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Wednesday 20 March 2024
Two Men Charged with Robbing U.S. Postal Carriers at Knife PointRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: Two men from the New York City metro area were charged with burglarizing two Maine post offices and robbing, at knife point, two U.S. Postal Service (USPS) letter carriers.
A federal grand jury charged Winston McLeod, 30, and Lance Funderburk, 30, in a five-count indictment on March 20, 2024, charging each with two robberies, two burglaries, and participating in the overall conspiracy.
According to the indictment and other court records, during a one-week period in January 2024, McLeod and Funderburk broke into the Paris and North Monmouth post offices and stole money order printers, mail, computers, post office box keys, and other items. The two men are then alleged to have robbed two Lewiston postal carriers in quick succession on January 20, 2024, threatening to stab each of them with a knife unless they turned over their postal keys.
If convicted, the men face up to 25 years imprisonment on each of the two robbery counts, up to five years imprisonment on each of the two burglary counts, and up to five years on the conspiracy count. They also face up to five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count of conviction.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case, with the assistance of FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Rumford, Lewiston, Paris and Monmouth police departments.
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.
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Toledo Area Man Sentenced to 94 Months in Prison for Covid FraudRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Terrence L. Pounds, 47, of Holland, Ohio was sentenced to 94 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela Barker after earlier pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and money laundering. He was also ordered to pay $4,239,940.43 to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and serve 3 years of supervised release.
According to court documents, from March 2020 through December 2020, Pounds and his co-defendants devised a scheme to obtain SBA-financed loans from the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) under false pretenses.
Pounds, who was the leader of the conspiracy, arranged for others to provide him with their personal identifying information, which he then used to apply for EIDL loans in their names.
While Pounds listed those individuals as the business owner or applicant in most applications, he repeatedly made the same false statements in numerous applications submitted both for himself and for others. He claimed, for example, that each applicant operated a non-profit organization that was a “Faith-Based Organization” or a “Church” with, among other traits, $1,000,000 in revenue and 15 employees. Based on this false information, the SBA approved many of these loan applications. Pounds often received a share of the loan proceeds as payment for obtaining the loan.
Pounds used some of the money he made from this scheme—from both loans he received directly and payments received from others—to purchase a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe, a 2021 Kia Telluride, a 2020 Hyundai Elantra and a 2020 BMW X4. Investigators seized those vehicles, and Pounds agreed to forfeit them.
Pounds submitted dozens of fraudulent EIDL loan applications collectively seeking more than $9.5 million in EIDL funds, with each application generally seeking approximately $150,000. The SBA approved and paid approximately $3.7 million in EIDL loans based on those applications. Pounds and his co-conspirators also submitted numerous fraudulent PPP loan applications, many of which were approved, raising the total of funds obtained by fraud to more than $4.2 million.
This investigation was conducted by the Cleveland FBI – Canton Resident Agency and the IRS – Criminal Investigations. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliot Morrison and Edward Brydle.
The public is encouraged to submit any allegations of COVID-19 fraud to the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
Three More Defendants Plead Guilty to Roles in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two men from Detroit, Michigan, and a Nitro, West Virginia, man pleaded guilty yesterday to roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia.
Vernard Antonio Brown, also known as “Bam,” 32, of Detroit, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. Paul Anthony Rucker, 46, of Nitro, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Trevon Eaarle Godfrey, also known as “Trey,” 27, of Detroit, pleaded guilty to use of a communications facility in committing, causing, and facilitating a felony controlled substance offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 15, 2023, law enforcement officers arrested Brown and searched his Huntington residence. Brown admitted that he and others used the residence to store and distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Officers seized quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, a Landor Arms Canyon Arms 12-gauge shotgun, a Walther P22 .22-caliber pistol equipped with a silencer, a Kel-Teck .22-caliber pistol, and various rounds of ammunition during the search. Brown admitted that he and other individuals possessed the firearms and intended to sell the controlled substances in exchange for money.
Brown further admitted to participating in the DTO from at least August 2023 through November 2023. As part of that participation, Brown admitted to roles in multiple drug transactions within the Southern District of West Virginia. On May 17, 2023, Brown and a co-defendant distributed approximately 446 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. On July 13, 2023, Brown arranged for another individual to distribute approximately 28 grams of methamphetamine and 3 grams of fentanyl to the confidential informant. On August 15, 2023, Brown distributed approximately 27.7 grams of methamphetamine and 3 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant
Officers also arrested Rucker on November 15, 2023, and searched his Nitro residence. Rucker admitted that he and others used the residence to distribute controlled substances. Officers seized 64.45 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 41 grams of fentanyl, 11 firearms, and ammunition during the search. Rucker admitted that he and another individual possessed the firearms and ammunition and intended to distribute the controlled substances found during the search.
Rucker further admitted to participating in the DTO from at least February 2023 through November 2023. As part of that participation, Rucker admitted that he distributed fentanyl to a confidential informant at his Nitro residence on May 19, 2023, and to transporting quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl from Huntington to Nitro in a vehicle with co-defendant Mark Lawrence Lowe on September 9, 2023. Law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle and seized approximately 149 grams of fentanyl and 222.6 grams of methamphetamine. Rucker admitted that he and Lowe intended to distribute the controlled substances.
On September 4, 2023, Godfrey received a call from another individual who asked Godfrey to conduct a drug transaction with a specific customer. The individual told Godfrey to distribute 10 grams of fentanyl and a quantity of methamphetamine to the customer, who would be bringing $500 for the controlled substances. Godfrey admitted that he met the customer at a location in Huntington pre-arranged by the individual and conducted the transaction. Godfrey further admitted to participating in the DTO from at least August 2023 through November 2023.
Brown and Rucker are scheduled to be sentenced on July 15, 2024, and Godfrey is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29, 2024. Brown faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine. Rucker faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Godfrey faces a maximum penalty of four years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Brown, Rucker, Godfrey and Lowe are among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia.
Brown, Rucker and Godfrey are among 11 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. Another of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against Lowe and the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-180.
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Talladega Man Indicted and Arrested for Submitting False Loan Application to a BankRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury has indicted a Talladega man for making false statements to a bank on a commercial loan application that resulted in a loss to the bank of over $550,000, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Bermun Deamon McGhee, 44, of Talladega, with making false statements to obtain a bank loan.
According to the indictment, in December 2021, McGhee provided fraudulent information on a loan application to Peoples Bank of Alabama. McGhee fraudulently claimed, among other things, that he possessed $965,000 “Cash on Hand and in Banks” in various checking accounts and savings accounts.
FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Rummage is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
St. Petersburg Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Kavon Jackasal (35, St. Petersburg) to 40 years in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and a concurrent 20 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. A jury found Jackasal guilty on December 11, 2023.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jackasal sold fentanyl and other drugs to users in Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties. On May 25, 2021, Jackasal sold fentanyl to a woman who overdosed and died. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responded to the victim’s residence and investigated the death. They located a small amount of fentanyl in the victim’s bedroom. They reviewed the victim’s message history and determined that Jackasal was likely the person who had delivered the fentanyl to the victim. A detective texted Jackasal from the victim’s phone and asked for the “same from yesterday.” After responding to the message and agreeing to another delivery, Jackasal arrived at the residence. Detectives arrested Jackasal and found a plastic bag containing fentanyl in his car.
Jackasal has previously been convicted of selling controlled substances and sentenced to prison. He was arrested for possession with intent to sell or deliver fentanyl on March 31, 2021, but was released on bond the next day. While that case was pending trial in state court, Jackasal continued to sell fentanyl, ultimately resulting in the overdose death of the victim.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Sinacore and Samantha Newman.
St. Gabriel Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun ConvictionsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr., announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Charles J. Alexander, Jr., age 39, of St. Gabriel, Louisiana, to 180 months in federal prison following his convictions for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In addition to the term of imprisonment, the Court further sentenced Alexander to serve three years of supervised release and ordered the firearms involved be forfeited.
On November 15, 2023, after a two-day trial before U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson, the jury unanimously convicted Alexander of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In 2021, DEA agents and the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation into cocaine distribution by Alexander in St. Gabriel, Louisiana. On April 1, 2021, three search warrants were executed at properties tied to Alexander. Agents located Alexander at one of the properties and recovered cocaine cooking paraphernalia, over 200 grams of cocaine, and a total of four firearms. After the presentation of the case at trial by the United States, Alexander did not return from a lunch recess and a warrant was issued for his arrest. The jury deliberated in his absence and convicted him. Alexander was ultimately apprehended in Illinois by the United States Marshals Service on December 6, 2023, and was detained pending sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Gathe stated, “This sentence reflects the seriousness of the offense and promotes respect for the law. It is a just punishment for the facts exhibited at trial which warranted this sentence.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Marshal’s Service, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys William Morris and Benjamin Wallace.
St. Augustine Convicted Child Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Producing A Video of Sexually Abusing A MinorRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Christopher Lee Smith (42, St. Augustine) has pleaded guilty to using a child to produce a video of Smith as he sexually abused the child. Smith faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 25, up to 50 years, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. Smith was arrested on September 2, 2021, and has been detained since that time. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
Smith is a registered child sex offender, having been convicted of traveling to meet a child to commit a sex offense on January 10, 2012.
According to court documents, on June 28, 2021, Smith engaged in online conversation using a social media application (app) with an undercover FBI agent who was posing as the parent of a minor child. Smith advised the undercover agent that he (Smith) wanted to have sex with the “child” and discussed in detail the sexual acts that he wished to perform on the child. On August 30, 2021, Smith and the undercover agent engaged in another online conversation on the app during which Smith advised he had previously sexually abused a particular child, and he (Smith) sent a video to the undercover agent that depicted this child being sexually abused by an adult male. Through further investigation, FBI agents were able to identify both Smith and the child.
On September 2, 2021, FBI agents arrested Smith and seized his cellphone. A search of the phone revealed that Smith had been engaging in sexually explicit online conversations with this same child for several months. On July 31, 2021, Smith drove to meet the child at a retail store in St. Johns County and took the child back to his residence. While at the residence, Smith used the child to produce a video showing Smith sexually abusing the child. Later, Smith sent several clips of this sexual abuse video to the child by text message.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
South Florida Resident Charged with Receiving Millions from Filing Fraudulent COVID-19 Testing Reimbursement ClaimsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Willie F. Murray, Jr. (55, West Park, FL) with six counts of wire fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, Murray faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count followed by a consecutive two years of imprisonment for each aggravated identity theft count. The indictment also notifies Murray that the United States intends to forfeit $5,671,611.74 in U.S. currency, $1,578,925.56 from a bank account, and seven real properties located in Punta Gorda, Fort Lauderdale, Belle Glade, Hollywood, and South Bay, Florida, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.
According to the indictment, Murray was the registered agent and manager of Lab Tess, LLC, a Florida company that purportedly provided its customers COVID-19 testing services. In fact, Lab Tess provided no such services. Murray used Lab Tess to submit fraudulent claims for reimbursement to the Health Resources and Services Administration for COVID-19 testing services supposedly provided to uninsured individuals. To complete the illegal scheme, Murray used personal identifying information of individuals incarcerated by the Florida Department of Corrections, individuals falsely reported as having been tested at homeless shelters and electrical substations, and deceased individuals. Murray submitted more than 126,000 fraudulent claims and received reimbursement in the approximate amount of $5.6 million, which he used, in part, to purchase real properties in South Florida.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
In May 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 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.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Greg Pizzo and Suzanne Nebesky.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Six Defendants Added in Catalytic Converter Theft ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A superseding indictment has been unsealed today, charging six additional individuals to the case first brought in November 2022, with conspiracy to transport stolen catalytic converters from California to New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, thieves steal catalytic converters from vehicles for the precious metals the core contains, including palladium, platinum, and rhodium, some of which are more valuable per ounce than gold. The black-market price for certain catalytic converters from California can be above $1,000 each. Three California defendants and six New Jersey defendants were charged in the original indictment, including brothers Navin Khanna and Tinu Khanna of New Jersey. The Khanna brothers operated DG Auto and purchased stolen catalytic converters from California for over $38 million. After the Khanna brothers were arrested, their mother Anita Khanna, 63, of Holmdel, New Jersey; their father Nirmal Khanna, 73, of Holmdel, New Jersey; and their older brother Michael Khanna, 42, of Eatontown, New Jersey, continued DG Auto’s business of purchasing stolen catalytic converters.
The Khannas and other DG Auto employees sold the precious metal powders extracted from the stolen catalytic converters to employees at a New Jersey metal refinery, including Alfredo Mejia, 40, of Levittown, Pennsylvania, and Vishnu Chintaman, aka Vasheem, 54, of Levittown, Pennsylvania. These metal refinery employees knew they were receiving powder extracted from stolen catalytic converters. The metal refiner paid DG Auto over $621 Million. The Khannas used a third party, Ricky Vega, 39, of Hopewell, New Jersey, to broker the transactions between DG Auto and the metal refinery.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the IRS Criminal Investigation with assistance from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the Sacramento Police Department, the Davis Police Department, the Auburn Police Department, the Livermore Police Department, and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica M.A. Alegría of the United States Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of California and Trial Attorney Cesar Rivera-Giraud of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about OCDETF, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
If convicted, the newly added defendants in the superseding indictment face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a fine up to $78 million. 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 defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Saskatchewan Man Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Saskatchewan, Canada, man convicted of Possession of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on March 15, 2024.
Benjamin Martin Moore, 52, was sentenced to four years and four months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Moore will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Moore was indicted for Possession of Child Pornography and Transporting Illegal Aliens by a federal grand jury in August of 2022. He pleaded guilty on December 13, 2023.
On August 9, 2022, Moore illegally entered the United States with his significant other and her two minor children. It was believed Moore fled Canada likely to escape potential prosecution and removal of the children from their custody. Moore had entered the United States by cutting a barbed wire fence near Turner, Montana. An Amber Alert was issued, and it was reported that Moore had been working as a security guard at a campground in Meade County, South Dakota. Agents responded to the campground and were able to locate Moore attempting to flee with his significant other and her minor children. Agents were able to stop Moore and upon his arrest located a cell phone and SIM card in his possession. A forensic examination of the phone revealed he was in possession of images and videos of child pornography.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Meade County Sheriff’s Office, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Havre Sector Border Patrol, and the Canadian Child Protective Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case.
Moore was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
San Ramon Man Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison for A Firearm CrimeRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Rashad Shambray-Jones was sentenced today to 40 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm and 19 rounds of ammunition, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr., United States District Judge.
Shambray-Jones, 30, of San Ramon, pleaded guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), on October 6, 2021. He was charged by Information on September 15, 2021.
As court documents state, Shambray-Jones crashed a vehicle into a fence on federal property on January 31, 2021, and, when police responded to the scene to render assistance, they observed a firearm and nineteen rounds of ammunition on the front floorboard of the driver’s side of the vehicle. Shambray-Jones was arrested for unlawfully possessing the firearm and ammunition, due to his prohibited status as a convicted felon.After pleading guilty to the charged offense, Shambray-Jones was referred to the Northern District of California’s Conviction Alternatives Program (“CAP”), a court-administered program entails intensive supervision of participants prior to sentencing. The program offers the potential of a reduced or non-custodial sentence for participants who successfully complete it. Court documents show that, while participating in CAP, Shambray-Jones was captured on surveillance video firing approximately seven rounds from a firearm in a shooting incident that occurred on May 5, 2023, in the Bayview District of San Francisco. Shambray-Jones was arrested by San Francisco Police Department officers in connection with the May 5 incident after he went to San Francisco General Hospital on September 1, 2023, seeking treatment for a gunshot wound soon after another shooting incident in the same area where the shooting incident occurred on May 5, 2023.
“Alternative justice programs are an important part of our criminal justice system,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey. “They often help defendants overcome serious root, personal problems, such as addiction, that motivate their criminal conduct. But, when defendants masquerade through these programs while in fact continuing to terrorize our streets with gun violence, we will ask for sentences that appropriately address their deception and violent conduct. Let today’s sentence serve as a warning: the resulting prison time will be serious.”
“Being in possession of a firearm while being a prohibited person is a crime,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani. “The defendant in this case was afforded an opportunity to choose a different course of behavior and made the decision not to. The defendant endangered the safety of the public by conducting violent behavior. This violent conduct will not be tolerated and those who chose to put the public in danger will be prosecuted.”
In addition to the prison term, Judge Gilliam ordered Shambray-Jones to serve three years of supervised release once his prison term is completed.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Buszin prosecuted the case, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Helen Yee. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by ATF.
San Antonio Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing, Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 300 months in prison for possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, Stephen Aaron Potts, 35, used Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file sharing software to distribute 194 files, representing 2.63 TBs of materials, containing CSAM to an undercover law enforcement computer between Nov. 17, 2021, and Jan. 19, 2022.
On May 4, 2022, Homeland Security Investigations agents executed a federal search warrant at Potts’ residence, seizing numerous electronic devices, including 22 external hard drives, two computers, one laptop, four flash drives, three smartphones, and five micro-SD cards. Forensic analysis of one 2.5 TB device contained 9,085 video files and 31,861 image files of CSAM.
Potts was arrested May 4, 2022 and has remained in federal custody. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 25, 2022 to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. In an interview with federal agents, Potts stated that he would leave his computer on and enable the P2P software to download CSAM 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
“Crimes involving the possession of child pornography, or child sexual abuse material, are never victimless,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “By constantly downloading and sharing child sexual abuse material, this defendant inflicted immense damage on many vulnerable children. Thanks to our partners at HSI and the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, we have put an end to this predator’s heinous acts and, hopefully, given those victims some of the relief they are due.”
“Today’s sentence serves as a reminder to all predators. We will not allow crimes against children to go unpunished,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Alejandro M. Amaro for HSI San Antonio. “While this significant sentence cannot repair the damage done to the children exploited by these images, it is a warning to those who engage in this behavior: HSI and our law enforcement partners will be relentless in our pursuit of online predators.”
HSI and the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bettina Richardson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Sabine Parish Man Sentenced for Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Sergio Valdez, 28, of Zwolle, Louisiana, has been sentenced for distribution of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States District Judge Donald E. Walter sentenced Valdez to 87 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
On March 22, 2023, federal and state law enforcement agents conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Valdez in Sabine Parish, Louisiana. Agents were able to obtain information that Valdez sold an individual the methamphetamine outside of his home. The drugs which were sold by Valdez were sent to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Southeast Laboratory for testing and found to have a net weight of 54.4 grams of pure methamphetamine.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment on June 28, 2023, charging Valdez with one count of distribution of methamphetamine and he pleaded guilty to the charge on November 7, 2023.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William C. Gaskins.
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Repeat Felon on Community Corrections Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in Federal Prison for Selling Firearms via FacebookRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Deshawn Washington, 22, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to illegal possession of firearms by a felon.
According to court documents, on June 6, 2023, detectives with the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force (ICGTF) conducted a search of Deshawn Washington’s residence on the far East side of Indianapolis in relation to the illegal sale of firearms. At the time, Washington was on Marion County Community Corrections and GPS monitoring for a 2022 conviction for carrying a handgun without a license. Washington had been released from the Indiana Department of Correction custody on May 12, 2023, following felony convictions for possession of a machine gun and dealing in marijuana.
Detectives previously found Facebook messages in which Washington, under the alias “Dondre Willis,” arranged to sell an AR-style pistol and provided a photograph of the firearm. Washington was selling the firearms out of his registered community corrections address.
Officers arrested Washington at his home just 25 days after his release from jail and located a Glock 43, 9mm semiautomatic handgun in his front right pocket. The firearm had a live 9mm cartridge in the chamber and 6 additional live 9mm cartridges in the magazine. In the living room, officers located a 5.56 AR-variant pistol with a high-capacity magazine and a live .223 round in the chamber, as well as 24 additional rounds in the magazine. This firearm appeared identical to the firearm Washington was offering to sell on Facebook.
At the time of his arrest, Washington had been previously convicted of multiple felonies, including possession of a machinegun and two counts of carrying a handgun without a license. These felony convictions prohibit Washington from ever again legally possessing a firearm.
“Again and again, this felon has been convicted for crimes involving illegal firearms possession. Nevertheless, he continued to illegally possess and even traffic in guns,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Armed felons and illegal gun trafficking fuel the gun violence that kills and injures far to many in our communities. Our partnership with the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force and ATF is designed to identify and track the most dangerous repeat offenders and get them off the street before they can put more deadly weapons in the hands of individuals banned from having them.”
“The continued illegal possession of firearms clearly shows the defendant’s disregard for the law and public safety,” stated Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “Even after being convicted of firearms crimes and serving prison time, he is back out in the community possessing and attempting to sell firearms. This is exactly the kind of case that ATF and the ICGTF investigate, and we will continue to work to remove the trigger pullers and those supplying them from the street.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Indiana Crime Guns Task Force investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge James R. Sweeney II. Judge Sweeney also ordered that Washington be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Pamela S. Domash, who prosecuted this case.
This case was brought as part of the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force (ICGTF). ICGTF is a partnership of law enforcement officers and analysts from several central Indiana law enforcement agencies in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Morgan, Johnson, and Shelby counties. In cooperation with state, local, and federal partners, ICGTF collaborates to address violent crime through a comprehensive strategy including innovative approaches to locating suspects and evidence related to violent crimes and illegal possession of firearms.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Portland Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Overdose Death of Portland TeenagerRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A local man was sentenced to federal prison today for distributing fentanyl that caused the overdose death of a Portland teenager.
Tanner Welsh, 21, was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on November 10, 2022, officers from the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) responded to a fatal overdose of a 17-year-old teenager. Investigating officers located several small blue pills near the teenager’s body they believed were counterfeit Oxycodone pills containing fentanyl. An autopsy later confirmed the teenager died from fentanyl poisoning.
Further investigation revealed that the teenager had exchanged several text messages with Welsh shortly before overdosing in response to an online ad Welsh posted offering the sale of controlled substances. Investigators also learned that Welsh had personally traveled to the teenager’s house to deliver the fentanyl pills.
On January 24, 2023, special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) located and arrested Welsh who admitted selling fentanyl and Xanax pills to the deceased teenager.
On February 8, 2023, a federal grand jury in Portland indicted Welsh on one count of possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl. On December 13, 2023, Welsh pleaded guilty to a one-count superseding criminal information charging him with distributing fentanyl to a person under the age of twenty-one.
This case was investigated by PPB and HSI and was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Ponchatoula Woman Indicted for EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on March 14, 2024, ANGELA C. MITCHELL, age 48, of Ponchatoula, La. was indicted for access device fraud, in connection with her embezzlement from a Covington. La. company where she worked from October 2016 to June 2018.
According to the indictment, MITCHELL is alleged to have diverted to herself approximately $116,998.70 from Company A by, among other things, fraudulently transferring funds from Company A’s bank accounts via electronic transfers and by drafting unauthorized checks to herself. MITCHELL committed the fraud during her employment, and continued illegally accessing Company A’s accounts after she was terminated in June 2018.
If convicted, MITCHELL faces up to 10 years in prison, up to a $250,000.00 fine or the greater of twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss, up to three years of supervised release after imprisonment and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely an accusation and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans Field Office in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. Payne, of the Financial Crimes Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
Philadelphia Pharmacy Criminal Pleas and Civil Resolutions Result in Multiple Criminal Convictions and over $4 Million RecoveredRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that two former pharmacy employees pled guilty, were sentenced, and settled civil allegations as to Philadelphia-based Spivack, Inc., previously operating under the name Verree Pharmacy (“Verree”). These two employees’ criminal and civil resolutions bring to an end the years-long investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners as to opioid and fraud-related issues at Verree by its owner, Mitchell Spivack, and his employees. In addition to criminal convictions resulting in imprisonment, the settlements resulted in over $4.1 million recovered and permanently ban the employees from ever dispensing controlled substances in the future.
Most recently, two former employees, Todd Goodman and Eric Pestrack, pled guilty to charges that they knowingly dispensed oxycodone without a valid prescription. The district court sentenced Goodman and Pestrack to four months and three months in prison, respectively. In addition to the criminal convictions, Goodman and Pestrack separately agreed to resolve civil allegations that they engaged in a years-long practice of illegally dispensing and distributing opioids and other controlled substances as well as systematic health care fraud by billing for drugs the pharmacy did not actually dispense to patients. In addition to paying the United States to resolve their exposure, the two also committed to never dispense controlled substances in the future.
Goodman and Pestrack’s convictions come after owner-pharmacist Mitchell Spivack pled guilty and was sentenced to 42 months in prison for his role at Verree. Spivack pled guilty to having conspired with others to engage in health care fraud and illegally dispense the controlled substance oxycodone at Verree. Spivack also resolved the civil allegations against him through a court-approved consent judgment. Spivack and his business agreed to pay over $4.1 million to resolve their civil liability under the Controlled Substances Act, False Claims Act, and forfeiture. The judgment also permanently banned them from ever dispensing controlled substances in the future and imposed a 22-year exclusion on the pharmacy and Spivack from Medicare and Medicaid.
The culmination of a multi-year federal-state investigation, the previously filed civil complaint alleged that Verree, its owner Spivack, and employees of Verree had a responsibility to dispense opioids and other controlled substances only when appropriate. Instead, the United States alleged that Verree and Spivack dispensed the drugs, even when faced with numerous red flags suggestive of diversion, such as opioids in extreme doses, dangerous combinations of opioids and other “cocktail” drugs preferred by those addicted, excessive cash payments for the drugs, blatantly forged prescriptions, and other signs that the pills were being diverted for illegal purposes. The complaint alleged that Verree—which was the top retail pharmacy purchasing oxycodone in Pennsylvania—has been a nationwide and regional outlier in its deviant purchasing, dispensing, and billing of controlled substances. To avoid scrutiny from the drug distributors that sold them the pills, Verree through Spivack allegedly made false statements to maintain the façade of legitimacy and keep the pharmacy stocked with these pills critical to their profits. Behind that façade, the complaint alleged that Spivack drew millions of dollars from the pharmacy while the public suffered the consequences.
The United States’ complaint alleged that Verree and Spivack were also engaged in an expansive health care fraud scheme involving fraudulent billings for drugs not actually dispensed. The alleged cornerstone of the scheme was a code used by the pharmacy employees in their internal computer system: “BBDF” or Bill But Don’t Fill. Verree, Spivack, and their co-conspirators allegedly used BBDF as a means to cover their losses on other drugs and further line their pockets with illicit profits by falsely claiming to insurers, including Medicare, that they had dispensed a drug to a patient, when in fact they had not. According to the complaint, this sophisticated fraud—which one of the employees allegedly admitted to investigators—resulted in significant damages to Medicare and other federal programs.
“Pharmacies and pharmacists who engage in illegal dispensing of opioids devastate their communities and worsen our country’s opioid epidemic” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Providers who abuse Medicare and other federal health care programs by taking money with false billings also steal precious resources from programs critical to the health of our seniors and other citizens. This Office is committed to investigating and holding accountable those providers who violate their controlled substance and health care billing obligations. Our Office deeply appreciates our partnership with the DEA, HHS-OIG, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office in pursuing these cases.”
“In a city that has been so adversely and disproportionately affected by the opioid epidemic, Verree Pharmacy was the top retail pharmacy purchasing oxycodone in the entire state of Pennsylvania,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “Spivack and the other employees at Verree routinely demonstrated total disregard for their professional and ethical obligations and improperly dispensed powerful painkillers when numerous warning signs were present.”
“The Medicare and Medicaid Programs provide vital prescription drug services to their beneficiaries,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Philadelphia Regional Office for the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “Pharmacies are required to only bill for prescriptions and products they actually provide to their patients. HHS-OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, and the DEA to investigate allegations of fraudulent insurance billings.”
“We are proud collaborators in efforts leading to these recent convictions, along with the millions of settlement dollars from this deceptive, predatory pharmacy practice. Our communities continue to rebuild and recover from opioid-related devastation, so our efforts to assist in that recovery cannot and will not stop,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry said. “My office has shown a commitment, through this and other actions, to hold accountable the pharmacists and businesses that exploited a nationwide addiction crisis to line their pockets.”
The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Field Division of the DEA, the Pennsylvania Department of State’s Bureau of Enforcement and Investigation, HHS-OIG, and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, with additional assistance from the HHS-OIG Office of Audit Services, Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General, the Defense Health Agency, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. The criminal charges were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys M. Beth Leahy, Joan Burnes, and Eileen Geiger, and Special Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Smulktis and Linda Montag from the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General. The civil investigation and litigation were handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony D. Scicchitano and Sarah L. Grieb and auditors Dawn Wiggins and George Niedzwicki.
Except for what has been admitted in the criminal proceedings, the complaints in the civil litigation contain allegations only.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 50 Months in Prison for Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Involving over 100 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Philadelphia man was sentenced today to 50 months in prison for conspiring to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine as part of a drug-trafficking organization operating in Philadelphia and southern New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Iran Soler, 44, Philadelphia, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Judge O’Hearn imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Soler and his conspirators traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico, on commercial flights from Philadelphia International Airport on numerous occasions between March 2019 and August 2020. They purchased multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine from wholesale drug suppliers based in the San Juan area in exchange for cash payments. Soler and the conspirators then shipped the kilograms of cocaine by overnight delivery from U.S. Post Offices in San Juan to various addresses in Philadelphia and southern New Jersey, where a conspirator, Jose Gonzalez, resold the cocaine to other drug dealers in the Philadelphia area for a profit. Soler and the other conspirators purchased and shipped over 100 kilograms of cocaine to Philadelphia and southern New Jersey between March 2019 and August 2020.
In addition to the prison term, Judge O’Hearn sentenced Soler to five years of supervised release.
Gonzalez previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced April 29, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen; agents of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, under the leadership of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi; special agents of the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs in Philadelphia; troopers assigned to the New Jersey State Police Strategic Investigations Unit South, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; and officers and detectives of the Philadelphia Police Department, under the direction of Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick C. Askin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Pawtucket Man to Serve Six Years in Federal Prison for Selling Fentanyl PillsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Pawtucket man described in court documents as being a “seasoned drug dealer” who previously served eight different jail sentences for selling drugs was sentenced today to six years in federal prison, having been convicted most recently of selling thousands of fentanyl pills, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Gary Doran, a/k/a “G-Baby,” 36, pleaded guilty on October 5, 2023, to a charge of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, three months after being released from jail in 2021, members of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force developed information that Doran was active in drug dealing. During the course of a later FBI investigation, Doran sold a cooperating witness thousands of fentanyl pills, for a total of $9,250 over a period of less than two months.
Doran was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to 72 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of federal supervised release.
According to court records, prior to his arrest in this matter, Doran was previously convicted eight times in state courts for selling drugs, serving eight different sentences ranging from six months to two years of incarceration.
This most recent case was prosecuted in federal court by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine D. Lowell.
The matter was investigated by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Pawtucket Police Department.
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PRC Citizen Sentenced for Conspiring to Transport Illegal Aliens to GuamRead the Press Release
Saipan – Shawn Anderson, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announces that on March 15, 2024, Kun Gao, age 43, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was sentenced in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands for Conspiring to Transport Illegal Aliens, in violation of 8 U.S.C, §§ 1324 (a)(1)(A)(ii) and (v)(I). The Court ordered 30 days in prison, one year of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory assessment fee. Gao was also ordered to promptly return to the PRC after serving his sentence.
In July 2023, Gao and nine other PRC nationals conspired with four Saipan residents to transport them from Saipan to Guam using a small, motorized boat. Most of the PRC nationals had no lawful status to be in the CNMI, and none of them were authorized to go to Guam. Their boat ran out of fuel near the island of Rota, which required a dangerous sea rescue by the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Guam.
At the sentencing hearing, Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona agreed with the government’s argument that this type of crime needs additional deterrence. The term of imprisonment imposed was therefore longer than those for past cases.
“Unlawful travel by foreign nationals from the CNMI to Guam is a recurring problem,” said U.S. Attorney Anderson. “It is an abuse of CNMI parole provisions within our federal immigration system. It also endangers the lives of those involved, in addition to government personnel who must frequently conduct rescues in adverse weather. Our sentencing recommendations will continue to emphasize deterrence and public safety.”
"We are committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring the integrity of our borders. Today's sentencing sends a clear message that individuals who conspire to circumvent immigration laws will be held accountable for their actions,” said Special Agent in Charge John F. Tobon.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from United States Coast Guard Sector Guam.
Assistant United States Attorney Eric S. O’Malley from the District of the Northern Mariana Islands prosecuted the case.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl AnalogueRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Emmanuel Zakaria, 33, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced March 20, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 10 grams or more of fentanyl analogue. United State District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Zakaria to 48 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Zakaria is released from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On June 14, 2022, investigators conducted a controlled purchase operation, which resulted in the seizure of approximately 300 fentanyl pills. On June 28, 2022, investigators arrested Zakaria and conducted a post-Miranda interview with Zakaria, who admitted to the involvement of distributing fentanyl pills.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Omaha Police Department.
Oklahoma Man Convicted of Murder-For-Hire of St. Louis SchoolteacherRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on March 19, 2024, found Phillip J. Cutler of Muskogee, Oklahoma guilty of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and the murder-for-hire of St. Louis Public School teacher Jocelyn Peters, and her unborn child, Micah Leigh, in 2016.
Prosecutors proved to jurors that Cutler was enlisted by his longtime friend, Cornelius M. Green, to commit the murders.
Green, 42, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty on Feb. 28, 2024 to the same charges. He admitted as part of his plea hiring his longtime friend, Cutler, to kill Peters. Peters was 31 weeks pregnant with Green’s child. Green was also involved in sexual relationships with several other women.
Green admitted during his plea that he used cash stolen from Carr Lane Middle School, where he was principal, to pay Cutler. On Feb. 28, 2016, Green texted Cutler and asked him to come to St. Louis during the week of March 20, 2016. Cutler asked if Green would be sending “the package,” and on March 7, Green sent Cutler a UPS package containing $2,500 cash.
On March 21, Cutler arrived in St. Louis via Greyhound bus, staying with Green’s sister. Green took a train trip to Chicago to establish his alibi for the murder, giving Cutler the keys to his Kia Optima and Peters’ apartment.
On March 24, Cutler drove Green’s car to Peters’ apartment in the 4200 block of West Pine in St. Louis, let himself in using Green’s keys, and shot Peters in the eye using a potato as a silencer. During his testimony, Cutler admitted seeing the 1992 film South Central, during which a character similarly used a potato as a silencer. Peters was working on baby shower invitations at the time she was killed.
At 6:14 a.m. the morning following the murder, Cutler confirmed to Green that Jocelyn and the baby had been killed. Following their conversation, Green bought his return train ticket, and Cutler then went to North Riverfront Park to dispose of evidence.
Upon arriving back in St. Louis, Green retrieved his car from Cutler and went directly to Peters’ apartment and called 911 to report her death. He repeatedly made false statements to law enforcement and others attempting to evade responsibility for his ordering of the murders and pretending he had no knowledge of the circumstances leading to the deaths. Cutler was detained for questioning that same night after attempting to retrieve the Kia Optima from the crime scene. When told he was being detained, Cutler ate two pieces of paper from a notebook in his pocket.
Green is scheduled to be sentenced June 5 and faces a sentence of life in prison. As part of the plea, the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office has agreed to dismiss their case against Green for the murders if he is sentenced to life in federal prison.
Cutler is scheduled to be sentenced June 18. He faces life in prison on each charge.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) and the FBI investigated the case, which is being prosecuted in cooperation with the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany Becker and Zachary Bluestone are prosecuting the case. Former SLMPD Detective Mark Biondolino was the case agent.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to ArsonRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TERRENCE COE, age 45, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on March 19, 2024 to arson, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 844(i).
According to court documents, on December 24, 2022, COE set fire to merchandise inside of Walmart located in Hammond, La. On December 27, 2022, COE turned himself into the Hammond Police Department and admitted that he started the fire while trying to open a package that he wanted to steal, with a lighter.
At sentencing, COE faces a minimum mandatory sentence of five (5) years up to a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy Bell of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Weapons ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –GERARD TURNER, age 21, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty as charged to a four-count indictment on March 19, 2024 before U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter.
Specifically, TURNER pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8); possession of a machinegun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2); possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(D); and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
According to court documents, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at TURNER’s residence in July, 2023. TURNER possessed distributable quantities of marijuana; a loaded Romarm/Cugir Model Mini Draco, 7.62x39 millimeter semi-automatic pistol; rounds of various calibers of ammunition, including a loaded pistol magazine and loaded drum magazine; and a machinegun conversion device, that turns a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic machinegun. TURNER has prior felony convictions for simple burglary, illegal use of weapons, and illegal possession of stolen things.
For his conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, TURNER faces up to 15 years in prison and up to three years of supervised release. For his conviction for possession of a machinegun, he faces up to 10 years in prison and up to three years of supervised release. For his conviction for possession with intent to distribute marijuana, he faces up to 5 years in prison and a minimum of two years of supervised release. For his conviction for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, he faces a minimum of five years and up to life in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence, and up to five years of supervised release. Each count also carries up to a $250,000 fine and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Britain Man Involved in Cocaine Trafficking Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that NERICK DIAZ-QUESADA, 25, of New Britain, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine.
According to court documents, on November 10, 2022, members of the DEA’s Hartford Task Force and New Britain Police Department executed a court-authorized search warrant at an apartment located on LaSalle Street in New Britain suspected of being used as a location to store, process, and package narcotics for distribution. Diaz-Quesada was apprehended after he attempted to flee from investigators when they entered the apartment. A search of bedroom that Diaz-Quesada used revealed more than two kilograms of cocaine, a loaded Glock 9mm handgun, narcotics packaging materials, and a large amount of cash.
Diaz-Quesada has been detained since his arrest. On January 26, 2023, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
This investigation is being conducted by the DEA’s Hartford Task Force, which includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.
Mt. Pleasant Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison for Role in One of the Largest Medicare Fraud Schemes in HistoryRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Andrew Chmiel, 48, of Mt. Pleasant, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison yesterday for his role in a nearly $100 million scheme related to the payment of kickbacks and bribes in exchange for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME) orders.
Chmiel’s charges were brought in 2019 as part of Operation Brace Yourself, an investigation that originated in South Carolina. Operation Brace Yourself, which was prosecuted in conjunction with the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division Fraud Section, was a multi-jurisdictional investigation that involved the execution of more than 80 search warrants in 17 federal districts.
As for Chmiel’s criminal conduct, evidence presented to the court showed that Chmiel controlled and operated at least 10 DME companies, which were located throughout the United States. These DME companies were used by Chmiel and his coconspirators to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for braces that were not medically necessary and/or were obtained through the payment of kickbacks and bribes.
To effectuate the scheme, these DME companies entered into agreements with an offshore call center to purchase completed doctors’ orders so the DME companies could bill Medicare. This offshore call center was advertising through television and internet advertisements. Once a Medicare beneficiary called a 1-800 number that was on the advertisements, that Medicare beneficiary would be screened for eligibility and then convinced that he or she needed a brace, and oftentimes upsold on other braces. The call center would then contact a telemedicine company whose physician and/or or nurse practitioner would issue a prescription without regard to the medical necessity. Throughout the investigation the evidence revealed that beneficiaries were prescribed braces without ever being examined by, seeing, or, in some instances, even speaking to a medical professional. Evidence presented showed that Chmiel was attempting to hide that he was purchasing completed doctors’ orders by creating fraudulent and false invoices for alleged marketing and business processing services.
Throughout the health care fraud scheme, Chmiel’s companies, which included 10 DME companies, two dropship companies, and two additional companies that were used to facilitate the fraud – D.O. Delivery and Pain Center – billed Medicare in excess of $200 million and Medicare paid Chmiel’s companies in excess of $95 million.
Chmiel was also held accountable at sentencing for an obstruction of justice enhancement pursuant to the United States Sentencing Commission Guidelines. Based on evidence presented by the Government during the sentencing, the court held that when Chmiel testified as a government witness in a trial in the Eastern District of New York against a coconspirator, he knowingly gave false testimony on matters material to the health care fraud scheme, violating the terms of his plea agreement.
“Chmiel’s scheme preyed upon honest citizens seeking medical help and this sentence brings an end to that exploitation,“ said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “We will continue to pursue and dismantle health care fraud schemes in South Carolina, especially those that permeate throughout the country.”
“Fraudulent schemes, such as this, undermine the trust and confidence of the American people in our healthcare programs,” said Steve Jensen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “This ruling should serve as a reminder that healthcare fraud remains a top priority for the FBI and our law enforcement partners and we remain committed to the vigilance and accountability in preserving healthcare integrity.”
"This outcome underscores our unwavering commitment to combat health care fraud and pursue those who exploit Medicare beneficiaries and defraud taxpayers for personal gain,” stated Tamala E. Miles, Special Agent in Charge at the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG takes pride in collaborating with our partners to ensure accountability for those seeking to illegitimately profit from federal health care programs.”
“Crimes against our health care system equates to billions of dollars in losses and degrades a system designed to help those in need,” said Donald "Trey" Eakins, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge. “We will continue to stand with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute individuals who attempt to enrich themselves by fraudulent means, and to help end health care fraud."
United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson sentenced Chmiel to 108 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. The court also ordered that Chmiel pay $98,935,533.00 in restitution.
In addition to Chmiel’s sentence, two corporations were also sentenced by United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson on Tuesday. D.O. Delivery, LLC and Pain Center, LLC, two entities that Chmiel owned and operated that were used to facilitate the health care fraud scheme. Each entity was sentenced to 12-months’ probation and ordered to pay $98,935,533.00 in restitution.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General, and IRS-Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Bower prosecuted the case.
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Morris County Man Charged with Multimillion-Dollar Scheme to Defraud More Than 50 Small Businesses by Offering Phony Debt Relief ServicesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Morris County, New Jersey, man was charged today in a scheme that defrauded victims of over $3.4 million dollars, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Mark Csantaveri, 51, of Morristown, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He made an initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edward S. Kiel in Newark federal court and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Csantaveri and his conspirators operated businesses that purported to provide small businesses with debt relief services. Csantaveri induced victims to make regular payments to one of Csantaveri’s businesses by falsely claiming that he would hold their money while negotiating favorable settlements with the victims’ creditors. Instead of using victim funds as promised, Csantaveri and his conspirators misappropriated the victims’ money for their personal use, including over $1 million in gambling expenses. Csantaveri’s scheme ultimately defrauded more than 50 victims of more than $3.4 million dollars.
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud is punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss involved in the offense, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron L. Webman of the of the Criminal Division in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
csantaveri.complaint.pdfMember of Violent Gang Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Prison for Racketeering and Robbery OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Quincy man was sentenced today for his role in Cameron Street, a violent Boston gang.
Michael Nguyen, also known as “Asian,” 23, was sentenced today by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 70 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In December 2023, Nguyen pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise, also referred to as RICO conspiracy, and conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats or violence. Nguyen is the first defendant to be sentenced in this case.
Nguyen was identified as a member of Cameron Street, a violent gang based largely in the Dorchester section of Boston. According to court documents, Cameron Street members use violence, including murder and attempted murder, to preserve, protect and expand its territory. They allegedly use social media to promote Cameron Street, celebrate murders and other violent crimes, and denigrate rival gangs. They also allegedly possess, carry and use firearms; distribute controlled substances; commit armed robberies; and engage in human trafficking in part to generate income.
As part of his role in the Cameron Street enterprise, Nguyen often infiltrated rival gang territory to conduct surveillance for other Cameron Street members. In July 2018, Nguyen along with fellow Cameron Street members Brendon Amado and Deronde Bethea broke into the home of two victims – entering through the back door wearing masks and dark hoodies and carrying firearms. One victim ran out and called 911. A second victim was brought into the living room, punched in the head, had a gun put to their head and a pillow put in front of their face as Nguyen, Amado and Bethea ransacked the house, demanding, “where’s the stuff, where’s the money, where’s your boyfriend?” Nguyen, Amado and Bethea later fled the house in a silver pickup trick after stealing $2,000 in cash and a safe.
Nguyen and others were later observed driving away from the house. Officers pursued the truck until it abruptly stopped in Stoughton – colliding with the police cruiser before fleeing the scene. Nguyen was identified via phone records and a shoe he left behind during the chase. Amado and Bethea were identified on convenience store surveillance footage shortly before the robbery took place.
Both Amado and Bethea have since pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, 2024 and May 16, 2024, respectively.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office; Suffolk, Plymouth, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorney’s Offices; and the Canton, Quincy, Randolph, Somerville, Brockton, Malden, Stoughton, Rehoboth and Pawtucket (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Charles Dell’Anno of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening and Harassing Interracial Couple and Obstructing JusticeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today to threatening an interracial couple via Facebook Messenger in January 2021, and with attempting to prevent the couple from reporting the threats and harassment to law enforcement.
Stephen M. DeBerardinis, 46, of Boston and Dedham, pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting in interstate commerce threats to injure a person; one count of tampering with a witness and victim by intimidation, threats, and corrupt persuasion; and one count of tampering with a witness and victim by harassment. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for June 10, 2024. DeBerardinis was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2021.
“This case demonstrates that you cannot cowardly hide behind a keyboard and spread bigotry, intimidation and fear. The spike we have all witnessed in hate-motivated threats of violence will not be tolerated, and our office remains steadfast in our commitment to aggressively pursue threats and acts of hate that are motivated by racism or bigotry,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Everyone deserves to live free from persecution and threats simply for who they are. Full stop.”
“You can’t just threaten people online with racially motivated, violent physical harm and not face repercussions,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “What Stephen DeBerardinis put this couple through is despicable. The FBI takes all threats to life seriously and so should anyone thinking about making one. We will investigate, identify you, and ensure you’re held accountable for your actions.”
“This is another example of the value of bringing together the collective resources and expertise of the Boston Police Department with our State and Federal partners to keep our residents safe,” said Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox.
In late December 2020, the victims, a white woman and a Black man, announced their engagement on Facebook which included photographs of the couple. DeBerardinis, who did not know the couple personally, could view the photographs because he was a friend of one or more of the victims’ Facebook friends. On or about Jan. 6, 2021, DeBerardinis used Facebook Messenger to send the couple a series of threatening and harassing messages concerning the couple’s interracial relationship. For example, DeBerardinis wrote, “EWWWWWWWW YOUR A N***** F***** F****** DIRTY A** WHITE TRASH,” and continued with similar messages. When the couple messaged DeBerardinis that they were reporting him to law enforcement, he sent them a message that said, “SNITCHES GET STITCHES” with a picture of brass knuckles. DeBerardinis also threatened, “Read up more on me lol… you will see how me and my crew burn n*****s alive,” and “And white whores like you well [sic]…. get rape and killed THAN [sic] we cut off body parts and mail them to your family lol.” The victims reported the incident to local police, who contacted federal law enforcement.
The charge of transmitting in interstate commerce threats to injure a person provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 and restitution. The charge of tampering with a witness and victim by intimidation, threats and corrupt persuasion provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, restitution and forfeiture. The charge of tampering with a witness and victim by harassment provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, restitution and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; FBI SAC Cohen; and Commissioner Cox made the announcement today. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Torey B. Cummings and Nadine Pellegrini of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Lynn Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lynn man was sentenced on March 18, 2024 in federal court in Boston for distributing, receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Ever Edilberto Zuniga Ramirez, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 62 months in prison and five years of supervised release. In October 2023, Zuniga Ramirez pleaded guilty to distribution, receipt, and possession of child pornography.
Beginning in July 2020 and continuing through March 2022, Zuniga Ramirez distributed and received CSAM over the internet, including images of children under 12-years-old. More than 280 images depicting CSAM were found on Zuniga Ramirez’s phone.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Revere Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Tolkoff and John Reynolds of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Live Oak Sex Offender Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child Sex Abuse ImagesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Steven Lee Carty (55, Live Oak) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for possession of child sex abuse images after previously being convicted of possessing, receiving, and distributing child sex abuse images. The court also ordered Carty to pay $19,000 in restitution to the victims of his offense. Carty entered a guilty plea on October 19, 2023.
According to court documents, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began investigating Carty in relation to a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that had been provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The CyberTip indicated that child exploitation material had been uploaded to an account with an electronic service provider. Law enforcement reviewed the material and determined it contained child sex abuse material (CSAM). Account information was provided for the user, which was connected to Carty. Internet Protocol (IP) history for the account that had uploaded the material was traced to Carty. FDLE obtained a state search warrant for that account, and it was determined to contain the file of CSAM from the CyberTip, along with additional files containing CSAM.
HSI learned that there were additional CyberTips connected to Carty, which HSI obtained and reviewed. Those CyberTips indicated that accounts associated with Carty had uploaded CSAM, including within a chat conversation with another user for one of the Cybertips.
During their investigation, law enforcement learned that Carty was listed as an offender on FDLE’s Sexual Offenders and Predators registry because of federal convictions for receiving, distributing, and possessing CSAM in 2005.
On August 24, 2023, a federal search warrant was executed at Carty’s residence by HSI and FDLE, with assistance from the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office. During an interview with law enforcement, Carty admitted to viewing, obtaining, and sharing CSAM. He also admitted to being obsessed with CSAM and possessing hundreds of files of CSAM on his cellphone. A preliminary examination of Carty’s cellphone during the execution of the search warrant revealed at least one file containing CSAM.
“Computers and mobile devices provide an instant, all-access pass for predators to distribute life-long records of the darkest moments of a child’s short life,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “The Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force partnership is 1,000 percent committed to be a light in the dark world that chooses to victimize children rather than nurture them.”
This case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
It is another case that was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Liberian Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Stealing $2.6M in SNAP Benefits from NeedyRead the Press Release
A Liberian man was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in federal prison for stealing $2.6 million in SNAP benefits from needy and disabled beneficiaries, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
James Peabody, 34, pleaded guilty in August to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman, who called the crime “one of the most disturbing schemes” he’d seen during his time on the bench.
“The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is often the only way low-income Americans can afford to feed their families. I can only imagine the devastation these victims felt at the cash register when they attempted to pay for their groceries and discovered their accounts had been emptied,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “These defendants callously preyed on the needy, disabled, and elderly. My heart breaks for them.”
“The defendant and their co-conspirators exploited a program designed to aid low-income families. They stole directly from thousands of victims that needed those funds to purchase food and other necessary household items,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough. “The FBI and our partners worked together to hold these individuals accountable for stealing millions of dollars from the most vulnerable citizens in our community. We will not tolerate anyone that uses a federal program to enrich themselves at the expense of families who truly need and depend on the benefits.”
According to plea papers, the defendant admitted to defrauding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, commonly known as food stamps).
In furtherance of the scheme, Mr. Peabody and two coconspirators, Saybah Keihn, 48, and Margretta Jabbeh, 43, opened several African food stores. They applied for, and received, SNAP merchant privileges.
They then used EBT (electronic benefit transfer) cards programmed with stolen SNAP account information – illegally obtained by placing so-called “skimming” devices on point-of-sale terminals in stores throughout the United States – and used them to “purchase” groceries from their own stores.
With each swipe of the card, the defendants falsely represented to the USDA that actual SNAP beneficiaries were using benefits to purchase approved grocery items. In reality, the beneficiaries were not present in the stores at the time of the transaction and no groceries were actually purchased.
As a result of the scheme, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (which administrates SNAP) deposited more than $2.6 million in bank accounts associated with their stores. When the beneficiaries whose accounts had been stolen attempted to use their SNAP benefits to purchase food, they learned there was no money in their accounts.
For Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, several victims submitted statements revealing that that they were forced to rely on food banks, while one stated she resorted to eating “out of dumpsters.”
Another victim thanked the FBI “for investigating my case when no one else seemed to care.”
Mr. Keihn and Ms. Jabbeh both previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and were sentenced to 108 and 129 months in federal prison, respectively.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Fort Worth Resident Agency and the USDA Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation with help from the Bedford Police Department, the Blue Mound Police Department, the Euless Police Department, and the North Richland Hills Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy Larson prosecuted the case.
Lexington County Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Ronnie Dawsey, Jr., 41, of Lexington, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to distribution of child sexual abuse materials.*
Evidence presented to the court showed that on Aug. 31, 2020, Mr. Dawsey uploaded approximately seven images of child sex abuse materials to his Facebook account and subsequently sent the images to others using the Telegram application on his cell phone.
Senior United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Mr. Dawsey to 240 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a lifetime term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Mr. Dawsey was ordered to pay a total of $36,500 in restitution to seven different victims and to register as a sex offender.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Matthews prosecuted the case.
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* The term “child pornography” is currently used in federal statutes and is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a person less than 18 years old. While this phrase still appears in federal law, “child sexual abuse material” is preferred, as it better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the child.
Land O’ Lakes Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine OffensesRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Raymond Montanez (42, Land O’ Lakes) has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and one count of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. Each count carries a minimum mandatory term of 5 years, and up to 40 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
According to court documents, beginning at unknown time and continuing through May 11, 2023, Montanez conspired with others to distribute cocaine and possessed cocaine with the intent to distribute it. Montanez imported the cocaine through the mail and sold it from points within the Middle District of Florida.
On March 17, 2023, Montanez sold 209 grams of a substance to an undercover officer. On April 13, 2023, Montanez sold approximately 200 grams of a substance to an undercover officer. Eleven days later, agents observed Montanez travel to Jupiter, Florida, where he met with a co-conspirator and retrieved a package containing approximately one kilogram of cocaine. After confirming Montanez was the sole occupant of the vehicle, a traffic stop was conducted, and the cocaine was seized. A lab analysis by the Drug Enforcement Administration later confirmed that the seized substance was cocaine weighing 999.1 grams.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tampa Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman.
Lancaster County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing Marijuana and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Vaughnta Markees Jones, 45, of Lancaster, was sentenced to five years in federal prison today for possession with the intent to distribute marijuana and methamphetamine. Jones was also sentenced for violating the terms of his prior federal supervised release.
Evidence presented to the court showed that the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office learned that Jones was dealing illegal narcotics in Lancaster County. Jones was on federal supervised release following convictions of being a felon in possession of a firearm and knowingly receiving and possessing an unregistered firearm in 2010. On March 29, 2023, HSI along with the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office used an undercover informant to make a purchase of methamphetamine from Jones. Upon arrival at Jones’ home, the informant met with Jones and purchase 49.8 grams of methamphetamine.
Thereafter, on May 8, 2023, Lancaster County Sheriff’s deputies, along with an HSI agent, conducted a traffic stop of a car driven by Jones in Lancaster County. During a search of the car, the police found approximately four and a half pounds of marijuana and three pills marked “IP 109” that were determined to be hydrocodone. Jones was arrested by and charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession with the intent to distribute hydrocodone and tramadol. Jones admitted that he had traveled to Maryland to obtain the marijuana and was returning to Lancaster County.
Senior United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Jones to 60 months imprisonment, to be followed by a four year-term of court-ordered supervision. Judge Currie also sentenced Jones to a consecutive 12 months and one day imprisonment for violating the terms of his prior supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.
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Keene Couple Arrested for the Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Keene couple has been charged in connection with their production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Paul Baird, 43, of Keene and Krystal Baird, 38, of Keene were charged by complaint for the production of child pornography. Paul Baird and Krystal Baird appeared in federal court today.
According to the charging documents, as early as November 2023, Paul Baird was observed on a dark web chat site dedicated to CSAM of girls from four to fourteen years old. On March 7, 2024, Paul Baird posted links to three CSAM images to the website. A search of Paul Baird and his residence in Keene, New Hampshire earlier today led to the arrests of Paul and Krystal Baird for the production of child sexual abuse material.
At the time of his arrest, Paul Baird was employed as a bus driver by the Student Transportation of America, which is a school transportation company that services the Contoocook Valley (ConVal) School District.
This investigation is ongoing. Members of the public who have information regarding this case should call the Homeland Security Investigations’ New England Field Division’s Manchester Office at 603-629-2716.
The Homeland Security Investigations is leading the investigation. The Keene Police Department is providing valuable assistance with this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Las Vegas Tax Return Preparers Filing False and Fraudulent Tax Returns for CustomersRead the Press Release
The Justice Department filed two civil complaints today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada against Las Vegas tax return preparers and their companies. The complaints seek to enjoin these tax return preparers and their companies from preparing and filing federal income tax returns for others.
The complaints allege that Michael Moreno and his company, Awesome Tax LLC, and Carlos Yero and his company, Travel All The World, prepared and filed thousands of federal income tax returns for customers since at least 2018. Allegedly, Moreno and Yero and their companies regularly filed returns with the IRS that fraudulently overstated the amount of refund due while simultaneously telling their customers that they would receive a smaller refund. Moreno and Yero would then allegedly collect as “bank fees” the substantial difference between these amounts. The complaints allege that the amount collected as “bank fees” ranges between $300 and $800 per return.
The complaints allege that Moreno and Yero prepared, and their companies filed, tax returns with false tax credits, fabricated business income and expenses on Form 1040 Schedule C and improper itemized deductions on Form 1040 Schedule A to improperly understate their customers’ tax liabilities and to inflate refunds. Moreno and Awesome Tax have allegedly caused a tax loss of approximately $2.74 million in 2018 and 2019, while Yero and Travel All The World allegedly caused a tax loss of $2.64 million in 2019 alone.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Attorneys from the Justice Department’s Tax Division are handling the case.
Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers 10 tips to avoid tax season fraud and ways to safeguard their personal information.
In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
United States v. Carlos Roberto Yero et al..pdf United States v. Michel Moreno et al..pdfJustice Department Secures Agreement to Extend Obligations in 2021 Agreement with Florida’s Volusia County School District to Protect Students with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – The Justice Department announced today a Memorandum of Agreement (Agreement) with Florida’s Volusia County School (VCS) District, which extends the term of a 2021 settlement agreement between the United States and the district by an additional two years to allow its revised policies and practices for students with disabilities to be fully implemented. The settlement agreement addressed the district’s discriminatory policies and practices that discipline students with disabilities for their disability-related behavior and deny them equal access to VCS’s educational program. In addition to the two-year extension, the Agreement requires the district to take additional critical steps to increase its Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance.
“Students have the right to go to school and be treated with dignity without fear of being punished for their disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The department will continue to vigorously enforce the ADA’s protections for students with disabilities, and this Agreement ensures that the robust changes being implemented by the district can be monitored appropriately.”
“We are encouraged the Volusia County School District has taken initial steps to change its policies and practices, providing critical training to staff and law enforcement and adopting strict accountability measures so that students with disabilities will have equal access to educational programs,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “My office will continue to work with the district to ensure its compliance with the terms of the Memorandum of Agreement.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section (DRS) investigated the case.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and additional information about the work of the DRS is available at www.ada.gov. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at civilrights.justice.gov/report/. Information about the Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and a complaint form for the unit can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/civil-rights.
Individuals with information related to the department’s investigation and the district’s compliance with the settlement agreement are encouraged to report such information by email at [email protected].
Justice Department Secures Agreement to Extend Obligations in 2021 Agreement with Florida’s Volusia County School District to Protect Students with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today a Memorandum of Agreement (Agreement) with Florida’s Volusia County School (VCS) District, which extends the term of a 2021 settlement agreement between the United States and the district by an additional two years to allow its revised policies and practices for students with disabilities to be fully implemented. The settlement agreement addressed the district’s discriminatory policies and practices that discipline students with disabilities for their disability-related behavior and deny them equal access to VCS’s educational program. In addition to the two-year extension, the Agreement requires the district to take additional critical steps to increase its Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance.
“Students have the right to go to school and be treated with dignity without fear of being punished for their disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The department will continue to vigorously enforce the ADA’s protections for students with disabilities, and this Agreement ensures that the robust changes being implemented by the district can be monitored appropriately.”
“We are encouraged the Volusia County School District has taken initial steps to change its policies and practices, providing critical training to staff and law enforcement and adopting strict accountability measures so that students with disabilities will have equal access to educational programs,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “My office will continue to work with the district to ensure its compliance with the terms of the Memorandum of Agreement.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section (DRS) investigated the case.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and additional information about the work of the DRS is available at www.ada.gov. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at civilrights.justice.gov/report/. Information about the Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and a complaint form for the unit can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/civil-rights.
Individuals with information related to the department’s investigation and the district’s compliance with the settlement agreement are encouraged to report such information by email at [email protected].
Interior Department Employee Sentenced to Five Years of Probation for EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – George Thomas Onwiler, 49, of Hayfork, California, was sentenced on Monday to five years’ probation by United States District Judge Michael Liburdi. On November 7, 2023, Onwiler pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. In addition to his probation term, the Court ordered that Onwiler pay restitution in the amount of $139,168.02.
Beginning in May 2018 and continuing through April 2020, Onwiler embezzled approximately $139,000 from the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), a component of the United States Department of the Interior. Onwiler was employed as an electrician for the BOR, located in Yuma, Arizona. In his employment with the BOR, Onwiler was responsible for purchasing commercial and agricultural grade electrical supplies and materials needed for his government work, and he was issued a BOR credit card to make those purchases.
Onwiler embezzled money from the government by using his government issued credit card to pay fictional electrical company suppliers. Onwiler created fake company names and used PayPal and Block/Square to transfer money to himself. Through 47 unauthorized wire transfers, Onwiler transferred $139,168.02 to his personal bank account. These transactions were fraudulent as he did not purchase electrical supplies for the BOR.
The United States Department of the Interior conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney, Kristen Brook, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-00400-PHX-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-037_Onwiler# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Individual Sentenced to 20 Years and Three Months in Prison for a Series of Hobbs Act Robberies and Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A Río Grande man was sentenced to 20 years and three months in prison for four counts of Hobbs Act violations and one count of firearms violations, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
According to court documents, Miguel Cancel-Marrero, 62, committed a series of robberies while brandishing, carrying and using a firearm, in the presence of employees against their will, by means of threatened force, violence and fear of injury. The defendant admitted to the following robberies:
- On January 14, 2021, the defendant took United States currency from Auto Zone in Trujillo Alto, PR. During this robbery, the defendant aimed the firearm at customers and employees and pointed the firearm at the head of an employee. Cancel-Marrero also admitted that he discharged the firearm while committing the robbery, shooting himself in the right leg and subsequently bleeding inside the Auto Zone.
- On December 2, 2020, the defendant took U.S. currency from Advanced Auto Parts in Río Grande, P.R.
- On December 4, 2020, the defendant took U.S. currency from Advanced Auto Parts in Trujillo Alto, P.R.
- On December 16, 2020, the defendant took U.S. currency from Auto Zone in Guaynabo, P.R.
On March 14, 2024, the Honorable Silvia Carreño-Coll, United States District Court Judge, sentenced Cancel-Marrero to 108 months on the four counts of Hobbs Act violations concurrent to one another and consecutive to 120 months on the 924 (c) discharge where the defendant shot himself in the leg for a total of 228 months imprisonment (19 years). The Court also sentenced the defendant to 15 months on the revocation of supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis A. Valentin from the Transnational Organized Crime Unit prosecuted the case.
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Illinois Man Sentenced for Unlawful Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Joshua C. Murphy, 37, of Villa Park, Illinois, was sentenced March 20, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for being a felon in possession of a firearm. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Johnson to 68 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Murphy’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On October 4, 2022, an ATF confidential source made a controlled buy of a Sig Sauer 9mm handgun from Murphy, a convicted felon. The handgun was reported stolen from West Virginia, and it included an extended high-capacity magazine. The confidential source paid Murphy $1,200 of ATF buy money in exchange for the handgun. The buy was audio and video recorded and monitored by law enforcement.
Murphy has previously been convicted of the following felonies punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year: Motor Vehicle Theft over $20,000 (2013), in the 17th Judicial District of Colorado and Escape (2014), in the 19th Judicial District of Colorado.
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.
IRS Revenue Agent Arrested for Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Revenue Agent for the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was arrested today for allegedly filing false personal tax returns for three years.
Ndeye Amy Thioub, 67, of Swampscott, was charged with filing false tax returns. Thioub will appear in federal court in Boston at 2 p.m. today.
According to the charging documents, Thioub has been employed by the IRS for over 17 years. In her current position as a Revenue Agent assigned to the Large Business and International Division of the IRS, Thioub conducts independent field examinations and related investigations of complex income tax returns filed by large businesses, corporations and organizations. Thioub has extensive and specialized knowledge of and training in accounting techniques, practices and investigative audit techniques. She is also responsible for examining and resolving various tax issues of individuals and business organizations that may include extensive national and/or international subsidiaries. In addition to her IRS position, Thioub worked as a Visiting Instructor at Salem State University, teaching college-level classes that included instruction on the verification of records; valuation and analysis of accounts; the importance of financial accounting and financial statements; professional standards; and ethics, professional responsibilities and legal liabilities issues facing auditors.
It is alleged that Thioub filed false personal tax returns for tax years 2017, 2018 and 2019. It is further alleged that, for each year, Thioub filed a false Schedule C claiming a business loss from a purported “import and export” business she claimed to have. As a result, the claimed net loss was carried over to her personal IRS Form 1040s and used to reduce Thioub’s adjusted gross income and ultimate tax liability. Specifically, Thioub allegedly underreported her total income by approximately $42,805 in 2017, $20,324 in 2018 and $27,063 in 2019.
The charge of filing a false tax return provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, followed by one year of supervised release and a $100,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Christopher J. Gust, Acting Special Agent in charge of the U.S. Department of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Northeast Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Kristina E. Barclay of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Gangster Disciples, Sisters of the Struggle Members Sentenced to Prison for Gang-Related MurdersRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A high-ranking member of the Gangster Disciples and a leader of its parallel female organization, the Sisters of the Struggle, were sentenced to prison today for their roles in a murderous conspiracy stemming from gang-related retribution that resulted in the shooting deaths of three Athens, Georgia, men.
Philmon Deshawn Chambers, aka “Dolla Phil,” 35, of Atlanta was sentenced to serve two consecutive Life terms plus 120 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Chambers was found guilty of Racketeer Influenced and Corruption Organization (RICO) Conspiracy; Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering - Murder (VICAR-Murder); Carry and Use of a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence; and Causing the Death of a Person Using a Firearm.
Co-defendant Andrea Paige Browner, aka “Drea,” 29, of Athens, Georgia, was sentenced to serve two concurrent sentences of 30 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Browner was found guilty of Racketeer Influenced and Corruption Organization (RICO) Conspiracy; Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering - Murder (VICAR-Murder); and Causing the Death of a Person Using a Firearm. The co-defendants were convicted on all counts by a federal jury on Aug. 17, 2023. Chief U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell is presiding over the case and handed down these sentences on March 20. The defendants are not eligible for parole.
“Philmon Chambers and his co-conspirators’ murderous crimes caused intense pain and suffering for three Georgia families whose loved ones were taken from them in a heinous manner,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “While no court can restore the lives that were lost, we hope these sentences provide some measure of justice and underscore our office’s commitment – working alongside our law enforcement partners – to combatting violent crime.”
“While these sentences won’t ease the pain felt by the victim’s families and friends, this does send a message of hope to our community that we will fight for the rights of those targeted by violent street gangs,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Dismantling violent criminal organizations is a priority for the FBI, and a goal we share with our law enforcement and prosecution partners across the country.”
“While these sentences will never undo the loss of the affected families, it sends a message that justice will prevail,” said Athens-Clarke County Police Chief Jerry Saulters. “We are grateful to our officers for their continued support of this case and those involved in the prosecution. Our community is safer because of your efforts.”
Two co-defendants previously entered guilty pleas and will be sentenced on March 27 in Macon:
Robert Maurice Carlisle, aka “Different,” 37, of Lithonia, Georgia, pleaded guilty to Racketeer Influenced and Corruption Organization (RICO) conspiracy on June 8, 2023, and is facing a maximum sentence of life in prison; and
Shabazz Larry Guidry, aka “Lil Larry,” 29, of Decatur, Georgia, pleaded guilty to Racketeer Influenced and Corruption Organization (RICO) conspiracy on June 8, 2023, and is facing a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The following co-defendant was sentenced to prison on Feb. 20:
Lesley Chappell Green, aka “Grip,” 35, of Stone Mountain, was sentenced to life in prison on Feb. 20 after he was convicted by a federal jury of Racketeer Influenced and Corruption Organization (RICO) conspiracy on Aug. 17, 2023.
According to court documents, Chambers held a “Position of Authority” within the national Gangster Disciples criminal organization, which included overseeing members of the “Enforcement Team.” Enforcement Teams within the Gangster Disciples are directed to discipline gang members for violations of gang rules through physical assault or murder. Co-defendant Green was a member of the Enforcement Team and held the title of “Assistant Chief Enforcer.” Co-defendant Browner was a member of the “Sisters of the Struggle” (SOS), a parallel female component of the Gangster Disciples, and held a leadership position in the gang.
Evidence presented at trial proved that on Dec. 10, 2018, Gangster Disciples member Walter Brown was murdered in Athens, Georgia. Chambers and Browner sought retaliation for Brown’s death and believed three unnamed Athens residents were responsible. On Dec. 14, 2018, Browner met Rodriquez Apollo Rucker, of Athens, at a downtown Athens hotel and learned that Rucker was related to one of the individuals she believed killed Brown. Browner sent text messages directing Chambers to travel to the motel, which he did. Chambers then followed Rucker home and shot and killed him. Browner notified an associate of the Gangster Disciples that she and Chambers would be leaving town because the police would be looking for them.
Browner was taken into custody in Mt. Enterprise, Texas, on Dec. 15, however Chambers, who had been in the vehicle with Browner, fled from law enforcement. Chambers was suspicious that someone was cooperating with law enforcement and focused his suspicions on Derrick Ruff and Joshua Jackson who were, in fact, not cooperating with law enforcement. Chambers incorrectly concluded that Ruff and Jackson were “snitches” and directed Green, who held a subordinate position on the Enforcement Team, to carry out the murders of Ruff and Jackson.
Text messages and intercepted phone calls between Chambers, Green, Carlisle and Guidry revealed that Ruff and Jackson were lured by Green, as directed by Chambers, to drive from Athens to Lawrenceville, Georgia, to break into storage sheds and steal items to send to Chambers as “aid and assistance” as he was hiding out from law enforcement in a Gangster Disciple “safe house” in Killeen, Texas. The ruse worked, and Ruff and Jackson were murdered on Dec. 19 and their bodies concealed in the storage unit until March 17, 2019, when police with the assistance of cadaver sniffing dogs located them. Additional messages between Chambers, Green, Carlisle and Guidry showed that they conspired to dispose of the victims’ bodies, which included potentially burning the bodies or dumping the bodies in a landfill. Law enforcement recovered the bodies and made arrests before these plans could be carried out.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Athens Resident Agency Middle Georgia Safe Streets Gang Task Force, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and the Gwinnett County Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Morrison of the Middle District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Kenneth Kaplan, formerly of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, are prosecuting the case with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Walker of the Middle District of Georgia.
Four Hoover Criminal Gang Members Indicted for Murder in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Portland has returned an indictment charging four Hoover Criminal Gang members for their roles in murdering a Portland man in December 2020.
Taezhon Tyreik Kelly, 23, Anthony Devion Bagsby, 32, and Delane William Roy, 25, all of Portland, and Cocoa Dalonta Taplin, 28, of Fairview, Oregon, have been charged with murder in aid of racketeering, using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, and causing death through the use of a firearm.
The indictment alleges that on December 11, 2020, Kelly, Bagsby, Taplin, and Roy intentionally murdered D.M., a Portland man, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing their position in the Hoover Criminal Gang, a criminal enterprise engaged in racketeering in California, Oregon, Washington, and elsewhere.
Bagsby and Taplin were arrested today in Portland by the FBI, Portland Police Bureau (PPB), and Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO). Both made their first appearances in federal court and were ordered detained pending a six-week jury trial scheduled to begin on April 30, 2024. Kelly was arrested Tuesday in Halton City, Texas and made his first appearance today in the Northern District of Texas. Roy was arrested today in Kaplan, Louisiana and made his first appearance in the Western District of Louisiana. Both were detained pending their transfer to the District of Oregon.
According to the indictment, the Hoovers are a criminal street gang operating in Oregon known to engage in acts of violence including murder, assault, robbery, sex trafficking, and the distribution of illegal narcotics. The Hoovers originated in Los Angeles in the late 1960s and established a presence in Portland in the early 1980s. The gang has a loose hierarchical structure in which members have different amounts of power and influence based on age and gang activity. To maintain status and increase one’s position in the gang, members are expected to carry out violence on behalf of the enterprise.
This case was investigated by the FBI, PPB, MCSO, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Gresham Police Department, and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This prosecution is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the U.S. 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.
Fort Myers Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Jonathan Garduno (33, Fort Myers) to 14 years in federal prison for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and attempting to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Garduno pleaded guilty on September 14, 2023.
According to court documents, on December 10, 2021, Garduno distributed approximately 109 grams of methamphetamine in exchange for a cash payment. The transaction occurred at Garduno’s residence.
On or about January 11, 2022, Garduno arranged for the shipment of a package containing methamphetamine to a residence in Lee County. Investigators with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service were able to locate the package within the mail stream, discovering it contained methamphetamine. Subsequent testing of the substance by a DEA forensic chemist determined that it was approximately 1,695.2 grams of actual methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.
Fort Lauderdale Man Pleads Guilty to $36.2 Million Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Omar Solari (35, Fort Lauderdale) has pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit health care fraud in a $36.2 million scheme in which pharmacy owners paid kickbacks and bribes to telemarketers and telemedicine providers to secure orders for medically unnecessary prescriptions that were billed to Medicare. Solari faces up to 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Solari and his co-conspirators owned and operated pharmacies that participated in the Medicare program. From approximately September 2018 through November 2021, Solari and his co-conspirators paid kickbacks and bribes to telemarketing companies in exchange for recruiting Medicare beneficiaries to accept prescriptions for various medications – mainly topical creams – which the beneficiaries usually did not want or need. Solari also owned and operated a telemarketing company, through which he received kickbacks from the pharmacies in exchange for beneficiary leads he provided.
Solari and his co-conspirators also paid kickbacks and bribes to telemedicine companies that employed or contracted with physicians who signed the prescriptions. The physicians had no physician-patient relationship with the beneficiaries and typically signed the prescriptions after a cursory telephone conversation with the beneficiary or with no contact at all. After obtaining Medicare beneficiary information and the signed prescriptions, Solari and his co-conspirators submitted claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary medications, sometimes through multiple pharmacies they owned and controlled in a practice known as “recycling,” and were reimbursed more than $36.2 million by Medicare Part D.
Solari has agreed to forfeit $6,341,240.58, which constitute the proceeds he obtained as a result of the conspiracy. He further agreed to forfeit four pieces of real property, two jet skis, and numerous watches and pieces of jewelry as substitute assets.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian and Trial Attorney Gary Winters of the Department of Justice – Criminal Division, Fraud Section. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington.
Former Universal Companies Executives Convicted at Trial of Conspiracy to Defraud the United States GovernmentRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that defendant Abdur Rahim Islam, 66, the former Chief Executive Officer of Universal Community Homes and defendant Shahied Dawan, 72, the former Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of Universal, both of Philadelphia, PA, were convicted today at trial of conspiring to defraud the United States.
Islam was also convicted of six counts of honest services wire fraud, five counts of wire fraud, and six counts of filing false tax returns.
Details of the charges follow.
Count 1 – Conspiracy to Defraud the United States (Islam and Dawan convicted)
The defendants conspired to defraud the United States by impeding, impairing, obstructing, and defeating the lawful functions of the Internal Revenue Service of the Department of the Treasury in the ascertainment, computation, assessment, and collection of income taxes, and in the regulation of tax-exempt charitable organizations, from at least in or about 2011 until at least in or about 2018.
The object of the conspiracy was to conceal from the Internal Revenue Service taxable income, including unapproved bonuses and payments to both defendants, and improperly reimbursed personal expenses to Islam. The defendants hid the true nature of these payments from Universal’s auditors as they prepared the IRS Forms 990 for Universal. As a result, the tax returns for Universal and its related companies were false. Because Universal was able to maintain its tax-exempt status as a Section 501(c)(3) organization, the defendants were able to take advantage of the benefits of Universal’s tax-exempt status, including the ability to solicit donations based on representations that such donations would be tax deductible.
Counts 2-7 – Honest Services Wire Fraud (Bribery) (Islam convicted)
Islam devised and participated in a scheme and artifice to defraud and to deprive the citizens of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, of their right to the honest services of then-Milwaukee Public Schools Board President Michael Bonds, from in or about December of 2014 to in or about February of 2018.
The scheme involved the payment of an $18,000 bribe to Bonds, who previously pleaded guilty, in exchange for Bonds using his official position to take a series of official actions to financially benefit Universal. These actions included advocating for and voting in favor of Universal’s expansion of charter school operations in Milwaukee, and for favorable lease terms for Universal.
Counts 8-12 – Wire Fraud (Islam convicted)
Islam devised and participated in a scheme and artifice to defraud and to obtain money and property, that is, at least $491,000, from the Universal Companies, by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises, from in or about December of 2014 to in or about February of 2018.
He stole significant sums of money from Universal, even while Universal was losing significant amounts of money due to the failed charter school expansion in Milwaukee. The thefts included unapproved bonuses of $280,000 for Islam and at least $211,000 in fraudulent expense reimbursements to him.
Counts 13-18 – Filing False Tax Returns (Islam convicted)
Islam filed false tax returns for tax years 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016, underreporting his taxable income by approximately $573,823, resulting in a tax loss to the government of approximately $196,577. The defendant did not report any of the money he took from Universal during the execution of the wire fraud scheme that is the subject of Counts 8-12.
“Islam and Dawan conspired to defraud the government — and therefore, taxpayers — out of revenue,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Today’s verdict holds them accountable for doing so, and holds Islam responsible for his years-long pattern of criminal activity. He treated Universal like a virtual ATM, shortchanging its charter schools’ students, and the community, in the process.”
“Public corruption is a top FBI criminal investigative priority, as it erodes public confidence in the systems built to better our communities,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our commitment to combating public corruption at any level and aggressively pursue those who abuse their positions for personal profit.”
“The outcome today is due to the dedicated efforts of IRS Criminal Investigation special agents and our law enforcement partners,” said Yury Kruty, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation. “IRS-Criminal Investigation is proud to have provided its financial expertise in this investigation, and we will continue to aggressively investigate individuals who engage in money laundering, tax fraud, or other types of white-collar crimes.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations Division, with assistance from the Department of Education Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mark B. Dubnoff and Linwood C. Wright, Jr.
Former New York City Transit Worker and Former New York State Court Officer Sentenced to 18 Months' Imprisonment for COVID-19 Loan FraudRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Arthur Cornwall, a former signal maintainer with the New York City Transit Authority, and Sean Williams, a former New York State Court Officer, were each sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack to 18 months in prison for conspiring to commit wire fraud in connection with their receipt of approximately $770,000 in small business loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDLP). The Court also ordered the defendants to pay $770,000 in restitution to the United States Small Business Administration. The defendants pleaded guilty to the charge in June 2023.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Daniel Brubaker, Inspector-in-Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, New York Division (USPIS), announced the sentences.
“Abuse of public benefits programs, particularly shameful when those defrauding the government are public servants, will not be tolerated and not forgotten with the passage of time from the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The defendants’ theft of relief money, despite holding jobs with good salaries and benefits, so they could purchase real estate, cryptocurrency and pay off credit card bills with the stolen funds, is deserving of jail sentences. This Office and our agency partners will continue working to bring to justice those fraudsters who take advantage of a national emergency, and recover every dollar that they stole from the government.”
Inspector in Charge of the New York Division Daniel B. Brubaker said, “The sentencing today of these two defendants should serve as a clear message to anyone who schemes to steal the public’s money, Postal Inspectors and our law enforcement partners will track you down and see you prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. What makes this case even more egregious is that the defendants were employed in positions of public trust when they stole money specifically intended for those struggling to keep their businesses afloat during the pandemic. Today is a win for the good guys and the people we protect, but the fight is far from over and we will continue to use every resource at our disposal to pursue anyone who attempts to defraud the public.”
Between May 2020 and July 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Cornwall and Williams fraudulently applied for, and received, at least six PPP and EIDLP loans, totaling approximately $770,000, on behalf of purported corporate entities they controlled. As part of the scheme designed to mislead the SBA and a financial institution disbursing the funds, the defendants submitted supporting documentation that contained false information, including the identity of the individual applying for the loan, the number of employees, revenue, payroll costs, and the intended use of the loan proceeds. Instead of using the funds for disaster relief, Cornwall and Williams diverted them for their personal use, including the discharge of personal credit card debt and the purchase of cryptocurrency. Following their guilty pleas, the defendants resigned from their respective government jobs.
Congress created the PPP and EIDLP as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Enacted on March 29, 2020, the CARES Act provided emergency financial assistance in connection with economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the allocation of funds for the issuance of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. The PPP allowed qualifying small businesses to receive unsecured loans on favorable terms, which they were required to use for specified expenses, including payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP provided for forgiveness of the loan if the recipient businesses spent the proceeds on these specified expenses within a limited time period and used a certain percentage for payroll costs.
Another source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the EIDLP, which provided low-interest financing to small businesses, renters, and homeowners in regions affected by declared disasters. Under the program, EIDLP recipients were eligible to receive advances of up to $10,000 for small businesses within three days of applying for an EIDL (EIDL Advance). The amount of an EIDL Advance was determined based on the number of employees working for the applicant. The EIDL Advance did not have to be repaid.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorney Bradley T. King is in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Samantha Schroder and Legal Assistants Danielle Casey and Janelle Robinson.
The Defendants:
ARTHUR CORNWALL
Age: 43
West Babylon, New YorkSEAN WILLIAMS
Age: 42
Valley Stream, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-238 (JMA)
Former Franklin Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge of Receiving and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - On March 19, 2024, a former resident of Franklin, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of receipt and possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Aaron Ray McClelland, 29, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, in and around October 2020 and July 2021, McClelland received images depicting prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The Court was also advised that the parties agreed as part of the plea agreement that the appropriate sentence in this case is a seven-year term of imprisonment, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release.
Judge Baxter scheduled sentencing for July 22, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police and Indiana County District Attorney’s Office conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of McClelland.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.