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Tuesday 19 March 2024
Colorado man admits criminal endangerment charge for vehicle crash on Blackfeet Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Colorado man accused of drinking alcohol and causing a one-vehicle crash on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in which a passenger suffered significant injuries admitted to a criminal endangerment charge today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Bryson Elijah Owens-Johnson, 29, of Denver, Colorado, pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging him with criminal endangerment. Owens-Johnson faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for July 17. Owens-Johnson was released pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that on July 29, 2021, near St. Mary, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Owens-Johnson was drinking with co-workers at a local bar. The group left the bar at closing time and six of them got into Owens-Johnson’s sedan. Owens-Johnson was traveling north on Highway 89 when he veered off the road, striking the guardrail almost head-on and damaging multiple steel and wood posts connected to it. Witnesses confirmed that everyone had been drinking alcohol at the local bar and that Owens-Johnson had been looking at his phone and veering on the roadway. Medical records from the Indian Health Service showed that Owens-Johnson had a blood alcohol concentration of .093 almost two hours after the crash was reported. One of the passengers, identified as John Doe, who is an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Indian Tribe, suffered significant injuries and continues to receive ongoing medical care.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah A. Paisley is prosecuting the case. The Montana Highway Patrol, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services and FBI conducted the investigation.
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Cincinnati woman pleads guilty to Social Security number fraudRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati woman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to committing Social Security number fraud. The defendant stole the identity of a deceased child and used it to avoid a pending criminal prosecution and to obtain thousands of dollars in government benefits.
Christina Vaskovsky, 56, pleaded guilty to five counts of Social Security number fraud. She was charged and arrested in November 2023.
According to court documents, Vaskovsky was indicted in Hamilton County in July 2008 for allegedly stealing $14,500 from her employer. Vaskovsky failed to appear at her trial scheduled in December 2008. A nationwide warrant was issued for her arrest.
In 2010, Vaskovsky obtained a new Ohio driver’s license using the name, date of birth and Social Security number of a child who was born the same year as Vaskovsky but who died in 1977.
The defendant then began using the child’s identity in a variety of contexts over a span of 13 years, including:
- Receiving $19,570 in food stamp benefits;
- Filing bankruptcy to discharge nearly $128,000 in debt;
- Obtaining Social Security disability benefits totaling nearly $39,000;
- Providing the false identity upon being arrested for shoplifting in Kentucky;
- Applying for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan;
- Receiving more than $11,600 in unemployment benefits;
- Obtaining Supplemental Security Income disability benefits totaling $4,833; and
- Receiving Medicare benefits under the stolen identity totaling more than $116,000.
The plea agreement recommends a sentence of 12 to 30 months in prison. As part of her plea, Vaskovsky has agreed to pay nearly $191,000 in restitution to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Social Security Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins. This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General with assistance from the USDA Office of Inspector General, Ohio BMV Investigations, Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Marshals Service. Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Landry is representing the United States in this case.
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Bullitt County Felon Sentenced to over 2 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Bullitt County, Kentucky, man was sentenced yesterday to 2 years and 9 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm after having been previously convicted of a felony offense.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Colonel Marcus Laytham, Chief of the Mt. Washington Police Department, made the announcement.
According to court documents, James Nott, 41, was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for illegally possessing an AK-type 7.62 mm rifle, a Charter Arms .38 special revolver, and ammunition on July 11, 2023. Nott was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On November 11, 2011, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, Nott was convicted of possession of an unregistered destructive device and possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of marijuana.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Mt. Washington Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Tieke and Stephanie Zimdahl prosecuted the case.
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Brandon Man Sentenced for Attempted Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Brandon, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on March 14, 2024.
Gatlin Wayne Herrera, age 31, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Herrera will also need to register as a sex offender.
Herrera was indicted by a federal grand jury in April of 2022. He pleaded guilty on November 30, 2023.
The conviction stemmed from incident between March 7, 2022, and March 16, 2022, when Herrera used his cell phone to knowingly request child pornography from an undercover agent posing as a 14-year-old female.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Sioux Falls Police Department, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, South Dakota Highway Patrol, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper 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.
Herrera was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Bosque Farms Man Charged with AssaultRead the Press Release
Albuquerque – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging a Bosque Farms man with assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
According to the indictment, on Sept. 22, 2023, Richard Jaramillo, 42, of Bosque Farms and an enrolled member of Pueblo of Isleta, assaulted John Doe and the assault resulted in serious bodily injury.
Yesterday, Jaramillo appeared in federal court for an initial appearance where the Court temporarily detained Jaramillo pending a detention hearing, which is scheduled for March 20, 2024. If convicted, Jaramillo faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today. The Isleta Police Department investigated, and Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting this case.
View the Indictment# # #
Aventura Technologies, Inc. Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Illegal Importation for Reselling Chinese Goods as U.S.-MadeRead the Press Release
CENTRAL ISLIP, NY – Earlier today, Aventura Technologies, Inc. (Aventura) pleaded guilty to committing mail and wire fraud conspiracy and illegal importation in federal court in Central Islip. The guilty plea reflects Aventura’s long-running, lucrative scheme to purchase Chinese-made security equipment (such as networked surveillance cameras) and resell it as U.S.-made, including to multiple agencies of the U.S. government, branches of the military and to customers overseas in the public and private sectors. The scheme began in 2006, ending in 2019 when charges were brought in this case. Aventura made more than $112 million in sales during that time. Today’s proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Arlene R. Lindsay.
In connection with its guilty plea, the company agreed to dissolve itself and to forfeit more than $3 million in seized assets, including Aventura’s headquarters and a seventy-foot yacht partially owned by the defendants, as well as more than 7,000 seized items of merchandise. All seven individuals charged in this case have pleaded guilty, including Aventura’s nominal president Frances Cabasso and its true chief executive, her husband Jack Cabasso.
In addition to Aventura’s fraudulent resale of Chinese-made goods, the company defrauded customers by falsely claiming that Frances Cabasso was in charge of Aventura in order to obtain access to valuable government contracts reserved for women-owned businesses. Frances Cabasso pled guilty to wire fraud conspiracy in connection with that scheme.
The individual defendants who pled guilty in the case were Frances Cabasso, Jack Cabasso, and senior executives Jonathan Lasker, Christine Lavonne Lazarus and Eduard Matulik, as well as employees Wayne Marino and Alan Schwartz.
The charges were announced by Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); Robert C. Erickson, Jr., Deputy Inspector General, General Services Administration Office of Inspector General (GSA OIG); Brian J. Solecki, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office (DCIS); Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Francis J. Russo, Director, Customs and Border Protection, New York Field Office (CBP); William W. Richards, Special Agent in Charge, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Office of Procurement Fraud Investigations (AFOSI); Heather Hill, Acting Inspector General, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA); Greg Gross, Special Agent in Charge, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Economic Crimes Field Office (NCIS); Keith K. Kelly, Special Agent-in-Charge, Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Fraud Field Office (Army CID); and Teri L. Donaldson, Inspector General for the Department of Energy (DOE IG).
“For years, the defendants, while pretending to be a women-owned business, intentionally corrupted the U.S. military supply chain by passing off Chinese-made networked electronics with known vulnerabilities as American-made,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This case highlights the importance of national and international inter-agency cooperation in securing our cyber supply chain and protecting our military readiness. We will spare no effort in holding accountable those who undermine and threaten the national security of the United States.”
“This GSA contractor lied about its surveillance and security equipment being made in the United States when it was actually being made in China,” stated GSA Deputy Inspector General Erickson. “Company executives also misrepresented to GSA that the company was woman-owned to gain access to government contracts they otherwise would not have been eligible to receive. We remain committed to investigating contract fraud such as this and holding criminals accountable.”
“The introduction of misbranded parts and materials into the DoD’s supply chain poses a significant risk to America’s military readiness and our national security,” stated DCIS Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Solecki. “We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice, to ensure that individuals and companies who engage in fraudulent activity, at the expense of our nation’s military members, are investigated and prosecuted.”
“Executives of Aventura Technologies have already pled guilty, detailing how the company fronted illegal importations and wire fraud by the sale of thousands of goods that entered the U.S. under fraudulent circumstances to federal entities,” stated IRS-CI Special Agent-in-Charge Fattorusso. “Their scheme went further to purport that Aventura was a woman-owned business simply to win additional government contracts. It is not common to see both the executives and the company face prosecution, but in this case, today’s guilty plea is proof of the significant amount of evidence present in this case.”
“U.S. Customs and Border Protection provided the critical link to an ongoing investigation that resulted in the takedown of an elaborate criminal enterprise,” stated CBP Director Russo. “This case serves as a great example of collaborative law enforcement efforts to uncover and dismantle criminal enterprises that seek to defraud the United States government for personal gain while jeopardizing our national defense and causing economic harm to their competitors.”
“This outcome demonstrates the Office of Procurement Fraud’s commitment to identify and hold accountable those who engage in fraudulent behavior that places our warfighters at risk,” stated AFOSI Special Agent-in-Charge Richards. “AFOSI, alongside our joint investigative and prosecutorial partners, will work tirelessly to combat fraud threatening the Department of the Air Force.”
“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) is the nation’s tax watchdog agency committed to ensuring the integrity of the IRS contracting and procurement process,” stated TIGTA’s Acting Inspector General Hill. “We are aggressively investigating individuals who attempt to defraud the IRS, like the individuals in this case. Companies working with the IRS and the Department of Treasury must conduct themselves with integrity and honesty. Thank you to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners for their support in this investigation.”
“Falsely misrepresenting the country of origin for equipment sold to the U.S. Government that is directly used in support of the safety and readiness of our warfighters is a serious crime,” said NCIS Special Agent-in-Charge Gross. “NCIS is committed to protecting the integrity of the Department of the Navy’s procurement and acquisitions process.”
“Today's plea is a fitting end for those who conspire to defraud the government,” stated Army CID Special Agent-in-Charge Kelly. “We are proud to work alongside our federal law enforcement partners to protect the United States Government from those who seek to misrepresent themselves and their product, thereby threatening the readiness of the U.S. Army and potentially risking the lives of countless soldiers.”
“The installation of the material provided by Aventura in a Department of Energy facility would have provided a possible pathway for the PRC to gather information on the personnel who work at one of the Nation’s most advanced research facilities,” said DOE Inspector General Donaldson. “I thank our law enforcement partners who supported our Special Agents to ensure this equipment didn’t make its way into the lab, and the US Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York for holding the company who put our national security at risk, accountable for its actions.”
The Country of Origin Fraud and Unlawful Importation Scheme
As admitted in court, Aventura lied for over a decade to its customers, including the U.S. military, the federal government, numerous private customers in the United States, and public and private sector customers abroad. Between 2008 and November 2019, Aventura made upwards of $112 million, including over $20 million in federal government contracts, while claiming that it was manufacturing its products at its headquarters in Commack, New York. In fact, since at least 2006, Aventura imported goods, primarily from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), then resold them as American-made or manufactured in a small number of other countries.
The company’s marketing relied heavily on U.S. flags and “American-made” branding, and its sales force routinely asserted that Aventura was the sole U.S. manufacturer of security equipment. As described below, Jack Cabasso went to extreme lengths to conceal the Chinese origin of his products, while at the same time writing to U.S. government procurement officials to accuse his competitors of reselling Chinese-made goods. Visitors to Aventura’s corporate headquarters were shown a fictitious “lab,” and were told that a separate building was reserved for classified government work and was off-limits to visitors. In fact, Aventura did not own or occupy the building in question.
In the course of its investigation, the government intercepted and covertly marked numerous shipments from PRC sources to Aventura’s Commack, New York headquarters. In some cases, cameras shipped from the PRC were pre-marked with Aventura’s logo and the phrase “Made in USA,” accompanied by an American flag. In many instances, the items were later resold to government agencies to whom the defendants falsely represented that the products were American-made. Examples include:
- In March 2019, the U.S. Navy ordered from Aventura a $13,500 laser night vision camera that was specified as American-made on Aventura’s U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) price list. In April 2019 at a shipping facility in Jamaica, Queens, a team led by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers intercepted a shipment from a PRC manufacturer to Aventura that contained a camera matching the Navy’s order, and surreptitiously marked it for later identification. Two weeks later, that same camera was delivered to Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut.
- In September 2018, the Department of Energy (DOE) ordered approximately $156,000 worth of supposed American-made networked automated turnstiles from Aventura, to be installed at a facility in Tennessee. In January 2019, turnstiles matching DOE’s order were intercepted in a shipment from a PRC manufacturer and marked by CBP; one month later, they arrived at the DOE facility in Tennessee. The crates shipped by Aventura to the DOE appeared identical to those that the CBP-led team had inspected, except that the shipping labels from the PRC directing the crates to Aventura had been peeled off, leaving behind visible traces of paper and glue. A special agent with the Department of Energy Office of Inspector General placed a call to Lazarus regarding the turnstile shipment in May 2019. During the call, Lazarus falsely stated that the turnstiles were “U.S. made [in] New York.”
- In 2018, Aventura sold the U.S. Air Force 25 body cameras. Aventura was contractually required to provide goods from a limited set of countries that did not include the PRC. In August 2018, however, an Air Force service member observed Chinese characters on the built-in screen of one of the body cameras. The body camera was sent for analysis to a specialist, who downloaded its firmware and found numerous indications that the camera was manufactured in the PRC. The camera contained multiple preloaded images that were apparently designed to display on the built-in screen—including the U.S. Air Force logo, the logo of the PRC Ministry of Public Security, and the logo of a PRC manufacturer of security equipment. All three logos had been saved to the camera’s firmware using the same software, on a computer that was set to a time zone in the PRC—indicating that the camera’s manufacturer in the PRC had been aware that the U.S. Air Force was a likely end user of the camera.
Coverup of the Country of Origin Fraud and Unlawful Importation Scheme
The defendants, working with counterparts in the PRC, went to extraordinary lengths to conceal this scheme. For example:
- In November 2018, Jack Cabasso exchanged emails with an employee of a PRC manufacturer of surveillance equipment (PRC Manufacturer-2), identifying the need to “hide” the name of PRC Manufacturer-2 from Aventura’s customers. One week later, Cabasso stressed the need to take steps so that “they cannot trace” the product to PRC Manufacturer-2. Cabasso added that “the biggest problem” was that PRC Manufacturer-2’s initials were marked on its circuit boards, and said that he had “lost several potential customers” because of similar practices by another PRC manufacturer (PRC Manufacturer-1). The employee responded that the company’s initials would be removed from all circuit boards shipped to Aventura.
- Similarly, in December 2018, Aventura executives exchanged emails with employees of another PRC-based digital video equipment manufacturer (PRC Manufacturer-4). They complained to the employees that “communication from the server to the client contains [PRC Manufacturer-4’s name] visible in clear text. This should be changed.” When one of the employees wrote that this could not be changed, Jack Cabasso responded: “WE CANNOT HAVE CUSTOMERS ABLE TO SEE [PRC Manufacturer-4’s name]”, later adding: “we also sent a sample to a customer and he found [PRC Manufacturer-4] … branding in the [operating system] which is a problem.”
On or about November 23, 2016, Jack Cabasso sent an email to a GSA representative accusing 12 other GSA contractors of selling products to the U.S. Government that were manufactured by a PRC manufacturer of surveillance equipment (PRC Manufacturer-1). Cabasso asserted that this was a “big problem” and “doesn’t get any worse,” because PRC Manufacturer-1 was “actually the Communist Chinese Government and ha[d] ‘significant’ cybersecurity issues aside from” compliance with U.S. laws specifying country-of-origin requirements for government purchases. Cabasso stated that PRC Manufacturer-1 “will acknowledge they manufacture no products outside of China,” and appended an article about the removal of cameras manufactured by PRC Manufacturer-1 from the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan.
Notably, Aventura was importing security equipment from PRC Manufacturer-1 while Jack Cabasso was complaining to GSA about other contractors’ supposed dealings with the company. For example, bank records show that Aventura wired funds to PRC Manufacturer-1 in the PRC on or about October 31, 2016 and November 29, 2016, and law enforcement records show that on or about December 13, 2016, Aventura imported from PRC Manufacturer-1 in PRC an approximately 1,800-pound shipment of goods manifested as “digital video.”
In November 2018, Aventura executives communicated with a potential distributor in Qatar who asked for assurance that Aventura’s cameras were American-made. Cabasso responded: “I believe Ed [Matulik] confirmed that they are made in the Aventura factory here in New York and [anyone] may visit at any time.” Cabasso attached what purported to be a photograph of Aventura’s assembly line, depicting a row of seated individuals in blue lab coats and protective hairnets working at laboratory benches—a photograph that also appeared on Aventura’s website. In reality, this photograph first appeared in a trade publication article recounting a reporter’s visit to PRC Manufacturer-1’s manufacturing facility in Hangzhou, PRC, and it depicts PRC Manufacturer-1’s assembly line—not Aventura’s.
The Scheme to Misrepresent Aventura as a Woman-Owned Small Business
In a parallel scheme, Jack and Frances Cabasso, along with other Aventura executives, falsely represented on numerous occasions that Frances Cabasso was the chief executive of Aventura. In fact, Frances Cabasso was in charge only on paper; the true chief executive officer of Aventura was Jack Cabasso, and Frances Cabasso played a minimal role at the company. This misrepresentation gave Aventura access to government contracts that were set aside for women-owned small businesses, a category that is legally defined to include only businesses owned by women where management and daily operations are also controlled by one or more women.
Aventura’s website and its GSA webpage identify Aventura as a woman-owned business, and the defendants repeatedly certified to the GSA and stated to government procurement officers that Aventura is a woman-owned business. For example, on or about January 13, 2014, a GSA employee emailed Frances Cabasso to “verify if Aventura Technologies, Inc. is a Woman-Owned business.” She replied: “Yes we are still a certified women-owned business.” Aventura won multiple contracts from the federal government on the strength of its status as a woman-owned business.
In fact, real control at Aventura was exercised by Jack Cabasso. Frances Cabasso worked as a bookkeeper at a nearby business and was rarely present at Aventura’s offices. At times, emails sent to Frances Cabasso’s email address were auto-forwarded to Jack Cabasso, who sometimes signed his responses in Frances’s name. The defendants openly joked about the fact that Frances Cabasso did not work at Aventura. For example, in an instant message exchange on December 5, 2016 between Jack Cabasso and Lazarus, both defendants discussed moving another employee into “Fran’s office”--the office of the purported owner of the company—putting the word “Fran’s” in quotation marks.
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The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander Mindlin, Kayla Bensing and Claire Kedeshian are in charge of the prosecution. Significant contributions were made by former Assistant United States Attorney Ian Richardson, now Chief Counsel for Corporate Enforcement within the Department’s National Security Division.
The Defendant:
AVENTURA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Commack, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-582 (JMA)
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Statement on Sentencings of Former Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers Who Tortured and Abused Two Black MenRead the Press Release
Two former Mississippi law enforcement officers were sentenced today for the torture and abuse of two Black men in Rankin County, Mississippi. Hunter Elward, 31, a former Rankin County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) Deputy, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Jeffrey Middleton, 46, a former RCSO Lieutenant, was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison.
Four more defendants, all former Mississippi law enforcement officers, will be sentenced tomorrow and Thursday. In 2023, all six defendants pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging them with multiple felony offenses, including civil rights conspiracy, deprivation of rights under color of law, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and obstruction of justice.
The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland:
“These defendants will spend 20 years and 17.5 years in prison for their heinous attack on citizens they had sworn an oath to protect,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “These defendants kicked in the door of a home where two Black men were residing, handcuffed and arrested them without probable cause, called them racial slurs, and punched, kicked, tased, and assaulted them. After one of the defendants fired his gun in the mouth of one of the victims, breaking his jaw, the defendants gathered outside to come up with a cover story as the victim lay bleeding on the floor. The Justice Department will hold accountable officers who violate constitutional rights, and in so doing, betray the public trust.”
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Statement on FBI Quarterly Uniform Crime ReportRead the Press Release
The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the release of the FBI Quarterly Uniform Crime Report:
“In May 2021, the Justice Department launched our violent crime reduction strategy aimed at addressing the spike in violent crime that occurred during the pandemic.
“Since then, our prosecutors, agents, and grantmaking experts have worked in close partnership with police departments and communities across the country to go after the recidivists and gangs that are responsible for the greatest violence; to seize illegal guns and deadly drugs; to make critical investments in hiring more law enforcement officers; and to fund evidence-based, community violence intervention initiatives.
“We know that hard fought progress can easily slip away, and we must remain focused and vigilant. But today, we are encouraged by this data indicating a decrease in violent crime in communities across the country in 2023 compared to the prior year, including an over 13% decline in homicides. This important indicator of declining violent crime comes in the wake of other encouraging data we have seen released within the last year.
“The Justice Department will continue to remain laser-focused on working with our law enforcement and community partners to drive down violent crime. We will not rest until every community in our country is safe.”
Attorney and Former Bank Director Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MENDEL ZILBERBERG was sentenced today to 30 months in prison in connection with a scheme to obtain a fraudulent $1.4 million loan from Park Avenue Bank. The defendant was a member of Park Avenue Bank’s board of directors at the time of the offense. ZILBERBERG was previously found guilty following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels, who imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Those entrusted with the stewardship of financial institutions must uphold their responsibilities with integrity, not exploit their positions. Mendel Zilberberg’s manipulation of his roles as a legal practitioner and a director of Park Avenue Bank exemplifies a disturbing breach: one that led to a staggering loss for the institution. Safeguarding the integrity of our financial systems is imperative, and this Office will not tire in our mission to track down those who pose threats to this vital cornerstone of stability.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, the evidence offered at trial, and matters included in public filings:
In or about 2009, ZILBERBERG conspired with a co-defendant, Aron Fried, and others to obtain a fraudulent loan from Park Avenue Bank (the “Bank”). Knowing that the co-conspirators would not be able to obtain the loan directly, the co-conspirators recruited a straw borrower (the “Straw Borrower”) to make the loan application. The Straw Borrower applied for a $1.4 million loan from the Bank on the basis of numerous lies, as directed by ZILBERBERG and his co-conspirators.
ZILBERBERG used his privileged position at the Bank to ensure that the loan was processed promptly. Based on the false representations made to the Bank and ZILBERBERG’s involvement in the loan approval process, the Bank issued a $1.4 million loan to the Straw Borrower, which was quickly disbursed to ZILBERBERG and his co-conspirators through multiple bank accounts and transfers. In total, ZILBERBERG received more than approximately $500,000 of the loan proceeds. The Straw Borrower received nothing from the loan and ultimately defaulted, resulting in a loss to the Bank of over $1 million.
On November 15, 2022, Fried pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. On April 10, 2023, Judge Daniels sentenced Fried to one year and one day in prison.
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In addition to the prison term, ZILBERBERG, 65, of Monsey, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $1,066,853 in restitution and $506,000 in forfeiture.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s Office of the Inspector General.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dina McLeod, Daniel G. Nessim, and Kimberly Ravener, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Joseph Carbone, are in charge of the prosecution.
Atlanta Meat Market Owner Sentenced to Federal Prison in $10 Million Food Stamp Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Uttam Halder has been sentenced to federal prison for a $10 million scheme to purchase Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits from low-income recipients. After his arrest, Halder became a fugitive, fled to Mexico, and attempted to flee to Istanbul, where he was apprehended by foreign authorities with a counterfeit Mexican passport.
“The federal government trusted Halder to safeguard precious SNAP funds designed to alleviate hunger but he abused that trust to fuel his greed by profiting from a multimillion-dollar scheme to fraudulently redeem SNAP benefits,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Despite Halder’s attempt to flee, the coordinated response from multiple agencies and foreign law enforcement returned him to the United States to face justice for his crimes.”
“Today’s sentence serves not only as just punishment for this defendant but also as a notice to others who seek to prey on defrauding the taxpayer through SNAP,” said Miles Davis, Special Agent-in-Charge, USDA-Office of Inspector General. “Purchasing those benefits for cash and sharing Point-of-Sale terminals will be vigorously investigated. This collaborative effort with our state and federal partners demonstrates that wherever you are, we will find you and fully hold you accountable for the law.”
“Halder’s attempt to defraud the government and evade prosecution was thwarted due to the diligence of HSI and its law enforcement partners,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Atlanta Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony J. Patrone, who oversees HSI operations in Georgia and Alabama. “For those contemplating similar crimes, HSI will tirelessly pursue those engaged in fraud schemes that violate the public trust.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Uttam Halder owned and operated a small meat market in Atlanta called Big Daddy’s Discount Meat (“Big Daddy’s”). Halder enrolled Big Daddy’s as a retailer for the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”) in 2014. SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, is designed to alleviate hunger among low-income families by providing benefits on Electronic Benefit Transfer (“EBT”) cards that can be exchanged for eligible food items. USDA regulations state that SNAP benefits may not be purchased or sold in exchange for cash.
Between 2015 and 2020, Halder loaned his EBT terminals to two stores, Food World and Big Brother Mini Supermarket, contrary to SNAP rules. Co-conspirator Paltu Roy, the operator of Big Brother Mini Supermarket, and another co-conspirator who operated Food World, agreed to share profits with Halder from Big Daddy’s terminals used illegally at those stores. After receiving Big Daddy’s EBT terminals, both stores made cash payments to customers in return for redeeming their SNAP benefits at the rate of roughly 50 cents on the dollar. During this six-year period, Big Daddy’s terminals collected more than $10 million in fraudulent redemptions of SNAP benefits, and Halder shared a substantial portion of the profits.
Following his arrest in January 2021, Halder was released on bond. Contrary to his bond conditions, Halder fled and became a fugitive in late 2022. In June 2023, foreign authorities in Turkey located Halder when he attempted to enter Istanbul from Cancun, Mexico with a fake passport. Halder was returned to the United States and placed into custody.
Uttam Halder, 43, of Decatur, Georgia, has been sentenced to 68 months of incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $10,340,986. On September 19, 2023, Halder pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of failure to appear.
His co-conspirator, Paltu Roy, 51, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on December 9, 2021. Roy was sentenced on April 20, 2022, to three years and one month in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $3,071,235 in restitution to the USDA.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan P. Kitchens prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Apple Valley Man Sentenced to 13.5 Years in Prison for Possession of Narcotics, FirearmsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – An Apple Valley man has been sentenced to 162 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on July 23, 2023, law enforcement attempted to arrest Timothy Allen Torell Wetzstein, 31, on outstanding warrants. Wetzstein fled from police officers but was arrested after a short foot chase. During the chase, Wetzstein threw away a Springfield Armory .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol. Police searched Wetzstein’s backpack and vehicle and recovered quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, more than $11,000 in cash, and three additional firearms. As part of his guilty plea, Wetzstein also admitted to possessing methamphetamine, fentanyl, and firearms on multiple other occasions between October 2020 and July 2023.
On November 9, 2023, Wetzstein pleaded guilty to one count of possession of methamphetamine and fentanyl with the intent to distribute. He was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, Ramsey Police Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Dakota County Drug Task Force, and Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner prosecuted the case.
Alabama Man Sentenced for Wire Fraud and Preparation of False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Boaz, Ala. man, Jeremy Clay Guthrie, 45, has been sentenced to 27 months in federal prison, by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, for wire fraud and aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.
According to his guilty plea agreement, Guthrie was employed as the manager of the Frankfort, Ky. branch of a privately owned aviary supply business, until he was fired on September 27, 2017. During his last two years as a manager, he stole over $550,000 from his employer and customers, by charging customer credit and debit cards for products but
diverting payment for those products to his own personal company, Guthrie’s Naturals. He also altered the pay-to lines on checks from customers and routinely offered customers unauthorized discounts in exchange for cash payments, embezzling much of the cash he received. Guthrie also created false pick tickets for sales to customers of his employer’s products, concealed those sales from his employer, and pocketed the proceeds.
The Defendant also failed to disclose all the income he received from this fraudulent scheme to his tax preparer or the IRS, for tax years 2016 and 2017. Ultimately, Guthrie agreed that he underreported his income by $325,543and admitted that he intentionally concealed a significant portion of his company sales and other unlawfully obtained proceeds and spent proceeds from unreported sales and cash transactions, in part, to fund a drug addiction. At sentencing, the Court found that the criminal loss caused by Guthrie’s crimes was between $550,000 and $1,500,000. An order of restitution to the victims remains pending.
Under federal law, Guthrie must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Karen Wingerd, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Cincinnati Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation; Robert Holman, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service; and Chris Quire, Franklin County Sheriff, jointly announced the sentence.
The federal investigation was conducted by IRS-CI, USSS, and Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Tashena A. Fannin.
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Akua Mosaics, Inc. and its President Plead Guilty to a Conspiracy to Smuggle Goods into the United States to Avoid Paying over $1 Million in Duties and TariffsRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Kenneth Fleming and Akua Mosaics, Inc. (“Akua Mosaics”) pleaded guilty today to a conspiracy to smuggle goods into the United States in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 545, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
According to the plea agreements, from 2021 through June 2022 Akua Mosaics and its president, Kenneth Fleming, conspired to defraud the United States by smuggling and clandestinely importing porcelain mosaic tiles manufactured in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), by falsely representing to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that said merchandise was of Malaysian origin. This was done with the intent to avoid paying antidumping duties of approximately 330.69%, countervailing duties of approximately 358.81%, and other duties of approximately 25% which were owed when importing these tiles from PRC to the United States.
Fleming and Akua Mosaics conspired with Shuyi Mo, a citizen and resident of PRC. Between October 2021 and January 2022, these caused a container with porcelain tiles manufactured in PRC to be shipped from PRC to Malaysia. They caused “Made in Malaysia” labels to be placed on boxes containing porcelain tiles manufactured in PRC and then caused a container with porcelain tiles manufactured in PRC to be shipped from Malaysia to Puerto Rico misrepresenting the country of origin as Malaysia, when in fact, PRC was the country of origin. The total amount of unpaid duties and tariffs on this shipment was approximately $1,090,000.
Mo was arrested on April 29, 2023 in the Northern District of California while attempting to the leave the United States. See May 3, 2023 Press Release. Mo pleaded guilty on to his participation in the conspiracy and was sentenced on September 1, 2023 to the approximately four month term of imprisonment he had served and was removed from the United States.
Fleming and Akua Mosaics face a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a payment of $1,090,000 in restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Juan Global Trade Investigations Group (GTIG) in collaboration with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander L. Alum is prosecuting the case.
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Monday 18 March 2024
“Rock Doc” Sentenced for Opioid Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Tennessee nurse practitioner known locally as the “Rock Doc” was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for illegally prescribing opioids — including oxycodone and fentanyl — from his medical practice in Jackson, Tennessee.
“The self-proclaimed ‘Rock Doc’ abused the power of the prescription pad to supply his small community with hundreds of thousands of doses of highly addictive prescription opioids to obtain money, notoriety, and sexual favors,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The defendant’s conduct endangered his patients and the community as a whole. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of this criminal conduct and the department’s commitment to protecting communities from the scourge of illegally prescribed drugs.”
“The epidemic of opioid abuse is fueled by doctors like the defendant who are willing to over-prescribe highly addictive drugs and exploit patient pain for their own financial gain,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. “This sentence sends a strong message that healthcare professionals who prey on those who suffer from addiction are no better than street corner drug dealers — and that our office and law enforcement partners will hold them just as accountable for their crimes.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jeffrey W. Young Jr., 49, of Jackson, used his medical practice, Preventagenix, to illegally prescribe medically unnecessary controlled substance pills to hundreds of patients, including a pregnant woman and women with whom he was having inappropriate physical relationships. Young maintained a party-type atmosphere at his clinic, and prescribed these drugs at least in part to boost his popularity on social media and promote a self-produced reality TV show pilot based on his self-identified persona, the “Rock Doc.” Young prescribed more than 100,000 doses of hydrocodone, oxycodone, and fentanyl into the community.
“Mr. Young operated a medical practice with a wanton disregard for the health and well-being of his patients who entrusted him with their medical care,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Erek Davodowich of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Louisville Field Division. “Any healthcare provider who conducts business in such a manner that causes harm to his patients and community should expect to meet the full weight of the justice system.”
“While we applaud the dedication of the overwhelming majority of medical providers, on occasion, a provider such as Mr. Young abuses his prescribing authority to serve self-interests and contribute to patient addiction and endangerment,” said Director David Rausch of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). “Alongside our valuable law enforcement partners, the healthcare community, and private citizens, the TBI stands committed to identifying, investigating, and bringing to justice those who seek to misuse their authority for personal gain or notoriety and put our community at risk.”
The DEA and TBI investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the Jackson Police Department.
Assistant Chief Kate Payerle and Trial Attorney Drew Pennebaker of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
“Rock Doc” Sentenced for Opioid Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Tennessee nurse practitioner known locally as the “Rock Doc” was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for illegally prescribing opioids — including oxycodone and fentanyl — from his medical practice in Jackson, Tennessee.
“The self-proclaimed ‘Rock Doc’ abused the power of the prescription pad to supply his small community with hundreds of thousands of doses of highly addictive prescription opioids to obtain money, notoriety, and sexual favors,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The defendant’s conduct endangered his patients and the community as a whole. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of this criminal conduct and the department’s commitment to protecting communities from the scourge of illegally prescribed drugs.”
“The epidemic of opioid abuse is fueled by doctors like the defendant who are willing to over-prescribe highly addictive drugs and exploit patient pain for their own financial gain,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. “This sentence sends a strong message that healthcare professionals who prey on those who suffer from addiction are no better than street corner drug dealers — and that our office and law enforcement partners will hold them just as accountable for their crimes.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jeffrey W. Young Jr., 49, of Jackson, used his medical practice, Preventagenix, to illegally prescribe medically unnecessary controlled substance pills to hundreds of patients, including a pregnant woman and women with whom he was having inappropriate physical relationships. Young maintained a party-type atmosphere at his clinic, and prescribed these drugs at least in part to boost his popularity on social media and promote a self-produced reality TV show pilot based on his self-identified persona, the “Rock Doc.” Young prescribed more than 100,000 doses of hydrocodone, oxycodone, and fentanyl into the community.
“Mr. Young operated a medical practice with a wanton disregard for the health and well-being of his patients who entrusted him with their medical care,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Erek Davodowich of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Louisville Field Division. “Any healthcare provider who conducts business in such a manner that causes harm to his patients and community should expect to meet the full weight of the justice system.”
“While we applaud the dedication of the overwhelming majority of medical providers, on occasion, a provider such as Mr. Young abuses his prescribing authority to serve self-interests and contribute to patient addiction and endangerment,” said Director David Rausch of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). “Alongside our valuable law enforcement partners, the healthcare community, and private citizens, the TBI stands committed to identifying, investigating, and bringing to justice those who seek to misuse their authority for personal gain or notoriety and put our community at risk.”
The DEA and TBI investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the Jackson Police Department.
Assistant Chief Kate Payerle and Trial Attorney Drew Pennebaker of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Yorba Linda Man and Colorado Man Plead Guilty to Fatally Shooting Wild Burros in Mojave Desert and Unlawfully Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – An Orange County man and a Colorado man pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for shooting three wild burros (donkeys) to death in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County in late 2021.
Christopher James Arnet, 32, of Loveland, Colorado, and Cameron John Feikema, 36, of Yorba Linda, California, each pleaded guilty to one felony count of possession of an unregistered firearm, namely a short-barreled rifle, and one misdemeanor count of maliciously causing the death of a burro on public lands.
According to their plea agreements, on November 5, 2021, the defendants drove in Arnet’s truck to public land north of the town of Yermo, in San Bernardino County. Arnet and Feikema eventually got out of Arnet’s truck and were dressed in tactical gear, including ballistic helmets equipped with night vision goggles. Arnet and Feikema each possessed an AR-style firearm.
At approximately 1 a.m. on November 6, 2021, Arnet and Feikema collectively fired at least 13 rounds from their firearms, striking and killing three wild burros. Arnet fired at least five rounds from his firearm while Feikema fired at least four rounds from his weapon. One burro was shot near its spine towards its hind legs, which paralyzed the burro’s hind legs and caused the animal severe pain before it died. A bullet removed from that burro was fired from Arnet’s firearm.
Law enforcement later seized the firearms involved in the burro shootings at Arnet and Feikema’s residences. When the firearms were seized, each was a short-barreled rifle and therefore required to be registered under federal law. Neither of the firearms was registered.
United States District Judge Jesus G. Bernal scheduled July 8 sentencing hearings for the defendants, who will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for the firearm count and up to one year in federal prison for the burro death count. As part of the plea agreements, defendants agreed to forfeit or abandon the illegally possessed rifles, over 4,000 rounds of ammunition, night vision goggles, and other tactical gear.
The Bureau of Land Management investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Cory L. Burleson, of the Riverside Branch Office, and Alexander Su, of the Asset Forfeiture & Recovery Section, are prosecuting these cases.
West Hills Woman Who Disposed of One Victim’s Body Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Stealing Identities, Homes and AssetsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley woman has been sentenced to 240 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining ownership of real estate and money via identity theft and forged power-of-attorney forms in a near-$3.9 million scheme that included dismembering and disposing of a dead body to prevent the discovery of this victim’s death, the Justice Department announced today.
Caroline Joanne Herrling, 44, a.k.a. “Carrie Phenix,” of West Hills, was sentenced late Friday by United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong. Judge Frimpong also ordered Herrling to pay $3,887,051 in restitution.
“This defendant’s misconduct was both greedy and grotesque, causing profound pain to the victims and their loved ones,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “There must be serious consequences for those who prey on vulnerable communities, such as older adults, and my office will remain steadfast in bringing these offenders to justice.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to work diligently with our local law enforcement partners to protect our communities from criminals who target our most vulnerable population,” said Inspector in Charge Carroll Harris of the Los Angeles Division. “Today’s sentencing shows that justice will be served to those who commit such criminal acts.”
“The LAPD would like to thank our federal partners at the US Postal Inspection Service and the United States Attorney’s Office, without whom a resolution in this case would not have been possible,” said Los Angeles Police Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton.
According to court documents, Herrling and her co-conspirators preyed on vulnerable victims by searching for properties in affluent neighborhoods that appeared unkempt. For example, Herrling used online mapping programs and visited nicer neighborhoods to search for algae-filled swimming pools or overgrown shrubs to identify houses with vulnerable victims who were unable to care for their properties.
After finding such a home in Sherman Oaks in 2020, Herrling and her co-conspirators broke into the residence, where an elderly victim resided. At some point in September 2020, the victim died – investigators are uncertain how – and they believe that Herrling and others took over the property while his body decomposed in his home. Rather than reporting his death, Herrling and others in the conspiracy left his body in his house while they looted his assets. Herrling used a forged power-of-attorney form so she could pretend to act on the victim’s behalf while stealing his real estate and financial accounts.
In October 2021, law enforcement began investigating the case when neighbors reported the victim missing. According to court documents, Herrling identified herself to police as a close friend of the victim and his family. She also was listed as the trustee of the victim’s family trust – which purportedly had been created by the victim’s mother, who died in June 2017 – but in fact was a forgery. She told police that the victim had moved from Sherman Oaks to Carpinteria, which was not true because the victim was already dead.
After Herrling learned of the police investigation into the missing victim, her co-conspirators and she executed an elaborate scheme to ensure his body was never found and his death remain unreported, this to support the idea that the victim agreed to distribute his assets to Herrling and her co-conspirators.
Herrling and her co-conspirators moved the victim’s body to her apartment in West Los Angeles, where they attempted to dissolve his body in a concoction of chemicals, investigators found. When that did not work, Herrling and her co-conspirators dismembered the body, placed the pieces in vacuum-sealed bags and moved the victim’s body to the Bay Area. Another member of the conspiracy who owned a sailboat assisted in disposing of the mutilated remains of the deceased victim into San Francisco Bay, the investigation revealed. The victim’s remains have never been found.
During Friday’s sentencing hearing, Judge Frimpong said this victim was “a man and a human being,” but Herrling “did not see that” and instead treated him “like a cash register.”
The deceased victim was the listed executor and beneficiary to the will of another victim, but this document was another forgery that Herrling claimed to have “discovered” in a safe deposit box rented by the deceased victim’s mother, court papers state. Based on this forged will, the missing victim was to inherit an estate worth more than $1.7 million – assets that ultimately fell under Herrling’s control as the trustee for his estate.
Herrling and her co-conspirators also defrauded a third victim and sold his home without his consent by using a conspirator with fake identity documents to pose as the victim. Herrling set up accounts to receive the proceeds of the sale of this victim’s real estate, a transaction that generated approximately $1.5 million. According to court documents, this victim, who was already suffering from mental health issues, took his own life after losing his home. Herrling later used her ill-gotten gains to purchase a residence in West Hills.
The total loss in this case was $3,887,051.
Herrling pleaded guilty in March 2023 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She has been in federal custody since January 2023.
One of Herrling’s accomplices – Matthew Jason Kroth, 50, of Tarzana – pleaded guilty in October 2023 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud, and up to 40 years for methamphetamine trafficking when he is sentenced on June 7.
The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Los Angeles Police Department, Valley Bureau Homicide are investigating this matter. Significant assistance was provided by the Los Angeles Joint Regional Intelligence Center.
Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Brown of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey Announces Policies Underlying Whistleblower Pilot ProgramRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Today, United States Attorney Ismail Ramsey publicly announced the release of new policies underlying the Northern District of California (NDCA) Whistleblower Pilot Program. The recently-announced NDCA Whistleblower Pilot Program (attached and published here) is designed to proactively uncover criminal conduct in the District.
U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced the pilot program on March 7, 2024, as part of her keynote address to the American Bar Association’s 39th National Institute on White Collar Crime in San Francisco, California. During the keynote address, Deputy A.G. Monaco observed that the program complements the Department of Justice’s Voluntary Self Disclosure (VSD) programs—programs that encourage companies to take responsibility for misconduct within their organizations. The Whistleblower Pilot Program is, “in essence, [a] voluntary self-disclosure program[ ] for individuals.” Like the VSD program, the new Whistleblower Pilot Program rewards self-disclosure, in part by “offering non-prosecution agreements to certain categories of at-fault individuals who self-disclose wrongdoing . . . .”
United States Attorney Ramsey said:
“Our District’s new Whistleblower Program creates a strong incentive for wrongdoers to come forward, report crimes, and cooperate with us in several critical areas – fraud, public corruption, and theft of trade secrets. In exchange for the self-disclosure of unknown federal crimes and for ongoing cooperation against other individuals, qualifying whistleblowers can receive a promise from this Office not to prosecute them.
Our message to companies and individuals alike is straightforward: If you know a crime has been committed, you have a limited window to come forward and receive leniency. If you choose not to come forward, someone else will, and then you will face prosecution and punishment. To get on the right side of the law and take advantage of this program, email us using the instructions on our website.”
The Whistleblower Pilot Program encourages early and voluntary self-disclosure of criminal conduct by individual participants in certain non-violent offenses. In exchange for self-disclosure and cooperation against others involved in the criminal conduct, the Office of the United States Attorney in the NDCA will enter into a non-prosecution agreement where certain specified conditions are met, including, importantly, the condition that the Government was not previously aware of the criminal conduct that is the subject of the disclosure. By providing clarity on the requirements and the benefits of such self-disclosure, the published policies incentivize individuals and their counsel to provide actionable and timely information. That will, in turn, help bring more misconduct to light and better protect the communities within the District.
As with all internal policies of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, this program provides guidance to prosecutors. Nothing in these policies creates any substantive or procedural rights, privileges, or benefits enforceable in any administrative, civil, or criminal matter by prospective or actual witnesses or parties. It remains at all times in the sole discretion of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to determine whether an individual has satisfied each of the conditions necessary for the Office to enter into a non-prosecution agreement in exchange for the individual’s cooperation, and, where the Office has determined that any of those conditions are not met, it remains at all times in the sole discretion of the Office to determine whether to extend a non-prosecution agreement in exchange for the individual’s cooperation.
U.S. Attorney Dena J. King Leads Panel Discussion with Student Government Representatives on Youth Violence Prevention and InterventionRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Forty-eight student government representatives from high schools in North Carolina’s westernmost counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians gathered today at the Cherokee High School on the Qualla Boundary for the 2024 Western North Carolina Student Council Spring Conference (WNC Conference).
The annual conference is an opportunity for high school student leaders to exchange ideas and information on important topics that impact their schools, network with other student body representatives, and collaborate on how to engage their campus communities.
WNC Conference organizers invited U.S. Attorney Dena J. King again this year to lead a panel on youth violence disruption, prevention and intervention. During the panel discussion, U.S. Attorney King shared information on the contributing factors of youth violence and encouraged students to trade ideas with their peers on how to prevent and stop incidents of violence in their schools. U.S. Attorney King also stressed the important role student governments play in facilitating solutions that can reduce acts of violence and enhance safe learning. Over the course of the panel, students had an opportunity to ask questions and share their perspectives on the causes and circumstances that may lead to youth violence and offered possible remedies to help reduce violence on school grounds.
“Student council members are elected to be the students’ voice within their schools and represent the interests, concerns and needs of their peers,” said U.S. Attorney King. “As student leaders, they are also tasked with raising issues that may impact academic achievement and prevent students from thriving in their classrooms. I encourage all students attending the conference to network with each other, share their experiences, and facilitate ideas that can be implemented in their own high schools.”
U.S. Attorney King also stressed the importance of developing effective communication and leadership skills, increasing student involvement within the community, and facilitating positive interactions with law enforcement.
U.S. Attorney King noted, “Today’s event is an opportunity to connect with student leaders, encourage them to make the right choices and develop skills and ideas that will be beneficial to their schools and the students they represent. Helping young people understand the root causes of violence, listening to their input, and sharing perspectives on how to increase safety in their schools can make our broader communities better and safer and strengthen the ties between law enforcement and the youth population we seek to nurture, serve and protect.”
Two Men Plead Guilty to Roles in Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization, and Kanawha County Woman Pleads Guilty to Aiding Co-DefendantRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Today, two men pleaded guilty today to roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia, and a Kanawha County woman pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting one of their co-defendants.
Christopher Anthony O'Dell, 38, of Hurricane, pleaded guilty to distribution of quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl and Shakur Raekwan Joyce, also known as “Cheeta,” 23, of Huntington, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine. The woman, Sharon Lyn Teston, 62, of Nitro, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 18, 2023, O’Dell sold approximately 1.1 grams fentanyl and 3.5 grams of methamphetamine for $200 to a confidential informant at O’Dell’s Hurricane residence. O’Dell admitted to the transaction and to arranging it beforehand with the confidential informant by text message.
O’Dell further admitted to participating in the DTO with other individuals from approximately November 2022 through November 2023. The DTO participants used a St. Albans residence to store and distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. O’Dell conducted distributions and transported various individuals from the St. Albans residence to a Ninth Avenue residence in Huntington where they received additional amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine before O’Dell transported them back to the St. Albans residence.
On August 24, 2023, Teston traveled with Gary Diaz, a co-defendant of O’Dell and Joyce, to the Ninth Avenue residence in Huntington, where Diaz received approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine. Teston admitted that Diaz gave her the methamphetamine and she hid it in her pants before they drove from Huntington to Nitro. A law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of their vehicle on Interstate 64 in Hurricane. During the traffic stop, an officer located and seized the methamphetamine hidden in Teston’s pants. Teston admitted that she knew Diaz was a methamphetamine distributor and that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine she concealed for him.
On August 28, 2023, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by O’Dell in St. Albans. The officer seized approximately 51 grams of fentanyl and two muzzleloading pistols from the vehicle during the traffic stop. O’Dell admitted that co-defendant Jashawn William Lawson was a passenger in his vehicle during the traffic stop and that he was aware that Lawson was in possession of fentanyl that Lawson was transporting to St. Albans to distribute. O’Dell further admitted to possessing the seized firearms.
On November 15, 2023, law enforcement officers served an arrested warrant on Joyce at his Huntington residence. Officers conducted a search of the residence with Joyce’s consent and found a quantity of methamphetamine in his bedroom. Joyce admitted that he possessed the methamphetamine and intended to distribute it.
Joyce further admitted to participating in the DTO from at least August 2023 to in and around November 2023. Joyce transported methamphetamine and collected and transported drug proceeds on behalf of other individuals, and received methamphetamine that he distributed to various customers. Joyce admitted that he possessed approximately 877 grams of methamphetamine seized by law enforcement officers during a September 20, 2023 traffic stop of a vehicle in which he was traveling on I-64 in Hurricane.
O'Dell, Joyce and Teston are scheduled to be sentenced on July 17, 2024. Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
O'Dell, Joyce, Lawson and Diaz 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. Teston was among the 27 individuals indicted, but pleaded guilty in a separate case.
O’Dell and Joyce are among eight defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. The indictment against Lawson, Diaz 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 cases.
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 Nos. 3:23-cr-180 (O’Dell and Joyce) and 3:24-cr-8 (Teston).
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Two Brothers Sentenced to Prison for Multi-District Scheme to Defraud the United States Postal Service, UPS, and Citizens BankRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Zumar Dubose, 35, of Atlantic City, NJ, and Abdush Dubose, 37, of Boynton Beach, FL, were sentenced by United States District Judge Wendy Beetlestone, in connection with their scheme to defraud and obtain money from the United States Postal Service, UPS, and Citizens Bank.
Zumar Dubose was sentenced on Friday, March 15, 2024, to 125 months’ imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and restitution of $281,223.
Abdush Dubose was sentenced on Thursday, March 14, 2024, to 57 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and restitution of 281,223.
Their brother and codefendant Kariem Dubose, 42, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced on February 15, 2024, to 24 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and restitution of $47,813.09.
In May 2023, a federal jury convicted Zumar and Abdush Dubose on mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering conspiracy charges related to their fraud scheme, with Kariem Dubose convicted on mail fraud, wire fraud, and bank fraud charges.
Starting as early as October 2018, over the course of approximately 1.5 years, the defendants submitted over 1,200 fraudulent insured-parcel claims with the United States Postal Service and UPS and received almost $300,000 in ill-gotten gains. As part of the scheme, the Dubose brothers sent parcels to themselves containing items of no value, using insured U.S. Postal Service postage and UPS tracking labels. Their parcels often included worthless items like sand, cardboard, paper, and cheap plastic headphones. They then filed fraudulent claims with the U.S. Postal Service and UPS, claiming that these parcels contained valuable items such brand name headphones, designer sunglasses and clothing, and other electronic items. They claimed that these valuable items were lost or damaged in transit and attached sham proofs of value.
The defendants used numerous emails, addresses, postboxes, bank accounts and bank cards, fake individual names, and fictitious corporations, including “Urmajesty Banktruckfit Solutions,” “Miworld Three Incorporated,” and “4 Entertainment Corporation,” which were incorporated in the State of New Jersey, and “Seeds of Beauty Incorporated,” which was incorporated in the State of Florida. The U.S. Postal Service and UPS then issued claim checks to cover the defendants’ alleged losses, and the defendants deposited those checks into Citizens Bank accounts opened in the names of their fake companies. The defendants made these deposits through ATMs in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere.
When the U.S. Postal Service and UPS refused to issue or deliver some of the fraudulently obtained claim checks, and when Citizens Bank placed a hold on a bank account that was used to deposit the fraud proceeds, the Dubose brothers were undeterred. Using fake names, the brothers repeatedly sought recoveries from the U.S. Postal Service and UPS. They even filed lawsuits against UPS in various counties in New Jersey, using fake plaintiff names and falsely claiming that UPS did not pay them funds that they were owed. The defendants also filed lawsuits against Citizens Bank, again using false identities, in an effort to obtain the funds from their fraud scheme.
“The Dubose brothers made their fraud a family affair,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “They took advantage of the U.S. Postal Service and UPS policies intended to make customers with legitimate losses whole, collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars they weren’t entitled to in the process. We and our partners are committed to shutting down flagrant fraud schemes like this and holding the perpetrators accountable.”
“I want to thank the United States Attorney’s Office for the work and support they put into in convicting and sentencing the Dubose brothers,” said Christopher Nielsen, the Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “The two brothers each received significant sentences as a result of their efforts to steal from the United States Postal Service and the United Parcel Service. These two individuals defrauded the Postal Service’s shipping insurance service by claiming shipping losses they never incurred. Together with our partners at the Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General, Postal Inspectors unraveled an elaborate scheme that resulted in almost $300,000 in losses to the Postal Service and UPS.”
“The USPS OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to vigorously investigate these indemnity fraud cases. Hopefully the sentences handed down will be a deterrent to those who might attempt to defraud the USPS by filing false claims,” said Jeffrey Krafels, Executive Special Agent in Charge, USPS OIG Mid-Atlantic Area Field Office.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General and the United States Postal Inspection Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Louis D. Lappen and J. Jeanette Kang. UPS and Citizens Bank provided crucial cooperation in the investigation.
Troy Felon Indicted for Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Richawn McClain, age 25, of Troy, New York, was ordered detained today following an indictment filed last week alleging that he possessed a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.
McClain allegedly possessed a Glock .40 caliber handgun that had been modified into a machinegun, and a cocaine-fentanyl mixture and more than 900 oxycodone pills, which he intended to sell. The indictment also alleges that McClain unlawfully possessed the firearm as a previously convicted felon. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The charges filed against McClain carry a mandatory prison term of at least 5 years and up to life, a supervised release term of at least 3 years and up to life, and a maximum $1 million fine. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart ordered McClain detained pending a trial before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino.
The DEA is investigating the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting.
Toppenish Man Sentenced to Prison for Strangling and Threatening His Partner with a FirearmRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Tyler Jonas Senator, age 24, of Toppenish, Washington has been sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, and one count of Assault of a Spouse, Intimate Partner, or Dating Partner by Strangling or Suffocating. Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian imposed a sentence of 84 months and 1 day imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on April 23, 2023, Senator, and his partner, who are both enrolled members of the Yakama Nation, were driving in the victim’s vehicle. Senator assaulted the victim by grabbing the victim’s neck and strangling her, leaving bruises and scratches around the victim’s throat. Later that day, Senator and the victim were inside their house in Toppenish. Senator resumed the assault, hitting, kicking, and biting the victim. Senator also hit the victim in the head with the butt of a rifle, then pointed the firearm at the victim and threatened her.
“Mr. Senator assaulted the victim, who is the mother of his young child, by choking her and hitting her with a firearm. I commend the bravery of the victim in coming forward,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Everyone deserves to live in a safe home free of domestic violence. We recognize that indigenous communities suffer domestic violence at much higher rates than many other demographics. We are committed to addressing violent crimes in Indian country and elsewhere and holding perpetrators accountable.”
“While no sentence will take away the horror of being assaulted by a trusted partner, we hope this case shows our continued commitment to fighting back against violent crime on our state’s reservations,” said Kelly M. Smith, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Yakama Nation Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Murphy.
Three District Men Indicted on Murder and Related ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – On Friday, March 15, 2024, Steven Metts, 18, Keondre Carroll, 21, and Jovontae Wallace, 19, all of Washington, D.C., were indicted by a Superior Court grand jury for first-degree murder while armed for the shooting death of Raymond Ballard on January 23, 2024 and the armed kidnapping and robbery on a Metrobus related to a January 24, 2024 offense in Southeast Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Chief Michael Anzallo of the Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD), and Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division.
The sixteen-count indictment charges Metts, Carroll, and Wallace with one count of first-degree murder while armed, two counts of kidnapping while armed, one count of armed robbery, and four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Both Metts and Carroll are each additionally charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and other related firearms charges. The defendants were presented before the Honorable Heidi Hermann who ordered that all three defendants be held without bond pending trial.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 9:00 p.m. on January 23, 2024, the defendants drove their vehicle into the 3000 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE and fired approximately 29 shots, striking Raymond Ballard, an innocent bystander at the E-Z Mart. On January 24, 2024, the defendants drove that same vehicle into the 4600 block of Livingston Road SE and attempted to rob an individual of a Moose Knuckle jacket. When that individual fled onto a Metrobus, the defendants followed the Metrobus, boxing in the Metrobus at the intersection thereby restraining its movement. Two of the three defendants then exited the vehicle with firearms, boarded the bus, and took the victim’s Moose Knuckle coat. The defendants then exited the bus, got back into the vehicle, and began driving away while shooting at the bus.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, Metro Transit Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emma McArthur of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Terrebonne Parish Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DIOGO HERNANDEZ, age 19, a resident of Bourg, La., was sentenced on March 14, 2024 to twelve (12) months imprisonment, three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. HERNANDEZ previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C) and 846.
According to court documents, HERNANDEZ was arrested on July 27, 2022, when he conspired with his co-defendant, Anthony Monreal-Fabela, to possess with intent to distribute cocaine that had been smuggled into the Port of New Orleans via container ship.
This case was investigated by the United States Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Customs and Border Protection, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Stilwell Resident Sentenced for Federal Drug and Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Tyre Lowery Ford, age 34, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, was sentenced to a total of 120 months in prison for federal drug and firearm charges. Ford was sentenced to 60 months in prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and a consecutive 60 months in prison for Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
The charges arose from investigations by the Stilwell Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On November 10, 2022, Ford pleaded guilty to the charges. According to court documents, on February 23, 2022, Stilwell police responded to the report of a stolen car. Ford attempted to get out of the car and, in the process, made movements behind his back. Police recovered a 9mm handgun from the driver’s seat and approximately 100 grams of a substance containing methamphetamine from Ford.
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Ford was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.
Slidell Man Charged with Making False Statements to the United States Small Business AdministrationRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DEAN MEILLEUR, age 57, a resident of Slidell, La., was charged on March 13, 2024, with making or using false writings or documents to the United States Small Business Adminstration (SBA), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(3).
According to the charging document, MEILLEUR, to obtain Economic Impact Disaster Loans (“EIDL”), submitted false writings and documents to the SBA. In his EIDL applications, among other things, MEILLEUR falsely represented that he was the owner of a trucking business formed in 2017 and that he was eligible for EIDL funds. As a result of these false submissions, MEILLEUR obtained $147,400 from SBA.
MEILLEUR faces up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
U.S. Attorney Evans commended the Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their work on this case. Assistant United States Attorney Andre J. Lagarde of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Saratoga County Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK –Anthony Luizzi, age 24, of Halfmoon, New York, pled guilty today to drug and gun crimes in connection with his trafficking in large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine, as well as his possession of nearly 40 firearms.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; and John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.
Luizzi pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl; possession with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl; and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
He admitted that he conspired to distribute, and possessed with intent and distribute, cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl, from his residence in Halfmoon, and from an apartment on Western Avenue in Albany. On May 23, 2023, law enforcement searched his Halfmoon apartment where they found more than 11 kilograms of fentanyl pills, along with five firearms, including a defaced shotgun. Law enforcement also seized $2,616 in cash as drug proceeds. On that same day, law enforcement also searched the Western Avenue apartment and found 34 more firearms, as well as more than 400 grams of fentanyl pills, more than 7,000 grams of pills containing methamphetamine, and more than 700 grams of cocaine.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 16, 2024, before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. Luizzi faces at least 15 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, and a supervised release term of at least 5 years and up to life, to begin after he finishes his prison term. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
The following defendants, who were also arrested on May 23, 2023, still face charges in connection with this case:
- Brandon Bartley was charged by criminal complaint on May 23, 2023, with possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He has been ordered detained pending trial.
- Jabree Jones was charged with a violation of the terms of his supervised release on May 23, 2023, and has been detained pending the resolution of the supervised release violation petition.
The charges against Bartley and Jones are merely accusations. Both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The DEA and the ATF are investigating the case, with assistance from the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG). Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.
Repeat offender sentenced for federal firearms offenseRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to three and a half years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on June 9, 2023, two Richmond Police Officers observed Henry Leon Marrow, Jr, 34, conducting a narcotics transaction in a convenience store parking lot on Richmond Highway. The officers found Marrow in possession of 3.18 grams of cocaine and arrested him. Marrow later informed officers he was in possession of a firearm, and the officers found a loaded Glock 9mm handgun in his pants.
Marrow has previous felony convictions for robbery, abduction, and use of a firearm in commission of a felony in 2010 and shoplifting in 2019. As a previously convicted felon, Marrow cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition. Marrow pleaded guilty on Nov. 9, 2023.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Hubbard, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia Emerson prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-105.
Readout of U.S. Justice Department Senior Officials’ Trip to London to Join Foreign Partners in Advancing Efforts to Fight FraudRead the Press Release
On March 11 and 12, Deputy Assistant Attorney General (DAAG) Arun G. Rao of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch (CPB), Deputy Assistant Attorney General Lisa H. Miller of the Criminal Division’s Fraud and Appellate Sections, CPB leadership, London-based Justice Department Attaché Ken Kohl, and the department’s London-based Fraud Prosecutorial Liaison Vanessa Sisti attended the United Kingdom (U.K.) Home Office’s first Global Fraud Summit in London. Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, FBI Deputy Assistant Director James C. Barnacle, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Deputy Under Secretary Kelli Ann Burriesci, and DHS Attaché to the United Kingdom Craig Symons were also part of the U.S. delegation. They were joined by over 200 leaders from government, law enforcement, regulatory agencies, and the public and private sectors, as well as experts from the banking, technology, and telecommunications industries from 11 countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, along with INTERPOL, EUROPOL, and the United Nations’ Office on Drugs and Crime.
Parsons MediaU.S. Delegation at the Global Fraud Summit.
Parsons MediaDAAG Rao participated in discussions at Global Fraud Summit.
While at the Global Fraud Summit, DAAG Rao delivered remarks on behalf of the department at two plenary ministerial sessions on March 11, facilitated by U.K. Home Secretary James Cleverly, where he spoke about the scale of the global fraud threat and the role of law enforcement, as well as how governments and institutions can collaborate to protect the public. DAAG Rao and members of the U.S. delegation also participated in a series of strategic discussions on the nature of global fraud with experts from the banking, technology, and telecommunications industries on March 12. DAAG Miller and FBI Assistant Director Nordwall co-chaired a law enforcement roundtable about the challenges that law enforcement face when investigating fraud and what law enforcement can do to ensure they remain responsive to these evolving threats.
DAAG Miller and FBI Assistant Director Nordwall co-chaired a law enforcement roundtable.
The U.S. delegation joined international ministers to endorse a framework and commit to coordinate for purposes of giving global law enforcement agencies access to enhanced intelligence to stop fraud at the source and disrupt international fraud networks.
On March 11, DAAG Rao and the CPB leadership met with Josephine Teo, the Minister for Communications and Information of Singapore, to discuss ways to work together against shared transnational fraud threats.
DAAG Rao, CPB Director Amanda Liskamm, and CPB Senior Deputy Director of Criminal Litigation A.J. Nardozzi met with Singaporean delegation.
On March 13, DAAG Miller, DAAG Rao, and the CPB leadership met with Nick Ephgrave QPM, Director of the U.K.’s Serious Fraud Office to discuss areas of future collaboration.
DAAGs Rao and Miller with Director of the U.K.’s Serious Fraud Office Nick Ephgrave QPM (center).
On March 13, DAAG Miller separately met with Mark Francis, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority’s Director of Wholesale and Unauthorized Business Investigations. DAAG Miller also participated in a panel of enforcers and regulators at the Practising Law Institute’s 23rd Annual Institute on Securities Regulation in Europe, where she summarized the Justice Department’s approach to combating complex fraud and foreign corruption schemes, recent enforcement efforts, and emerging developments in corporate criminal enforcement policies.
Global threats such as transnational fraud and money laundering require global responses. The visit helped further partnerships with foreign governments and technology and telecommunications sectors as well as strengthen existing law enforcement collaboration to combat, prevent, and protect the public from this shared threat. We look forward to continuing our efforts to investigate and prosecute individuals and corporations that commit cross-border crimes.
CPB leads the department’s Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, which investigates and prosecutes individuals and organizations engaged in foreign-based fraud schemes that disproportionately affect American seniors. The strike force was created in 2019 and expanded in 2022 by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. The strike force is comprised of attorneys and analysts from CPB and 20 U.S. Attorney’s Offices. The FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations provide dedicated resources for identifying the most harmful elder fraud schemes and bringing perpetrators to justice.
The department coordinates its response to transnational fraud schemes through its leadership of the Global Anti-fraud Enforcement Network (GAEN), which CPB co-chairs, an alliance of law enforcement from numerous countries around the world. GAEN members work together to identify the highest impact threats posed by international fraud schemes, evaluate strategies for disruption, and engage in law enforcement operations to dismantle illegal conduct.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available through the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This department’s hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. More information about the department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.
The Fraud Section’s Market Integrity Unit is a national leader in prosecuting fraud and market manipulation involving cryptocurrency. Since 2019, the unit has charged cryptocurrency fraud cases involving over $2 billion in intended financial losses to investors from around the world. Prosecutors use blockchain data analytics and traditional law enforcement techniques to identify and prosecute complex cryptocurrency investment schemes; price and market manipulation involving cryptocurrencies; unregistered cryptocurrency exchanges involved in fraud schemes; and insider trading schemes affecting cryptocurrency markets. Prosecutors in the Unit frequently work in parallel with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and with law enforcement authorities across the globe. For further information, visit www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/crypto-enforcement.
The UK GovernmentDAAG Rao (back row) with Ministers of 10 countries and senior officials of INTERPOL, EUROPOL, and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.
Puerto Rico Police Officer and Two Other Individuals Charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On March 17, 2024, the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Zachary Quiñones-Bon, Jouseph Quiñones-Andino and Alexander Martínez-Andino for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute approximately 67 kilograms of cocaine, which they attempted to smuggle in luggage through the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846 and 841(a)(1).
W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, and Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. The FBI and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau are investigating the case.
According to the government’s allegations in a criminal complaint filed in the case, on March 17, 2024, the three defendants conspired to possess with intent to distribute approximately 67 kilograms of cocaine at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU). In addition, Quiñones-Bon is charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c).
Quiñones-Bon, a PRPB police officer assigned to work at the airport, utilized his credentials and uniform to access one of the terminals at the airport with pieces of luggage full of cocaine. Once inside the terminal, Quiñones-Bon (in police uniform and armed with his police-issued firearm) handed off the luggage to Quiñones-Andino and Martínez-Andino, who then took the luggage to a bathroom and unloaded the contents into different bags. Quiñones-Andino and Martínez-Andino then attempted to board a domestic flight headed to the State of Florida. The luggage containing approximately 67 kilograms of cocaine was seized and the three individuals were arrested.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys César Rivera and Jonathan Gottfried of the Violent Crimes Section are in charge of the prosecution of the case. Special Agent Jonathan Vega of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is the case agent of the investigation. If convicted on the drug trafficking conspiracy, the defendants face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Quiñones-Bon also faces a mandatory consecutive sentence of five years to life imprisonment on the firearms charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This investigation is part of the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force (CCSF) and the Airport Investigations and Tactical Team (AirTAT). The specific mission of the CCSF is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle large scale international drug trafficking and money laundering organizations importing and further transshipping controlled substances, and related money laundering activities. CCSF signatory agencies include the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Coast Guard Investigative Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshals Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
AirTAT is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) co-located multi-agency initiative created to identify, locate, disrupt, dismantle, and prosecute Domestic and Transnational Criminal Organizations (DTCOs) and its operatives using the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (LMMIA), the Fernando Luis Rivas Dominicci Airport (FLRDA), and airport peripherals as platforms to smuggle narcotics, weapons, human cargo, counterfeit documents, illicit proceeds, and other contraband through these critical airport infrastructures.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Previously Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 120 Months for Possessing 10,000 Images of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Morez King, 34, of Washington D.C, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for amassing an enormous collection of child pornography on 10 different devices that held 10,000 images depicting the sexual exploitation of very young children, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.
King pleaded guilty on February 13, 2023, to one count of possession of child pornography, his second conviction for this offense in less than a decade. In addition to the 10 year prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras ordered King to serve 10 years of supervised release and to pay $88,000 in restitution to many of his child victims.
According to court documents, King first made contact with an undercover agent with Homeland Security Investigations in January 2020. King, aka “pervboi3” and “xmarcoboi,” chatted with an undercover agent over a social media app, then sent the agent graphic videos of child sexual abuse from a New Zealand-based website.
On December 15, 2021, HSI Special Agents and officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPDC) served a search warrant and subsequently searched King’s residence in Northeast Washington D.C. In the home, agents recovered two SD memory cards, four cellular telephones, two tablets, one laptop, and a MicroSD card reader belonging to King. Taken together, the defendant’s devices contained well over 10,000 images of child sexual abuse materials. Specifically, a Samsung Galaxy S20 held approximately 1,000 videos depicting the sexual abuse. King’s Samsung Galaxy S20 phone also had the Telegram application downloaded onto it. King used that application, which allows individuals to use encryption to send messages, to trade photographs and videos depicting the abuse of children. Further, King’s Galaxy S9 cell phone stored approximately 8,700 images depicting child sexual abuse, while an HP laptop recovered from the residence held about 1,800 videos depicting child sexual abuse. At the time that King possessed and distributed the images described above, he already had been convicted in 2015 in Fairfax County, VA, for possession of obscene material with a minor.
More than 20 victims have filed Victim Impact Statements in this case, and 14 of the victims submitted requests for restitution with the court.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Washington, DC. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Bond and Janani Iyengar, with valuable assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department.
Podiatrist Convicted of $4M Foot Bath Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A federal jury convicted a Tennessee podiatrist today for a scheme to defraud Medicare and TennCare by prescribing and dispensing medically unnecessary foot bath medications and obtaining millions of dollars in reimbursements.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Nathan Lucas, D.P.M., 59, of Memphis, owned and operated a podiatry clinic, Advanced Foot & Ankle Care of Memphis LLC, as well as two in-house pharmacies. Lucas regularly prescribed antibiotic and antifungal drugs to be mixed into a tub of water for patients to soak their feet. These drug cocktails included capsules, creams, and powders that were not indicated to be dissolved in water and some of which were not even water soluble. Lucas chose these medications to prescribe and dispense based on their anticipated reimbursement amount, rather than medical necessity. From October 2018 through September 2021, Lucas caused his pharmacies to submit nearly $4 million in claims to Medicare and TennCare for dispensing expensive foot bath medications that were not medically necessary and not eligible for reimbursement, for which Lucas’s pharmacies were reimbursed over $3 million.
The jury convicted Lucas of five counts of health care fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee, Special Agent in Charge Tamala E. Miles of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Director David Rausch of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) made the announcement.
HHS-OIG and TBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Sara E. Porter and Assistant Chief Justin M. Woodard of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Podiatrist Convicted of $4M Foot Bath Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a Tennessee podiatrist today for a scheme to defraud Medicare and TennCare by prescribing and dispensing medically unnecessary foot bath medications and obtaining millions of dollars in reimbursements.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Nathan Lucas, D.P.M., 59, of Memphis, owned and operated a podiatry clinic, Advanced Foot & Ankle Care of Memphis LLC, as well as two in-house pharmacies. Lucas regularly prescribed antibiotic and antifungal drugs to be mixed into a tub of water for patients to soak their feet. These drug cocktails included capsules, creams, and powders that were not indicated to be dissolved in water and some of which were not even water soluble. Lucas chose these medications to prescribe and dispense based on their anticipated reimbursement amount, rather than medical necessity. From October 2018 through September 2021, Lucas caused his pharmacies to submit nearly $4 million in claims to Medicare and TennCare for dispensing expensive foot bath medications that were not medically necessary and not eligible for reimbursement, for which Lucas’s pharmacies were reimbursed over $3 million.
The jury convicted Lucas of five counts of health care fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee, Special Agent in Charge Tamala E. Miles of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Director David Rausch of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) made the announcement.
HHS-OIG and TBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Sara E. Porter and Assistant Chief Justin M. Woodard of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Pennsylvania Resident Sentenced to Statutory Maximum of 30 Years in Prison for Shooting Death of Oconee County ManRead the Press Release
ATHENS, Ga. – A Pennsylvania resident convicted of federal charges resulting from the lengthy investigation into the shooting death of an Oconee County, Georgia, man was sentenced to the statutory maximum of 30 years in prison for his crimes in federal court today.
Ahkil Nasir Crumpton aka “Crump,” 26, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to the statutory maximum of 240 months in prison for interference with commerce by attempted robbery and 120 months in prison for false statement during the purchase of a firearm for a total of 360 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Tilman “Tripp” Self, III on March 18. Crumpton was found guilty by a federal jury of all counts on Oct. 25, 2023. The defendant is not eligible for parole. Crumpton is facing state charges for murder and other offenses in Georgia.
“Ahkil Crumpton’s violent crime ended Elijah Wood’s young life and has been the cause of immeasurable pain to many people in the Oconee County community and beyond,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Local, state and federal agencies have worked tirelessly to seek justice on behalf of Elijah. Our hope is the conclusion of the federal case offers some peace for all those who have been affected by this tragedy.”
“Crumpton’s crime was senseless, tragic and irreversible,” said Robert Gibbs, Senior Supervisory Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Athens office. “This sentencing reflects the commitment of the FBI to working with our law enforcement partners to hold violent offenders accountable to greatest extent the law allows. We hope that Elijah Wood’s family can find some sense of healing and justice in this sentence.”
“NIBIN is proven technology used to link the criminal use of firearms with the person who pulled the trigger,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “In this case, NIBIN allowed investigators to successfully connect both shootings to the defendant. Working alongside our local, state and federal partners, ATF is committed to using every resource at our disposal to reduce violent crime and hold violent offenders accountable.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Crumpton was alone when he entered the RaceTrac gas station and convenience store on Macon Highway in Watkinsville, Georgia, on March 19, 2021, where Elijah Wood was working as the store clerk, filling in for a sick coworker. Crumpton’s face was covered, and he was wearing dark clothing and football gloves. There was another customer in the store; Crumpton is seen on surveillance video exiting and then returning at 1:15 a.m. Upon his return, Crumpton approached Wood, who was standing behind the counter at the cash register. Crumpton pointed a Glock 19 pistol with a weapon mounted light at Wood, firing one round at close range towards Wood, striking him in the chest. Wood’s girlfriend testified at trial that she was on a FaceTime call with Wood at the time. Crumpton ran out of the store without taking any money or merchandise. Wood died at the scene. The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) located one 9mm shell casing from the counter between two of the cash registers.
Four months later, on July 17, 2021, Crumpton was seen exiting the South Street Diner at 140 South Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at 3:18 a.m. to retrieve a Glock 43 pistol from a vehicle and was approached by Anthony Jones. Surveillance video from a nearby business captured the encounter between Jones and Crumpton. Jones brandished a silver handgun and pointed it at Crumpton, then appeared to grab the car keys out of Crumpton’s left hand. Jones forcefully removed the Glock 43 pistol from Crumpton’s right pocket while simultaneously holding him at gunpoint. When Jones turned around following the robbery and began to run away, Crumpton pulled a Glock 19 pistol from his waistband and fired 13 gunshots that ultimately struck and killed Jones. The spent 9mm shell casings ejected from Crumpton’s handgun were collected by law enforcement and later submitted to ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) for comparison testing. The analysis confirmed that the firearm used in the RaceTrac murder in Oconee County, Georgia, was the same firearm used in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, shooting.
On the morning of March 16, 2022, FBI and ATF agents arrested Crumpton in Philadelphia on a murder warrant issued out of the Superior Court of Oconee County, Georgia. Crumpton jumped out of his bedroom window to escape arrest, but he was taken into custody by FBI SWAT following a chase. Inside Crumpton’s bedroom, agents located the Glock 19 pistol in his backpack that was confirmed in ballistics testing to be the one used in the shooting deaths of Elijah Wood in Oconee County and Anthony Jones in Philadelphia. In addition, agents found items of clothing worn by Crumpton in both shooting deaths and a loaded AR-15 rifle.
Crumpton was a former member of the University of Georgia (UGA) football team, where he played wide receiver during the 2017 and 2018 season and attended UGA as a student from the fall of 2017 to the spring of 2021, although he did not graduate. At the time of Elijah Wood’s murder, Crumpton resided at an apartment in Watkinsville, Georgia, less than two miles from the RaceTrac, with his teammate Juwan Taylor. Taylor testified at trial that Crumpton came to their apartment after the shooting holding the pistol and was visibly upset saying, “I didn’t mean to do it – I just wanted the money, I just shot him at the store, at the store.” Crumpton explained further that when he lifted the gun up, it “just went off.” Taylor said he was frightened for his own safety and did not tell anyone. In July 2021, Crumpton returned to live in his hometown of Philadelphia.
Co-defendant James North Armstrong, 35, of Commerce, Georgia, testified that Crumpton was a client of his at his tattoo studio. Armstrong testified that Crumpton asked him to purchase a gun for him. Armstrong admitted that he illegally purchased the Glock 19 for Crumpton on Feb. 8, 2021, at the Franklin Gun Shop in Athens, Georgia, by falsely claiming to be the buyer on the Firearms Transaction Record-Form 4473 when Crumpton was the actual buyer. It is a federal offense to lie on Form 4473. Armstrong pleaded guilty to one count of false statement during the purchase of a firearm on Oct. 3, 2023, and faces a maximum of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing for Armstrong is March 20.
Crumpton was originally indicted on four federal charges (for more information, please see https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/federal-murder-attempted-robbery-firearms-charges-filed-shooting-death-oconee-county). The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in United States v. Taylor, handed down a month and ten days after Crumpton’s federal indictment, found that attempted Hobbs Act robbery was not a crime of violence. Therefore, Counts Two and Three in Crumpton’s original indictment were dismissed prior to trial.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, please visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
The case was investigated by the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), FBI, GBI, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and the Philadelphia Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mike Morrison and Daniel Peach prosecuted the case for the Government.
Owner of Bay Area Real Estate Company Charged with Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO - A federal grand jury in San Francisco indicted Vikram Srinivasan, charging him with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with an alleged fraudulent real estate investment scheme, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp.
The indictment was filed February 29, 2024, and unsealed earlier today. According to the indictment, Srinivasan, 31, of Fremont, operated, controlled, and at least partially owned Paragon Holdings, LLC, a San Francisco Bay Area-based company that he used to facilitate the fraud. Specifically, the indictment describes how in August of 2019, a victim (identified in the indictment only as “R.K.”) provided money to an individual for the purchase of real estate in San Francisco and, after fearing the invested money had been fraudulently obtained, eventually met with Srinivasan. Srinivasan represented to the victim that he (Srinivasan) could salvage the prior real estate deal. According to the indictment, rather than salvage the deal, Srinivasan made things worse. For example, Srinivasan claimed he could retrieve the victim’s money; however, rather than retrieve the money, Srinivasan allegedly transferred at least some of it to an account in his own name and used the transferred money for his own purposes. Further, the indictment describes how Srinivasan represented that the victim’s money was held by certain escrow companies, when, in fact, it was not. Srinivasan allegedly provided false and fraudulent documentation in support of these representations.
In addition, Srinivasan allegedly solicited additional funds from the victim, promising to use the money for the purchase of additional real estate in Pleasant Hill. Srinivasan represented that he would use Paragon to facilitate the transaction. The indictment alleges the victim provided Srinivasan approximately $125,000 based on this and related misrepresentations. For example, the indictment alleges Srinivasan again allegedly provided fraudulent documentation that suggested there was a sale of the property from a seller through a real estate agent to Srinivasan, as Paragon. This sale of the property did not occur. Rather than use the money for the real estate transaction, Srinivasan transferred some of it to an account in his own name and used it for his own purposes. The indictment also alleges that Srinivasan unlawfully used means of identification of at least two other victims during and in relation to his fraud (identified in the indictment only as “B.R.” and “A.S.”).
In sum, the indictment charges Srinivasan with one count of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, and two counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A. If convicted of wire fraud, Srinivasan faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000 (or twice the value of the gain or loss from the scheme), plus restitution, if appropriate. In addition, if Srinivasan is convicted of aggravated identity theft, each count carries a mandatory two years in prison which would be consecutive to any prison term imposed for the wire fraud count. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Srinivasan made his initial appearance this morning before Chief Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu. His next scheduled appearance is scheduled for March 20, 2024, before Magistrate Judge Ryu for further proceeding including a further bail review.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert David Rees is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Katie Turner and Kay Konopaske. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
Oshkosh Man Sentenced to 9 Years’ Imprisonment on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on March 18, 2024, Douglas T. Murphy (age: 35) of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment following his conviction last December at a jury trial. He was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).
According to court records, on the evening of June 4, 2023, and into the early morning hours of June 5th, Murphy repeatedly pointed a Cobra .380 caliber handgun at several children inside a residence located in downtown Oshkosh. Murphy also used the firearm to “pistol whip” his girlfriend, the mother of the children, causing an open wound on her scalp. A 911 call from the children led to an almost 6-hour standoff with law enforcement, who formed a perimeter outside the residence. At around 6 a.m., the City of Oshkosh Police Department SWAT Team entered the residence and arrested Murphy. The loaded firearm was located in close proximity to Murphy at the time of his arrest.
Murphy is a felon several times over, having been convicted in Waukesha, Manitowoc, and Winnebago Counties.
At the sentencing hearing, Senior United States District Court Judge William C. Griesbach noted the serious and dangerous nature of Murphy’s conduct during the armed standoff. Based on his conduct and extensive criminal history, Judge Griesbach found Murphy to pose a danger to the community and saw a strong need for a lengthy prison sentence to deter Murphy from engaging in further criminal conduct. Upon Murphy’s release from federal prison, he will serve three years on supervised elease.
The case was investigated by the City of Oshkosh Police Department with the assistance of the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mike Schindhelm and Daniel R. Humble.
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Oregon registered sex offender sentenced to 25 years in prison for child sexual abuse crimesRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 49-year-old Portland, Oregon man was sentenced last week to 25 years in prison for attempted enticement of a minor and possession of images of child sexual abuse, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Dirk Tichgelaar has been in custody since his arrest on January 25, 2020. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik ordered lifetime supervised release to follow the prison term.
“This defendant acted on his predatory impulse to harm a child – he traveled hundreds of miles thinking he would rape a 5-year-old. The child was fictitious, but his dark intentions were not,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “This is a long sentence, but a necessary one, to protect the community.”
According to records filed in the case, Homeland Security Investigations used an internet chat room known to be associated with the trade of images of child sexual abuse, to investigate child predators. Beginning in October 2019, Tichgelaar communicated with an undercover officer about his desire to rape young girls. The undercover officer pretended he had a 5-year-old daughter and Tichgelaar made detailed messages about his desire to rape the child.
Tichgelaar made arrangements to drive from Portland for the sexual abuse, bringing an “Elsa” costume with him as a present for the child. He was arrested when he arrived at the meeting location.
A court authorized search of his home resulted in the seizure of electronic devices including a thumb drive with multiple images of child sexual abuse. Tichgelaar is a registered sex offender due to a 2005 Oregon conviction for first degree sexual abuse.
"In safeguarding our communities' youth, including those as young as 5 years old, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) remains resolute in our mission to combat child exploitation. The recent sentencing of Tichgelaar exemplifies our unwavering commitment to utilizing every available resource to protect innocent children from predators,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “This case underscores the importance of our ongoing efforts to ensure a safer environment for our most vulnerable members and highlights the necessity of continued vigilance in combating child exploitation."
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 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 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.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Hampton with assistance from Oregon Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Sussman.
Operator of Florida Labor Staffing Companies Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Tax and Immigration ChargesRead the Press Release
The operator of several Key West, Florida, labor staffing companies – including PSEB Specialty Service Inc., Perfect Service Excellent Benefits Services Inc., Starline Hospitality Inc., Norbert Janitorial Service Inc., E.S.F. Services Inc. and Expert Services F.S. Inc. – was sentenced today to four years in prison for tax and immigration-related crimes.
According to court documents and statements made in court, at various times between January 2011 and January 2021, Petr Sutka and others helped run a series of labor staffing companies that facilitated the employment in hotels, bars and restaurants in Key West and elsewhere of non-resident aliens who were not authorized to work in the United States. These labor staffing companies did not withhold federal income taxes and Social Security and Medicare taxes from these workers’ wages and did not report the wages to the IRS.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Jose E. Martinez for the Southern District of Florida ordered Sutka to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $3,551,423.84 in restitution to the United States.
Sutka’s co-conspirators, Vasil Khatiashvili and Zdenek Strnad, are scheduled to be sentenced on April 22.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorneys Jessica A. Kraft, Nicholas J. Schilling Jr., Matthew C. Hicks and Wilson Rae Stamm of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Clark for the Southern District of Florida prosecuted the case.
Newbury Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Newbury man pleaded guilty today in federal court in connection with
child exploitation offenses, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Marc Jacques, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child sexual abuse
material (CSAM). U.S. District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro scheduled sentencing for June 26,
2024.According to court documents and statements made in court, Jacques uploaded 49 files of
apparent CSAM to the social media platform Kik between November 24 and December 6, 2021.
Jacques’ IP address had been reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
(NCMEC) in connection with at least 40 CyberTips related to the online sexual exploitation of
children between 2018 and 2022. In June 2022, law enforcement executed a federal search
warrant on Jacques’ and his residence. Forensic examination of Jacques’ electronic devices
revealed the presence of over 200 files of apparent CSAM as well as chats between him and
others related to the sexual exploitation of children and sharing of CSAM.The charging statute provides a sentence of not less than 5 and not more than 20 years in
prison, at least 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a
federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern
the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided
by the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), the Nashua Police
Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey
Weiland is prosecuting the case.This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to
combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by
the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation
and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to
locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue
victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit
https://www.justice.gov/psc.
###New Orleans Man Sentenced for Multiple Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – On March 14, 2024, United States District Court Chief Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown sentenced LAIRD JOHNSON, age 25, of New Orleans, to 57 months imprisonment for theft of a firearm from a Federal Firearms Licensee, possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession of a stolen firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court records, during a search of JOHNSON’s home on August 10, 2021, three firearms were recovered, including a Zastava Arms 7.62 Rifle, a Glock Model 19, 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun, and ammunition as well as a Glock Model 19X, 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun, which was stolen from a Federal Firearms licensee. He further possessed a firearm on July 23, 2021. JOHNSON is prohibited from possessing firearms due to his previous felony convictions in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court for aggravated assault with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and simple burglary.
Judge Brown also sentenced JOHNSON to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment, and a $500 mandatory special assessment fee.
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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Kenner Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that JUAN MATTHEWS, age 22, of New Orleans, pled guilty on March 13, 2024, to Counts 3 through 5 of an indictment charging him with possession with the intent to distribute marijuana and tapentadol, in violation of 21 U.S.C. Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C) (Count 3); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. Section 924(C)(1)(a)(i) (Count 4); and possession of a machine gun, in violation of 18 U.S.C. Section 922(o) and 924(a)(2) (Count 5).
As to Count 3, MATTHEWS faces up to twenty years imprisonment , up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least 3 years of supervised release. As to Count 4, MATTHEWS faces between five years up to life imprisonment, which must run consecutive to any other sentence, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 5 years of supervised release. As to Count 5, MATTHEWS faces up to ten years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release. As to each charged count, MATTHEWS also faces payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. MATTHEWS is set for sentencing on June 26, 2024.
According to court documents, on May 18, 2023, members of the New Orleans Police Department observed a black Audi sport utility vehicle (SUV) matching the description of a vehicle used in a shooting. Officers pursued the SUV and observed three black males, including MATTHEWS, abandon the SUV and flee, after which officers successfully apprehended MATTHEWS. During the pursuit of MATTHEWS, officers saw him throw down a Glock with a machinegun conversion device, making it, functionally, a machine gun. Upon apprehension, MATTHEWS was in possession of marijuana, tapentadol, and drug paraphernalia.
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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ERNEST GREEN, age 55, a New Orleans resident, pleaded guilty on March 13, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C), and being a felon in possession of firearms, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, in September 2020, the Federal Bureau Investigation - New Orleans Gang Task Force and the New Orleans Police Department investigated GREEN for his involvement in a drug distribution operation. The investigation involved numerous controlled purchases of cocaine from GREEN. Additionally, agents executed a search warrant at GREEN’s residence that yielded 28.7 grams of cocaine and two illegal firearms.
For the cocaine charge, GREEN faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, at least three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. For the firearms charge, GREEN faces up to ten (10) years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
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 U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation - New Orleans Gang Task Force, with the assistance of the New Orleans Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, led the investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Muskogee Resident Sentenced to 15 Years for Home Invasion Robbery, Fire Station Burglaries and TheftsRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that AARON ISAIAH JOHNSON, age 36, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced for a home invasion robbery and subsequent fire station burglaries. Johnson was sentenced to 184 months in prison for one count of Conspiracy to Commit Robbery; one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm; one count of Robbery; one count of Use, Carry, and Brandish of a Firearm; and two counts of Burglary in the Second Degree.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office, the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office.
On November 12, 2021, Johnson was found guilty of the charges by a federal jury at trial. According to court documents, in December 2018, Johnson, masked and armed with a rifle, broke into and entered an occupied residence where he encountered the homeowner. After striking and assaulting the homeowner with the rifle, Johnson stole cash, a firearm, and the victim’s vehicle. On February 27, 2019, Johnson broke into and entered the Red Bird Fire Station and stole two fire trucks. On March 14, 2019, Johnson broke into and entered the Liberty Fire Station and stole a fire truck. At the time Johnson committed these crimes, he was wearing a court-ordered GPS ankle monitor which placed him at all three locations during the time the crimes were committed.
The crimes occurred in Wagoner, Muskogee, and Okmulgee Counties, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Johnson was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Multiple defendants prosecuted on federal firearms, drug chargesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Newly returned indictments in the Southern District of Georgia include felony charges for illegal firearms possession and drug distribution, while additional defendants have been sentenced to federal prison or await further proceedings after pleading guilty to federal gun charges.
“Illegally possessed firearms continue to present a challenge for law enforcement agencies, including the increasing threat from guns illegally modified for fully automatic fire,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “With our law enforcement partners, we will target these illegal weapons and remove them to make our streets safer.”
The cases are prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally possess guns.
Those indicted during the March term of the U.S. District Court Grand Jury include:
- Jacorey Rivers, 32, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Possession of a Machinegun; and Possession with Intent to Distribute 400 or More Grams of Fentanyl;
- Christopher Michael Owens, a/k/a “Lambo,” 41, Robert Michael Waltz, a/k/a “Hurricane,” both of Hinesville, Ga., and Juan Carlos Rosado Morla, 27, of Gainesville, Ga., charged with multiple drug trafficking offenses. Owens and Waltz are charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine; Waltz and Morla are charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine, and Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine; Owens is charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, Possession of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and Morla is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Marijuana and 500 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana and 500 Grams or More of Methamphetamine;
- Garland D. Williams, 55, of Hephzibah, Ga., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime;
- James Timothy Johnson, 30, of Waycross, Ga., charged with Possession of a Machinegun; and,
- Christopher Jeramy Blair, 44, of Pembroke, Ga., charged with Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon.
All indicted defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendants recently adjudicated on federal firearms charges include:
- Chester Morgan, 53, of Savannah, was sentenced to 46 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers arrested Morgan in May 2023 after finding a co-worker’s stolen pistol in his vehicle.
- Wesley Rosenberg, 25, of Ludowici, Ga., was sentenced to 20 months in prison and fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to Engaging in the Firearms Business Without a License. An ATF investigation determined Rosenberg unlawfully imported and sold firearm silencers.
- Isaac C. Brown, 40, of Guyton, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Georgia Ports Authority police conducting enhanced screenings at the Garden City Terminal found a pistol inside Brown’s truck in March 2023.
- Joshua Bowser, 29, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers found Bowser in possession of a semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine while serving an arrest warrant related to a shooting in Savannah’s City Market.
- Kenneth Oliver Riley, 60, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers found a revolver in Riley’s pocket during a shooting investigation.
- Brian Wesley Dean, 45, of Bloomingdale, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Pooler police officers found a pistol in Dean’s possession during a traffic stop.
- Jose Miguel Marrero, 27, and his mother Jacqueline Christmas, 50, both of Statesboro, Ga., each await sentencing after pleading guilty to False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm. An ATF investigation determined that Marrero and Christmas purchased multiple handguns from a Bulloch County gun store, falsely claiming that Marrero was the buyer of the guns when they were actually purchased by and delivered to Christmas’ brother-in-law in New York.
The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense.
For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473
Midvale Man Found Guilty of Wire Fraud While on Pretrial Release, Sentenced to 41 Months’ in PrisonRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A U.S. District Court Judge sentenced Chad Leon Sayers, 59, of Midvale, Utah to 41 months’ imprisonment today followed by three years of supervised release for crimes committed while on pretrial release for a separate wire fraud case. The sentence comes after a federal jury found Sayers guilty of wire fraud and contempt of court in 2023.
According to evidence presented at trial, Sayers, while awaiting trial on a 2021 indictment for an alleged securities, wire fraud and money laundering scheme, violated his pretrial release conditions set by a U.S. Magistrate Judge. The explicit conditions ordered Sayers to not be employed in any fiduciary capacity and not seek any investments or conduct any fundraisers. However, on May 18, 2022, while on pretrial release, Sayers sent an email to an individual in the Philippines who was known for helping connect business owners with investors. Sayers emailed the individual for help to raise $300,000 to $500,000 for SMART’R. Sayers was the self-proclaimed founder and CEO of SMART’R, a technology company he described as designing and developing the world’s most advanced mobile devices in the medical, communications, and entertainment industries. He solicited funds by advertising fabricated financial projections, a fabricated team of executives, and fabricated accolades for SMART’R. Sayers also claimed SMART’R had partnerships with well-known companies – like Google, Qualcomm, Redstone, Sony, and Toshiba. During this time, Sayers also concealed his 2021 federal criminal indictment for financial fraud and lawsuits by investors.
In April 2023, a federal jury found Sayers guilty of two counts of wire fraud, and one count of contempt for his conduct while on pre-trial release. He is scheduled for a jury trial for his 2021 case on August 13, 2024, before a U.S. District Court Judge at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
“The jury found that Mr. Sayers committed wire fraud and contempt of court by engaging in his fraudulent scheme to obtain money,” said United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “My office, working with our law enforcement partners will vigorously prosecute these cases in order to deter others from engaging in similar criminal behavior.”
"Investment fraud causes not only financial harm but also erodes public trust in our financial system. We are grateful for the collaborative efforts of our Division of Securities and our partners, and commend the U.S. Attorney's office for their unwavering commitment to prosecute these crimes and protect unsuspecting investors," said Utah Department of Commerce Executive Director, Margaret Busse.
The Utah Division of Securities investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Ruth Hackford-Peer, Jacob Strain, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Sachiko Jepson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced to 40 months in prison for Stealing Chief Federal Judge’s Identity and Forging Court DocumentsRead the Press Release
Honolulu, Hawaii – Edmond Abordo of Honolulu was sentenced in federal court today to 40 months for forging the signature of a federal judge in order to trick an elderly woman into paying him thousands of dollars for bogus legal services.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California handled this case after the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii was recused.
In November of 2023, Abordo was in the second day of his federal jury trial when he decided to plead guilty to forging the signature of the Chief Judge and using the seal of the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii to create a phony court order. Abordo then used the forged court order to convince the victim that he had used his legal expertise to prevent the foreclosure of her Ewa Beach, Hawaii home.
When Abordo first met the victim, he described himself to her as a “non-licensed attorney” who could help save her home. Abordo—who is not a lawyer and has no legal training—claimed he had expertise on several legal subjects, including mortgages and adverse possession. He convinced the victim to file a federal lawsuit challenging foreclosure of her home. Nearly each time Abordo met with the victim, he demanded a cash payment of $1,000 to $3,000 dollars.
According to the indictment, Abordo ultimately convinced the victim that the federal judge assigned to the lawsuit had awarded her possession of the home, but refused to hand over the court order unless she paid him additional money. In reality, the victim’s home had been lost to foreclosure and the federal lawsuit had been dismissed months earlier. The victim, believing Abordo had a real court order, paid him thousands of dollars in exchange for the forged court order.
Abordo assured the victim that the forged court order was a genuine court document, that the federal judge’s signature on the forged order was genuine, and that the forged court order gave legal possession of the Ewa Beach property to the elderly victim. However, as Abordo then well knew, the forged court order was not genuine, was never issued or signed by the judge, and did not confer any property rights to the victim.
During the hearing, Chief District Court Judge Derrick Watson told the sentencing judge that “nothing is as important to our society as the rule of law. Mr. Abordo’s crimes caused great damage to the integrity of the courts.”
“This defendant had the audacity to not just swindle an elderly victim in the midst of foreclosure, but to forge the signature of a federal judge,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath of the Southern District of California, whose office is handling the recusal case. “The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the integrity of our judicial system.”
“The FBI finds it extremely disconcerting that the defendant preyed on an especially vulnerable kupuna going through personal financial distress involving the loss of their home,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill. “This sentence shows that we will vigorously and thoroughly investigate cases that target our elderly community. We encourage the public to bring these to our attention by reporting it to ic3.gov.”
DEFENDANT Case Number 22cr00101-BLW-KJN
Edmund Abordo 68 Honolulu, HI
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Wire Fraud – Title 18 U.S.C., Section 1343
Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison, $250,000 fine, forfeiture and restitution
Aggravated Identity Theft – Title 18 U.S.C., Section 1028A(a)(1)
Maximum Penalty: A mandatory minimum of two years in prison, consecutive to underlying count
AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Maine Man Pleads Guilty to Sending Racist Death Threats to Black Family in His Apartment ComplexRead the Press Release
A Maine man pleaded guilty today to one count of threatening communications in interstate commerce for sending racist death threats to a Black family living in his apartment complex.
According to court documents, in August 2022, Charles Allen Barnes, 46, of Lewiston, used Facebook Messenger to record and transmit a racial-slur-laden voice message in which he threatened, in graphic and violent terms, to kill his neighbor. In the message, Barnes made repeated derogatory references to the neighbor’s race and stated that he was waiting in his car outside the neighbor’s apartment and would kill the next person who emerged from it. Barnes then sent the recording to an acquaintance of his whom he knew to be close personal friends with the neighbor. Alarmed by the message’s contents, the acquaintance forwarded the recording to Barnes’s neighbor, to warn her of possible danger from Barnes.
“Charles Barnes thought that hiding behind a social media account would shield him from the consequences of terrorizing his neighbors with vile, racist death threats, but he was wrong,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Racially-motivated death threats and acts of violence are unacceptable in our society today. The Justice Department will continue to thoroughly investigate and vigorously prosecute anyone who carries out threats or acts of bias-motivated violence in our country.”
“Hate of any kind will not be tolerated in Maine,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine. “With our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine will diligently pursue justice for victims of racial harassment, threats, and violence. Barnes’ conduct is not representative of how we treat our neighbors in Maine. Protecting civil rights is one of our highest priorities.”
“Charles Barnes admitted today to using his words as a weapon and making violent, racist threats against his neighbor,” said Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Boston Division. “Threats to life are most certainly not protected speech, and the FBI will continue to work with our partners to bring to justice anyone who crosses the line and commits this type of crime.”
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. Barnes faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. If the judge determines that Barnes intentionally selected the victim of his crime because of the victim’s race, a sentencing enhancement will be applied.
The FBI Boston Field Office, Lewiston Police Department and the Maine Attorney General’s Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheila Sawyer for the District of Maine are prosecuting the case.
Lowell Woman Sentenced to Six Months in Prison in Conspiracy to Use Stolen Identities to Fraudulently Purchase VehiclesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell woman was sentenced today for her role in a scheme to use the stolen identities of United States citizens from Puerto Rico to fraudulently purchase vehicles.
Arialka Moya, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to six months in prison and three years of supervised release, with the first year to be served in home confinement. In November 2023, Moya pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and false representation of a Social Security number. Moya was charged by criminal complaint in September 2020 along with seven other co-conspirators.
In January 2019, Moya visited a Massachusetts car dealership and applied for a loan to purchase a vehicle worth over $60,000. In support of the car loan application, Moya provided stolen biographical information of a real United States citizen, including a fraudulent Puerto Rico driver’s license and a Social Security card, as proof of identification. Additionally, Moya used or prepared to use at least nine stolen identities to fraudulently open credit card accounts.
Moya is the final defendant to be sentenced in this case. In total, Moya and her co-conspirators fraudulently purchased at least 47 vehicles and over $270,000 in other merchandise using the credit of identity theft victims, resulting in losses of over $2 million. The co-conspirators have been ordered to pay over $781,000 in restitution to victims who submitted claims.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, in New England; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lowell, Lawrence, Methuen, Haverhill, Woburn and Dartmouth Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna J. Nuzum and Adam W. Deitch of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity, and benefit fraud schemes.
Local Importer for Cocaine Trafficking Organization Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Stoughton man has pleaded guilty to managing a large-scale drug trafficking organization (DTO) that shipped dozens of parcels containing kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico to various addresses throughout Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Patrick Joseph, 41, pleaded guilty on March 14, 2024 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for June 20, 2024.
In February 2020, Joseph was identified as the manager of a DTO who facilitated the importation of dozens of kilograms of cocaine from overseas via the U.S. Mail. Joseph served as the Massachusetts-based importer who communicated directly with suppliers in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, coordinating the transportation of 10-20 kilograms of cocaine at a time in parcels mailed to Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The cocaine was concealed in two-kilogram quantities inside air fryers and locked cash boxes within mailed parcels. Joseph also oversaw multiple couriers who would retrieve and deliver the parcels and arranged for multiple stash locations out of which the DTO operated.
Joseph was arrested and charged along with eight others in May 2021. At the time of the arrests, various firearms, 21 kilograms of cocaine and over $100,000 cash were seized.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms of cocaine provides for a sentence of at least 10 years up to life in prison, five years and up to lifetime supervised release and a fine of $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. The Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division and Homeland Security Investigations in Boston provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip C. Cheng and James E. Arnold of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.