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23 May 2024
Fmr. executive pleads guilty after losing bank’s $47.1 million in crypto schemeRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man pleaded guilty to using his position as a bank executive to embezzle millions of dollars causing the bank to fail at a complete loss of equity for investors.
According to court documents, Shan Hanes, 52, of Elkhart pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement by a bank officer.
Hanes previously served as chief executive officer (CEO) of Heartland Tri-State Bank (HTSB) in Elkhart, Kansas. From May 2023 to July 2023 Hanes initiated a series of 10 outgoing wire transfers totaling $47.1 million of Heartland’s funds to a cryptocurrency wallet. The funds were transferred to multiple cryptocurrency accounts controlled by unidentified third parties during the time HTSB was insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
“Shan Hanes is a liar and a master manipulator who caused Heartland Tri-State Bank to collapse. Even as he was squandering away tens of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency, Hanes orchestrated schemes to cover his tracks concerning the losses at the bank,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher. “Many victims will never fully recoup losses to their life savings and retirement funds, but at least we at the Department of Justice can see that Hanes is held criminally responsible for his actions.”
“Shan Hanes exploited his position as a bank executive to commit fraud and embezzle funds that ultimately led to Tri-State Bank’s failure,” said Jon Ellwanger, Special Agent in Charge, Western Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. “Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to bringing to justice bank executives who engage in illegal activities that undermine the public trust. I commend our agent and law enforcement partners for their diligent work that ultimately led to this outcome.”
Hanes is scheduled to be sentenced on August 8, 2024, and faces a maximum of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Federal Reserve Board - Office of Inspector General (FRB-OIG), and Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General ((FHFA-OIG) are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith is prosecuting the case.
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Florida man sentenced for bank fraud at a Cheyenne financial institutionRead the Press Release
Kennard C. Bouk, III, 56, of Apopka, Florida, was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment for bank fraud and was ordered to pay $27,000 in restitution. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on May 22.
According to court documents, on Jan. 9, 2023, Bouk deposited a counterfeit U.S. Treasury check in the amount of $560,625.04 made out to “Knight Insurance Company LLC,” at a financial institution in Cheyenne. Five days prior, on Jan. 4, 2023, Bouk had created an LLC of the same name with the Wyoming Secretary of State and opened a business account for Knight Insurance Company LLC at the financial institution. He was able to unlawfully obtain $27,000 before the fraud was detected.
It is believed that the original U.S. Treasury check was stolen in the mail, the image was sold, and the check reproduced. It did not have four of the security features of the original U.S. Treasury check. Bouk was arrested on Jun. 9, 2023 by Apopka Police Department in Florida. He pleaded guilty to the charge on Feb. 27, 2024. The United Stated Secret Service investigated this crime.
Case No. 23-CR-00122.
Five-Time Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Reginald Dugger Jr. (42, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Dugger faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, on February 29, 2024, agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a federal search warrant at Dugger’s residence. During the search, agents discovered a currency counter, drugs, and two loaded firearms in plain view and accessible to Dugger. At the time of the offense, Dugger had previously been convicted of several felony offenses. As such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Noah P. Dorman.
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.
Five Defendants in Custody in Multi-Agency Investigation Focused on Trinidad Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Law enforcement have five defendants in custody this morning who have been indicted in U.S. District Court in connection with a multi-agency fentanyl trafficking investigation. Three of the defendants, alleged members of a District drug trafficking crew, were charged in a 13-count indictment with participating in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, crack cocaine, and heroin. Two of the five in custody, who were arrested this morning, are charged in connection with a separate 13-count indictment on fentanyl distribution and firearms counts.
The indictments were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Washington Division, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Law enforcement also executed search warrants at 14 residences in the District and in Maryland and seized 15 firearms, large amounts of ammunition, $126,000 in alleged drug proceeds as part of the operation, and significant quantities of drugs, including suspected cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and xylazine. At least three of the defendants in custody have been indicted on firearms charges.
The arrests grew out of a joint investigation into a Trinidad Street crew operating an open-air drug market around 1100 block of Raum Street, NE. From January to July 2023, there have been 59 violent crime incidents and 119 bursts of gunfire in the area. Agents conducted numerous buys of fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, cocaine base, and firearms.
The defendants, who reside in Washington D.C. and Maryland, include:
NAME
AGE
AKA
CHARGES
Davon Cunningham
34
“Tank”
“Kevin”
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl; 10 Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl Analogue; a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base; and a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Heroin; Unlawful Distribution of 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl x 2; Unlawful Distribution of 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl and Aiding and Abetting; Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon
Levancie Carr
41
“Locs”
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl; 10 Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl Analogue; a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base; and a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Heroin
Roosevelt Richardson
48
“Rose”
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl; 10 Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl Analogue; a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base; and a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Heroin
Antonio Lucas
46
-
Distribution of Fentanyl x 7; Distribution of 10 Grams or More of Fentanyl Analogue x 2; Distribution of N-Propylbutylone; Unlawful Possession of Ammunition by a Felon; Possession of a Firearm by a Felon
Rex Pelote Jr
39
-
Unlawful Possession of Ammunition by a Felon; Possession of a Firearm by a Felon
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This investigation was a multi-agency effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division, the Narcotics Enforcement Unit of the Violent Crime Suppression Division of the Metropolitan Police Department, and the FBI Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nihar Mohanty of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses (VRTO) Section and Trial Attorney Gerald Collins of the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS) of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. Criminal Division Trial Attorneys Christina Taylor and Gaelin Bernstein also provided valuable assistance.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fayetteville Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A Fayetteville man was sentenced on Monday, May 20, to 240 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, multiple law enforcement agencies received information that Ulysses Bush, age 44, was selling large quantities of methamphetamine throughout the Northwest Arkansas area. Between November 2022 and January 2023, law enforcement conducted a series of controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Bush. In the months following these transactions, Bush was found with additional quantities of methamphetamine during traffic stops executed by the Inola, Oklahoma, and Fayetteville Police Departments. In April 2023, the 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force executed a search warrant on a storage unit in Fayetteville that Bush was using, in which officers discovered additional methamphetamine, fentanyl pills, body armor, and a firearm.
The purchased and seized methamphetamine was later submitted to the Homeland Security Investigations Crime Laboratory for testing where it was determined to be methamphetamine. Between the controlled purchases, the traffic stops, and the storage unit, Bush was held accountable for over a kilogram of methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Benton County Drug Unit, Homeland Security Investigations, 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force, and the Inola, Oklahoma Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Eaton prosecuted the case.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov.
Farrell Man Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking of Fentanyl, Heroin, and Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Farrell, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison on his conviction of trafficking fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine base, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Denzel Williams, 30. Williams also was ordered to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Williams previously pleaded guilty in this case to conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine base between June 2020 and June 2021. As part of his plea agreement, Williams acknowledged responsibility for the distribution of 20 grams of fentanyl, 20 grams of heroin, and 60 grams of crack cocaine.
Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin C. Dobkin and Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Pennsylvania State Police, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Mercer County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Sharon Police Department, Hermitage Police Department, and Farrell Police Department for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Williams.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Essex County Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
UTICA, NEW YORK – Thomas Wright, age 63, of Moriah Center, New York, was sentenced today to serve 120 months (10 years) in federal prison following his earlier plea of guilty to possessing child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) made the announcement.
In his previous guilty plea Wright admitted that while on supervised release for a 2014 federal conviction for distribution, receipt, and possession of child pornography, he possessed 29,712 images and 276 videos of child pornography on an unauthorized smart phone. The crime was discovered during an unannounced home visit by his supervising federal probation officers.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children identified 4,835 of the images and 55 of the recovered video files as depicting 197 separate children whose images are in their database of known victims.
In addition to the 10-year sentence, Wright was sentenced to a consecutive 12-month term of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release from his prior offense. Wright was also ordered to pay a total of $81,000 in restitution to victims depicted in the child pornography he possessed. He was ordered to forfeit the smart phone used to commit the offense and will be placed on 25 years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. Wright will continue to be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa M. Fletcher, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for the Northern District of New York, prosecuted the case.
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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
El Paso Man Arrested for Allegedly Failing to Pay Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso man was arrested in El Paso on criminal charges related to his alleged failure to account for and pay trust fund taxes.
According to an indictment, Edward Dean La Puma, 57, founder and sole proprietor of a local business called 77 Stone, allegedly failed to truthfully account for and pay the trust fund taxes due to the IRS on behalf of his employees between March 2018 and January 2023.
La Puma is charged with 20 counts of failure to account for and pay over trust fund taxes. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas and Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington for the IRS Criminal Investigation Houston Field Office made the announcement.
IRS CI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Micaela Glass and Chris Skillern are 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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El Departamento de Justicia y el Departamento de Trabajo llegan a acuerdos con una compañía de tecnología para resolver una publicación de empleo discriminatoria dirigida a «blancos solamente»Read the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia de los EE. UU. y el Departamento de Trabajo de los EE. UU. anunciaron hoy acuerdos independientes con Arthur Grand Technologies Inc. (Arthur Grand), una empresa de servicios de tecnología de la información con sede en Virginia. El acuerdo del Departamento de Justicia resuelve la determinación del Departamento que Arthur Grand infringió la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés) mediante la publicación de un anuncio discriminatorio en marzo del 2023, que posteriormente se hizo viral en las redes sociales, que restringió a los candidatos a puestos de trabajo elegibles únicamente a «ciudadanos nacidos en los EE. UU. [blancos] que viven a menos de 60 millas de Dallas, TX [No compartir con los candidatos]». (Los corchetes aparecen en la versión original). Además, el acuerdo del Departamento de Trabajo resuelve su determinación que Arthur Grand infringió la Orden Ejecutiva 11246, que prohíbe a los contratistas federales discriminar en el empleo por motivos de raza, color de piel, religión, sexo, orientación sexual, identidad de género o nacionalidad de origen.
«Es vergonzoso que, en el siglo XXI, seguimos viendo a empleadores que ponen “blancos solamente” y “solamente personas nacidas en los EE. UU.” en sus publicaciones de empleo para bloquear a candidatos de empleo de color que de otra forma serían elegibles. Comparto la indignación del público ante la prohibición aterradora y discriminatoria de Arthur Grand de candidatos a un puesto de trabajo en función de su estatus de ciudadanía, nacionalidad, color de piel o raza», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «El Departamento de Justicia seguirá colaborando con otras agencias gubernamentales y responsabilizando a empleadores cuando vulneren las leyes federales de derechos civiles de nuestra nación».
«A lo largo de los últimos 58 años, la OFCCP ha protegido a trabajadores y postulantes de empleo de la discriminación en el lugar de trabajo. Estamos comprometidos a hacer a los contratistas federales rendir cuentas de prácticas discriminatorias escandalosas como este anuncio», declaró Michele Hodge, la Directora en funciones de la Oficina de Programas de Cumplimiento de Contratos Federales (OFCCP, por sus siglas en inglés). «Las compañías como Arthur Grand, que aceptan contratos federales, no pueden emplear un proceso de contratación para “blancos solamente”».
En mayo del 2023, la Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados (IER, por sus siglas en inglés), que pertenece a la División de Derechos Civiles, inició una investigación y determinó que Arthur Grand discriminó con base en el estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen después de que un reclutador, que trabajaba para la filial de Arthur Grand en la India, publicara el anuncio en el sitio web de empleo Indeed. El anuncio se difundió ampliamente en las redes sociales y generó varios artículos de noticias. Las acciones de Arthur Grand perjudicaron a las personas con permiso para trabajar en los EE. UU., incluidos los ciudadanos nacidos fuera de los Estados Unidos y determinados no ciudadanos de los EE. UU., disuadiéndoles ilegalmente de presentar una solicitud para el anuncio de empleo.Una investigación por la OFCCP determinó que, en abril del 2023, Arthur Grand Technologies publicó un vacante para un puesto de analista empresarial con su equipo de reclamos de seguros y ventas en Dallas en un sitio web público de contratación en línea. El anuncio incluye una nota en letra negrita que ponía «Solamente ciudadanos nacidos en los EE. UU. [blancos] que viven dentro de un radio de 60 millas de Dallas, TX [No compartir con los candidatos]». Según indicaba en anuncio, el puesto serviría a dos clientes, HTC Global, una compañía de tecnología de la información con sede en Troy Michigan, y Berkshire Hathaway, la compañía matriz multinacional con sede en Omaha, Nebraska.
Como parte del acuerdo del Departamento de Justicia, Arthur Grand pagará una sanción civil a los Estados Unidos. El acuerdo también requiere que Arthur Grand capacite a su personal en cuanto a los requisitos de la INA, que revise sus políticas de empleo y que se someta a la supervisión del Departamento.
Según el acuerdo conciliatorio del Departamento de Trabajo, Arthur Grand pagará $31,000 en compensación a las personas que presentaron quejas a su OFCCP. Además, Arthur Grand se ha comprometido a proporcionar formación específica en el lugar de trabajo para todos los empleados de la empresa que participen en el reclutamiento, la selección de candidatos o el seguimiento de expresiones de interés para puestos vacantes.
La IER es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. Esta ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación.
Puede obtener más información sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación en la contratación y el reclutamiento en el sitio web de la IER. Aprenda más sobre el trabajo de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda mediante este vídeo corto. Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia. El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); enviar un correo electrónico a [email protected]; inscribirse a un seminario en línea gratuito, visualizar una presentación a la carta o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español. Inscríbase para recibir actualizaciones por correo electrónico desde la IER.
La OFCCP del Departamento de Trabajo hace cumplir la Orden Ejecutiva 11246, la Sección 503 de la Ley de Rehabilitación de 1973 y la ley de Asistencia para la Readaptación de Veteranos de Vietnam de 1974. Aprenda más sobre la OFCCP aquí.
El Departamento de Justicia logra un acuerdo para abordar las barreras idiomáticas de las familias del distrito escolar de Cherry Creek, ColoradoRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció en el día de hoy que ha logrado un acuerdo de conciliación con el Distrito Escolar de Cherry Creek (CCSD, por sus siglas en inglés), uno de los distritos más grandes de Colorado, para mejorar en forma significativa los servicios de acceso idiomático para los padres con un dominio limitado del inglés. El acuerdo sale al paso de las acusaciones en torno a que el distrito no se comunicaba con estos padres en un idioma que pudieran entender y, de ese modo, les impedía acceder a información importante sobre la educación de sus hijos.
“No se debe permitir que los padres desconozcan lo que sucede con la educación de sus hijos”, señaló Kristen Clarke, Fiscal General Adjunta de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. “La comunicación abierta y eficaz entre escuelas y padres, incluidos los padres con un dominio limitado del inglés, es fundamental para salvaguardar el acceso equitativo de los estudiantes a las oportunidades educativas. El Departamento de Justicia continuará garantizando que los distritos escolares tomen medidas para ayudar a los padres a superar las barreras idiomáticas que les impiden participar plenamente en la educación de sus hijos”.
“Los padres con un dominio limitado del inglés enfrentan obstáculos para entender cómo funcionan las escuelas públicas”, afirmó Cole Finegan, Fiscal de EE. UU. para el Distrito de Colorado. “Este acuerdo tiene por objeto garantizar que el Distrito Escolar de Cherry Creek implemente las políticas y las prácticas que les permitan a todos los padres del distrito participar de manera relevante en la educación de sus hijos. Instamos a todos los distritos escolares de Colorado a revisar sus prácticas para garantizar que cumplan con sus obligaciones de proporcionar servicios de asistencia con el idioma a los padres con un dominio limitado del inglés”.
El CCSD presta servicios a alrededor de 53,000 estudiantes, cuyos padres hablan más de 150 idiomas. La Oficina del Fiscal para el Distrito de Colorado recibió muchas quejas que afirmaban que los padres con un dominio limitado del inglés no podían participar de manera significativa en programas y actividades escolares importantes porque el distrito no les proporcionaba servicios de asistencia con el idioma apropiados y eficaces. Las quejas señalaban, por ejemplo, que el distrito no suministraba servicios de intérpretes y de traducción a los padres con un dominio limitado del inglés cuando inscribían a sus hijos en las escuelas del distrito, ni les ofrecían dichos servicios durante las audiencias de expulsión y otros procedimientos disciplinarios.
La Oficina del Fiscal de EE. UU., en coordinación con la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia, investigó las quejas en virtud de la Ley de Igualdad de Oportunidades Educativas (Equal Educational Opportunities Act) de 1974.
Para abordar la investigación del departamento, el distrito ha acordado mejorar sus comunicaciones en áreas fundamentales, entre las que se incluyen:
- Inscripción: El distrito identificará a aquellos padres que tengan un dominio limitado del inglés y que intenten inscribir a sus hijos en escuelas del distrito, documentará su idioma preferido de comunicación y les ofrecerá servicios de asistencia con el idioma para ayudarlos a entender el proceso de inscripción.
- Procedimientos disciplinarios de los estudiantes: El distrito traducirá las cartas que involucren la suspensión y expulsión al idioma preferido de los padres con un dominio limitado del inglés, y les proporcionará servicios de asistencia con el idioma durante los procedimientos disciplinarios que podrían llevar a la suspensión o expulsión.
- Interacción con los padres con un dominio limitado del inglés: El distrito realizará encuestas y organizará sesiones de conversación en más de una docena de idiomas para entender mejor las necesidades de comunicaciones de los padres con un dominio limitado del inglés.
La aplicación de la Ley de Igualdad de Oportunidades Educativas de 1974 es una de las principales prioridades de la División de Derechos Civiles. Puede acceder a información adicional sobre la División de Derechos Civiles en su sitio web en www.justice.gov/crt, y a información adicional sobre el trabajo de la Sección de Oportunidades Educativas en www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section.
Para denunciar una posible violación de los derechos civiles ante la División de Derechos Civiles, visite www.civilrights.justice.gov/. Podrá encontrar información adicional sobre el programa de aplicación de derechos civiles de la Oficina del Fiscal de EE. UU. en www.justice.gov/usao-co/civil-rights-enforcement.
El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con la ciudad de Pawtucket, Rhode Island, para resolver demanda sobre el derecho al votoRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo con la ciudad de Pawtucket, Rhode Island y los oficiales electorales de la ciudad para resolver alegaciones de que Pawtucket no proporcionó asistencia en español a los votantes en violación a la Ley de Derechos Electorales y no permitió a votantes calificados a emitir votos provisionales en violación a la Ley de Ayudemos a Estados Unidos a Votar (“HAVA,” por sus siglas en inglés).
El decreto por consentimiento propuesto fue radicado junto con la demanda del Departamento de Justicia. La demanda del Departamento alega que Pawtucket no proporcionó asistencia electoral ni materiales en español a los votantes hispanoparlantes con dominio limitado del inglés en violación a la sección 203 de la Ley de Derechos Electorales. La sección 203 exige que ciertas jurisdicciones, incluyendo Pawtucket, proporcionen materiales electorales y asistencia en otros idiomas, además del inglés. La demanda también alega que Pawtucket y los oficiales electorales de la ciudad se negaron a permitir a personas que estaban calificadas para emitir un voto provisional lo hicieran, y no capacitaron ni instruyeron a los trabajadores electorales de manera precisa y adecuada sobre los requisitos del voto provisional, en violación de la sección 302 de la Ley de Ayudemos a los Estados Unidos a Votar. Si las personas no aparecen en la lista oficial de inscripción, HAVA exige que un trabajador electoral notifique a las personas de que podrían emitir un voto provisional si declaran que son votantes registrados en la jurisdicción y elegibles para votar en la elección.
“Las barreras idiomáticas jamás deben privar a un votante elegible de participar plenamente en el proceso democrático”, dijo Kristen Clarke, Fiscal GeneralAuxiliar a cargo de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. “Proporcionar materiales bilingües y asistencia para aquellas personas con conocimientos limitados del inglés asegurará que dichos ciudadanos tendrán la oportunidad de participar en nuestra democracia. Nosotros seguiremos enfrentando a las barreras que se interponen entre los votantes y sus oportunidades de emitir sus votos”.
“El derecho a votar es el derecho del que dependen todos los demás”, dijo el Fiscal Federal Zachary A. Cunha, “y esta oficina permanecerá alerta para hacer cumplir nuestras leyes de derechos civiles para garantizar que las barreras ilegales de acceso no impidan que los estadounidenses emitan sus votos. Agradezco nuestra continua asociación con la División de Derechos Civiles en este caso, y felicito a la ciudad de Pawtucket por tomar medidas para asegurar que se solucionen estos problemas”.
El decreto por consentimiento, que aún requiere la aprobación del tribunal, exige el establecimiento de un programa de asistencia idiomática integral en español bajo la sección 203. La ciudad de Pawtucket proporcionará toda la información relacionada con las elecciones en inglés y español, incluyendo en los lugares de votación y en línea. La ciudad de Pawtucket también garantizará la presencia de oficiales electorales bilingües en los lugares de votación anticipada y en los lugares de votación el Día de las elecciones. Además, el decreto por consentimiento provee que todos los votantes inscritos tengan el derecho de emitir un voto provisional si sus nombres no aparecen en el registro de votantes. El decreto por consentimiento también dispone que observadores federales pueden monitorear las actividades el día de elecciones en los lugares de votación de la ciudad de Pawtucket.
Más información sobre el derecho al voto y las elecciones está disponible en www.justice.gov/voting y Vote.gov en Español. Para obtener más información sobre la Ley de Derechos Electorales y otras leyes federales electorales, visite el portal del Departamento de Justicia en www.justice.gov/crt/voting/.
Para reportar una posible vulneración de las leyes federales de derecho al voto a la División de Derechos Civiles puede hacerlo en línea en www.civilrights.justice.gov o llamar al (800) 253-3931. Puede también ponerse en contacto con la Oficina del Fiscal Federal del Distrito de Rhode Island por correo electrónico a [email protected] o llamar al (401) 709-5010.
El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con la ciudad de Pawtucket para resolver reclamos de discriminación electoral en Rhode IslandRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – La Oficina del Fiscal Federal para el Distrito de Rhode Island y la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia anunciaron hoy que Estados Unidos ha firmado una propuesta de decreto de consentimiento con la ciudad de Pawtucket, Rhode Island, y funcionarios electorales de la ciudad, para resolver una demanda sobre derechos de voto, anuncio el Fiscal de los Estados Unidos Zachary A. Cunha y Asistente Fiscal General Kristen Clark de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia
El decreto de consentimiento propuesto se presentó ante un tribunal federal de Rhode Island junto con una demanda presentada por la Fiscalía Federal y la División de Derechos Civiles. La demanda alega que Pawtucket no proporcionó asistencia electoral ni materiales en español a votantes que hablan español con dominio limitado del inglés, en violación de la Sección 203 de la Ley de Derecho al Voto. La Sección 203 exige que ciertas jurisdicciones, incluyendo Pawtucket, proporcionen materiales electorales y asistencia en otros idiomas, además del inglés. La demanda también alega que Pawtucket y los funcionarios electorales de la ciudad se negaron a permitir que las personas que estaban calificadas para emitir un voto provisional lo hicieran y no capacitaron ni instruyeron a los trabajadores electorales de manera precisa y adecuada sobre los requisitos para los votos provisionales, todo en violación de la Sección 302 de la Ley Ayudemos a Estados Unidos a Votar.
Según el decreto de consentimiento propuesto, cual está sujeto a la aprobación de un tribunal especial de tres jueces en el Tribunal de Distrito de Rhode Island de los EE. UU., la ciudad de Pawtucket y la Junta de Encuestadores proporcionarán toda la información relacionada con las elecciones en inglés y español, incluyendo información mostrada en los lugares de votación y en línea. La Ciudad también garantizará que haya asistencia lingüística en persona disponible en todos los sitios de votación anticipada y en cada distrito electoral con al menos 100 votantes registrados de apellido hispano. Además, el decreto de consentimiento establece que la Ciudad brindará capacitación específica a los trabajadores electorales. La Ciudad reclutará trabajadores electorales bilingües y brindará capacitación a todos los trabajadores electorales bilingües sobre terminología electoral en español, cómo brindar asistencia lingüística efectiva y instrucciones de votación. La Ciudad capacitará a todos los trabajadores electorales sobre los requisitos de la boleta provisional según la Sección 302. El decreto de consentimiento también establece que los observadores federales pueden monitorear las actividades del día de las elecciones en los lugares de votación en Pawtucket.
"El derecho a votar es el derecho del que dependen todos los demás". dijo el Fiscal Federal Zachary A. Cunha, “y esta Oficina permanecerá alerta para hacer cumplir nuestras leyes de derechos civiles para garantizar que las barreras ilegales de acceso no impidan que los estadounidenses emitan sus votos. Agradezco nuestra continua asociación con la División de Derechos Civiles en este caso y felicito a la ciudad de Pawtucket por tomar medidas para garantizar que se solucionen estos problemas”.
“Las barreras idiomáticas jamás deben privar a un votante elegible de participar plenamente en el proceso democrático,” dijo Kristen Clarke, Secretaria de Justicia Auxiliar a cargo de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. “Proveer materiales bilingües y asistencia para aquellas personas con conocimientos limitados del inglés asegurará que dichos ciudadanos tendrán la oportunidad de participar en nuestra democracia. Nosotros seguiremos enfrentando a las barreras que se interponen entre los votantes y sus oportunidades de emitir sus votos.”
Más información sobre la Ley de Derecho al Voto y otras leyes federales sobre el derecho al voto están disponibles en el sitio web del Departamento de Justicia https://www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section. Individuos pueden presentar quejas sobre derechos de voto ante la División de Derechos Civiles ya sea en línea aqui o pueden llamar (800) 253-3931. Individuos también pueden comunicarse con la Oficina del Fiscal Federal para el Distrito de Rhode Island enviando un correo electrónico a [email protected] o por llamada a (401)709-5010.
El gobierno está representado por la Fiscal Federal Auxiliar Amy R. Romero de la Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito de Rhode Island, y el Jefe Adjunto Timothy Mellett y la Abogada Litigante María Ríos de la Sección de Votación de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia..
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consent_order.pdf pawtucket_doj_filed_complaint.pdfDoctor Convicted of Nearly $2M Medicare and Medicaid Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a Nevada doctor yesterday for his role in defrauding Medicare and Medicaid of nearly $2 million.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Eduardo Abellana, M.D., 75, of Las Vegas, referred medically unnecessary prescriptions to City Drugs, a Detroit, Michigan, pharmacy, for patients he had not treated in exchange for cash kickbacks paid by the owners of the pharmacy. Abellana and his co-conspirators caused nearly $2 million of loss to Medicare and Medicaid.
The jury convicted Abellana of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States and receive kickbacks. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 25, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the conspiracy to commit health care fraud count and five years in prison on the conspiracy to defraud the United States and receive kickbacks count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI Detroit Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Chicago Region made the announcement.
The FBI Detroit Field Office and HHS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Claire Sobczak and Kelly M. Warner of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
District Man Indicted on Enhanced Second-Degree Theft for Theft from Nordstrom Rack Retail Store in NorthwestRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Karim Clayton, 46, of Washington, D.C., was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on one count of felony second-degree theft stemming from events occurring on April 26, 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Clayton was indicted on May 22, 2024, and will be arraigned on May 29, 2024, at a hearing before a Superior Court judge.
According to the government’s evidence, on April 26, 2024, Clayton took merchandise without paying from the Nordstrom Rack store located in Northwest, Washington, D.C. Clayton was located and arrested after investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department.
Clayton has two or more prior theft convictions, though not from the same occasion, and therefore is subject to enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail for each count of theft for which he is indicted.
Since September 1, 2023, including the aforementioned case, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has indicted 45 cases involving a felony second-degree theft charge based on a defendant’s two or more prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Granzotto.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
Detroit Man Convicted of Armed Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. - A Detroit man residing in Richmond, Ky., Jarrett Howard, 56, was convicted Wednesday, by a federal jury sitting in Lexington. Following a three-day trial and 45 minutes of deliberation, the jury found him guilty of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to testimony at trial, in November 2021, law enforcement received information from a confidential informant that Howard was responsible for distributing fentanyl in Madison County. Law enforcement conducted a search of Howard’s residence and found 285 grams of fentanyl, 416 grams of cocaine, and two loaded firearms. Law enforcement also discovered a digital scale and $34,450 at the residence.
Howard was indicted in June 2023.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Erek Davodowich, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Louisville Field Division; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Detroit Field Division; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Louisville Field Division; Phillip J. Burnett, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police (KSP); and Chief Rodney Richardson, Richmond Police Department, jointly announced the jury’s verdict.
The investigation was conducted by DEA, ATF, KSP and Richmond Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Greenfield is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Howard will appear for sentencing on August 28. He faces up to life in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing its sentence.
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DeBary Man Pleads Guilty to Dealing in Firearms Without A LicenseRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Brandon Eugene Brooke (30, DeBary) has pleaded guilty to dealing in firearms without a license. Brooke faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, between April 14 and October 10, 2022, Brooke purchased 69 firearms. Many of the firearms were identical and were purchased together or close in time to one another. On October 13, 2022, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) questioned Brooke regarding his repeated purchases of identical firearms from federal firearms license dealers (FFLs). A search of Brooke’s phone revealed evidence of firearms dealing.
Following the interview, ATF agents served Brooke with a “Warning Notice of Unlicensed Firearms Dealing in Violation of Federal Law.” In the Notice, Brooke was advised that his firearm transfers constituted dealing in firearms without a license. Brooke signed the Notice, acknowledging receipt, and was given a copy to retain. Following his acknowledgment of the Notice, Brooke continued to purchase and sell firearms to third parties, in violation of federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael P. Felicetta and Noah P. Dorman.
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.
Convicted Child Predator Sentenced to 40+ Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A federal district judge sentenced a registered sex offender to spend 485 months in prison after a jury convicted him of sexually exploiting another minor.
In addition to imprisonment, the judge also ordered Dan R. Waeckerle, Jr., 45, of Swansea, to serve a lifetime of supervised release and pay a $1,000 fine. In January, a jury found Waeckerle guilty of soliciting an obscene visual depiction of a minor, transferring obscene matter to a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor, and offense by a registered sex offender.
“Child predators like Waeckerle leave their victims with lasting trauma, and this significant prison sentence sends a strong message to abusers,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to protect children from offenders. I commend the O’Fallon Police Department for their investigation which ultimately placed Waeckerle behind bars.”
According to court documents, Waeckerle had sexually explicit conversations with a 15-year-old minor via text message in July 2021. Evidence presented during the trial revealed Waeckerle sent the minor a genital image, requested sexually explicit images and videos from the minor, and discussed meeting the minor for sex.
“We are proud to work with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to help keep children safe from predators,” said David Bolin, Acting Supervisor for the U.S. Secret Service Springfield Resident Office. “We will continue working with our partners to protect children and deter other predators from harming them in the future.”
Waeckerle was previously convicted of aggravated criminal sexual abuse against a minor in Hamilton County, Illinois, in 2010.
This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service Central and Southern Illinois Financial and Cyber Crimes Task Force, with members from the O’Fallon Police Department leading the investigation. Additional support was provided by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Swansea Police Department, and the Illinois State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ali Burns and Zoe Gross prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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.
Connecticut Man Sentenced for Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Windsor, CT, resident who admitted to a federal judge in Rhode Island that he conspired to deliver nearly 90 grams of fentanyl has been sentenced to five years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Daniel Alexander Smith, 20, previously admitted that between late February through May 2023, he sold seven firearms and conspired with another individual to sell a total of 89.67 grams of fentanyl in the course of five separate transactions. The transactions took place while Smith was under surveillance by members of law enforcement who quickly seized the firearms and drugs.
During the investigation law enforcement seized a Century Arms AK-47 rifle; a Glock 26 semi-automatic pistol; a High Standard revolver; a Taurus PT111 9mm handgun; an FN Tactical Model 502 .22 caliber pistol; a Glock 19x 9mm pistol, and a High Standard M200 20 gauge shotgun.
Additionally, at the time of Smith’s arrest, members of law enforcement seized a loaded Glock 22 firearm with a 22-round magazine and a Switch attached from Smith’s vehicle. The Switch converted the firearm to a fully automatic weapon.
At sentencing today, U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith sentenced Daniel Alexander Smith to a term of 60 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of federal supervised release.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White.
United States Attorney Cunha thanks the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut for its assistance in this prosecution.
The matter was investigated by the FBI Rhode Island Safe Streets Task Force with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the FBI Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force.
The FBI Rhode Island Safe Streets Task Force consists of agents and law enforcement officers from the FBI, Rhode Island State Police, the Cranston, Woonsocket, Pawtucket, West Warwick, and Central Falls Police Departments, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
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. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Colorado Man Sentenced for Distributing a Controlled Substance Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and ConspiracyRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced an Aurora, Colorado, man convicted of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
Anthony Ward, age 39, was sentenced on May 17, 2024, to 30 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.
A co-conspirator, Darnell Young, was sentenced to 17 years and six months in federal prison on October 24, 2023.
Both defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in the spring of 2023. Anthony Ward was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance resulting in serious bodily injury and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance following a four-day federal jury trial in Rapid City, South Dakota, that concluded on February 26, 2024.
The convictions stem from an investigation into Ward that started in the spring of 2022. Investigators eventually stopped a vehicle that Ward was traveling in and found approximately 150 fentanyl pills, $2,859.00 in cash, and a handgun in a bag in the trunk of the vehicle. Through the investigation, law enforcement learned that Ward was responsible for sourcing thousands of fentanyl pills from Denver to Rapid City. They also learned that he sourced a fentanyl pill that was eventually distributed to someone in Rapid City who smoked the pill and overdosed. Another person present at the scene was able to revive the victim with Narcan. Ward also received a sentencing enhancement for lying under oath during his trial.
This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Ward was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Co-Owner of Clark County automotive shop convicted of violating Clean Air ActRead the Press Release
Tacoma – The co-owner of two Clark County automotive businesses was convicted today of conspiracy and eleven felony counts of violating the federal Clean Air Act for tampering with diesel trucks’ emissions monitoring systems, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Tracy Coiteux, 44, of La Center, Washington, is the co-owner of Racing Performance Maintenance Northwest (known as RPM) and a related sales company called RPM Motors and Sales NW. A jury convicted Coiteux following a three-day jury trial. The jury deliberated for three hours before returning the guilty verdicts. U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle scheduled sentencing for August 19, 2024.
An indictment returned in May 2021, charged Coiteux and her husband, Sean Coiteux, 50, and the service manager, Nick Akerill, 44, with conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act and eleven specific violations of the Clean Air Act for tampering with the emissions-monitoring system on vehicles when removing pollution control equipment between January 2018 and November 2020.
Sean Coiteux pleaded guilty in March 2024 and is scheduled for sentencing on August 13, 2024. Akerill pleaded guilty to state pollution charges and was sentenced to work 30 days on a Clark County work crew.
According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, the investigation began when a former RPM employee notified the EPA that the company was performing the unlawful modifications, which are known as “deletes” and “tunes.” A single truck that has been deleted and tuned can cause the same amount of pollution as up to 1,200 trucks with compliant emissions systems. These modifications are marketed to truck owners as improving vehicle power and performance.
The investigation revealed that between January 2018 and January 2021, the defendants charged their customers fees of about $2,000 per truck to remove (delete) emissions control systems required by federal law. They then modified (tuned) legally required software that works to ensure the vehicle’s pollution remains within legal limits. RPM Motors and Sales sometimes offered, as part of the sale of a truck, to remove the emissions control system after the customer purchased a truck. Email and other electronic records document the conspirators’ purchase of equipment and software kits to remove the pollution control and reprogram the monitoring systems.
When agents executed a court authorized search warrant in January 2021, they found some of the emissions parts that had been removed and the replacement tailpipes. They found records detailing some 375 instances of removal of the emissions control hardware and software.
Over the three years described in the court records, the defendants took in more than $500,000 for the modifications that violate the Clean Air Act.
Conspiracy is punishable by up to five years in prison. Each violation of the Clean Air Act is punishable by up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence will be determined by Judge Settle after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being investigated by Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Seth Wilkinson and Cindy Chang and Environmental Protection Agency Special Assistant United States Attorney Karla Gebel Perrin.
Chicago Man Convicted of Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Late yesterday, Hamidullah Tribble, 28 years old, of Chicago, Illinois, was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm following a two-day jury trial before United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Tribble’s sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. Any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the District Court Judge after consideration of federal statutes and the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force and the Lake County Sheriff’s Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly L. Schultz.
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.
Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Gregory D’Arquaes Zander, 35, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 11, 2024, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Zander was a passenger and a second vehicle, a blue truck, on Interstate 77 North near the Kanawha County-Jackson County line. Officers found a rifle case in the blue truck containing six firearms: a Smith & Wesson model M&P 10mm M2.0 10mm pistol, a Springfield Armory model DS Prodigy 9mm pistol, a Smith & Wesson model M&P 9 9mm pistol, a Kimber model Rose Gold Ultra II .45-caliber ACP pistol, a Glock model 17 Gen 4 9mm pistol, and a CMMG model MK4, 5.78x28mm pistol. Officers also found a wallet in the blue truck containing Zander’s state identification card and birth certificate and receipts for the purchase of two of the firearms.
The receipts listed the driver of the blue truck as the purchaser. The driver told investigators that Zander paid him to drive the blue truck to Michigan and directed him to place the rifle case in that vehicle earlier that day while it was parked outside two adjacent apartments maintained by Zander in Charleston. The driver also admitted that he purchased several firearms for Zander at Zander’s direction and with money provided by Zander, and transported the firearms to one of Zander’s Charleston apartments after each purchase.
Investigators established that Zander had accompanied the driver during the purchase of the four other seized firearms and wore one of the firearms on his ankle during a purchase.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Zander knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his prior felony conviction for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, methamphetamine, in Kanawha County Circuit Court on September 22, 2021.
Zander is scheduled to be sentenced on August 22, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-55.
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Cavendish, Vermont Man Sentenced to 14 Months for Unlawful Receipt of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on May 23, 2024, Mitchell Horton, 37, of Cavendish, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford to a term of 14 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Horton previously pleaded guilty to receiving a firearm while under indictment for a New Hampshire felony.
According to court records, on April 3, 2023, Horton possessed a Smith and Wesson .380 semi-automatic pistol in his waistband. Vermont State Police seized this firearm from Horton upon his arrest for the theft of diesel fuel in Cavendish, Vermont on April 3, 2023. Following his arrest, Horton admitted to law enforcement that he purchased the pistol from another person. On or about April 3, 2023, Horton knew that he was under indictment in the State of New Hampshire for Theft by Unauthorized Taking, a Class A Felony, that carries with it a maximum penalty of fifteen years of imprisonment.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Office of the Grafton County (New Hampshire) Attorney.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory L. Waples and Zachary B. Stendig. Horton was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Sara Puls, Esq.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn
Carbon County Man Sentenced to 132 Months’ Imprisonment for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Curtis Margle, age 34, of Lehighton, Carbon County, was sentenced on May 21, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to 132 months’ imprisonment on the charge of possession with intent to distribute crystal methamphetamine.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Margle pleaded guilty and admitted to possessing between 200 grams and 350 grams of high-quality crystal methamphetamine for distribution in the Schuylkill County and Carbon County areas in 2022. The charges stem from an investigation in which investigators made a purchase of crystal methamphetamine from Margle in March 2022 in Schuylkill County and later seized an additional quantity of crystal methamphetamine from Margle.
The charges against Margle resulted from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Schuylkill County Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Bộ Tư pháp đạt thỏa thuận giải quyết rào cản ngôn ngữ cho các gia đình học khu Cherry Creek, tiểu bang ColoradoRead the Press Release
Hôm nay, Bộ Tư pháp thông báo đã đạt được một thỏa thuận dàn xếp với Học khu Cherry Creek (CCSD), một trong những học khu lớn nhất ở Colorado, để cải thiện đáng kể các dịch vụ tiếp cận ngôn ngữ cho phụ huynh có trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế. Thỏa thuận nhằm giải quyết các cáo buộc rằng học khu đã không giao tiếp với các phụ huynh này bằng loại ngôn ngữ mà họ có thể hiểu được, dẫn đến việc họ không nhận được thông tin quan trọng về giáo dục con cái.
“Cha mẹ nào cũng cần được biết đầy đủ về việc giáo dục con cái họ,” Trợ lý Bộ trưởng Tư pháp Kristen Clarke phụ trách Vụ Dân quyền của Bộ Tư pháp cho biết. “Giao tiếp cởi mở và hiệu quả giữa nhà trường và phụ huynh, kể cả phụ huynh có trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế, là điều cần thiết để học sinh nào cũng được tiếp cận cơ hội giáo dục một cách bình đẳng. Bộ Tư pháp sẽ tiếp tục hành động để đoan chắc rằng các học khu thực hiện các bước để giúp phụ huynh vượt qua rào cản ngôn ngữ đã ngăn họ tham gia đầy đủ vào việc giáo dục con cái.”
“Phụ huynh có trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế đang đối mặt với những rào cản để hiểu rõ cách thức hoạt động của các trường công lập,” Ông Cole Finegan, Biện lý Liên bang khu vực Colorado cho biết. “Thỏa thuận này nhằm biết chắc Học khu Cherry Creek thực hiện các chính sách và cách làm việc để giúp tất cả phụ huynh trong học khu tham gia một cách có ý nghĩa vào việc giáo dục con cái. Chúng tôi kêu gọi tất cả các học khu ở Colorado xem xét lại các hoạt động để đảm bảo rằng họ tuân thủ nghĩa vụ cung cấp dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ cho phụ huynh có trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế.”
CCSD phục vụ khoảng 53.000 học sinh có phụ huynh nói trên 150 thứ tiếng. Văn phòng Biện lý Liên bang khu vực Colorado đã nhận được nhiều khiếu nại cáo buộc rằng phụ huynh có trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế không thể tham gia một cách có ý nghĩa vào các chương trình và hoạt động quan trọng của trường vì học khu không cung cấp cho họ các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ phù hợp và hiệu quả. Ví dụ, có khiếu nại cáo buộc rằng học khu đã không có thông dịch viên và dịch vụ dịch thuật cho phụ huynh có trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế khi họ ghi danh cho con cái họ vào các trường của học khu và cũng không có các dịch vụ đó trong các buổi điều trần về đuổi học và các thủ tục áp dụng biện pháp kỷ luật khác.
Văn phòng Biện lý Liên bang, phối hợp với Vụ Dân quyền của Bộ Tư pháp, đã điều tra các khiếu nại dựa theo Đạo luật Cơ hội Giáo dục Bình đẳng ban hành năm 1974.
Nhằm giải quyết cuộc điều tra của bộ, học khu đã đồng ý cải thiện thông tin liên lạc trong các lĩnh vực quan trọng, bao gồm:
- Ghi danh: Học khu sẽ xác định phụ huynh nào có trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế đang ghi danh cho con cái họ vào các trường trong học khu, ghi nhận ngôn ngữ giao tiếp mà họ ưa thích để cung cấp cho họ các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ, giúp họ hiểu thủ tục ghi danh.
- Thủ tục áp dụng biện pháp kỷ luật với học sinh: Học khu sẽ dịch các thư liên quan đến việc ngưng học và đuổi học sang ngôn ngữ ưa thích của phụ huynh có trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế và cung cấp các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ trong quá trình kỷ luật có thể dẫn đến ngưng học hoặc đuổi học.
- Giao tiếp với phụ huynh có trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế: Học khu sẽ thực hiện các cuộc khảo sát và tổ chức các buổi lắng nghe dư luận bằng hơn một chục ngôn ngữ để nắm vững hơn nhu cầu giao tiếp của phụ huynh có trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế.
Việc thực thi Đạo luật Cơ hội Giáo dục Bình đẳng ban hành năm 1974 là ưu tiên hàng đầu của Vụ Dân quyền. Thông tin thêm về Vụ Dân quyền có để trên trang web của vụ tại địa chỉ www.justice.gov/crt và thông tin thêm về công việc của Phòng Cơ hội Giáo dục có để tại www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section.
Muốn báo cáo cho Vụ Dân quyền về một hành vi có thể vi phạm dân quyền, vui lòng ghé www.civilrights.justice.gov/. Thông tin thêm về chương trình thực thi dân quyền của Văn phòng Biện lý Liên bang có thể xem tại www.justice.gov/usao-co/civil-rights-enforcement.
Buffalo man pleads guilty to multiple charges for his role in drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Joseph Zaso a/k/a Joey Cracks a/k/a Sosa, 40, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to narcotics conspiracy, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and concealment of material fact. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a maximum of life in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that between September 2018, and May 2022, Zaso conspired with others to sell significant quantities of heroin and fentanyl in the Jamestown, NY, area. Zaso, the leader of the drug trafficking activity, was the source of supply for several Jamestown drug dealers, and used a series of dealers and runners to facilitate his operation. During the conspiracy, Zaso possessed firearms to protect his supply of narcotics, from which he obtained substantial income and resources. On May 26, 2022, search warrants were executed at his Buffalo residence, during which investigators seized drug paraphernalia.
During the conspiracy, Zaso was under the supervision of U.S. Probation in the Western District of New York, following a 2015 conviction in the Eastern District of Michigan. Zaso was required to submit monthly reports to U.S. Probation, which included information about his employment. Zaso signed and submitted monthly reports falsely reporting his employment. Zaso also falsely concealed his income and the existence of bank accounts under his control in addition to lying about his employment. Zaso did not report his actual income because most of it was derived from drug trafficking.
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.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 30, 2024, before Judge Vilardo.
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Brookline Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More Than $650,000 from Medical PracticeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former office manager of a Brookline medical practice pleaded guilty today to embezzling over $650,000 from the practice over several years.
Kathleen Libby, 40, of Brookline, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Sept. 4, 2024.
Libby stole from the medical practice in a variety of ways, including by transferring funds from the practice to a personal PayPal account she established named “Medline Surgical Supplies.” In doing so, Libby created the false impression that transfers from the medical practice to the PayPal account were expenses the medical practice had incurred for supplies.
In addition, Libby used the medical practice’s bank account to make payments toward purchases she had made at a variety of retailers, including Louis Vuitton, Bloomingdales, Best Buy, Target and travel-related websites. Libby also placed two of her relatives on the medical practice’s payroll and used its credit cards for her own personal benefit.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
Binghamton Woman Charged with Social Security Fraud Related to her Theft of Benefits Intended for a MinorRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Loretta Washington, 59, of Binghamton, New York, was arraigned today on a federal indictment charging her with 38 counts of social security fraud, United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Bradley Parker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), New York Field Office announced.
According to the indictment, Washington had applied for and was receiving the social security benefits for a minor as her representative-payee. A representative-payee is a person or organization selected by the SSA to receive benefits on behalf of a beneficiary who is unable to manage their payments. Washington is accused of stealing over $25,000 in social security benefits intended for a minor between October 2018 and November 2021.
The charges filed against Washington carry a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG) is investigating the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck is prosecuting the case.
Berkeley County Business Owners Admit to Tax FraudRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – The owners of three Inwood, West Virginia businesses have admitted to failing to pay $300,000 in income taxes.
Mark L. Peters, 55, and Aimee Michelle Peters, 52, the owners and operators of Pizza Oven; Dragonfly Health, LLC; and Allied Light and Sound, pled guilty to conspiracy to obstruct or impede the Internal Revenue Service. According to court documents, Mark and Aimee Peters failed to declare nearly $1.3 million in income to the IRS for four years.
Mark and Aimee Peters each face up to five years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
As a part of their plea agreements, the defendants agreed to pay $672.286.59, which includes the tax loss, penalties, and interest.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eleanor Hurney is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
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Bay Area Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to More Than Five Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Brandon Elder was sentenced to 63 months in prison for bank robbery, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), San Francisco Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. James Donato, United States District Judge.
Elder, 29, of Antioch, pleaded guilty to the charge on December 14, 2023. According to court filings, Elder walked into a bank in the Marina District of San Francisco on September 20, 2022, wearing a black hoodie, black facemask, and blue gloves. He approached the teller window, stated “this is a robbery,” and demanded “50s” and “100s.” The teller handed over $10,000 in cash to Elder, who ran out of the bank and back to his getaway car in a nearby parking garage. Elder was arrested two days later in Pleasant Hill, Calif., while shoplifting a PlayStation from a Target with $7,867 cash in his pocket. A grand jury indicted Elder on November 1, 2022, charging him with one count of bank robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a). Elder pleaded guilty to the charge without a written plea agreement.
Elder committed this bank robbery while still on post-release community supervision. He had been released from state custody only 19 days earlier after serving a custodial sentence related to the robbery of a bank he committed on January 26, 2022, in Brentwood, Calif. In addition, Elder already had been convicted of 11 other thefts in state court, including a violent incident during which he slashed a loss prevention officer with a box cutter.
“Repeat offenders like Brandon Elder should not be allowed to continue terrorizing the community,” said United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey. “Enough is enough. This Office will ensure that criminals like Mr. Elder face serious repercussions for their actions.”
“Elder used threats and intimidation to terrorize the employees of the bank he robbed,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp. “His complete disregard for the law demanded justice, and justice he received with this sentence. The FBI will not waver when it comes to preserving the peace of our community by taking dangerous criminals off the streets.”
In addition to sentencing Elder to prison, Judge Donato ordered the defendant to serve a year of supervised release to begin after his prison term is completed. The defendant was immediately remanded into custody.
Assistant U.S. Attorney George Hageman is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Lakisha Holliman. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
Bakersfield Man Indicted for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment today against Roman Rodriguez, 26, of Bakersfield, charging him with receipt and distribution of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between Feb. 18, 2024, and Feb. 22, 2024, Rodriguez used an iPhone to receive and distribute at least one visual depiction of a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Rodriguez used several other devices to receive visual depictions of a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct during multiple other timeframes that began as early as October 2022.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany M. Gunter is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Rodriguez faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Arizona Man Admits to $4.4 Million Conspiracy to Defraud IRSRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Arizona man admitted today that he conspired to obtain over $4.4 million by defrauding the IRS, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Walid Khater, 38, of Mesa, Arizona, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS. Walid Khater’s conspirator, Omar Khater, 33, of Fairfield, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty to the same charges and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 12, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“Walid Khater has admitted his role in an elaborate scheme that used stolen personal identifying information and fabricated tax returns to fleece the IRS of millions of dollars. With the help of our law enforcement partners, we will aggressively pursue these illegal and dangerous schemes, and those who perpetrate them will be called to answer for their crimes.”
“Investigating individuals who use stolen identities to file fraudulent returns for personal gain is a top priority at IRS Criminal Investigation,” Jenifer L. Piovesan, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, said. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute individuals who attempt to cheat our tax system on the backs of innocent taxpayers.”
“Khater admits he worked with his co-conspirator to steal personal information from his victims to file fake tax returns,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “He then used a chunk of the $4.4 million he stole to gamble. Adding to his already flagrant criminal acts, he filed his winnings as income to get tax refunds - stealing even more money from the federal government. His luck seems to have finally run out.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Walid and Omar Khater were relatives who worked together and with others to steal victims’ identities, which they used to file false tax returns and fraudulently receive tax refunds from the IRS. They electronically submitted tax documents to the IRS falsely claiming that the individual taxpayers listed on those documents had earned certain income or won thousands – and in some cases millions – of dollars in gambling and lottery winnings. The false filings also claimed tax withholdings on the purported income or gambling winnings that entitled the tax filer to refund payments from the IRS.
The Khaters and others typically submitted these fraudulent tax filings using the names and personal identifying information of individual taxpayers without their knowledge or permission. The fraudulent filings caused the IRS to pay lucrative tax refunds, totaling $4.49 million, which the Khaters and others directed to various bank accounts that they controlled.
The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. The charge of conspiracy to defraud the IRS carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 9, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, and special agents of FBI-Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the NJ Transit Police.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fatime Meka Cano of the Economic Crimes Unit and Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
khater.information.pdfAnchorage man sentenced to 11 years for drug, firearm crimesRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man was sentenced yesterday to 11 years in prison and four years’ supervised release for possessing firearms as a felon and possessing drugs with an intent to distribute them.
According to court documents, on Jan. 28, 2021, law enforcement found Joseph Franks, 42, asleep in a running tow truck along a road in Big Lake. Franks had an active warrant for his arrest and was asked to step out of the vehicle. Upon his arrest, law enforcement found a loaded pistol magazine on his person. They obtained a search warrant for the tow truck and found a backpack containing two stolen pistols, six pistol magazines and over 300 grams of marijuana, among other items, and a safe containing over 60 grams of heroin and paraphernalia commonly used for drug distribution.
Less than a week later, law enforcement attempted to stop a vehicle in Wasilla, but the vehicle fled, leading to a high-speed chase for several miles. Spike stripes were deployed, causing the vehicle to crash, but the driver, later determined to be Franks, broke the driver’s side window and fled from the vehicle on foot. Franks was apprehended by a K9 and law enforcement found $1,770 in cash and a small container with cocaine on his person, and $3,550 in cash, over 61 grams of marijuana, over 35 grams of meth, over 85 grams of heroin, and small amounts of psilocybin and cocaine inside a locked duffle back in the vehicle’s trunk.
“Mr. Franks repeatedly disregarded the law and endangered the community with his criminal conduct,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to pursue justice against defendants who choose to commit criminal acts, especially activity that puts our communities at risk like firearm and drug trafficking offenses.”
“The defendant continued to plague our community with serious crimes involving drugs, stolen firearms, and reckless flight from law enforcement,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “This sentence, stemming from a joint investigation with the Alaska State Troopers, exemplifies our shared commitment in keeping our communities safe.”
“The sentence handed down in this prosecution is a significant victory in the Alaska State Trooper’s fight against drug trafficking occurring across the State of Alaska,” said Captain Cornelius Sims, Captain of the Alaska State Trooper’s Statewide Drug Enforcement Unit. “The Alaska State Troopers will continue to work tirelessly with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to interrupt drug trafficking in Alaska and hold those that peddle these dangerous drugs accountable for their actions.”
The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Alaska State Troopers investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Ivers and Alana Weber prosecuted the case.
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Albany Man Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Nearly $1 Million in Federal FundsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Asjid Parvez, age 38, of Albany, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for stealing nearly $1 million in federal funds from a program that helped struggling farmers pay off their loans.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
In 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act authorized the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) to financially assist certain distressed borrowers who had fallen behind on repaying their federally guaranteed farm loans. Parvez was one such borrower, having defaulted on a loan that he had used to purchase a Maryland chicken farm in 2014.
In previously pleading guilty, Parvez admitted that in May 2023, the FSA sent him a United States Treasury check in the amount of $972,564.61. Parvez knew that he needed to use these funds to pay off the federally guaranteed farm loan on which he had defaulted. But instead, he stole the money, and used the funds to pay personal expenses and to fund real estate investments. Parvez stole the money by opening a bank account in the name of his lender; depositing the Treasury check – which was jointly payable to the defendant and the lender – into that account; and then quickly transferring the Treasury funds to other accounts that he controlled.
United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also ordered Parvez to serve 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release and pay $972,564.61 in restitution to the FSA.
The FBI has already seized $516,974.54 traceable to the federal funds that Parvez stole, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Asset Recovery Unit has filed a civil action seeking the forfeiture of a residential property in Albany that was purchased using approximately $202,675 in stolen funds.
The FBI investigated this case, with assistance from the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett prosecuted this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Conger is representing the United States in the asset forfeiture action.
60 Members of a Violent Gang Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearms Violations in Ponce, Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On May 22, 2024, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 60 gang members from the municipality of Ponce with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, and firearms violations, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. This investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB), Ponce Strike Force, with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico National Guard Counterdrug Program, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), CBP Air and Marine Operations, U.S. Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC), the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Puerto Rico Department of Treasury (Hacienda).
“Too many lives have been lost because of drug trafficking and the violence it causes. This indictment demonstrates our shared commitment to protect our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “This is the third multi-defendant gang takedown this month and underscores the unyielding resolve of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in Puerto Rico to bring violent offenders to justice.”
“Guns, violence, drugs, and murders are the day to day of this organization. Ponce residents deserve peace, and our children deserve to play in a street free of drugs. HSI is committed to our community, and we will not tolerate this violent behavior in our island,” said Rebecca González Ramos, Special Agent in Charge of HSI.
“Today marks a pivotal moment in our ongoing efforts to dismantle violent drug trafficking organizations that threaten the safety and well-being of our communities. The arrest of approximately 60 individuals is a testament to the unwavering dedication and collaboration of federal and local law enforcement agencies,” said Denise Foster, Special Agent in Charge of DEA. “This operation not only disrupts a major criminal network, but also underscores our commitment to bringing justice and safety to the people of Ponce. We will continue to leverage our combined resources and expertise to combat drug trafficking and ensure the security of all our citizens.”
The indictment alleges that from 2016, the drug trafficking organization distributed cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”), heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and fentanyl within 1,000 feet of the Arístides Chavier Arévalo, Ernesto Ramos Antonini, Dr. Manuel de la Pila, Ponce Housing and Hogares de Portugués Public Housing Projects (PHPs), and other areas in and nearby the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico, all for significant financial gain and profit. The object of the conspiracy was the large-scale distribution of controlled substances and to distribute the same in street quantities amounts at their drug distribution points. Some of these narcotics would be sent illegally by mail to the continental United States using the U.S. Postal Service.
The investigation revealed that during the conspiracy the defendants and their co-conspirators would use force, violence, including murder and intimidation, against rival drug trafficking organizations and to discipline members of their own drug trafficking organization. Members of the organization would go to “war” with rival gangs, which included retaliatory shooting incidents that, at times, resulted in injuries and death.
The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, including as leaders, owners, enforcers, runners, sellers, and facilitators. The members of the gang used force, violence, and intimidation to maintain control of the areas in which they operated. Twenty defendants are facing one charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The defendants charged in the indictment are:
[1] Armando L. Alicea-Santiago, a.k.a. “La Mami/Ñañito”
[2] José A. Custodio-Colón, a.k.a. “Gilligan/El Viejo”
[3] Christopher Román-Medina, a.k.a. “Keke”
[4] Armando Ortiz-Meléndez, a.k.a. “Yokain”
[5] Nestor Murray-Valentino, a.k.a. “Valentino”
[6] Nicky Cosme-Rivera, a.k.a. “Mellao”
[7] Héctor Pacheco-Figueras, a.k.a. “La H”
[8] Joshua Almodóvar, a.k.a. “Mamaito”
[9] Orlando Coimbre-Echevarría, a.k.a. “Orlandito”
[10] Giovanni Vargas-Maldonado, a.k.a. “Jova/La J”
[11] Jon Alvarado-Hernández, a.k.a. “Jacob”
[12] Raymond Torres-Zayas, a.k.a. “Macho”
[13] Eduardo Aponte Torres, a.k.a. “Edu/Menor/Bubu”
[14] Luis Laboy-Nadal, a.k.a. “Marlon/Mailon”
[15] Juan Limardo-Meléndez, a.k.a. “Jonny”
[16] José Méndez-Morales, a.k.a. “Hugo Boss/Gordo”
[17] Bryant Santiago-Ramírez, a.k.a. “Bryant”
[18] Edgargo Caraballo-Echevarría, a.k.a. “La J”
[19] Jomar Irrizarry-Sarriera
[20] Norberto Martinez-Castro, A/K/A Berto/Bertito/Enano,
[21] Eduardo Negron-Perez, A/K/A Bebo,
[22] Adam Maldonado-Santuche,
[23] José Vázquez-Vargas, a.k.a. “Gordo Janet”
[24] Kelvin Almodóvar-Toro, a.k.a. “Calvo”
[25] Jaime Padilla-Gómez, a.k.a. “Jimito”
[26] Rafael Alers-Ortiz, a.k.a. “Memin”
[27] José A. Custodio-Flores, a.k.a. “Gele”
[28] Jai López-Díaz, a.k.a. “Chai”
[29] Luis J. Alvarado-De La Cruz, a.k.a. “Joel”
[30] Joshua Rodríguez-Cortez, a.k.a. “Medusa/Versace”
[31] Vilma J. Vázquez-Vargas, a.k.a. “Janet”
[32] Jay Pages-Pacheco
[33] Héctor J. Orengo-Torres, a.k.a. “Javi”
[34] Ramón Echevarría-Caraballo, a.k.a. “Árabe”
[35] José Rodríguez-Casiano, a.k.a. “Jon Z”
[36] William González-Maldonado, a.k.a. “Casqui”
[37] Miguel Ortiz-González, a.k.a. “Saca Mostro”
[38] Jonathan Vázquez-Bota, a.k.a. “Mama Deo/Jona”
[39] Wilson Berríos-Flores, a.k.a. “Panda”
[40] Neftaly Rivera-Santiago, a.k.a. “Taly”
[41] Miguel Alexander-Báez, a.k.a. “Yoyo”
[42] Kevin Cosme-Rivera
[43] Josué Pérez-Torres, a.k.a. “Aguja”
[44] Ángel Santana-Pacheco, a.k.a. “Goldo”
[45] William Ramos-Rivera, a.k.a. “Willy”
[46] Alexis Aponte-Negrón
[47] Coral González-Bacenet
[48] Anthony Limardo-Mercado, a.k.a. “Mariachi”
[49] Arturo De Lahongrais-Emmanuelli
[50] Silverio Yoguez-Mercado, a.k.a. “Gringo”
[51] Jovelyn Marquez-Ruiz, a.k.a. “La Flaca”
[52] Manuel Alicea-Alicea, a.k.a. “Alicea”
[53] Wanda Vargas-Álvarez
[54] Jaime Méndez-Ortiz, a.k.a. Jimmy
[55] Ángel Mercado-Acabeo, a.k.a. “Cano/Canito”
[56] Ilia Martínez-Pagán, a.k.a. “Coral/Charlot”
[57] Jayson Camacho-Rodríguez
[58] María Mercado-Crespo, a.k.a. “Luly”
[59] Jadira Báez-Flores
[60] José Cambrelen-Pabón, a.k.a. “Buba”
Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort; Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares; AUSAs R. Vance Eaton and Héctor Siaca Flores are in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted on the drug charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. If convicted of both the drug and firearms charges in Count Seven, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life in prison. All defendants are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $123,662,000.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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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22 May 2024
“Sovereign Citizen” Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for $3.4 Million Tax Fraud Scheme, Filing A False Lien, and Absconding While on BondRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker today sentenced Judy Grace Sellers to five years in federal prison for conspiracy to submit false tax returns and defraud the U.S. Treasury, substantive counts of aiding in the preparation of false tax returns, and filing a false lien against the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, followed by a consecutive four-year sentence for failure to appear. Sellers was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $23,264.08, representing the unrecovered loss from the tax counts. Sellers originally was indicted in December 2014. Her indictment was superseded to add a charge for absconding while on bond in February 2024. She was convicted on all counts by a federal jury on March 1, 2024.
According to evidence presented at trial, in 2008 and 2009, Sellers operated a website called commercialredemption.com on which she promoted the use of IRS Form 1099-OID to commit tax fraud. Sellers identified as a “sovereign citizen” and perpetuated the false premise that the U.S. Treasury maintains secret accounts attributed to every U.S. citizen that can be drawn on by filing a series of bogus documents with the Treasury and other government entities.
As part of this fraud scheme, Sellers also promoted the use of IRS Form 1099-OID to fraudulently report to the IRS debts – including mortgages, student loans, credit card debts, and court judgments – as income, along with 100% withholdings of that “income” in informational returns to overcome the IRS’s internal controls and induce the IRS to issue refunds that were not owed. The proper use of the 1099-OID form is for companies such as brokers to report to the IRS income received by the purchaser of a discounted security. Sellers personally created and submitted to the IRS 1099-OID forms that were fraudulent on their face. After submitting the fraudulent 1099-OID forms, Sellers’s co-conspirators prepared and submitted fraudulent returns seeking massive refunds, in one case exceeding half a million dollars on a single return. All these refunds were based on non-existent 1099-OID “income” and withholdings. The conspiracy resulted in the submission of at least 22 returns requesting fraudulent refunds totaling at least $3.4 million from the IRS.
In 2011, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida filed a civil action to enjoin Sellers from promoting her fraudulent scheme on her commercialredemption.com website. In retaliation, Sellers filed a false lien against the then-U.S. Attorney and a Department of Justice tax attorney who was leading the civil action.
In 2014, Sellers was indicted and arrested on charges of tax fraud and filing a false lien. In January 2015, she was placed on house arrest with a GPS ankle monitor pending trial. In May 2015, Sellers was granted permission by her probation officer to leave her home to get her hair done in preparation for her pretrial hearing a few days later. The next day, Sellers cut off her GPS ankle monitor, flung it on the side of the highway, and absconded.
The cut GPS ankle monitor
Sellers was located more than eight and a half years later in New Mexico. Prior to this, Sellers had pleaded guilty to failing to appear for her sentencing in her previous federal counterfeiting case in 2002. In her previous case, Sellers was apprehended living under a false name in Mississippi.
“Today's sentencing emphasizes our resolve in pursuing those who attempt to corrupt our nation's tax system,” said Lani Rosado-Espinal, Acting Special Agent in Charge, CI Tampa Field Office. “No one is above the law in this great nation. Our law enforcement partners are just as committed as we are to ensuring that those seeking to live above the law are brought to justice.”
This case was investigated by IRS – Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Cofer Taylor and Kelly Milliron.
Winter Garden Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Michael Barrington Douglas (52, Winter Garden) to two years and one day in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for aggravated identity theft and false representation of a Social Security number. As part of his sentence, Douglas also must pay restitution to the Florida Department of Commerce and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Douglas entered a guilty plea on January 17, 2024.
According to court documents, Douglas was born in Jamaica and entered the United States on an immigrant visa in 1991. In 1999, an immigration judge ordered Douglas removed from the United States after he was convicted of felony firearm and drug offenses. Douglas, however, never departed the United States. Instead, he assumed the identity of J.M., a U.S. citizen, and remained in the United States.
On April 8, 2021, Douglas obtained a Florida driver license in J.M.’s name and date of birth. To obtain the driver license, Douglas falsely claimed he was a U.S. citizen and presented J.M.’s birth certificate and Social Security card.
Because Douglas was not authorized to work in the United States following his removal order, he used J.M.’s identity to apply for and obtain employment. Douglas worked at a hotel in Lake Buena Vista from 2012 to 2023. He was furloughed for a period during the COVID-19 pandemic, during which he applied for and received unemployment insurance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) benefits using J.M.’s identity.
Douglas also used J.M’s identity to apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which he received and spent at various locations in the Middle District of Florida.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General, and the Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro and Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan.
Wilson County Man Sentenced to over 17 Years in Federal Prison on Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Jonathon Aaron Ladd, 30, of Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, was sentenced yesterday to 210 months in federal prison for the production, transportation, and distribution of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. That term of imprisonment will be followed by 10 years of supervised release.
In 2020, the defendant made a sexually explicit video recording of a six-year-old girl in his care. He shared that video, along with another sexually explicit video of a different child, in an online chat application with other sexual predators.
A federal grand jury indicted the defendant in 2021 on one count of production of child pornography, one count of transportation of child pornography, and one count of distribution of child pornography. On September 21, 2023, he pled guilty to all counts in the indictment.
“Protecting children will always be a top priority for the Justice Department,” said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. “In this case, as a result of the excellent work done by law enforcement and members of our office, the defendant will spend the next 17 years in federal prison and far away from children.”
“This sentencing is a prime example of the joint efforts in which HSI works with our law enforcement partners to rescue children who are being sexually exploited,” said HSI Nashville Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud. “Let this be a warning to anyone who engages in the abhorrent behavior of producing and distributing child sexual assault material. Our investigators work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to deliver justice to those who would harm our children.”
Homeland Security Investigations; the FBI Memphis Field Office, Nashville Resident Agency; and the Metro Nashville Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Daughtrey prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
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Watervliet Man Pleads Guilty to Dealing Firearms Without a LicenseRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Sean Patrick, age 45, of Watervliet, New York, pled guilty today to dealing firearms without a license.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
Patrick admitted that between June 2021 and November 2022, he built and sold four non-serialized, semi-automatic pistols without being licensed to do so, filling out any paperwork, or paying any taxes in connection with the sales. On November 10, 2022, federal agents executed a search warrant on Patrick’s residence in Watervliet, and recovered four more privately manufactured, non-serialized, semi-automatic pistols, another semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number, assorted gun kits and fabrication tools, and over a thousand rounds of ammunition of various calibers.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 19, 2024, before Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Khan. Patrick faces a maximum term of 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The FBI and its Capital District Safe Streets Gang Task Force — which includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Colonie and Watervliet Police Departments — investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
PSN, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts, is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Washington State Man Admits Possessing Fentanyl with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Washington state man pleaded guilty to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Jose Luis Pineda Torres, 48, of Monroe, Washington, pleaded guilty before U.S. District William J. Martini in Newark federal court on May 20, 2024, to an information charging him with one count of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Feb. 15, 2023, Pineda Torres travelled to a warehouse in Secaucus, New Jersey, where individuals loaded boxes into his vehicle. The boxes contained powder and more than 20,000 pills containing fentanyl and weighing more than 6 kilograms.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The count to which Pineda Torres pleaded guilty is punishable by a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 29, 2024.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordann R. Conaboy of the U.S. Attorney’s Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.
pinedatorres.information.pdfU.S. Attorney Will Thompson Commends the Release of Framework for Prosecutors to Strengthen National Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson commends the announcement of the Department of Justice’s new resource for prosecutors, “Framework for Prosecutors to Strengthen Our National Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Involving Adult Victims.”
The announcement was made on Monday, May 20, 2024, in Dallas, Texas, at the Conference on Crimes Against Women by Rosemarie Hidalgo, Director of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). The guide, written by prosecutors for prosecutors, sets out five principles that, if implemented, will lead to better outcomes for victims, safer communities, and greater accountability for perpetrators of sexual assault and domestic violence.
“The framework announced today reaffirms our commitment to expanding access to justice for all survivors, who deserve respect and the right to be heard,” Hidalgo said. “Enhancing the prosecution response to sexual assault and domestic violence in a trauma-informed manner is a key piece in ending gender-based violence, as part of a broader coordinated community response that includes services and support for survivors, and can have a real, immediate impact on the safety of survivors and entire communities.”
“This guide is a welcome resource for prosecutors at all levels of government, and goes to the heart of our primary obligation to the Constitution, to the rule of law, and to see that justice is done,” Thompson said. “In clear language informed by decades of expertise, insight and experience, it offers a blueprint for a stronger, consistent, and more effective response to these crimes.”
Declinations of meritorious allegations may result from misconceptions about how crimes involving sexual assault and domestic violence are committed and reported, how victims give their accounts, and the evidence required to prove their accounts. This guide equips prosecutors to build provable cases by: (1) relying on the evidentiary value of the victim’s account to frame the investigation; (2) meeting with victims and working with investigators and victim specialists to do so; (3) using the law and evidentiary rules effectively; (4) being thoughtful about what justice and accountability look like; and (5) sustaining a productive, healthy, and committed workforce by redefining success– all of which are rooted in a prosecutor’s primary obligation to seek the truth and uphold the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law.
“As the state sexual assault coalition, the West Virginia Foundation for Rape Information and Services (WVFRIS) applauds the efforts of the U.S. Department of Justice to assist prosecutors in holding offenders accountable in cases of sexual assault and domestic violence,” said WVFRIS Executive Director Nancy Hoffman. “This is particularly timely in West Virginia, as our state Sexual Assault Kit Initiative has completed the processing of thousands of sex crime kits that had not been submitted for testing. With DNA results and hundreds of matches in CODIS, this project is now in the process of supporting local law enforcement officers in investigating and prosecuting those cases. Strengthening prosecution efforts will be the final step in providing justice for the victims each case represents.”
More than 120 state, Tribal, military, and federal prosecutors, as well as advocates, academics, and investigators from an array of jurisdictions were consulted in developing this guide. This guide is designed to encourage prosecutors with all levels of experience to implement its principles when evaluating, investigating, and prosecuting allegations involving sexual assault and domestic violence. In conjunction with this guide, OVW launched a new webpage with resources designed to assist prosecutors in implementing the guide and its principles. This guide further serves as a complement to the Justice Department’s 2022 updated guidance on Improving Law Enforcement Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence by Identifying and Preventing Gender Bias.
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW funds national training and technical assistance and undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
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.
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U.S. Attorney Todd Gee Holds Listening Session in Rankin CountyRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – U.S. Attorney Todd Gee, members of his staff, and the Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service hosted a Listening Session at the Brandon Public Library on Tuesday, May 21. During the moderated discussion, community members had an opportunity to voice concerns about civil rights issues in Rankin County.
U.S. Attorney Gee discussed the civil rights-related work being done by his office and the importance of engaging with members of local communities to address civil rights issues, such as law enforcement accountability. U.S. Attorney Gee reaffirmed the Justice Department’s commitment to enforcing laws protecting the civil rights of all persons in Rankin County and throughout the nation.
As the United States Attorney’s Office stated in press releases issued on August 3, 2023 and on December 4, 2023, the public is encouraged to contact the FBI hotline at 1-800-CALL-FBI, email tips.fbi.gov or call the FBI Jackson Field Office at 601-948-5000, if you or someone you know has been a victim of abuse by a member of the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s online complaint form to report allegations of civil rights violations is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdms/civil-division webpage. The form can be emailed to [email protected] , or concerns can be shared by leaving a voice mail for our Civil Rights Division at (601) 973-2825.
Two ‘La Dank DMV’ Members Sentenced for Roles in Sophisticated Marijuana Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Avery Bost, 29, of Brandywine, MD, was sentenced today to 37 months and Joe Blyther, 29, of Bowie, MD, was sentenced on Tuesday to 10 years in prison for participating in the “LA Dank DMV Crew,” a sophisticated conspiracy responsible for bringing hundreds of pounds of marijuana from California to the metropolitan area, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
Bost pleaded guilty on October 27, 2023, to Conspiracy to Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Distribute Marijuana. Blyther pleaded guilty on November 8, 2023, to Conspiracy to Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Distribute Marijuana; Using, Carrying, and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense; Possession of a Machine Gun; and Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Felon. In addition to Bost and Blyther’s prison sentences, Judge Kollar-Kotelly ordered both to serve three years of supervised release.
Eight LA Dank co-defendants have pleaded guilty to various drug trafficking and/or firearms counts. The co-defendants include Abubakr Banire, Kavon Duncan, Joe Blyther, Christopher Akinduro, Isaac Akinduro, Avery Bost, Omar Butler, and Randall Lance, who all entered their pleas in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Christopher Akindkuro was sentenced to 74 months, Isaac Akinduro was sentenced to 41 months, Duncan was sentenced to 71 months, Butler was sentenced to 18 months, and Lance was sentenced 63 months. Banire, the leader of the LA Dank crew, is awaiting sentencing on June 24, 2024.
The guilty pleas and sentences follow a lengthy investigation led by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Between May 2021 and December 2021, crew members operated a sophisticated conspiracy to traffic large amounts of high-grade marijuana from California to the DMV area for distribution to customers.
As part of their distribution scheme, members of the crew relied heavily on mass marketing through three dedicated LA Dank websites, as well as social media platforms like Instagram where individual crew members would advertise the LA Dank brand and LA Dank branded marijuana for sale. Crew members also used rental properties to set up stash houses or points of sale that were used to conduct drug distribution operations for a short period of time before moving on to different locations.
The crew is known, and was found to possess numerous firearms, including semi-automatic and fully automatic machine guns, and devices used to convert semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic machine guns. Certain members of the crew also plead guilty to the possession of firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking operations. In total, approximately 122 pounds of marijuana, 19 firearms, and 10 machine gun conversion devices were recovered. Three of these nineteen firearms were discovered to be operational machine guns that had been modified with machinegun conversion devices. Seven of these machine gun conversion devices were found in an “LA Dank” branded bag. Two of these firearms were privately made AR-pistol style machine guns, sometimes referred to as “ghost guns.”
Ledgers and receipts show that the crew trafficked well over 100 kilograms of marijuana into the DMV area for distribution.
Blyther specifically plead guilty to one of the pistols equipped with a machine gun conversion device.
The prosecutions followed a joint investigation by the FBI Washington Field Office, in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department, Prince George’s County Police Department, Anne Arundel County Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin F. Song, Meredith E. Mayer-Dempsey, and Thomas Strong.
Two Former Board Members of Failed Washington Federal Bank in Chicago Sentenced to Prison for Falsifying Records and Obstructing RegulatorsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Two former board members of the failed Washington Federal Bank for Savings in Chicago were sentenced this month to federal prison terms for conspiring to falsify bank records to deceive the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
GEORGE F. KOZDEMBA, 74, of Fort Myers, Fla., and JANICE M. WESTON, 66, of Orland Park, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to a federal conspiracy charge. U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall on May 9, 2024, sentenced Kozdemba to a year and a day in federal prison and fined him $25,000. Judge Kendall on May 6, 2024, sentenced Weston to three months in prison and fined her $20,000. A third Washington Federal board member, WILLIAM M. MAHON, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and tax charges and was sentenced in January to 18 months in prison.
Kozdemba, Weston, and Mahon were members of Washington Federal’s Board of Directors. Weston also served as the bank’s Senior Vice President and Compliance Officer. The bank, which was based in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood, was shut down in 2017 after the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency determined that it was insolvent and had at least $66 million in nonperforming loans. When the OCC was evaluating Washington Federal’s loan portfolio prior to its failure, the board members made and caused to be made false entries in bank records and provided them to the OCC with the intent to deceive the agency and obstruct its examination. They also falsified records to make it appear that Washington Federal was operating in compliance with banking rules and internal policies and controls.
The sentencings of Kozdemba and Weston were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Vincent R. Zehme, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Region of the FDIC’s Office of Inspector General; Machelle L. Jindra, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General in Chicago; Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago; Korey Brinkman, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Central Region of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General; Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; Andrea Peacock, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General; Deborah Witzburg, City of Chicago Inspector General; and Kathryn B. Richards, Chicago Housing Authority Inspector General. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Trustee Program. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Petersen, Kristin Pinkston, and Jeffrey Snell, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Netols.
The federal criminal investigation into the bank’s collapse led to criminal charges against a total of 16 defendants, including the bank’s Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, and other high-ranking employees, for conspiring to embezzle at least $31 million in bank funds. Four defendants were convicted after jury trials, while ten defendants pleaded guilty and two entered into deferred prosecution agreements.
Much of the money was transferred to Chicago attorney ROBERT M. KOWALSKI and real estate developers MIROSLAW KREJZA and MAREK MATCZUK without all of the required documentation and often without any documentation whatsoever. Juries last year convicted Robert Kowalski, Krejza, and Matczuk on embezzlement and fraud charges. They are awaiting sentencing. Robert Kowalski’s sister, JAN R. KOWALSKI, also an attorney, pleaded guilty and was sentenced last year to more than three years in prison for fraudulently enabling her brother to conceal more than $357,000 from creditors and the trustee in his bankruptcy case.
Chicago attorney PATRICK D. THOMPSON was convicted by a jury in 2022 of making false statements to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. regarding the amount of money he received from Washington Federal via a purported loan and other unsecured payments. He was also convicted of filing tax returns in which he falsely deducted interest that he had not actually paid to Washington Federal. Thompson was sentenced to four months in federal prison.
Two Defendants Sentenced to Life Imprisonment in Murder-For-Hire of Perceived Business RivalRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Qing Ming Yu, also known as “Allen,” and Zhe Zhang, also known as “Zack,” were sentenced by United States District Judge Carol Bagley Amon to mandatory life imprisonment for their roles in the February 12, 2019 killing of 31-year-old Xin “Chris” Gu outside a karaoke bar in Queens. In October 2023, following a two-week trial, a federal jury found the defendants guilty of murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire conspiracy. As part of the sentence, the Court ordered the defendants to pay $1,035,000 in restitution to the victim’s family.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Edward A. Caban, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentences.
“Allen Yu set out to kill Xin Gu because he started a rival business and Zhang agreed to carry out the execution-style murder without hesitation,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Driven by greed and revenge, they hired a hitman to commit a brutal murder of a young man, traumatizing the victim’s family as well as the Flushing community. The defendants will spend the rest of their lives behind prison walls for this premediated murder. I hope today’s sentences bring some measure of closure to Xin Gu’s family.”
“Threatened by Xin Gu’s entrepreneurial skills, Allen Yu sought revenge and unwarranted retribution against his former employee. After securing Zhang and a hitman as accomplices to his calculated plot, the trio unjustly ended the life of a promising young businessman. Today’s lifelong sentences serve as a just punishment for two individuals who deemed cold-blooded murder as an acceptable response for slighted feelings,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith.
“Today’s sentences bring with them some satisfaction to the dedicated investigators who worked on this horrific case and, hopefully, a modicum of relief to the family and friends of the victim,” stated NYPD Commissioner Caban. “Life in prison is an appropriate outcome for the crimes these men coldly carried out. I commend and thank our NYPD investigators for their meticulous work and our partners at the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York for their diligent prosecution.”
Allen Yu was the president of Amaco, a multi-million-dollar construction company that renovated apartments in New York City. In 2015, Xin Gu joined Amaco as a project manager. Although Amaco’s business nearly quadrupled after he joined the company, Xin Gu became concerned about the company’s financial viability and resigned in 2018 to start his own property development company called KG Management. After Xin Gu’s departure, several clients and employees also cut ties with Allen Yu’s business. Multiple companies took their lucrative projects from Amaco to KG Management, including one project valued at $1 million. Enraged at Xin Gu’s perceived disloyalty, Allen Yu hired Zhe Zhang and another co-conspirator to kill Xin Gu in exchange for payment. Zhang in turn hired another co-conspirator, Antony Abreu, to act as the shooter in carrying out the murder.
On the evening of February 11, 2019, into the following morning, Xin Gu’s new company hosted a celebration of the Lunar New Year at Lake Pavilion restaurant in Flushing. After that dinner, Xin Gu and a smaller group went to a karaoke bar, Grand Slam KTV, on Fowler Avenue. The hit team learned of the party and with Zhe Zhang serving as the getaway driver, Abreu walked up to the victim and shot him multiple times as he waited for an Uber, killing him. Over the next three months, Allen Yu paid a co-conspirator $150,000 and Zhe Zhang $30,000 for the murder.
Abreu was convicted of murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire conspiracy following a two-week trial in April 2024 and is awaiting sentencing.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Devon Lash, Nadia E. Moore, Gabriel Park and Eric Silverberg are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Elizabeth Reed and Legal Assistant Thomas “Cole” Englert.
The Defendants:
QING MING YU (also known as “Allen”)
Age: 56
Oyster Bay, New YorkZHE ZHANG (also known as “Zack”)
Age: 36
Arcadia, California and Flushing, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-208 (CBA)
Two Alleged Members of a Transnational Money Laundering Organization Arrested for Laundering Millions of Dollars in Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
Two alleged members of a transnational money laundering organization were arrested on criminal charges related to their alleged involvement in a scheme to launder millions of dollars in illegal drug proceeds for Mexican drug trafficking organizations, including the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels (also known as CJNG).
Li Pei Tan, 46, of Buford, Georgia, was arrested today. Chaojie Chen, 41, a foreign national residing in Chicago, was arrested on April 18.
According to court documents, Tan and Chen allegedly worked for a money laundering organization that laundered millions of dollars in proceeds related to the importation of illegal drugs into the United States, primarily through Mexico, and the unlawful distribution of these drugs. Tan, Chen, and their co-conspirators allegedly traveled throughout the United States to collect proceeds derived from trafficking in fentanyl and other drugs (or to cause them to be collected). They allegedly communicated and coordinated with co-conspirators in China and other foreign countries to arrange for the laundering of these proceeds through financial transactions that were designed to conceal the illicit source of the drug proceeds.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Drug Threat Assessment, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels are at the heart of the fentanyl crisis in the United States.
Tan and Chen are charged in separate criminal complaints with conspiring to commit money laundering. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia; and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram made the announcement.
The DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit is investigating the case, with assistance from the DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence, Document and Media Exploitation Unit and the DEA’s offices in Chicago, Atlanta, and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Trial Attorney Mary K. Daly of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Edgardo J. Rodriguez for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Georgia and Northern District of Illinois.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Alleged Members of a Transnational Money Laundering Organization Arrested for Laundering Millions of Dollars in Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Two alleged members of a transnational money laundering organization were arrested on criminal charges related to their alleged involvement in a scheme to launder millions of dollars in illegal drug proceeds for Mexican drug trafficking organizations, including the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels (also known as CJNG).
Li Pei Tan, 46, of Buford, Georgia, was arrested today. Chaojie Chen, 41, a foreign national residing in Chicago, was arrested on April 18.
According to court documents, Tan and Chen allegedly worked for a money laundering organization that laundered millions of dollars in proceeds related to the importation of illegal drugs into the United States, primarily through Mexico, and the unlawful distribution of these drugs. Tan, Chen, and their co-conspirators allegedly traveled throughout the United States to collect proceeds derived from trafficking in fentanyl and other drugs (or to cause them to be collected). They allegedly communicated and coordinated with co-conspirators in China and other foreign countries to arrange for the laundering of these proceeds through financial transactions that were designed to conceal the illicit source of the drug proceeds.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Drug Threat Assessment, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels are at the heart of the fentanyl crisis in the United States.
Tan and Chen are charged in separate criminal complaints with conspiring to commit money laundering. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram made the announcement.
The DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit is investigating the case, with assistance from the DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence, Document and Media Exploitation Unit and the DEA’s offices in Chicago, Atlanta, and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Edgardo J. Rodriguez for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Mary K. Daly of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Georgia and Northern District of Illinois.
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.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Tompkinsville Woman Sentenced to over 3 Years for Stalking and Mailing ThreatsRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A Tompkinsville, Kentucky woman was sentenced yesterday to 3 years and 3 months in federal prison for stalking and mailing threating communications to a government official in 2023.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the Louisville Field Office, and Chief Michael Delaney of the Bowling Green Police Department made the announcement.
According to court records, Tara K. Thomas, 32, was sentenced to 3 years and 3 months in prison, followed by a 3-year term of supervised, for one count of stalking and one count of mailing threatening communications.
There is no parole in the federal system.
Thomas sent multiple threating communications to a government official via Facebook Messenger on September 21, 2021. In January 2023, while an inmate at the Warren County Detention Center, she sent multiple threating communications to the same government official through the United States Postal Service.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bowling Green Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond McGee, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
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Three Highland Park Men Indicted for Allegedly Stealing Checks from Post Offices and Using Instagram to Find Accounts to Deposit ThemRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Three men from the Highland Park area of Los Angeles have been charged in a five-count indictment alleging they schemed to defraud banks by stealing mail from United States Post Office docks and elsewhere in Southern California to fraudulently obtain other people’s checks, used Instagram to find third-parties to deposit the stolen money in their bank accounts, and once led police on a high-speed chase, dumping mail out a car window while on a freeway, the Justice Department announced today.
The indictment returned on May 14 charges the following defendants with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud:
- Antonio Hernandez, 20;
- Ivan Murillo-Hernandez, 20; and
- Alexis Garcia Martinez, 28.
Hernandez also is charged with one count of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, one count of robbery of a post office, and one count of mail theft. Murillo-Hernandez also is charged with one count of mail theft.
Hernandez and Murillo-Hernandez have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them and are scheduled to go to trial on July 8. Martinez is in state custody on unrelated charges and is expected to be transferred over to federal custody in the coming weeks.
The total intended losses to the banks alleged in this scheme is at least $800,000, law enforcement estimates.
According to the indictment, from November 2022 to August 2023, Hernandez, Murillo-Hernandez, and others stole mail from U.S. post office docks and other locations in the mail stream – including by using threats of violence – with the aim of stealing mail containing checks belonging to various victims.
The indictment alleges mail thefts from a Highland Park apartment building as well as from post offices in Studio City, Azusa, Upland, Anaheim, El Segundo, and Beverly Hills. The defendants allegedly attempted to steal mail from a La Mirada post office but were unsuccessful.
Martinez allegedly provided vehicles to Hernandez and others to travel to post offices to commit back dock thefts and advised them on how to commit such crimes without law enforcement detecting them.
Hernandez and Murillo-Hernandez allegedly used social media to solicit bank account holders to provide their debit card and account information by promising them a cut of any fraudulently obtained funds deposited into their accounts. To avoid banks’ fraud protections, the co-conspirators requested bank accounts that had been open for a certain amount of time so they could access the stolen funds more quickly.
For example, in December 2022, Hernandez allegedly posted a story on his Instagram account advertising the sale of stolen checks and seeking third parties with Bank of America accounts older than two years in which to deposit stolen checks.
Hernandez and Murillo-Hernandez then allegedly deposited the stolen funds into the third-party bank accounts by falsely representing that they were the payees on the checks and were entitled to the money. Then, they rapidly depleted the fraudulently deposited funds from the third-party accounts by making cash withdrawals, electronic transfers, or debit card purchases, according to the indictment.
Also, Hernandez and Murillo-Hernandez sold and attempted to sell stolen checks to others who fraudulently cashed them, the indictment states.
The defendants allegedly recruited at least three people under the age of 18 in the scheme.
In April 2023, after stealing mail from an Anaheim post office, Hernandez, Murillo-Hernandez, and three minors led police of a high-speed chase on the 57 and 60 freeways and dumped mail out of a gray Toyota Camry as they fled, according to the indictment. One of the minors involved in the chase who had evaded law enforcement later posted a video on Instagram taken from inside the Camry depicting a pursuing police car as seen in the front passenger side rear view mirror for followers and potential stolen check customers to “like.”
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant committed a crime. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for the bank fraud conspiracy charge. Hernandez also would face up to 30 years in federal prison for the bank fraud count, up to 10 years in federal prison for the post office robbery count, and a two-year mandatory consecutive prison sentence for the aggravated identity theft count. Hernandez and Murillo-Hernandez would face up to five years in federal prison for the mail theft count.
The United States Postal Inspection Service, with assistance of the Los Angeles Police Department, California Highway Patrol, and the Anaheim Police Department, is investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Angela C. Makabali of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
Three Facing Federal Charges for Metro East Mail Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A federal grand jury returned a 10-count indictment charging three individuals with various crimes for their alleged involvement in a mail theft scheme from collection boxes in Fairview Heights.
Tylann J. Starks, 29, of Swansea, is facing one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, four counts of bank fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of conspiracy to steal U.S. mail.
Tiara D. Johnson, 32, of Cahokia Heights, is facing one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of bank fraud, and one count of conspiracy to steal U.S. mail.
Jamil Jackson, 51, is facing one count of conspiracy to steal U.S. mail, one count of theft of a specialized key to access US Postal receptacles, and one count of making false statements to a federal law enforcement officer.
“Thieves are targeting mail collection boxes as a site to commit fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Law enforcement is committed to investigating individuals who steal checks from the mail and manipulate the payee and amount sections to personally enrich themselves.”
The U.S. Postal Service uses specialized keys, commonly referred to as arrow keys, to service and open mail collection boxes. Arrow keys are labeled with serial numbers so they can be tracked.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is charged with defending the nation’s mail system. With the collaborative investigative efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies, Postal Inspectors investigate and pursue those individuals who defraud unwitting victims by stealing their identities and attacking their personal well-being, such as those involved in this investigation” said Inspector in Charge Ruth Mendonça who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office.
According to court documents, Starks purchased an arrow key from former postal employee Jackson to gain access to mail collection boxes throughout the Metro East. Agents conducted an undercover purchase of a second arrow key from Jamil Jackson for $1,000.
Starks and Johnson would search collection boxes for checks in order to exploit bank account and personal identifying information from victims from February 2020 through February 2023. Jackson would steal checks out of mail from his route that he provided to Starks. The conspirators also used the stolen account information to generate counterfeit checks.
“This indictment represents the hard work and dedication by USPS OIG Special Agents and U.S. Postal Inspectors working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring charges on this significant mail theft investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennus Bishop, U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. “The majority of postal employees are hard-working public servants dedicated to moving mail to its proper destination. The USPS OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.”
Starks and Johnson would then cash, deposit or otherwise negotiate the stolen and counterfeit checks at area businesses, banks and ATM machines in Belleville, East St. Louis and O’Fallon.
An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
If convicted, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud charges are punishable by up to 30 years’ imprisonment; aggravated identity theft and stealing post office keys can carry sentences of up to 10 years’ imprisonment; conspiracy to steal U.S. mail and false statement convictions can garner up to five years in federal prison.
Agents with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General contributed to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Weinhoeft is prosecuting the case.