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Friday 5 April 2024
U.S. Attorney’s Office and DEA Announce the First Utah Drug Overdose Task Force to Combat the Opioid Epidemic in the Beehive StateRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – United States Attorney, Trina A. Higgins and Acting Special Agent in Charge, Dustin Gillespie, of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Rocky Mountain Field Division announce the formation of the Utah Drug Overdose Task Force.
Over the past few years, Utah has experienced a rise in overdose/poisoning incidents, and fentanyl has been the primary catalyst. According to the most recent data by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, 603 Utahns died as a result of drug overdose in 2021. That same year, 67% of Utah overdose deaths were related to opioids and 29% were related to fentanyl. Learn more: https://opidemic.utah.gov/.
“Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat the United States has ever faced, and Utah is no exception, said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “My office and our law enforcement partners are working every day to protect our communities from fentanyl and other illicit drugs and prosecute people who traffic these deadly substances. It is also our goal to raise awareness. Through the Utah Drug Overdose Task Force, I am confident we can make a difference.”
According to the DEA, Fentanyl has saturated the drug market in Utah. It is cheaper, more potent, and more widely available than ever before.
The Utah Drug Overdose Task Force or UDOTF is a decentralized task force consisting of sworn law enforcement members from agencies across the Salt Lake valley. Led and coordinated by DEA’s Rocky Mountain Field Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah, the participants remain with their departments conducting their normal duties and serve on the task force as a collateral duty when needed. The goal of task force is to raise awareness and increase the number of prosecutable cases through proper evidence collection and preservation.
Currently, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah has 10 cases either indicted or under investigation that are a result of the Utah Drug Overdose Task Force.
“Through the task force we aim to consolidate intelligence, particularly digital evidence, from various drug overdose and poisoning crime scenes so that we may identify and exploit potential linkages between incidents, said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie, of the Salt Lake City District Office.
The Utah Drug Overdose Task Force is made up of 10 state, local and federal law enforcement offices:
• Drug Enforcement Administration
• Salt Lake City Police Department
• Unified Police Department/Salt Lake City Sheriff’s Office
• Layton City Police Department
• Sandy City Police Department
• Ogden City Police Department
• Davis County Sheriff’s Office
• South Jordan Police Department
• Homeland Security Investigations
• U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of UtahUtah Drug Overdose Task Force is made possible through funding for state/local overtime provided by the Department of Justice Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). Funding allows members of the task force to deploy to crime scenes (after hours) when requested to assist and guide a first responder thru the processing of a crime scene. DEA’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) has also assisted with supplies needed by the task force for preserving and securing evidence when at crime scenes.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA created a checklist to serve as a guide for first responders arriving to an overdose/poisoning crime scene.
OCDETF
The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.HIDTA
The High Intensity Drug trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. Utah is a member of the Rocky Mountain HIDTA (along with CO, WY, and MT).U.S. Attorney Hurwit Announces Federal Prison Sentences for Three Southern Idaho Drug TraffickersRead the Press Release
BOISE – U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced the results of three separate drug trafficking cases in Southern Idaho today.
1. Coconspirators Each Sentenced to Over 100 Months in Federal Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine.
In one case, Jason Castillo, 46, of Nampa, and Cheyanne Juarez, 31, of Ontario, Oregon were each sentenced to over 100 months in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine.
According to court records, on December 20, 2022, Castillo sold two and half pounds of methamphetamine to another person. On January 31, 2023, Juarez sold two pounds of methamphetamine to another person. Their co-defendant, Owenn Mitchell, 41, of Salem, Oregon, was indicted on two counts of aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine. Mitchell’s case is scheduled for trial on June 24, 2024.
In a separate federal case, Castillo also pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In January of 2023, Castillo went on a crime spree where he was found in possession of a pound of methamphetamine, approximately 63 grams of fentanyl, and three firearms. Castillo has several prior violent felonies involving domestic violence and drug trafficking offenses. He also has a prior federal felony for unlawful possession of a firearm. These priors make him prohibited from possessing firearms.
On April 2, 2024, Senior U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary, from the Northern District of Ohio, sitting by designation, sentenced Castillo to 175 months (over 14 and a half years) in federal prison, on each case to run concurrently with each other. Judge Zouhary also ordered Castillo to serve five years of supervised release after the completion of his prison sentence.
On April 4, 2024, U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford sentenced Juarez to 101 months (over 8 years) in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release after the completion of her prison sentence.
2. Nampa Woman Trafficking Meth, Heroin, and Fentanyl Sentenced to 66 Months in Federal Prison.
In a separate case, Mary Jo Myers, 46, of Nampa, was sentenced to five and a half years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl. Senior U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary, from the Northern District of Ohio, sitting by designation, also ordered Myers to serve three years of supervised release following her prison sentence.
According to court records, Myers was pulled over for a traffic violation on February 10, 2022. During the traffic stop, a canine trained in the detection of the odor of controlled substances, conducted an open-air sniff around the vehicle and positively alerted to the presence of the odor of a controlled substance emanating from the vehicle. Investigators searched the vehicle and found over a half pound of methamphetamine, 82 grams of heroin, approximately 150 fentanyl pills, and 12 grams of fluorfentanyl powder, a fentanyl analogue.
U.S Attorney Hurwit applauded the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force, which is led by the FBI, for the investigations in the Castillo, Juarez, and Mitchell cases. In addition to the work of the Metro Violent Crimes Task Force, U.S. Attorney Hurwit thanked the following agencies for assisting in the investigation: the DEA, the ATF, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Caldwell Police Department, the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, the Nampa Police Department, Idaho Department of Correction, the Canyon County Prosecutor’s Office, the Malheur County Sherriff’s Office, the Ontario Police Department, the Oregon State Police, and the High Desert Drug Task Force in Oregon.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit also commended Canyon County’s City-County Narcotics Unit (CCNU), which is comprised of investigators from the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office and the Caldwell Police Department, for their investigation in the Myers case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Manweiler and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Nafzger are prosecuting the Castillo and Juarez cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Morse prosecuted the Myers case.
An indictment is merely an allegation or a set of allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Castillo, Juarez, and Mitchell indictments were part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The Castillo, Juarez, and Mitchell cases were prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth.
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Two Tuscaloosa Men Plead Guilty to COVID-19 Program FraudRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge sentenced two Tuscaloosa men this week for defrauding the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis.
These cases are the part of a collaboration between the U.S. Secret Service and local partners to identify and focus enforcement on individuals who defrauded the systems meant to provide relief during the pandemic. The joint effort also addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute violent offenders in the Northern District of Alabama.
U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler presided over the two unrelated cases. Kenzarian Lemark Harris, age 38, was sentenced to 36 months in prison for PPP fraud. Harris pleaded guilty in November 2023 to wire fraud. According to the plea agreement, in February 2021 Harris submitted false and fraudulent PPP loan applications and received a PPP loan totaling more than $20,833. Harris’ loan application included fraudulent tax and bank records and several misrepresentations – including that his business was in operation, that the business had employees for whom it paid salaries, that the PPP funds would be used to retain workers, and that the information provided in the loan applications was true and accurate.
The court separately sentenced Reginald Dewayne Rhodes, Jr., age 26, to 18 months in prison for PPP loan fraud. Rhodes pleaded guilty in October 2023 to wire fraud. According to the plea agreement, between April and June 2021, Rhodes applied for and received a fraudulent PPP loan in the amount of $11,770. Rhodes claimed to own and operate a carpet cleaning business that did not exist, and his application included fraudulent tax and bank records.
In addition to their prison sentences, the court ordered both Harris and Rhodes to pay restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration in the full amount of the PPP loans, plus interest.
The U.S. Secret Service investigated the cases, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan “Jack” Harrington prosecuted.
Throughout the country, federal, state, and local law enforcement are on high alert to investigate reports of individuals and businesses engaging in a wide range of fraudulent and criminal behavior. For more information about these scams visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Two Okaloosa County Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fentanyl Overdose Death in JailRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Chase Gary, 30, and Joshua Gervais, 28, both of Okaloosa, Florida, were sentenced to 30 years and 14 years in federal prison, respectively, after previously pleading guilty to distribution of fentanyl resulting in the death of another. Each will be required to serve a term of three years supervised release following their imprisonment. The sentences were announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“Hundreds of individuals are killed every day in communities throughout our country due to the distribution of fentanyl,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “Each of these deaths are a tragedy, robbing individuals of their promise and crippling families left behind with unimaginable grief. We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to vigorously prosecute traffickers for their callous disregard for human life. This sentence serves as a significant deterrent to drug traffickers and demonstrates our continued resolve to hold them accountable.”
On the morning of December 24, 2022, Gervais notified jail staff that his cellmate at the Okaloosa County Jail was not breathing. The jail staff attempted CPR and other life-saving measures without success and the cellmate was pronounced dead. The ensuing investigation revealed that Gary, who was housed in the next cell, smuggled fentanyl pills into the jail inside his body. Once inside the jail, Gary gave some of the pills to Gervais, who traded them with his cellmate for some food items. The autopsy revealed that the cellmate died of acute fentanyl poisoning.
“The ripple effect of the damage done by people who distribute fentanyl impacts virtually every facet of society,” said Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden. “The potential to cause another individual’s death with each dose handed out is a constant dark threat and those responsible for doling it out will suffer the consequences of playing fast and loose with other people’s lives. We’re proud to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement partners to hold them accountable.”
“Drug overdose and poisoning deaths in our country are overwhelmingly caused by a synthetic opioid like fentanyl. We need our communities to understand that all it takes is one pill, just one fake pill made from illicit fentanyl, to end a life,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “DEA remains committed to working with our local law enforcement partners and using all of our available resources to identify the drug distributors in our communities and hold them accountable for their actions.”
This case resulted from an investigation by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Walter Narramore prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Texas Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Corpus Christi, Texas, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on March 29, 2024.
Darius Neal, 24, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Neal was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in September of 2022. He pleaded guilty on March 29, 2024.
Beginning in September of 2020 and continuing until his arrest in October of 2022, Neal and five other co-conspirators knowingly conspired and agreed with each other to intentionally distribute cocaine. The conspiracy reached from Corpus Christi, Texas, to Spearfish, South Dakota. Cocaine was shipped through the U.S. Postal Service to South Dakota for the purposes of sale and distribution in South Dakota.
The Spearfish Police Department and the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team conducted the investigation of the conspiracy. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Murphy prosecuted the case.
Neal was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Texas Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Corpus Christi, Texas, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on March 29, 2024.
Kevin Jarero, 23, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Jarero was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in September of 2022. He pleaded guilty on March 29, 2024.
Beginning in September of 2020 and continuing until his arrest in October of 2022, Jarero and five other co-conspirators knowingly conspired and agreed with each other to intentionally distribute cocaine. The conspiracy reached from Corpus Christi, Texas, to Spearfish, South Dakota. Cocaine was shipped through the U.S. Postal Service to South Dakota for the purposes of sale and distribution in South Dakota.
The Spearfish Police Department and the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team conducted the investigation of the conspiracy. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Murphy prosecuted the case.
Jarero was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A federal district court accepted a Texas man’s guilty plea today to evading taxes on income he earned from his business.
According to court documents, John L. Petrone owned and operated a business that sold an herbal extract known as “kratom,” along with other related products. Petrone did not file individual income tax returns for 2014 through 2019, nor did he pay income taxes for those years, despite earning hundreds of thousands of dollars from his business. During that time, Petrone attempted to evade his income taxes by opting not to withhold federal taxes from his paychecks, operating the business under different names, dealing in cash, using business bank accounts to pay for personal expenses and lying to the IRS during an audit. In addition, Petrone did not pay his business’s employment taxes.
Through his actions, Petrone caused a tax loss to the IRS of over $529,000.
Petrone is scheduled to be sentenced on June 14. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant Chief David Zisserson and Trial Attorney Andres Chinchilla of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case, with assistance and support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Cyberstalking Victims in Multiple States Using Social Media AppsRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – An Odessa man pleaded guilty in a federal court in El Paso to three counts of cyberstalking. Investigating agencies are seeking help from anyone who may have been victimized by Hugo Iram Cardona Jr., 21.
According to court documents, Cardona used a two-factor authentication (2FA) scheme to gain access to various young females’ Snapchat accounts to steal their intimate photographs and videos. Cardona then contacted the females using numerous social media accounts on interactive computer services, such as Instagram and Snapchat, and demanded that they “apologize,” or he would publicly release the content. In most cases, Cardona would also demand his victims video chat with him while engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) revealed at least 15 victims located in El Paso, Colorado and Arizona. The investigation determined the victims were initially contacted by Cardona from Instagram accounts “idkprii85,” “designoiram,” “juniorrriram,” “urfavpapi,” “urdvddyjunie” and “juniorrhernandez” as well as Snapchat accounts “juniepri,” “asap_juniorrr” and “juniorrriram.” Victims were also contacted from multiple TextNow numbers. The Instagram accounts, Snapchat accounts and TextNow numbers were all determined to be registered to Cardona. Cardona’s offenses occurred from on or about Aug. 15, 2020 through on or about June 1, 2023.
If you have had or know anyone who has had contact with Cardona Jr. or any of the above-listed usernames while using Snapchat, Instagram or TextNow between 2020 and 2023, please complete this victim questionnaire.
The FBI/HSI are legally mandated to identify victims of crime in federal investigations. Victims may be eligible for certain services, restitution, and other rights under federal and/or state law. Your responses are voluntary but may be useful in the federal investigation and to identify you as a potential victim. Based on the responses provided, you may be contacted by the FBI and asked to provide additional information. Victim identities are private, and case-related information is confidential.
Cardona is scheduled to be sentenced on June 3 and faces up to 10 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, Special Agent in Charge John Morales for the FBI El Paso Field Office and Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric McLoughlin for the HSI El Paso Division made the announcement.
The FBI, HSI, El Paso Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shane Romero and Nallely Barbosa are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Superseding Indictment Charges Former Non-Profit Leader with Embezzling from Two Additional Non-ProfitsRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On Thursday, a federal grand jury returned a 16-count superseding indictment against Richard Alan Abrusci, 45, of South Lake Tahoe, charging him with 12 counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and three counts of monetary transactions with proceeds of specified unlawful activity, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to the initial indictment in the case, from 2016 through 2021, Abrusci embezzled approximately $1.4 million from a non-profit organization that operates a chain of retail stores in California and Nevada. He did so while occupying leadership positions at the non-profit.
The superseding indictment adds charges for two additional victim non-profits. According to the superseding indictment, during the summer of 2022, Abrusci became the president of the Sacramento chapter of a national non-profit organization that pairs children with adult mentors. From October 2022 to December 2022, Abrusci embezzled nearly $50,000 from this non-profit.
In the fall of 2022, Abrusci was the chairperson of the board of directors of a non-profit organization that acts as an umbrella organization for non-profits across California that connect community members with public services. From December 2022 to January 2023, Abrusci embezzled approximately $100,000 from this non-profit.
For each of the three victim non-profits, Abrusci embezzled funds in essentially the same manner. He caused the non-profits to pay Resolution Arrangement Services (RAS) for a variety of services that RAS purportedly performed. In fact, RAS provided none of these services. Instead, RAS consisted of nothing more than a fictious business name that Abrusci registered in 2008 and a bank account he opened the same year. The payments from the non-profit organizations to RAS went into this bank account, which Abrusci controlled.
This case is the product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Fogg is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Abrusci faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of the 12 counts of wire fraud. Additionally, he faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each of the three counts of monetary transactions with proceeds of specified unlawful activity. Finally, he faces a consecutive two years in prison for the count of aggravated identity theft. 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.
St. Clair County Tax Preparer Accused of Fraud and False Statements on Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A woman who currently operates a business in southern Illinois preparing tax returns is facing federal charges for allegedly making intentional false statements on her personal income tax returns.
A federal grand jury charged Dormeshia A. Haire, 36, of St. Charles, Missouri, with three counts of making false statements on her personal income tax returns.
“Tax preparers must work ethically and abide by federal law, or face consequences from the IRS for intentionally making false statements, committing fraud and ultimately causing the Government to lose significant tax dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe.
For employment, Haire collected fees from her clients for filing tax returns and selling identity theft monitoring services at her business in St. Clair County.
According to court documents, Haire’s accusations stem from her personal 2019 tax return statement, in which she did not report any gross receipts associated with her employment. The Government estimated her actual gross receipts to be more than $43,000 in 2019.
“IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) continues to make it a top priority to track down return preparers who have demonstrated they cannot be trusted,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas F. Murdock, St. Louis Field Office. “We take violations of U.S. tax laws very seriously as evidenced by this indictment.”
In her personal 2020 tax return statement, Haire is accused in count two of the indictment of underreporting her gross receipts. Haire reported $23,834, but the Government alleged her gross receipts to be an estimated $192,200.
Count three of the indictment alleges fraud on Haire’s 2021 tax return statement. She reported gross receipts of $50,323, but the Government estimated her gross receipts to be $323,396.
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.
False statement convictions are punishable by up to three years’ imprisonment and fines up to $100,000 per count.
IRS Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Howard is prosecuting the case.
Spearfish Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Spearfish, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on March 29, 2024.
Erasmo Briseno, 32, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Briseno was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in September of 2022. He pleaded guilty on March 29, 2024.
Beginning in September of 2020 and continuing until his arrest in October of 2022, Briseno and five other co-conspirators knowingly conspired and agreed with each other to intentionally distribute cocaine. The conspiracy reached from Corpus Christi, Texas, to Spearfish, South Dakota. Cocaine was shipped through the U.S. Postal Service to South Dakota for the purposes of sale and distribution in South Dakota.
The Spearfish Police Department and the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team conducted the investigation of the conspiracy. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Murphy prosecuted the case.
Briseno was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Prohibited Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on April 1, 2024, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Timothy Joseph Cervantez, age 23, was sentenced to two years and nine months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $100 as a statutorily required special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Cervantez was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in August of 2023. He pleaded guilty on January 11, 2024.
The conviction stems from an incident on June 10, 2023, when law enforcement received a report that an individual had discharged a firearm from the passenger window of a moving vehicle while traveling through a Sioux Falls neighborhood. When officers located the subject vehicle, a pursuit ensued, first by vehicle and later by foot. Officers eventually apprehended Cervantez and located a firearm he discarded while fleeing on foot. Cervantez admitted to possessing the firearm despite being prohibited due to a prior felony conviction.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and the Sioux Falls Police Department. U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell prosecuted the case.
Cervantez was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to continue serving his sentence.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Defrauding the Payroll Protection ProgramRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Wire Fraud. The sentencing took place on April 1, 2024.
Joshua Booth, age 27, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Booth was indicted by a federal grand jury in August of 2023. He pleaded guilty on January 10, 2024.
The conviction stemmed from an incident in May of 2021, when Booth fraudulently submitted an application for a Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan on behalf of his purported business through Fountainhead, a third-party participating lender in the PPP. In support of his application, Booth submitted a fraudulent Schedule C, an Internal Revenue Service form for profit or loss from a business, for “Booth cleaning service,” located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The business did not exist and the form contained false statements, which Booth knew were false, including the gross income of the purported business. As a result of Booth’s false and fraudulent application and supporting documentation, Booth received a PPP loan in the amount of $20,833 and then used the funds for his own purposes.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Booth was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sioux Falls Duo Sentenced to Federal Prison for Making a False Statement in the Acquisition of a Firearm and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced two Sioux Falls, South Dakota, men convicted of Making a False Statement in the Acquisition of a Firearm and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
Andrew Robert Gordon, age 38, and Deandre Arnell Burnett, age 23, were indicted for Making a False Statement in the Acquisition of a Firearm and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in December of 2022. Each defendant pleaded guilty in 2023.
Burnett was sentenced on August 14, 2023, in Sioux Falls, for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and ordered to serve three years and one month in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $100 as a statutorily required special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Gordon was sentenced on March 25, 2024, in Sioux Falls, for Making a False Statement in the Acquisition of a Firearm and ordered to serve three years of probation. He was ordered to pay $100 as a statutorily required special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
In September of 2022, Burnett, a convicted felon, sought to purchase a firearm. Gordon agreed to purchase a firearm for Burnett at a premium. The entire transaction was captured on surveillance video of Burnett and Gordon at a licensed federal firearms business in Sioux Falls. Burnett picked out a gun, counted out and handed Gordon the cash, Gordon made the purchase of the firearm, then Gordon handed Burnett the firearm once they both exited the store. This transaction is commonly referred to as a “straw purchase.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Department, and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Ebert prosecuted the case.
Burnett was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to continue serving his sentence.
Sikeston Man with over 12 Felony Convictions Sentenced to Serve 200 Months in Prison for Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Friday sentenced a Sikeston, Missouri man with over a dozen criminal convictions who was caught with a firearm to 200 months in prison.
Milton Napoleon Porter, 41, pleaded guilty in November to the offense of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm and admitted knowing that he was prohibited from possessing a gun because of his status as a convicted felon.
According to court documents, officers with the Sikeston Department of Public Safety were dispatched to a reported vehicle break-in on East Kathleen Street last July. Porter was located at the scene. When he saw the officers, Porter jumped over a fence and ran away. During a foot pursuit, Porter tossed a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol on the ground. He was apprehended moments later. A criminal background check revealed Porter had 13 felony convictions, including multiple convictions for domestic assault.
After serving his sentence, Porter will be placed on supervised release for a period of five years. This case was investigated by the Sikeston Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the government.
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.
Sarasota Woman Pleads Guilty to Making A False Statement in A Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Olga Dedovets has pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement in a tax return. Dedovets faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Dedovets co-owned and helped to operate a roofing business based in the Middle District of Florida. In November 2018, Dedovets willfully made a false statement in her Individual Income Tax Return Form 1040 for tax year 2017, then signed it, and caused that return to be filed with the Internal Revenue Service. The false statement in that tax return related to income that she and the other owner of the roofing business had earned from that business in 2017. Dedovets failed to report to her tax preparer more than $1 million in income on that 2017 Form 1040, which was income derived from roofing work. Most of that income was concealed in bank accounts which Dedovets did not report to the tax preparer.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.
Santa Fe Man Pleads Guilty to Two Counts of Assaulting a ChildRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Santa Fe man pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of assaulting a child under the age of 16.
According to court documents, On June 19, 2021, Luis Xavier Rael, 36, was supervising his girlfriend’s 12-year-old son, who is a member of the Pueblo of Nambe. Rael made the child do a series of physical exercises, which he did not to complete to Rael’s satisfaction. Rael then hit the child with a tree branch and a belt on his butt, lower back, and upper legs.
At sentencing, Rael faces up to two years in prison. He may also be ordered to pay restitution to his victim for expenses related to the crime.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case with assistance from the Santa Clara Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Jones is prosecuting the case.
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Real estate developer convicted for spending over $500,000 of investor’s funds on vacations and mortgageRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 47-year-old Houston resident has pleaded guilty to wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Salek admitted to his involvement in a fraudulent scheme to obtain more than $1 million and falsely informing an investor the funds would be used to develop real estate.
During the plea, Walter Salek admitted between 2019 and 2021, he entered into agreements with an investor to develop real estate in the Houston area. As per the agreement, Salek was to contribute real estate, and the investor was to provide cash to develop the properties. Once developed, properties were to be either leased or sold.
The investor believed the funds would be used for the developments and deposited over $1 million into business bank accounts that Salek controlled through use of interstate wire communications. However, Salek diverted at least $571,000 of the investment funds for his own personal use on mortgage payments and luxury vacations.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake will impose sentencing July 11. At that time, Salek faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek is prosecuting the case.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to ProbationRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta L. Wollmann has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault on a Federal Officer, a misdemeanor crime. The sentencing took place on April 3, 2024.
Shadrach Franklin Howie, 40, was sentenced to three years of probation, 100 hours of community service, a $2,500 fine, and ordered to pay a $25 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Howie was indicted for Assault on a Federal Officer by a federal grand jury in July of 2023. He pleaded guilty on January 5, 2024.
The conviction stems from Howie resisting and impeding a park ranger on February 2, 2021. At the time, the ranger was trying to take Howie into custody after a high-speed pursuit through Wind Cave National Park.
This case was investigated by the National Park Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
Prison Terms Handed Down to the Trio Involved in Shooting Death of 17-Year-OldRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Trey Prillerman, 19, Nelfy Hernandez, 20, both of Washington, D.C., and Deandre Levy, 22, of Gaithersburg, MD, were sentenced today for their roles in an August 2020 drive-by shooting that claimed the life of 17-year-old Taijhon Wyatt. The Honorable Maribeth Raffinan sentenced Prillerman to 17 years in prison; Hernandez to 13 years in prison; and Levy to eight years in prison.
Defendants Prillerman and Hernandez pleaded guilty, in August of 2023, to second degree murder while armed; Levy pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed. Hernandez, additionally, pleaded guilty to felony assault for assaulting a DYRS guard in a separate incident.
According to the government’s evidence, on August 10, 2020, at approximately 9:30 p.m., the victim, Taijhon Wyatt, was walking with a group of friends in an alley near 9th and Kennedy St., NW. A stolen vehicle driven by defendant Prillerman arrived at the mouth of the alley where defendants Hernandez and Levy opened fire into Taijhon’s group, killing him and wounding another individual who was with him. The three defendants fled the area in the stolen car, which was subsequently recovered outside of Baltimore. Officers arrived a short time after the shooting and discovered the teenager suffering from gunshot wounds. He died at the scene.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Forman and Dennis Clark.
Previously Convicted Killer from Maryland Sentenced to 19.5 Years for Drug Trafficking in D.C. and Discharging a MachinegunRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Trenton Robinson, 28, of District Heights, Maryland, was sentenced today to 234 months in prison for his role as an enforcer for a D.C. street crew whose members distributed more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, as well as oxycodone and codeine, and used, carried, brandished, and discharged firearms during their drug trafficking crimes in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Southeast Washington, D.C.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
“This drug trafficker used a machine gun to spray bullets in the direction of a car passing through his drug dealing territory,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “The hail of gunfire, which injured one person, miraculously did not kill anyone. Federally prosecuting those who, like this defendant, are driving violence is critical to protecting our community.”
"Robinson not only distributed drugs but also used illegal firearms to fend off perceived threats to his co-conspirators and what they claimed as their territory,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Scott. “His lengthy sentence is the result of coordination between the FBI and our federal and local partners. We will continue to counter violent crime as a team to ensure that we prevail in bringing violent recidivists to justice."
“This individual will learn a costly lesson as he serves a lengthy prison sentence. The usage of machine guns on our streets is sadly something that has gained much more traction since 2020,” said ATF Special Agent in Chargeailimai. “We hope that sentences such as this will serve as a deterrence to others seeking to possess and use illegal firearms more specifically machine gun conversion devices/ switches in our communities. We will continue to work alongside our partners to ensure that individuals like Robinson are held accountable for their actions.”
Robinson, aka “Zulu,” pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson on October 24, 2023, to one count of brandishing a firearm in relation to drug trafficking, and one count of discharging a firearm in relation to drug trafficking. In addition to the 19.5-year prison sentence, Judge Berman Jackson ordered Robinson to serve five years of supervised release.
Robinson, who regularly carried a fully automatic AR-Pistol machinegun, admitted as part of his plea agreement that he discharged that machinegun at the driver of a vehicle passing through the crew’s drug dealing territory on Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020. He also admitted that he and his crew possessed between 25 and 99 firearms between June of 2019 and September of 2020.
Robinson committed the charged crimes while he was on supervised parole for second degree murder in Montgomery County. On December 21, 2010, Robinson and an accomplice murdered a 19-year old man while attempting to rob him.
This case was investigated by the FBI, ATF, and MPD. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson.
Possession of Machine Guns Results in Federal Prison Sentences for Two MenRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the sentencing of two men for illegally possessing machine guns. Tedric Deshun Ratcliff, 30, of Shreveport, and Elijah D. Brown, 24, of Fort Worth, Texas, have been sentenced by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr.
Tedric Deshun Ratcliff was sentenced to 57 months in prison and Elijah D. Brown was sentenced to 42 months in prison. Both defendants will serve 3 years of supervised release following their release from prison. The sentence imposed by Judge Hicks for Brown was an upward departure from the proposed 18-24 month guideline range based on the United States Sentencing Commission’s guidelines.
According to information presented in court, on September 23, 2022, officers with the Shreveport Police Department responded to an armed persons call at the Peach Street Apartments in Shreveport. Upon arrival, officers observed an individual carrying an AR-style rifle get into the rear driver’s side of a vehicle in the parking lot of the apartment complex. The officers made contact with the armed passenger and asked him to step out of the vehicle and observed the AR-style rifle on the floorboard. Officers then ordered the driver, later determined to be Ratcliff, out of the vehicle. A search of the vehicle was conducted, and officers found three firearms, a Glock .40 caliber pistol with an extended magazine, a Glock 9mm pistol with extended magazine, and the Palmetto Arms 7.62 AR rifle which had previously been seen by officers. Through their investigation, officers learned that two of the firearms had been reported as stolen. The Palmetto Arms AR rifle was found to have a drop-in auto sear, a conversion device, inserted inside of it and was determined to be registered to Brown.
In addition, officers located a small backpack containing prescribed medication and identification for Brown. Under the backpack was a tan Glock 19 9mm pistol with a Glock switch, a conversion device, installed. The firearm was registered to Brown. Law enforcement agents retrieved photos from Brown’s phone of him holding the tan Glock firearm with the switch installed. A records search of the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR) showed that the Glock switches were not registered, and Brown had no other registrations.
Brown was charged with possession of a machine gun and possession of a firearm not registered to him in NFRTR. Ratcliff was charged with unlawful possession of a machine gun.
“These sentences imposed by the court should send a strong message to those in our community that individuals who possess these illegal machine guns will get stiff sentences,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “Together with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, we will continue to weed out these bad seeds in our communities.”
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Shreveport Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Aaron Crawford.
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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
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Porcupine Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Porcupine, South Dakota, man convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The sentencing took place on March 29, 2024.
Robert Cottier, 65, was sentenced to two eight-year terms in federal prison, to run concurrently, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and restitution. Eight years is the statutory maximum for involuntary manslaughter.
Cottier was indicted for Involuntary Manslaughter and four counts of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury by a federal grand jury in May of 2023. He pleaded guilty on January 3, 2024.
The convictions stem from Cottier operating a motor vehicle on February 18, 2023, while under the influence of alcohol, causing a head-on collision with another vehicle. The collision killed one man and injured four others, three of which were minors. Cottier’s BAC was approximately between .128% and .198% at the time of the collision.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
Cottier was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Pontotoc County Resident Sentenced to 19 Years for Assault and Explosives OffensesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that William Craig Hollars, age 44, of Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 235 months in prison for a prolonged assault ending at the Chickasaw Nation Treasury Building in September of 2022.
Hollars was sentenced to 115 months in prison for one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country, 115 months for one count of Assault of a Dating Partner in Indian Country, 115 months for one count of Attempt to Damage and Destroy by Explosive, and 115 months for one count of Making a Firearm in Violation of the National Firearms Act. These sentences are set to be served concurrently. Hollars was sentenced to an additional 120 months in prison for one count of Carrying an Explosive During the Commission of a Felony, to be served consecutive to the other sentences.
The charges arose from investigations by the Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police Department, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol Bomb Squad, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On September 7, 2023, Hollars pleaded guilty to the charges. On September 6, 2022, Hollars strangled the victim, threatened her with a homemade bomb, chased her as she fled to the Chickasaw Nation Treasury Building, struck her in the back of the head, dragged her from the building as she sought shelter, then attempted to light the bomb, with intent to injure her and damage the Treasury Building.
The crimes occurred in Pontotoc County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Hollars will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.
Pine Ridge Man Sentenced for Assaulting OfficerRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault on a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on March 29, 2024.
Gregory Wayne Brewer, Jr., 25, was sentenced to two years and eleven months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Brewer was indicted for Assault on a Federal Officer by a federal grand jury in October of 2023. He pleaded guilty on January 5, 2024.
The conviction stems from Brewer assaulting an Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety officer after the officer had arrested him for an unrelated matter.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
Brewer was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Picayune Man Sentenced to over 13 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Picayune man was sentenced to 159 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Corrie Montrell Hinton, 46, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
According to court records, in 2015, an investigation began into a large-scale drug trafficking organization in Picayune, Mississippi. In 2019, DEA agents in Imperial County California along with DEA agents in Gulfport conducted an undercover purchase of five pounds of methamphetamine and arrested two drug traffickers in Riverside County California. One of those traffickers was identified as a source of supply for a drug trafficking conspiracy operating in Picayune. Cellphones belonging to one of the traffickers yielded communication between a trafficker and Corrie Montrell Hinton involving drug transactions, parcels, and account numbers for money transfers.
Hinton pled guilty on October 4, 2023, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.
This case 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.
Ocean County Businessman Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Failing to Pay over $10 Million in Payroll TaxesRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County man was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for failing to pay over $10 million in payroll taxes stemming from his ownership of several businesses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Josef Neuman, 37, of Lakewood, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp to an information charging him with willful failure to pay over payroll taxes for one of his businesses in 2018. Judge Shipp imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Neuman was chief executive officer of a business in Lakewood. The company provided administrative services to operators of nursing homes and other health care facilities, including at least approximately 20 entities co-owned and operated by Neuman. As a person who controlled the companies’ financial affairs, Neuman had the responsibility to collect, truthfully account for, and pay over to the IRS the companies’ payroll taxes. During tax years 2017 and 2018, Neuman failed to pay over to the IRS over $10 million in payroll taxes owed by the companies. Neuman knew that payroll taxes were due and owing to the IRS at this time, but continued to pay other business expenses and employee salaries, instead of the unpaid taxes, while tax liabilities continued to accrue.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp sentenced Neuman to two years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $11.2 million.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
North Carolina Man Who Caused Dubuque Man’s Death Sentenced to over 30 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A North Carolina man who sold fentanyl to a Dubuque, Iowa, man who overdosed and died was sentenced today to more than 30 years in prison.
James Adam Earwood, age 39, of Rutherfordton, North Carolina, received the prison sentence after a jury found Earwood guilty on October 5, 2023, of distribution of a controlled substance, heroin and fentanyl, causing the death of the victim.
Evidence introduced at trial and sentencing showed that on November 18, 2021, Earwood mailed a package of heroin and fentanyl to the victim. Earwood was living in North Carolina at the time and the victim was living in Dubuque. The victim used the heroin and fentanyl and overdosed in the parking lot of a local business. The victim survived the overdose. One month later, on December 17, 2021, the victim received another package of heroin and fentanyl in the mail from Earwood. The victim used the heroin and fentanyl and died shortly thereafter. He was found deceased by hotel staff in a hotel in Dubuque.
Earwood operated what he deemed to be a business selling fentanyl for at least a year. The business had a name, which he marketed, and even included the business’s logo in packages of fentanyl that he sold. Earwood marketed his product to a private Facebook group for recovering heroin addicts. He asked his customers to leave positive reviews of his products. Earwood bragged about the quality of his product and even used the victim’s death to show how strong his product was. He would ship his product nationwide using the US Postal Service or would leave the product for local customers in discreet locations so the customer could later find it.
Earwood was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Earwood was sentenced to 365 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley Corkery, Patrick Reinert, and Devra Hake, and was investigated as part of the Northern Iowa Heroin Initiative and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Dubuque Drug Task Force which includes the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office and the Dubuque Police Department, and the Rutherford County North Carolina Drug Task Force.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-1024.
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New Jersey Man Accused of Evading over $2 Million in Federal TaxesRead the Press Release
A New Jersey man was arrested today on an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Trenton, New Jersey, charging him with tax evasion and obstructing the IRS.
According to the indictment, in 2015 and 2016, Matthew Tucci, of West Long Branch, received millions of dollars in income from purported refunds by the Customs and Tax Administration of the Kingdom of Denmark. Tucci allegedly filed federal tax returns for those years that reported he owed over $2 million in taxes, but included no payment with his returns. Instead, Tucci allegedly sought to evade IRS efforts to collect the taxes due. He allegedly purchased more than $7.6 million-worth of real estate and attempted to conceal his ownership of these assets from the IRS by, among other things, transferring title to some of these properties to nominees. He also allegedly made false statements to the IRS and withheld important facts from the IRS concerning his financial resources and his ability and intent to pay.
If convicted, Tucci faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI are investigating the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Nanette Davis and Trial Attorney Catriona M. Coppler of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Boden for the District of New Jersey, Attorney in Charge of the Trenton Office, are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New Haven Man Charged with Firearm and Narcotics OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, and New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a three-count indictment charging SHAYQUAN GRAY, also known as “Scooby,” 23, of New Haven, with firearm and ammunition possession and cocaine distribution offenses.
The indictment was returned on March 26, 2024, and Gray appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He has been detained since his arrest on March 14, 2024.
As alleged in the indictment and statements made in court, on March 14, 2024, New Haven Police observed Gray, who had an active state arrest warrant, participating in a drug transaction. Gray was arrested, and he was found in possession of 80 individual bags of cocaine, a Polymer 80 “ghost gun” loaded with seven rounds of ammunition, and more than $1,200 in cash.
It is alleged that Gray’s criminal history includes multiple felony convictions, including a state conviction for a firearm offense. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
The indictment charges Gray with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least five years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the New Haven Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara E. Levens and Christopher Lembo.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Nevada Woman Found Guilty of Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Dawn Eagle Feather Floyd, age 45, of Sparks, Nevada, of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance following a four-day jury trial in federal district court in Pierre, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on March 29, 2024.
The charges carry a mandatory minimum term of five years in federal prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison and/or a $5,000,000 fine, at least four years up to life of supervised release, and a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Floyd was indicted by a federal grand jury in August of 2020. A superseding indictment was filed in May of 2023.
Between January 1, 2019, and January 1, 2020, Floyd, knowingly and intentionally, agreed with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. Floyd conspired with others to travel to Colorado where she obtained methamphetamine and brought it back to her home in Valentine, Nebraska, and then onto the Rosebud Reservation for distribution. Law enforcement recovered over 120 grams from Floyd’s residence, vehicle, and person during the investigation.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, and the Valentine Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for June 24, 2024. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Multi Convicted Serial Thief Sentenced to Federal Prison for Crime SpreeRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Brett Matthew Chamberlain, 41, for seven counts of Bank Fraud, five counts of Aggravated Identity Theft, two counts of Theft in Indian Country, being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence in Indian Country. Chamberlain was sentenced to 240 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Judge Russell further ordered Chamberlain to pay $10,142.20 in restitution.
According to court documents, between August 2022 through December 2022, Chamberlain broke into more than 30 vehicles and stole items of value. He would make unauthorized purchases using the vehicle owners’ property, such as credit cards, bank cards, bank checks, and personal identification. Using the victims’ funds and personal identifying information, Chamberlain went on shopping sprees at Home Depot and Target, refueled his vehicle, and reloaded minutes on his prepaid cellphone. Several victims had property stolen valued at more than $1,000, including one firearm.
In December 2022, the Tulsa Police Department pulled over a vehicle flagged in the Flock camera system as a suspect vehicle in multiple burglaries. Chamberlain was driving the vehicle and a stolen firearm was found inside. Chamberlain was not allowed to possess a firearm after being convicted of more than 22 felonies in Oklahoma.
Additionally, Chamberlain further admitted to firing at least two shots in the direction of a victim while they were inside their car. He is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI and Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about PSN, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Monmouth County Man Charged with Tax Evasion, Endeavoring to Obstruct IRS LawsRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Monmouth County, New Jersey, man was arrested today for tax evasion and endeavoring to obstruct the administration of IRS laws, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Matthew Tucci, 51, of West Long Branch, New Jersey, is charged in an indictment unsealed today with one count each of willfully attempting to evade the payment of his 2015 and 2016 taxes and corruptly endeavoring to obstruct the administration of IRS laws. He is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court.
According to the documents filed in this case:
In 2015 and 2016, Tucci received millions of dollars in income from refunds issued by the Customs and Tax Administration of the Kingdom of Denmark. Tucci subsequently reported on his federal tax returns for those years that he owed over $2 million in taxes based on his receiving that income. Despite admitting that he owed those taxes, Tucci failed to fully pay his taxes when they were due. Tucci purchased more than $7.6 million worth of real estate and attempted to conceal his assets from the IRS by engaging in a series of fraudulent transactions, many of which were designed to disguise the true ownership of real estate he purchased and controlled.
Tucci also made false statements to IRS revenue officers in connection with collection proceedings and failed to disclose material facts to the IRS concerning his financial resources and his ability and intent to pay his outstanding tax liabilities.
The count of tax evasion carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. The count of obstructing the administration of IRS laws carries a maximum potential penalty of three years in prison and a maximum fine of $100,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark; and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, with the investigation leading to today’s arrest.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric A. Boden, Attorney-in-Charge of the Trenton Branch Office and Senior Litigation Counsel Nanette Davis and Trial Attorney Catriona M. Coppler of the Tax Division.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
tucci.indictment.pdfMescalero Man Sentenced for Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal judge handed down a 15-year prison sentence to a Mescalero man for sexually abusing a 13-year-old child. At the time of the incident, Dexter Whiskers, 45, an enrolled member of the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, was employed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs as a corrections officer.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to publicly available court records, in addition to the 13-year-old victim, Whiskers has been accused of physically and sexually abusing multiple women, including a minor who had been placed in foster care at his home, an inmate he was transporting for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and women with whom he was in a relationship.
Upon his release from prison, Whiskers will be subject to 15 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico State Police and the full cooperation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Matilda McCarthy Villalobos is prosecuting the case.
Medina and Cleveland Men Charged with Fraudulently Obtaining $4.2 Million in Covid Relief FundsRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND - A federal grand jury in Cleveland returned a 13-count indictment charging two individuals for their alleged roles in a scheme to fraudulently obtain approximately $4.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Joseph Oloyede, 61, of Medina, Ohio and Edward Oluwasanmi, 61, of Willoughby, Ohio are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering offenses.
According to the indictment, from in or around April 2020, and continuing through on or about February 28, 2022, Oloyede and Oluwasanmi devised a scheme to defraud the SBA and financial institutions by obtaining COVID-19 relief funds from the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) under false pretenses. The indictment states that Oloyede and Oluwasanmi submitted PPP and EIDL loan applications containing false information for entities under their control and submitted falsified tax and wage documents to support these applications. The indictment alleges that they obtained approximately $1.2 million in SBA funds for Oluwasanmi’s entities and $1.7 million for Oloyede’s entities. Oloyede is also alleged to have submitted falsified PPP and EIDL loan applications in the names of other co-conspirators and confederate borrowers and their businesses, obtaining approximately $1.3 through those applications, for a total of at least $4.2 million obtained through the fraud.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the Defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the Defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation – OIG, as part of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee Fraud Task Force, Cleveland FBI, and IRS – Criminal Investigation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Brydle.
Massachusetts Woman Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Kidnapping and MurderRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that NATASHA GARCIA, 29, formerly of Chicopee, Massachusetts, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 132 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for offenses related to her role in the kidnapping and murder of a Massachusetts man in 2020.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 24, 2020, Garcia lured Francisco Roman, Jr. to her Chicopee apartment knowing that Brandon Batiste and Calvin Roberson were waiting for Roman, armed with firearms, and intended to kidnap, rob, and murder him. When Roman arrived at the apartment, Batiste and Roberson confronted him, threatened to harm him if he did not comply with their orders, and handcuffed him. Garcia left the apartment, and Batiste and Roberson stole cash, marijuana, and other items from Roman. Batiste and Roberson forced Roman into the rear of Roman’s car and transported him and the stolen property to Connecticut. Batiste shot and killed Roman while the car was en route to Hartford. They then drove the car to Shultas Place in Hartford and left it parked on the street.
Batiste and Roberson then drove a separate car to an apartment that Roberson shared with Shamari Smith in Waterbury, and took most of the property stolen during the robbery into the apartment.
Shortly before 9 p.m. on December 26, 2020, Hartford police and fire personnel responded to Shultas Place and found Roman’s car engulfed in flames. After the fire was extinguished, investigators discovered Roman’s body with multiple gunshot wounds in the rear of the vehicle.
On July 12, 2021, Garcia pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting a Hobbs Act robbery, and aiding and abetting the discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Garcia, who had been released on bond since the date of her guilty plea, was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service at the conclusion of the sentencing proceeding.
Batiste and Roberson were arrested on February 11, 2021, and each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnaping, and causing the death of a person through the use of a firearm. On December 20, 2023, Batiste was sentenced to 42 years of imprisonment and, on March 19, 2024, Roberson was sentenced to 29 years of imprisonment.
Smith, who lied to law enforcement about what she knew about the robbery, kidnapping, and murder, and her role in the disposal of the stolen property, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony. On October 13, 2023, she was sentenced to 25 months of imprisonment.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, FBI’s Springfield Gang Task Force, Massachusetts State Police, Hampden County (Mass.) District Attorney’s Office, Hartford Police Department’s Major Crimes Division, Chicopee Police Department and Springfield Police Department, with the assistance of the Waterbury Police Department and the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel M. Krull and Trial Attorney Brian P. Leaming of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.
Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that TIMOTHY TURMAN, also known as “Murder,” 36, of Manchester, pleaded guilty yesterday in Hartford federal court to a firearm offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 9, 2022, Turman was arrested by Bloomfield Police after he was found in possession of a loaded Taurus, Millennium PT-145, .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number.
Turman’s criminal history includes state felony convictions in 2005, for possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle, and in 2006, for robbery in the first degree. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Turman pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny on July 2, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. He has been detained since his arrest.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the Bloomfield Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda S. Oakes through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Man charged with filing false tax returns seeking over $4M in refundsRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A local resident has been indicted on 15 counts for making a false claim and subscribing to false tax returns based on a fictitious income and withholdings, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
David Gauna appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Julie K. Hampton at 10 a.m.
The indictment alleges in 2019, Gauna falsely claimed on his income tax return for estates and trusts (Form 1041) that his trust had received $620,891 in interest income, which had been withheld and paid to the government. At the time of filing, he allegedly knew the return was incorrect and untrue.
The indictment further alleges in 2020, Gauna filed another Form 1041, claiming his trust was owed a tax refund of $3,346,693. Later that year, he allegedly assisted in filing 13 additional 1041 forms, requesting refunds totaling $4,960,434, all of which he knew were fraudulent.
If convicted, Gauna faces up to three years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine for subscribing to a false tax return as well as up to five years in prison and a possible $250,000 fine for each of the 14 counts of making false claims against the United States.
IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Marck is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Man Who Distributed Fentanyl that Resulted in Teenager’s Death Sentenced to More than 12 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – April 5, 2024
SAN DIEGO – Jose Daniel Ramirez of San Diego was sentenced in federal court today to 151 months in prison for selling the fentanyl pills that resulted in the fatal overdose of 18-year-old Poway resident Kole William Pearson on January 3, 2023.
According to court documents, Ramirez sold “2 blues,” which were fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone, to Pearson, who died of a fentanyl overdose after taking them. Ramirez learned of Pearson’s death and quickly changed his phone number, informed clients of his new number, and continued to sell fentanyl.
About a month later, law enforcement officers arrested Ramirez, secured a warrant and searched his residence, where they found approximately 2,600 blue pills containing fentanyl, other drugs including cocaine, plus two Glock handguns and over 250 rounds of various ammunition. One of the handguns was fully loaded with a round of ammunition in the chamber.
“The defendant knew his product had already taken one life, yet he continued to sell fentanyl pills from the same deadly batch,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “There is nothing we can do to bring Kole Pearson back, but we join his family and friends in lifting up his memory and pledge to continue our relentless pursuit of those who value profit more than human lives.”
“HSI continues to work with our state, local and federal partners to identify, disrupt, and dismantle fentanyl trafficking networks through the HSI-led FAST task force,” said Christoper Davis, acting special agent in charge for HSI San Diego. “Members of FAST are fully committed to aggressively pursuing justice against the organizations and individuals who are responsible for dealing this deadly drug in San Diego and further into the United States.”
HSI San Diego FAST is a multiagency task force comprising state, local, and federal partners and was first established in August 2022 focusing on the disruption and dismantlement of criminal organizations that smuggle and distribute fentanyl within San Diego County. HSI’s FAST targets fentanyl smuggling and distribution networks to counter the rising overdose rate and decrease the availability and accessibility of fentanyl.
According to the government’s sentencing memo, which quoted victim impact statements, Pearson’s family described him as “a big guy with a huge personality and the biggest silly smile you’ve ever seen,” and a “very bright, thoughtful, and intelligent” guy who everyone liked. His sisters said they lost their “charming, funny, and goofy little brother.” His friends recognized his “kindness, funny antics, and genuine friendship.” Pearson worked at a Jersey Mike’s sandwich shop and planned to use his experience to attend culinary school or possibly a vocational program.
The sentencing memo noted that Pearson’s death has touched everyone in his life deeply and will be felt for a lifetime. Even Pearson’s high school teacher memorializes him by keeping an empty seat in the class.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Van Demark and Dylan M. Aste.
DEFENDANT Case Number 23cr00274-RBM
Jose Daniel Ramirez Age: 21 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Distribution of Fentanyl – Title 18, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
San Diego County Sheriff’s Department
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
Madison Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl While on Supervision for Prior Gun OffenseRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Kendal J. Harris, 30, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to just over five years in federal prison for repeatedly selling fentanyl to an undercover police officer while out on bail in a state homicide case and while under federal supervision after serving a prison sentence for illegally possessing a firearm. Judge Conley sentenced Harris to an additional two years in prison after revoking his federal supervision for the prior firearm conviction. The prison terms will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Harris pleaded guilty to the fentanyl distribution charge on January 10, 2024.
Between July 11, 2023, and August 17, 2023, Harris sold fentanyl in increasingly larger quantities to an undercover police officer in Dane County, Wisconsin. The last buy involved Harris selling 49 grams of powdered fentanyl to the undercover officer.
On August 24, 2023, Madison police officers executed a search warrant at Harris’s residence in Madison and found over 500 fentanyl pills in a drawer in a children’s bedroom. Officers found another 1,000 fentanyl pills in the kitchen closet, and a package of fentanyl pills in a toilet.
At the time of these events, Harris was on federal supervision after serving over four years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon. Harris was also out on bond for a Dane County homicide case. The homicide case is still pending, and Harris is presumed innocent of the charge. Trial is set for August 5, 2024.
At sentencing, Judge Conley highlighted Harris’ extensive history of violence and gang involvement. He noted that this was Harris’ second federal conviction in less than five years and that he got involved with drug dealing just months after getting out of prison.
The charge against Harris was the result of an investigation conducted by the Dane County Narcotics Task Force and the Madison Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Lowell Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Smuggle Drugs into Virginia PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell woman pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracies to distribute controlled substances and to launder drug proceeds in Massachusetts and Virginia.
Sathtra Em, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute MDMA and buprenorphine, and two counts of money laundering conspiracy. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for July 11, 2024.
Between at least December 2019 and May 2021, Em allegedly helped codefendant Michael Mao smuggle MDMA and buprenorphine, in the form of Suboxone and generic Suboxone sublingual films, into the Buckingham Correctional Center in Dillwyn in Virginia where Mao was inarecrated. Em allegedly paid a prison guard at the facility, codefendant Kenneth Owen, $1,600 to receive the drugs in the mail and to deliver them to Mao in the prison. Em allegedly mailed at least two packages to Owen in December 2019 and January 2020 for him to smuggle into the prison for Mao. Em also allegedly mailed magazines into the prison with Suboxone sublingual films hidden in between pages glued together. Mao allegedly sold the smuggled drugs to other inmates at Buckingham Correctional Center, and Em collected the drug debts on behalf of Mao using Google Voice phone numbers to contact the inmates’ friends and families, and electronic payment applications such as Cash App and Paypal to receive the funds transfers.
In a separate conspiracy, Em purchased a home in the Centralville neighborhood of Lowell in 2015. She lived there together with codefendant Sarath Yut until 2017. Yut was a regional drug trafficker and a leader of the Lowell-based gang, One Family Clique. Em and Yut agreed to deposit cash proceeds of Yut’s illegal drug trafficking activity into Em’s bank accounts to pay the mortgage for the Centralville home. Yut gave Em $1,500 cash every month to deposit into her bank account for the mortgage. Between October 2016 and January 2021, Em used at least $76,775 of drug proceeds to pay the mortgage for the Centralville home.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute MDMA and Buprenorphine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $500,000, or twice the amount of the property involved, whichever is greater. Both charges also include forfeiture of assets traceable to or involved in the distribution and laundering offenses. 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.
Sarath Yut pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering offenses and was sentenced in October 2023 to 15 years in prison.
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. Special assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations and the Virginia Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Amhrein of the Asset Forfeiture Unit, are prosecuting the case.
This case 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 details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Louisville Man Sentenced to over 1 Year in Federal Prison for Bomb Hoax and Assaulting Federal OfficersRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Louisville, Kentucky, man was sentenced yesterday to 1 year and 5 months in prison for providing false information and hoaxes and for assaulting, resisting, and impeding officers and employees of the United States.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Kelly Moening of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) Louisville Field Office made the announcement.
According to court documents, Cameron Hyatt, 30, was sentenced to 1 year and 5 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for one count of providing false information and hoaxes and three counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding an officer and employee of the United States. Hyatt was also ordered to pay $11,201.70 in restitution.
On April 17, 2023, Hyatt threatened to bomb an Internal Revenue Service processing facility where he previously worked as a contract employee. Additionally, on April 20, 2023, Hyatt assaulted, resisted, and impeded three TIGTA Special Agents in connection with his arrest for the conduct in which he engaged on April 17, 2023.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by TIGTA.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Elver prosecuted the case.
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Latrobe Resident Sentenced for Narcotics ConvictionsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on April 4, 2024, to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his convictions for violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States Senior District Judge Joy Flowers Conti imposed the sentence on Richard Bakey, 30.
According to information presented to the Court, on August 1, 2020, Drug Enforcement Administration agents purchased 100 Xanax bars from Bakey in exchange for $275. Months later, on May 24, 2021, Pennsylvania State Police troopers stopped a vehicle driven by Bakey, and seized multiple envelopes containing various types of pills, including 119 fentanyl pills.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the United States Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Bakey.
Lakeville Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Robbery of a Credit UnionRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Lakeville man has pleaded guilty to attempting to rob a credit union at gunpoint, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on February 9, 2023, Jeron Marvin Lee Davis, 29, attempted to rob at gunpoint a credit union located in Maplewood, Minnesota. Davis waited outside in a black Chevrolet sedan until the credit union’s manager closed the credit union and walked to his vehicle in the parking lot. Davis approached the manager’s vehicle, pointed a pistol-grip assault rifle at him, and directed him to exit the vehicle. Davis forced the manager at gunpoint to re-enter the credit union and access the vault. The manager explained to Davis that vault access required two employees. Davis threatened to kill the manager but eventually accepted the explanation. Davis stole the manager’s wallet and fled the scene in the black Chevrolet sedan.
Davis pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Eric C. Tostrud to one count of attempted bank robbery. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Maplewood Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing is prosecuting the case.
Kingsville business owner charged with failing to pay employment taxesRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A local resident has been indicted on 16 counts for failure to pay employment taxes to the IRS, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Timothy Gaines Pollard appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Julie K. Hampton today at 10 a.m.
According to the indictment, Pollard owned and operated Tim Pollard Construction, a residential remodeling and fence installation business in Kingsville and Bishop. Pollard was allegedly responsible for determining which expenses to pay and exercised control over all aspects of the business.
As owner and operator, Pollard was allegedly held liable for collecting and withholding employment taxes from his employees’ paychecks. Such employment taxes allegedly include federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare taxes. It is alleged Pollard withheld these taxes from employees but failed to pay them over to the United States.
The indictment further alleges Pollard diverted corporate funds to cover his personal salary and expenses. Pollard still owes more than $400,000 in employment taxes on behalf of his company’s employees, as alleged in the indictment.
If convicted, Pollard faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine for each count of in the indictment.
IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Marck is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Kalamazoo Man Sentenced to More Than 19 Years for Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
Online exploitation of three young boys
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney Mark Totten today announced that Tariq Andrew Gillam, age 34, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, was sentenced to 235 months in custody for sexually exploiting children. He will be required to serve 10 years of supervised release after serving his custodial sentence.
U.S. Attorney Totten stated, “Mr. Gillam’s conduct was manipulative, and he preyed on young boys. My office and our law enforcement partners will find predators and hold them accountable. But prevention plays an important role. Candid conversations with our children to help them protect themselves in person and online is a strong first step. Equally important is giving our children a safe place to talk to their parents and other trusted adults and disclose when they have become a victim. Shame and embarrassment can become terrible weapons against victims. They need to know that they are not to blame and they are not alone.”
Between January and February 2018, Gillam used Facebook to pose online as a woman named “Shay Nicole.” He used that persona to chat with numerous individuals, including three minor boys ages 10, 11, and 14. Gillam encouraged the boys to take explicit pictures of themselves and to send the pictures to him.
“There’s no tolerance for individuals who use online platforms as a tool to mentally and emotionally manipulate our youngest members of society,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “Investigating crimes against children is one of the FBI’s greatest priorities and our office will continue rid our cities of such offenders.”
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor's offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following web site: www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Mekaru and investigated by the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety and the FBI.
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Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Armed Robbery with a Knife in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kevon Lockerman, 29, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty today by a Superior Court jury of armed robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The verdict follows a two-day trial. According to the government’s evidence, on June 15, 2023, the defendant and another man, who was never identified, went into a smoke shop on West Virginia Avenue NE and tried to set up their own business inside, with a scale, a knife, and product they offered for sale. The store’s surveillance footage showed that when the complainant walked in, the defendant and his accomplice try to sell the complainant marijuana without success. The defendant handed a knife to his accomplice as the complainant spoke to the store’s clerk. When the complainant turned to leave the shop, the defendant and his accomplice blocked the complainant’s path. The accomplice gestured toward the knife, which he had tucked in the front of his pants, and the complainant handed the defendant cash. After the two men left together, the complainant turned to the store clerk with tears in his eyes, and told him he had been robbed. Police arrested the defendant roughly three weeks later near the same smoke shop.
The Honorable Erik Christian has scheduled sentencing for June 27, 2024.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Iris McCranie, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Van Haasteren and Matthew Goldstein, who prosecuted the case.
Joint Operation Targets Las Cruces Based Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – This week, agents from the FBI and the Las Cruces/Dona Ana County Metro Narcotics Agency executed search warrants at the Imperial Sky Motel on West Picacho Avenue and other locations throughout Las Cruces as part of an ongoing operation targeting a Las Cruces based drug trafficking organization. During the operation, agents seized fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and multiple stolen firearms.
The federal search warrants were conducted in conjunction with four other New Mexico state search warrants executed by the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office, Las Cruces Police Department, and New Mexico State Police at the Coachlight Motel Inn & RV on Motel Boulevard in Las Cruces. As a result of the operations, five people were arrested on state charges and one person was arrested on federal charges.
The search warrants were conducted as a follow-on operation after a similar joint operation occurred at motels located on West Picacho Avenue in March 2024.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez, Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, and Chief Jeremy Story of the Las Cruces Police Department, announced the results of a coordinated enforcement operation in Las Cruces today.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case in collaboration with the Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Armijo is assisting with the investigation.
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Inland Empire Man Indicted for Allegedly Distributing Fentanyl to Two Victims Who Suffered Fatal Overdoses over a Two-Week SpanRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – A Riverside County man was taken into federal custody today on a grand jury indictment alleging he distributed fentanyl to two victims – one of whom was under 21 years of age – who suffered fatal overdoses within a two week-span, the Justice Department announced today.
Edward Hernandez, 24, of Menifee, was charged in a two-count indictment returned on March 13.
Hernandez is charged with one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and one count of distribution of fentanyl to a person under the age of 21 resulting in death. His arraignment is scheduled for this afternoon in United States District Court in Riverside.
According to the indictment, on April 10, 2020, Hernandez knowingly and intentionally distributed fentanyl to a victim, identified in court documents as “R.R.” The victim later ingested the powerful synthetic opioid – estimated to be 50 times more powerful than heroin – and suffered a fatal overdose the following day.
On April 21, 2020, Hernandez allegedly knowingly and intentionally distributed fentanyl to a second victim, identified in the indictment as “T.G.,” a person under the age of 21 years. Two days later, T.G. died from a fentanyl overdose.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Hernandez initially was charged in state court by the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, which will seek to dismiss its case in light of the federal charges.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department’s Overdose Death Investigations and Narcotics Unit, along with the Drug Enforcement Administration, are investigating this matter.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Stephen T. Merrill of the Riverside Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt:
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on April 4 was:
Shacheen Leigh Russell, 35, of Billings, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Russell faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Russell was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-44.
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on April 2 was:
Kyle Allen Mostad, 39, of Townsend, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. If convicted of the most serious crime, Mostad faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Mostad was released pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Montana Probation and Parole conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-6.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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