruber.
Muscatine Man Sentenced to 210 Months in Federal Prison for Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Muscatine man was sentenced for attempting to entice a minor.
According to public court documents, in December of 2022, Paul Kyle Quigley, 41, a registered sex offender engaged in a Facebook conversation with an undercover officer posing as a 15-year-old female. After told of the 15-year-old age of the putative victim, Quigley replied with requests for sex acts. After multiple days of continued conversations of a graphic sexual nature, Quigley formulated a plan to attempt to meet and flee the state with the 15-year-old female with the intent to engage in sexual activity. Working in conjunction with the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT), on February 22, 2023, Quigley was arrested in Burlington, just prior to arriving in his semi-truck at the established meeting place.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Quigley will be required to serve 15 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa and Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.
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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.
Milford Man Who Threatened Federal Law Enforcement Officer Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that HAMILTON CLARK SMITH, 59, of Milford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to an offense related to his threatening a federal law enforcement officer.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 10 and 11, 2023, Smith sent a series of threatening text messages to a Deputy U.S. Marshal, including threats to harm and kill the Deputy U.S. Marshal, and to harm the Deputy U.S. Marshal’s family. In addition, on January 11, 2023, Smith called the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center in Virginia and made a statement threatening to kill the Deputy U.S. Marshal.
Smith was arrested on January 12, 2023.
Smith pleaded guilty to making repeated harassing communications, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of two years. Judge Nagala scheduled sentencing for July 16.
Smith is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren C. Clark.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Possessing Heroin with Intent to Distribute in BakersfieldRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Antonio Beltran-Chaidez, 54, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty today to possessing with intent to distribute heroin, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in January 2022, Beltran recruited his brother Jose Beltran-Chaidez, 66, a Mexican national residing in Bakersfield, to deliver approximately 2 pounds of heroin to Jorge Calderon-Campos, 43, a Mexican national residing in Bakersfield, for distribution to Calderon-Campos’s customers. However, when Calderon-Campos was unable to sell the drug, Jose Beltran-Chaidez retrieved it from Calderon-Campos and was in possession of the heroin when stopped by a law enforcement officer for a traffic violation.
Beltran is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 26, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston. Beltran faces a mandatory statutory minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, along with a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Calderon-Campos, Jose Beltran-Chaidez, and two other co-defendants are currently scheduled for a status conference on May 13, 2024. They are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Secret Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Kern County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, the CHP, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Kern County Sheriff's Office, the Kern County Probation Department, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about OCDETF, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Luxury Handbag Company, Founder and Co-Conspirator Sentenced for Smuggling Handbags Made from Caiman and Python SkinRead the Press Release
Luxury handbag company Gzuniga Ltd., its founder Nancy Teresa Gonzalez de Barberi and Gonzalez’s associate Mauricio Giraldo were sentenced to prison today for illegally importing merchandise from Colombia to the United States that was made from protected wildlife. All had previously pleaded guilty.
Gzuniga was ordered to forfeit all handbags and other previously seized product, banned for three years from any activities involving commercial trade in wildlife and sentenced to serve three years of probation. Gonzalez was sentenced to 18 months in prison with credit for time served, a supervised release of three years and to pay a special assessment. Giraldo was sentenced to time served, approximately 22 months based on incarceration in Colombia and the United States since his extradition, a year of supervised release and to pay a special assessment. Another co-conspirator, John Camilo Aguilar Jaramillo, pleaded guilty on April 8 and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 27. Gonzalez, Giraldo and Jaramillo are Colombian citizens and were extradited to the United States to face the charges brought against them.
Photo is of handbags designed by Nancy Gonzalez and displayed in the Gzuniga Ltd. showroom. Photo is from Exhibit 3 to the government’s reply to objections to presentence report and sentencing memorandum in United States v. Gzuniga Ltd., et al., case number 22-CR-20170.The caiman and python species are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), to which both the United States and Colombia are signatories.
“The United States signed on to CITES in an effort to help protect threatened and endangered species here and abroad from trafficking,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We will not tolerate illegal smuggling. We appreciate the efforts of our many federal and international partners who have helped with the investigation, extradition and prosecution of this case.”
“The United States, in company with the international community, has established a system for overseeing the trafficking in protected species of wildlife. That system relies on a system of permits and oversight by many agencies and demands strict compliance by all those engaged in such trade,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “The press of business, production deadlines or other economic factors are not justification for anyone to knowingly flout the system and attempt to write their own exceptions to wildlife trafficking laws. In cooperation with our international partners, our Office will continue to require strict adherence to laws that protect our endangered species.”
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is deeply committed to combatting wildlife trafficking in all its forms. The Gonzalez case underscores the importance of robust collaboration with federal and international partners to disrupt illegal wildlife trade networks,” said Assistant Director Edward Grace of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Office of Law Enforcement. “This investigation uncovered a multi-year scheme that involved paid couriers smuggling undeclared handbags made of CITES-protected reptile skins into the U.S. to be sold for thousands of dollars. The Service will continue to seek justice for protected species exploited for profit, and we will hold accountable those who seek to circumvent international controls meant to regulate their sustainable trade.”
An indictment charged Gzuniga, Gonzalez, Giraldo and Jaramillo with one count of conspiracy and two counts of smuggling for illegally importing designer handbags made from caiman and python skin from February 2016 to April 2019.
The conspirators brought hundreds of designer purses, handbags and totes into the United States by enlisting friends, relatives and even employees of Gonzalez’s manufacturing company in Colombia to wear the designer handbags or put them in their luggage while traveling on passenger airlines. Once in the United States, the bags were delivered or shipped to the Gzuniga showroom New York to be displayed and sold.
The USFWS Office of Law Enforcement in Valley Stream, New York, investigated the case, with the assistance of the Miami Resident Agent in Charge Office of USFWS. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS) Judicial Attaché Office in Bogotá, Colombia, provided valuable assistance with securing the arrest and extradition of Gonzalez, Giraldo and Jaramillo. The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations were instrumental in supporting the case. The United States also thanks Colombian law enforcement authorities for their valuable assistance and close collaboration and partnership.
Senior Trial Attorney R.J. Powers of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-Fitzgerald for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Luxury Handbag Company, Founder and Co-Conspirator Sentenced for Smuggling Handbags Made from Caiman and Python SkinRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Luxury handbag company Gzuniga Ltd., its founder Nancy Teresa Gonzalez de Barberi and Gonzalez’s associate Mauricio Giraldo were sentenced to prison today for illegally importing merchandise from Colombia to the United States that was made from protected wildlife. All had previously pleaded guilty.
Gzuniga was ordered to forfeit all handbags and other previously seized product, banned for three years from any activities involving commercial trade in wildlife and sentenced to serve three years of probation. Gonzalez was sentenced to 18 months in prison with credit for time served, a supervised release of three years and to pay a special assessment. Giraldo was sentenced to time served, approximately 22 months based on incarceration in Colombia and the United States since his extradition, a year of supervised release and to pay a special assessment. Another co-conspirator, John Camilo Aguilar Jaramillo, pleaded guilty on April 8 and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 27. Gonzalez, Giraldo and Jaramillo are Colombian citizens and were extradited to the United States to face the charges brought against them.
Photo is of handbags designed by Nancy Gonzalez and displayed in the Gzuniga Ltd. showroom. Photo is from Exhibit 3 to the government’s reply to objections to presentence report and sentencing memorandum in United States v. Gzuniga Ltd., et al., case number 22-CR-20170.The caiman and python species are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), to which both the United States and Colombia are signatories.
“The United States, in company with the international community, has established a system for overseeing the trafficking in protected species of wildlife. That system relies on a system of permits and oversight by many agencies and demands strict compliance by all those engaged in such trade,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “The press of business, production deadlines or other economic factors are not justification for anyone to knowingly flout the system and attempt to write their own exceptions to wildlife trafficking laws. In cooperation with our international partners, our Office will continue to require strict adherence to laws that protect our endangered species.”
“The United States signed on to CITES in an effort to help protect threatened and endangered species here and abroad from trafficking,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We will not tolerate illegal smuggling. We appreciate the efforts of our many federal and international partners who have helped with the investigation, extradition and prosecution of this case.”
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is deeply committed to combatting wildlife trafficking in all its forms. The Gonzalez case underscores the importance of robust collaboration with federal and international partners to disrupt illegal wildlife trade networks,” said Assistant Director Edward Grace of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Office of Law Enforcement. “This investigation uncovered a multi-year scheme that involved paid couriers smuggling undeclared handbags made of CITES-protected reptile skins into the U.S. to be sold for thousands of dollars. The Service will continue to seek justice for protected species exploited for profit, and we will hold accountable those who seek to circumvent international controls meant to regulate their sustainable trade.”
An indictment charged Gzuniga, Gonzalez, Giraldo and Jaramillo with one count of conspiracy and two counts of smuggling for illegally importing designer handbags made from caiman and python skin from February 2016 to April 2019.
The conspirators brought hundreds of designer purses, handbags and totes into the United States by enlisting friends, relatives and even employees of Gonzalez’s manufacturing company in Colombia to wear the designer handbags or put them in their luggage while traveling on passenger airlines. Once in the United States, the bags were delivered or shipped to the Gzuniga showroom New York to be displayed and sold.
The USFWS Office of Law Enforcement in Valley Stream, New York, investigated the case, with the assistance of the Miami Resident Agent in Charge Office of USFWS. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS) Judicial Attaché Office in Bogotá, Colombia, provided valuable assistance with securing the arrest and extradition of Gonzalez, Giraldo and Jaramillo. The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations were instrumental in supporting the case. The United States also thanks Colombian law enforcement authorities for their valuable assistance and close collaboration and partnership.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-FitzGerald for the Southern District of Florida and Senior Trial Attorney R.J. Powers of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-CR-20170.
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Lowell Man Charged for Robbery of a Mail CarrierRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Lowell, Massachusetts man has been charged for robbing a United States Postal Service mail carrier using what appeared to be a firearm, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Baraka Janvier, 18, was charged with robbery of property of the United States. Janvier will make an initial appearance in federal court in Concord at a future date. Janvier is in state custody in connection to this incident. The investigation remains ongoing.
According to the charging documents, in Nashua on the afternoon of April 16, 2024, Janvier and a juvenile co-conspirator held the mail carrier at gunpoint and demanded his keys. Investigators obtained valuable information, pictures, and video from local residents, which helped to identify Janvier, his co-conspirator, and the driver of their vehicle. Investigators tracked Janvier and his co-conspirator to a house in Lowell, where they found two black pistol BB guns and a dark-colored mask. Janvier stated that he and the co-conspirator robbed a mail carrier for a key and then gave it to another person in Lowell for $500.
The charge provides for a sentence of up to ten years in prison, up to three years 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.
The United States Postal Inspection Service led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Nashua, New Hampshire Police Department and the Lowell, Massachusetts Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarad E. Hodes 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.
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Attachment:
Charging DocumentLouisville Pediatrician Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges of Murder-for-Hire and Aiding and Abetting Interstate StalkingRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY –Stephanie M. Russell entered a plea of guilty to two counts of a federal indictment charging her with using a facility in interstate commerce, or causing another person to travel in interstate commerce, in the attempted murder-for-hire of her ex-husband, as well as aiding and abetting interstate stalking of her ex-husband. Russell entered her guilty plea this morning, on the same day her jury trial was scheduled to commence.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, and Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, made the announcement.
According to court records, Stephanie M. Russell, 53, a pediatrician, owned and ran KidzLife Pediatrics in Norton Commons, in Louisville, Kentucky. Beginning in July 2021, Russell caused another to travel in interstate commerce, and used a telephone, a facility of interstate commerce, with the intent that the murder of her former husband, R.C., be committed in violation of the laws of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and offered to pay for that murder.
In July 2021, during a contentious custody battle with her ex-husband, R.C., Russell began soliciting multiple KidzLife employees, asking if they knew someone who would be willing to kill R.C. In the spring of 2022, the FBI was notified of Russell’s solicitations, and began an investigation. As part of that investigation, a cooperating witness provided Russell with the telephone number of a purported hitman from the Chicago area. That hitman was an FBI Special Agent working undercover. Beginning on May 15, 2022, Russell had several recorded telephone conversations with the purported hitman. In one call, Russell and the purported hitman had the following exchange:
Hitman: Obviously you want [R.C.] killed, right, . . . ?
Russell: I want him to be completely gone from my life, yes . . . .
Hitman: Well I mean that can be in the Bahamas, but I don’t think we’re talking a vacation away. I think we’re talking in the ground.
Russell: I mean, do you like, do they disappear? Do you like shoot them on the road? Like what happens? Or should I just not know?
Hitman: It really depends on, I mean, price dictates. That’s just how that goes. The more work I got to do, the more it’s going to cost you, but it could be, do you want it to look like a suicide? Do you want it to . . .
Russell: Yes, that would be amazing.
Russell ultimately agreed to pay the purported hitman $7,000, with half due up front. On May 18, 2022, Russell was caught on surveillance video leaving $3,500 in a specimen box outside the KidzLife building for the hitman to retrieve. The purported hitman drove to Louisville from Illinois and was videotaped as he picked up the payment. The FBI arrested Russell the next day.
Further, according to court documents and evidence presented at the change of plea hearing, between December 1, 2018, and August 9, 2019, during custody litigation, Russell, aided and abetted by J.S., a person who traveled to Louisville from Michigan, engaged in conduct that caused and attempted to cause her former husband substantial emotional distress, and Russell did so with the intent to harass and intimidate him. Specifically, Russell encouraged J.S. to harass R.C., and provided J.S. with a burner phone to use while doing so. The harassing conduct included visiting R.C.’s office unannounced, pretending to be a WAVE-3 reporter and leaving R.C. accusatory voicemails from the phone provided by Russell on R.C.’s phone, entering R.C.’s garage and leaving a note inside the garage pretending to be a reporter writing a derogatory story that could involve R.C., and by leaving fliers, with R.C.’s photograph and other personal identifying information, on cars at R.C.’s office. The fliers contained defamatory allegations of misconduct and were intended to be viewed by R.C.’s co-workers, supervisors, and potentially clients.
Russell is scheduled for sentencing on July 31, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Russell remains detained pending sentencing. She faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The FBI investigated the case, with assistance from the Louisville Metro Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa Ford and David Weiser are prosecuting the case, with assistance from paralegal specialist Adela Alic.
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Louisville Father Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Enticing Two Indiana Children to Obtain Sexually Explicit Material via FacebookRead the Press Release
TERRE HAUTE- Anthony Michael Bentley, 30, of Louisville, has been sentenced to seventeen years in federal prison, followed by fifteen years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of making false statements to the FBI. Bentley must also pay $10,000 in restitution to the minor victims.
According to court documents, from August 17 to August 22 of 2018, Bentley directed and coerced Minor Victim 1, who was 12 years old at the time, to send him sexually explicit images and videos via Facebook Messenger. Additionally, from January of 2018 through early 2020, Bentley directed and coerced Minor Victim 2, who was 17 years old at the time she met Bentley, to send him sexually explicit videos via Facebook Messenger. In both instances, Bentley sent messages coaching the children on how to take the explicit photos and videos.
Bentley misrepresented his name, image, and age on Facebook to entice the minor victims to communicate with him. He used the alias “Chris Jones” to hide his true identity and used photos of a young man he found online, identified as Individual 1, without his consent. Bentley also sent nude images of Individual 1 to Minor Victim 1 and claimed that they were pictures of himself. Investigators later learned that Individual 1 was a minor in those photographs.
On March 7, 2020, FBI investigators executed a search warrant at Bentley’s residence in Kentucky. At the time, Bentley told officials he did not have any knowledge of the Facebook account belonging to Chris Jones and claimed that he no longer had his old cell phone. However, investigators located the old cell phone under the carpet of a locked safe inside Bentley’s home. The cell phone contained the evidence and photographs of Individual 1 used on the fake Facebook account.
Investigators discovered that Bentley was using the Chris Jones Facebook account to communicate with females – including the minor victims – all hours of the day, including while his newborn child was sick in the hospital and while he was on family vacations.
“This supposed family man posed as an attractive teen boy on Facebook to win the trust of underage girls and entice them to send him sexually explicit material—exploiting children as young as just twelve years old for his own gratification,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Making his crimes worse, Bentley distributed nude images of the minor boy whose pictures he stole to create his alias, casting suspicion on an innocent person. He then lied to the FBI when he was discovered and confronted. Unfortunately, sexual predators know that social media platforms like Facebook are a fertile hunting ground. We urge caring adults to talk to their children about staying safe online. Thanks to the efforts of the FBI and our federal prosecutors, this criminal has been held accountable and the public will be safe from him for many years.”
The FBI investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Sarah Evans Barker.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Adam J. Eakman and MaryAnn T. Mindrum, who prosecuted this 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.
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Lincoln Man Sentenced to 6 1/2 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that John W. Rice, 35, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on April 19, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Rice to 78 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Rice’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
From May 4, 2020 until December 28, 2021, John Rice conspired with at least two other individuals to distribute meth in Nebraska. During that time, Rice purchased or was fronted meth in ounce to half-pound quantities to resell to others, and Rice sold meth in quantities ranging from 1.75 grams to 2 ounces to at least five others. In all, Rice purchased and distributed more than 500 grams of meth from May of 2020 until December 28, 2021.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department.
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Daniel Polyansky, 34, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced April 22, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln for receipt and distribution of child pornography. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Polyansky to 90 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Polyansky’s release from prison, he will begin a 7-year term of supervised release and be required to register as a sex offender. Polyansky was also ordered to pay $39,000 in restitution to the victims in this case.
In September of 2022, investigators with the Nebraska State Patrol were conducting an online investigation for offenders sharing child pornography. Through investigative techniques, an IP address subscribed to by Polyansky was identified as providing videos of children being sexually abused to others to view and download.
A search warrant was obtained for Polyansky’s address and Polyansky was contacted in the parking lot of the apartment building. In an interview with investigators, Polyansky was noncommittal about whether there was child pornography on his devices or whether he had viewed such images. Polyansky consented to allowing investigators to look at his cell phone, but denied consent to have it forensically downloaded. The phone was seized at that time. Polyansky was told he could leave while officers searched his apartment.
After ending his contact with Polyansky, investigators entered the apartment and observed a child pornography video playing on Polyansky’s laptop. Polyansky was recontacted outside and arrested on state charges. The laptop and cell phone were later searched and 398 videos and 456 images of child pornography were found.
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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Life Sentence for Sexual Assault on 5-Year-OldRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Delaware County man was sentenced today for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of Minor Under 12 Years of Age in Indian Country and Sexual Exploitation of a Child, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Glenn David Nickols, 41, to life imprisonment. If released, Nickols will be required to register as a sex offender and will also be placed on supervised release.
“Project Safe Childhood is our commitment to have our children grow up without fear of exploitation,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson. “This life sentence holds Nickols accountable for his predatory actions and puts him in prison where he cannot exploit another child.”
According to court records, from March 2020 through August 2020, Nickols knowingly engaged in repetitive and sadistic sexual acts with a 5-year-old child, whom he tied to a bed with restraints and filmed himself sexually assaulting on multiple occasions.
Nickols previously received a 10-year sentence in Delaware County for Aggravated Possession of Child Pornography and Distributing Obscene Material, relating to possessing additional images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of other children.
The 5-year-old victim is a tribal member. Nickols will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Nassar prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Iowa City Man Sentenced to 144 Months in Federal Prison for Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – An Iowa City man was sentenced April 17, 2024, to 144 months in federal prison for Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, on July 3, 2022, Chris Lee Gordon, 34, a two-time convicted felon, possessed a stolen and loaded pistol at an apartment in Iowa City, Iowa. While Gordon slept, a three-year-old child staying at the apartment, got out of bed, found Gordon’s pistol, and fatally shot himself. Gordon, heard the gun shot, got up and saw the injured child, picked up his pistol and ran out of the apartment. Several weeks later, the pistol used in this fatal shooting was found on a roof of a building, with the serial number scratched off.
On July 24, 2022, Gordon was arrested with another firearm, a loaded Polymer 80 nine-millimeter handgun with an extended magazine that was capable of holding up to 32 rounds of ammunition.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Gordon 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 the Coralville Police Department and the Division of Criminal Investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Frank W. Basenback, 37, of Huntington, was sentenced today to eight years and four months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 8, 2023, Basenback sold approximately 56 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant on the 3300 block of Harvey Road in Huntington in exchange for $1,000. Basenback admitted to the transaction and further admitted that he had agreed beforehand to sell heroin to the confidential informant.
Basenback also admitted to selling a total of approximately 243 grams of fentanyl to confidential informants at the same location for a total of $4,000 during separate occasions on August 23, 2023, and September 4, 2023.
On September 14, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant a Basenback’s Haynie Road residence. Officers found approximately $42,892 in the residence and approximately 2 kilograms of fentanyl in a truck parked outside. Officers also found $711 on Basenback’s person. Basenback admitted that he possessed and intended to distribute the seized fentanyl, and further admitted that the seized cash and $14,608.69 in his bank account were drug proceeds from selling fentanyl.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney L. Finney and Joseph F. Adams 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. 3:23-cr-155.
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Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – David Dwayne Moore, also known as “B,” 47, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 4, 2024, law enforcement officers searched Moore’s Huntington apartment and seized approximately 32 grams of crack, 132 grams of fentanyl, and a Taurus model G3 9mm pistol. Moore admitted that he intended to sell the seized controlled substances. Moore further admitted that he possessed the seized firearm.
Moore is scheduled to be sentenced on August 26, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor is prosecuting 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. 3:24-cr-19.
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Felon Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Trafficking FirearmsRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jeremy Michael Benner, 40, of San Diego, was sentenced today to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for unlawfully dealing in firearms, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between September 2022 and August 2023, Benner sold firearms to a confidential informant on four separate occasions in Vallejo. One of the firearms had previously been reported stolen, and three of them came with extended magazines. Benner did not have a license as a firearms dealer, and as a previously convicted felon would not be qualified to obtain a license.
This case was the product of an investigation by the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella 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 U.S. Department of Justice 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 Sacramento Region/San Francisco Bay Area Cross-Jurisdictional Firearms Trafficking Strike Force is one of five cross-jurisdictional strike forces launched by the U.S. Department of Justice in July 2021 to disrupt illegal firearms trafficking in key regions across the country. Each strike force is led by designated U.S. Attorneys, who collaborate with the ATF and with state and local law enforcement partners within their own jurisdiction as well as law enforcement partners in areas where illegally trafficked guns originate. The strike forces use the latest data, evidence, and intelligence from crime scenes to identify patterns, leads, and potential suspects in violent gun crimes, and are an important part of the Department’s Comprehensive Violent Crime Reduction Strategy.
Federal jury finds California drug supplier guilty of distribution in relation to fatal fentanyl overdose of Fairbanks manRead the Press Release
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A federal jury convicted a California drug dealer late Friday for his connection to the fatal fentanyl overdose of a Fairbanks man.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Junior Gafatasi Tulali, 48, was the original source of fentanyl pills that were sold to a Fairbanks man who died of a fentanyl overdose in October 2020.
Around Oct. 13, 2020, Tulali agreed to sell 500 Oxycodone M30 pills to a dealer in Fairbanks, when in fact, they were counterfeit pills laced with deadly fentanyl. The pills were shipped from California and arrived in Fairbanks on Oct. 17, 2020. The individual who retrieved the shipment distributed the counterfeit pills to several other dealers in the area. On Oct. 26, 2020, the victim purchased two pills from the shipment and was found dead in his home on Oct. 28, 2020. Medical examiners determined cause of death was acute toxic effects of fentanyl.
Evidence presented at trial connected two additional non-fatal fentanyl overdoses to Tulali’s shipment of counterfeit pills. Both of the dealers in Fairbanks who were involved in selling the fentanyl pills to the victim were convicted for their role in this offense in 2022.
“Fentanyl is poison and has killed too many Alaskans,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker. “The successful conviction of Mr. Tulali highlights my office’s vow to prioritize working with law enforcement to keep fentanyl out of our communities and prosecute those who cause irreparable damage by trafficking it to our state from Outside.”
“Mr. Tulali’s actions clearly demonstrated the grievous threat that fentanyl traffickers pose to our communities,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Fentanyl traffickers have caused the deaths of far too many Alaskans and hopefully the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration and our partners in achieving this conviction will slow the deadly fentanyl trade in our community.”
“I am very proud of the role that Fairbanks Police officers played in helping the victims in this case find justice. The impressive collaboration between law enforcement agencies to hold this criminal accountable proves that we will do whatever is necessary to prevent criminal enterprises from gaining a foothold in our community,” said Chief Ron Dupee of the Fairbanks Police Department.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Fairbanks Police Department, with assistance from the FBI Anchorage Field Office and Alaska State Troopers, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carly Vosacek and Alana Weber are prosecuting the case.
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Federal Inmate Sentenced in Death of InmateRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Stephen C. Crawford, age 45, an inmate formerly housed at United States Penitentiary Hazelton, was sentenced today to 188 months in prison for the death of a fellow inmate.
Crawford was found guilty by a jury of assault of voluntary manslaughter, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault resulting in serious bodily harm in December 2023. According to court documents and statements made in court, Crawford used a handmade weapon to stab another inmate multiple times. The inmate later died of his injuries.
Crawford will also serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Flower and Andrew Cogar prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
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Federal Grand Jury Indicts Owensboro Felon for Fentanyl Trafficking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green, Kentucky returned an indictment on April 10, 2024, charging an Owensboro man with possessing 40 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture with the intent to distribute it, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Sheriff Brad Youngman of the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.
According to the indictment, on March 19, 2023, in Daviess County, Kentucky, Shai Chance Sheriff, 24, possessed with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture, possessed a Smith & Wesson.40-calliber pistol and a Glock .45-calliber semiautomatic pistol in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessed a firearm as a convicted felon. Sheriff was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offense.
On June 28, 2019, in Daviess Circuit Court, Sheriff was convicted of robbery in the second degree.
The defendant was arraigned last week before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. The Court ordered the defendant detained pending trial. If convicted, Sheriff faces a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The case is being investigated by the ATF Bowling Green Resident Office and the FBI Owensboro Resident Office with assistance from the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Nicholas Rabold, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, is prosecuting this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Federal Grand Jury Indicts Owensboro Felon for Fentanyl Trafficking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green returned an indictment on February 14, 2024, charging an Owensboro man with possessing a fentanyl mixture with the intent to distribute it, possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Sheila G. Lyons of the DEA Chicago Field Division made the announcement.
According to the indictment, on September 6, 2023, in Daviess County, Kentucky, Donte Monzel Washington, 31, possessed with the intent to distribute a fentanyl mixture, possessed a Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessed a firearm as a convicted felon. Washington was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On April 5, 2012, in Daviess Circuit Court, Washington, was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree, first offense (< 4 grams cocaine).
On October 31, 2013, in Daviess Circuit Court, Washington, was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree, first offense (>= 4 grams cocaine).
On January 17, 2018, in Daviess Circuit Court, Washington, was convicted of being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun.
The defendant made an initial court appearance last week before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. The Court ordered the defendant detained pending trial. If convicted, Washington faces a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The case is being investigated by the DEA Evansville Resident Office with assistance from the ATF, KSP, and Owensboro Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Nicholas Rabold, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, is prosecuting this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Eight people charged with distribution of methamphetamine and cocaineRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On April 18, eight defendants were arrested on a 12-count indictment charging them with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, as well as distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine.
The indictment alleges that Alain Romero, 33, of Hialeah Gardens, Florida, Mauricio Herrera, 40, of Hialeah, Florida, Anthony Lee Davis, 27, of Naples, Florida, David Martinez Ortega, 35, of Naples, Patricia Correa Ramirez, 28, of Miami, Andy Cabrera, 28, of Miami, and Yanker Perez-Diaz, 34, of Westland, Michigan, a member of the Latin Kings gang in Miami, were part of a drug trafficking organization that trafficked methamphetamine and cocaine in Florida. According to the allegations in the indictment, Martinez and Davis distributed the drugs from Naples to Miami, at the direction of Oscar David Cardona, 29, of Miami, another member of the Latin Kings gang.
Davis and Martinez were arrested in Naples, Perez-Diaz was arrested in Westland and Herrera, Ortega, Cabrera and Ramirez were arrested in Miami. The arrests were coordinated between the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Florida and Eastern District of Michigan.
Cardona was arrested on Aug. 31, 2023, in Miami-Dade County for a state probation violation. He is currently in state custody.
On April 19, Davis and Martinez made their initial appearances in the Middle District of Florida, Perez-Diaz made his initial appearance in the Eastern District of Michigan, and Herrera, Ortega, Ramirez, and Cabrera made their initial appearances in the Southern District of Florida. If convicted, the defendants face up to life in prison, criminal fines of up to $10,000,000 and a period of supervised release of up to life.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami; U.S. Marshal Gadyaces S. Serralta of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS); Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division; Director Stephanie V. Daniels of the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD); Sheriff Gregory Tony of the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO); Chief Alexander E. Rolle Jr. of the Homestead Police Department; Chief of Police Jeffrey Devlin of the Hollywood Police Department; Chief of Police Manuel A. Morales of the Miami Police Department; Sheriff Kevin Rambosk of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), and Director Dave Kerner of the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) made the announcement.
The DEA Miami Field Division, HSI Miami, USMS Miami, USPIS Miami, MDPD, BSO, Homestead PD, Hollywood PD, Miami Police Department, CCSO, and FHP investigated the case with assistance from the DEA Miami Field Division, Homestead and Fort Myers Resident Offices as well as the DEA Detroit Field Division (and their local police departments). The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Middle District of Florida and Eastern District of Michigan provided invaluable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Yara Dodin is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20128.
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Domincan Republic and Venezuelan Dual Citizen Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Possessing Fentanyl and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Dominican Republic and Venezuelan dual citizen was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Jordge Luis Rodriguez Tejada, 38, previously pleaded guilty before former U.S. District Judge John Michael Vasquez to an information charging one count of possession with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. U.S. Circuit Judge Stephanos Bibas imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On July 5, 2022, law enforcement conducted a motor vehicle stop of a vehicle driven by an individual with Rodriguez Tejada in the front passenger seat. After a drug detection canine alerted to the presence of controlled substances in the vehicle, law enforcement searched the vehicle. Law enforcement recovered a box containing approximately 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl and approximately 900 grams of methamphetamine.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Bibas sentenced Rodriguez Tejada to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and task force officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) operating in New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Farhana C. Melo of the OCDETF/ Narcotics Unit in Newark.
District Man Pleads Guilty to 2023 Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Stephon Lee, 22, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty April 19, 2024, to committing a string of six robberies that targeted local businesses, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Lee pleaded guilty before the Honorable Judge Robert Salerno in Superior Court to two counts of armed robbery, two counts of robbery, one count of attempted armed robbery, and one count of second-degree theft. Lee remains held without bond pending sentencing, which is scheduled for June 28, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, beginning in April 2023 and ending with his arrest in July 2023, Lee robbed a a dry cleaner, fast-food restaurants, a pharmacy, and two local convenience stores. Lee targeted stores throughout the city, striking when there were few or no customers. In each instance, Lee attempted to steal money from the cash register. But when he could not easily take the money, Lee fought his victims. On two occasions, Lee was armed with a knife, and one occasion he grabbed a nearby pair of scissors.
On April 5, 2023, Lee went to a dry cleaner on Alabama Avenue SE under the auspices of drycleaning his jacket. As Lee asked the victim how much the drycleaning would cost, he suddenly walked behind the counter, grabbed the victim by the back of the neck, and demanded that she open the register. When the victim did not comply quickly enough, the two struggled. Lee grabbed a pair of scissors from under the counter, put them to the victim’s neck, and threatened to stab her if she refused to open the register. She opened the register and Lee took cash before fleeing.
On June 18, 2023, Lee ordered a sandwich at a fast-food franchise on Riggs Road NE, and then left abruptly, saying that he would come back to pay. About 30 minutes later, Lee returned and stood behind a customer who was checking out. Once the employee opened the register to give the customer change, Lee lunged across the counter, grabbed the money tray, and fled the store.
On June 23, 2023, Lee was armed with a knife when he entered a pharmacy on Ingraham Street NE. When the victim, a store employee, was alone, Lee went behind the counter, pulled out a knife, and demanded money from the register. When the victim could not open the register quickly enough, Lee pressed his knife against the victim’s side. The victim opened the register, and Lee took the cash and ran out of the store.
On June 26, 2023, Lee went to a convenience store on First Street NW. As the cashier stood at the register, Lee walked behind the counter, opened the register, took the cash, and fled.
On July 10, 2023, Lee entered a food market on Fourth Street NW. He took an item and attempted to leave the store when a store employee pepper sprayed him. Lee threw the item at the victim, pulled out a knife, and waived it at her. He then grabbed the cash register from the counter and, while still holding the knife, repeatedly slammed the register on the ground until it opened. He took cash from the register and fled.
On July 10, 2023, Lee went to a fast-food restaurant on Marion Barry Avenue SE and milled around as other customers ordered. One customer, with her infant in a stroller next to her, ordered a meal and started to pay with cash. When the restaurant cashier opened the register to give the customer change, Lee lunged across the counter and grabbed cash from the register before fleeing.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Miller and Will Lawrence.
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Couple Charged with Child Neglect and Involuntary Manslaughter of a Three-Year Old ChildRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced Austin Ray Lester, 28, and Krissy Louise Hinsley, 25, both from Tokio, ND, made initial appearances on April 19, 2024, in the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota, on charges of Involuntary Manslaughter and two counts of Child Neglect in Indian country. Lester is also charged with Assault of a Child with a Dangerous Weapon in Indian country.
At Lester and Hinsley’s initial appearance, before United States Magistrate Judge Clare R. Hochhalter, both were ordered detained pending further hearings. Trial is currently scheduled for June 25, 2024.
The charges against Lester and Hinsley are related to the August 2022 neglect and death of three-year-old child within the boundaries of the Spirit Lake Reservation. Lester and Hinsley pled not guilty to the charges.
An Indictment in this case is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori H. Conroy and AUSA Samantha Schmidt.
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Clinic owner sent to prison for orchestrating $15M Medicare fraud and kickback schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – The owner of a Houston-area mental health clinic has been sentenced for conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Gwendolyn Gibbs, 72, pleaded guilty Dec. 3, 2021.
U.S. District Judge Charles R. Eskridge has now ordered Gibbs to serve 84 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence Gibbs fraudulently billed Medicare for services provided to vulnerable adults with intellectual disabilities who did not require mental health services. In addition, Gibbs was ordered to pay $8,680,380.42 in restitution to Medicare. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Gibbs’ role as leader, the length of the fraud scheme and her long history in the medical field as evidence she knew what she was doing was wrong.
“Gwendolyn Gibbs exploited vulnerable adults with intellectual disabilities and residents of group homes in order to defraud Medicare of millions of dollars,” said Hamdani. “Public resources for mental health services should go to the patients that actually need them, not to enrich criminal actors like Gibbs.”
Gibbs was the owner of Daybreak Rehabilitation Center. From 2007 until 2016, she submitted fraudulent claims for partial hospitalization program (PHP) services to Medicare that were not provided or not medically necessary. A PHP is a form of intensive outpatient treatment for severe mental illness. Daybreak patients, including individuals with intellectual disabilities, did not need PHP services. Gibbs admitted to falsifying medical records to make it appear that patients were sicker than they actually were.
Gibbs also paid kickbacks to owners of group homes and patient recruiters in exchange for referring Medicare beneficiaries to Daybreak. The owners of the group homes required their residents to attend Daybreak and, in exchange, Gibbs and her co-conspirators provided transportation, supervision and meals to the group home residents.
Charles Guidry Jr., 70, Houston, a manager at Daybreak and Gibbs’ ex-husband, was previously sentenced to 70 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release.
Gibbs will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
FBI, Department of Health and Human Services - Office of the Inspector General, Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Railroad Retirement Board-OIG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Olson and Michael Day prosecuted the case.
City Employee Pleads Guilty to Check Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Jocelyn E. Strauber, the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), announced today that BRANDON SANTANOO, an employee of the New York City Law Department (the “Law Department”), pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud in connection with his participation in a scheme to steal checks mailed to the Law Department and then to deposit or attempt to deposit forged, altered, and fraudulently endorsed versions of those checks into bank accounts not associated with the Law Department. SANTANOO pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jennifer E. Willis.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Brandon Santanoo abused his position of trust as a city employee. As he admitted today in federal court, he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of checks made payable to the Law Department and passed them along to others to fraudulently deposit. We will not tolerate any breach of trust or corruption within city agencies.”
DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said: “Brandon Santanoo used his position at the City Law Department to steal approximately 40 checks payable to the City – and valued at approximately $600,000 – and then handed them out to acquaintances to forge, alter, or fraudulently endorse the checks and then deposit into private bank accounts. I thank the Law Department for the referral to DOI that prompted this investigation and our law enforcement partners in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for their commitment to hold accountable City employees who exploit their access to engage in criminal conduct, and to protect valuable City resources from theft.”
According to the allegations in the Information and the Complaint, the plea agreement, and statements made in court:
Beginning in 2017, SANTANOO worked as a clerk in the mail room at the Law Department’s office in Brooklyn. By virtue of his position, SANTANOO had access to mail that was sent to the Law Department.
From at least in or about June 2021 through at least in or about May 2023, SANTANOO stole checks that had been mailed to the Law Department, including checks made payable to the Law Department’s Worker’s Compensation Division, which is responsible for administering claims of city employees who are injured on the job. SANTANOO then passed those checks onto other people, who deposited or attempted to deposit forged, altered, and fraudulently endorsed versions of those checks into third parties’ bank accounts. Approximately 40 checks, totaling approximately $600,000, were stolen and deposited or attempted to be deposited as part of the scheme.
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SANTANOO, 27, of Queens Village, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 30 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Sentencing is scheduled for September 4, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the DOI. Mr. Williams also thanked the Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for their assistance on this matter.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Simon is in charge of the prosecution.
Armed Special Police Officer Sentenced for Shooting Woman in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Chanel Clinton, 27, of Alexandria, Virginia, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison, plus an additional 24 months of suspended jail time, for the January 2024 shooting of a woman at a convenience store in Northeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Clinton pleaded guilty to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon on February 7, 2024. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Erik Christian ordered Clinton to serve five years of probation.
According to court documents, on January 18, 2024, Clinton was working as an armed Special Police Officer assigned to the 7-Eleven at 4854 Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue NE. She and the victim, a former acquaintance of Clinton’s, got into an argument when the victim videoed Clinton in a taunting manner. The two continued their verbal altercation in the parking lot. An off-duty MPD Sergeant happened to be paying for his purchases inside the 7-Eleven when he heard the argument in the parking lot. The sergeant, who was in full uniform, walked outside as Clinton grabbed the victim in the face, and Clinton and the victim began to fight. The sergeant briefly separated the two women. Suddenly, Clinton pulled out her service weapon and fired once, hitting the victim in the shoulder just above the collarbone. The sergeant, who had ordered Clinton to drop her weapon before she fired, immediately placed Clinton under arrest. The victim was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital. Investigators recovered a 9 mm Glock 17 pistol at the scene.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Lawrence, who prosecuted the case.
Albuquerque Woman Sentenced for Federal Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque woman was sentenced to 63 months in prison for trafficking methamphetamine.
According to court documents, on October 17, 2017, law enforcement intercepted two vehicles transporting methamphetamine to Farmington, New Mexico. Melissa Redfearn-Martinez was driving one of them. Law enforcement officers conducted a K9 sniff and search both vehicles. Inside Redfearn’s vehicle, officers found 776.2 grams of methamphetamine.
After completing her term of imprisonment, Martinez will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Spindle is prosecuting the case.
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Albuquerque Woman Sentenced for Defrauding Jemez PuebloRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque woman was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison and ordered to pay restitution to the Pueblo of Jemez for stealing almost $400,000.00 to fund her gambling habit.
According to court documents, Beverly Scott, 48 worked as an Accounts Payable Clerk for the Pueblo of Jemez between 2014 and 2020. Part of Scott’s job was to generate checks to pay vendors for legitimate services rendered. Scott realized that she could go into the accounting system and change the name and address of any vendor with an outstanding invoice to her own name and address. She would then go back into the accounting system and change back the name and address of the vendor after a check had been issued.
In August 2020, a vendor called to inquire about an unpaid invoice while Scott was on leave. The invoice was investigated, and financial personnel discovered that a payment for that invoice had been issued, but that it had been made payable to Scott. Jemez Pueblo hired a forensic audit firm which identified 116 checks issued to Scott between June 2016 and July 2020 totaling $389,977.84. The firm also determined that a significant portion of the fraudulent payments came from the Indian Health Service funds.
Jemez Pueblo provided the audit reports to the FBI. During the subsequent federal investigation, agents interviewed Scott, who admitted to issuing the checks to herself and claimed that she had lost all the money at the Santa Ana Pueblo Casino and other area casinos.
Scott pled guilty to one count of federal program fraud on January 26, 2023.
After completing her term of imprisonment, Scott will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Sean J. Sullivan prosecuted the case.
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Sunday 21 April 2024
Department of Justice Commemorates National Crime Victims’ Rights WeekRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana joins the nation in commemorating National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, observed this year from April 21-27, 2024. This annual observance, led by the Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), honors victims of crime, recognizes victim advocates, and promotes the rights and services available to victims. President Ronald Reagan established National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in 1981 to raise awareness of these crucial issues.
United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson said, “My Office prioritizes collaboration with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. We emphasize the importance of providing support to victims at the earliest stages of investigations and litigation. This year, we have increased our efforts by implementing more efficient policies and procedures to align with Attorney General Garland’s revised Victim Rights Guidelines issued on March 31, 2023. Timely and sustained interactions with victims prevents re-victimization and promotes healing as cases move through the criminal justice system.”
In 2022, there were nearly 20 million crime victimizations in the United States. More than 6.6 million were the result of violent crimes, including rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. Of that 6.6 million, only about 42% were reported to police. This year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week theme is “How would you help? Options, services, and hope for crime survivors.” We must create an environment in which victims and survivors feel safe talking about what happened to them. The theme aims to ensure that everyone in a community knows where and how crime victims and survivors can find help — including friends, family members, colleagues, neighbors, service providers, or other trusted members of the community. We must all be prepared to offer support.
During National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, victim advocacy organizations, community groups and state, local, and tribal agencies host rallies, candlelight vigils, and other events to raise awareness of victims’ rights and services. On the evening of Wednesday, April 24th, a candlelight vigil will be held on the National Mall near the U.S. Capitol from 7:00pm-8:00pm EST. In recognition of this year’s theme, the vigil is an opportunity to engage and empower community members to offer support to all types of victims and survivors. For additional information on the candlelight vigil as well as other events, please visit: https://ovc.ojp.gov/events. Locally, please check city/county websites for any events planned in your area. For additional information about this year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and how to assist victims in your community, please visit OVC’s website at www.ovc.gov.