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26 April 2024
U.S. Attorneys for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of North Carolina Host National Crime Victims’ Rights Week CeremonyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C – United States Attorneys Michael Easley from the Eastern District of North Carolina, Sandra J. Hairston from the Middle District, and Dena J. King from the Western District, together with various local and state leaders, gathered on Tuesday morning to promote community engagement in supporting crime survivors and victims. Local news reporter Debra Morgan of WRAL emceed the event, which featured music by The 100 Men in Black Ensemble, and an array of speakers delivering messages of hope to victims of crime. Students from Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School were also recognized for their participation in a poster contest featuring butterflies in honor of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. Two service organizations were also featured, including Safe Child and Ship Outreach, for their role in helping survivors of crime.
North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections“In the face of gun violence and an opioid epidemic claiming far too many lives, we won’t allow our communities to be defined by grief and loss,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “In National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, we highlight the brave victims, survivors, and service providers seeking justice in our courts. We also recognize that true healing requires services and care, wrapping up survivors and ensuring they and their loved ones are never forgotten.”
“Each year, we honor and pay tribute to the victims of crime, to those who are survivors of crime, and to the courageous families who love them,” said U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of North Carolina. “We take this time to thank the outstanding victims’ advocates and law enforcement professionals who are dedicated to supporting survivors and seeking justice for all victims. We will continue this work throughout the year and in years to come to seek justice for the victims and to give hope to the survivors and their families.”
“National Crime Victims’ Rights Week emphasizes the importance of supporting and advocating for crime victims and survivors within our justice system,” said U.S. Attorney Dena J. King of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of North Carolina. “This year’s theme reflects our dedication to individuals whose lives have been affected by crime and underscores our commitment to ensuring their rights are recognized and upheld every step of the way. When we put victim advocacy at the forefront of our efforts, we ensure that crime victims and survivors have access to the care, support, and resources they need throughout their journey toward healing and justice.”
This year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week theme is “How would you help? Options, services, and hope for crime survivors.” The theme aims to ensure that everyone in a community, including friends, family members, colleagues, neighbors, service providers, or other trusted members of the community, understands their crucial role in supporting crime victims and survivors, and is prepared to offer support.
The U.S. Attorneys Offices for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of North Carolina are proud to join the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and communities throughout the United States during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in raising awareness of victims’ rights and honoring crime victims and their advocates.
For additional information about this year’s NCVRW and how to assist victims in your own community, please visit the United States Attorney’s Office website. For more ideas on how to support victims of crime, visit OVC’s website at www.ovc.ojp.gov.
U.S. Attorneys for the Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of North Carolina Host National Crime Victims’ Rights Week CeremonyRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C – United States Attorneys Dena J. King, Sandra J. Hairston, and Michael Easley from the Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of North Carolina, respectively, gathered on Tuesday morning with local and state leaders to promote community engagement in supporting crime survivors and victims.
“National Crime Victims’ Rights Week emphasizes the importance of supporting and advocating for crime victims and survivors within our justice system,” said U.S. Attorney King. “This year’s theme reflects our dedication to individuals whose lives have been affected by crime and underscores our commitment to ensuring their rights are recognized and upheld every step of the way. When we put victim advocacy at the forefront of our efforts, we ensure that crime victims and survivors have access to the care, support, and resources they need throughout their journey toward healing and justice.”
“Each year, we honor and pay tribute to the victims of crime, to those who are survivors of crime, and to the courageous families who love them,” said U.S. Attorney Hairston. “We take this time to thank the outstanding victims’ advocates and law enforcement professionals who are dedicated to supporting survivors and seeking justice for all victims. We will continue this work throughout the year and in years to come to seek justice for the victims and to give hope to the survivors and their families.”
“In the face of gun violence and an opioid epidemic claiming far too many lives, we won’t allow our communities to be defined by grief and loss,” said U.S. Attorney Easley. “In National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, we highlight the brave victims, survivors, and service providers seeking justice in our courts. We also recognize that true healing requires services and care, wrapping up survivors and ensuring they and their loved ones are never forgotten.”
News reporter Debra Morgan of WRAL emceed the event, which featured music by The 100 Men in Black Ensemble, and an array of speakers delivering messages of hope to victims of crime. Students from Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School were also recognized for their participation in a poster contest featuring butterflies in honor of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. Two service organizations were also featured, including Safe Child and Ship Outreach, for their role in helping survivors of crime.
The U.S. Attorneys Offices for the Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of North Carolina are proud to join the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and communities throughout the United States during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in raising awareness of victims’ rights and honoring crime victims and their advocates.
For more information about how to support all victims of crime, visit OVC’s website at ovc.ojp.gov.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit Highlights Success of Fentanyl Distribution Prosecution Efforts in East IdahoRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced the results of six separate distribution of fentanyl cases in Eastern Idaho today.
“The case results announced today reflect stellar work by our prosecutors and staff in our Pocatello branch office,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “Together with our law enforcement partners in the region, our office is rising to meet the challenge that fentanyl trafficking poses to communities in Eastern Idaho. The partnerships that drive these cases will continue to make all of Idaho a terrible place for drug dealers to do business.”
1. Pocatello Man Sentenced to 121 Months for Conspiracy and Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl
In one case, Donny Ray Moreno, 35, of Pocatello, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye to 121 months in federal prison for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court records, law enforcement began investigating Moreno for distributing controlled substances in January 2021. The investigation culminated on November 2, 2021, when law enforcement attempted to stop Moreno in Downey, Idaho. Moreno fled from law enforcement in his vehicle at a high rate of speed. During the 45-minute pursuit, Moreno threw 97 grams of fentanyl and a handgun out of his car window. Law enforcement eventually stopped Moreno and later recovered the fentanyl and other items that had been thrown from Moreno’s vehicle.
Judge Nye also ordered Moreno to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Moreno pleaded guilty to the federal charge in January 2024.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit thanked the Idaho State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the BADGES Task Force, for their investigation.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Paskett.
2. California Man Sentenced to 70 Months for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl
In another case, Andrew Haney, 40, of Torrance, CA, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye to 70 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court records, in May 2023, Haney obtained 2,000 fentanyl pills in California. He disguised them in candy boxes and transported them to Idaho for the purpose of distribution.
Judge Nye also ordered Haney to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Haney pleaded guilty to the federal charge in December 2023.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the cooperative efforts of the BADGES Task Force including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pocatello Police Department, the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Idaho State Police for their efforts on this case.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blythe McLane.
3. Four Additional Fentanyl Dealers Pleaded Guilty; Awaiting Sentencing in July 2024
Additionally, this week in U.S. District Court, four more East Idaho defendants pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking cases involving fentanyl.
- Teyawnna Marie Littlebull, 29, of Idaho Falls, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. According to court records, on three occasions between February and May 2023, Littlebull sold over 200 pills containing fentanyl to another person as part of an investigation led by the Idaho State Police, Homeland Security Investigations, the Idaho Falls Police Department, and the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office. Littlebull is scheduled to be sentenced on July 10, 2024, at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
- William Brian Thomson, 37, of Menan, ID, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. According to court records, in March 2023, Thomson was pulled over for a traffic violation that resulted in the search of his vehicle. During the search, Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office deputies found 2,000 pills containing fentanyl and a solid gray substance that also tested positive for fentanyl. Thomson is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31, 2024, at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
- Christopher Bishop, 36, of Pocatello, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. A search warrant was served on Bishop’s hotel room in Pocatello in July 2023. BADGES Task Force officers located approximately 1,000 pills containing fentanyl. Bishop is scheduled to be sentenced on July 10, 2024, at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
- Jonely Emanuel Rivera-Doblado, 35, of Taylorsville, UT, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Rivera-Doblado was arrested by BADGES Task Force officers in Malad, ID. Officers found over 4,000 pills containing fentanyl in his possession. Rivera-Doblado is scheduled to be sentenced on July 10, 2024, at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Paskett and Blythe McLane.
The BADGES Task Force is a collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that focuses primarily on drug trafficking crimes in Bannock County and throughout the region.
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U.S. Attorney Gorman recognizes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week with Seattle event and Victim Services AwardRead the Press Release
Seattle – This year the theme of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is “How Would You Help: Options, Services, and Hope for Crime Survivors.” U.S. Attorney Tessa Gorman joined a panel at Seattle City Hall to discuss the work of our Victim Witness Unit to assist those who are impacted by federal crimes.
“Whether it is making sure a victim of sexual assault is supported while they confront their assailant in court, or ensuring a victim of a financial crime has the opportunity to seek restitution, our victim witness staff put people first,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “They are on the front lines of law enforcement, helping victims pick-up the pieces and move forward after devastating events. It is difficult work, and I salute those who are devoted to helping others, this week, and every week.”
U.S. Attorney Gorman was joined by King County Prosecutor Leesa Manion, the Supervisor of the Seattle City Attorney’s Office Domestic
Violence Unit Lorna Staten-Sylvester, Washington State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Manka Dhingra, and Sexual Violence Law Center Director Riddhi Mukhopadhyay.
The panelists discussed how victim services and advocacy have evolved over the last several years. U.S. Attorney Gorman highlighted efforts to get restitution for victims of crimes through our Financial Litigation Unit. Additionally, U.S. Attorney Gorman noted how our office collaborates with community-based victim support groups, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and the City Attorney’s Office through organizations such as the anti-human trafficking group WashACT.
This year, for the first time, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is making Awards of Excellence to law enforcement partners who have made great contributions to our work and our district. The Victim Witness 2024 Excellence Award is being presented to National Park Service Special Agent Susannah (Sanny) Lustig. Special Agent Lustig is credited with “revolutionizing how the National Park Service responds to victims.” In fact, Special Agent Lustig has an additional role with the National Park Service as the Victim Assistance Program Manager. She is a Child Forensic interviewer and assists other law enforcement agencies in this role. The U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim Witness Unit noted that Agent Lustig does a top-notch job of supporting victims and trains others in the National Park Service on best practices for assisting victims. The award cites two federal cases where Agent Lustig was especially effective in victim support: U.S. v. Turrey and U.S. v. Chapman.
The award for Lustig and for other law enforcement officers will be presented next month.
Troy Woman Pleads Guilty to Yearslong Fraud to Obtain BenefitsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Troy woman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor to Social Security fraud, health care fraud, and theft of public money.
According to court records, from about October 2013 to February 2020, Christie Mitchell, 49, lied to the Social Security Administration (SSA) about her husband’s presence in her household and his income to fraudulently appear eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. Mitchell also concealed her husband’s presence and income from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (ME/DHHS) from about October 2013 to December 2019 during which time she received MaineCare benefits and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
In multiple benefit eligibility reviews, Mitchell falsely represented to the SSA and ME/DHHS that she and her husband lived separately. She failed to disclose her husband’s presence and income despite knowing that she was required to and that it would affect her eligibility to receive benefits.
Mitchell faces up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 followed by up to three years of supervised release on each of the Social Security fraud and health card fraud charges. She faces up to 10 years and a maximum fine of $250,000 followed by up to three years of supervised release on the theft of public money charge. The Court may also order Mitchell to pay
restitution to SSA for the Social Security fraud charge and must order her to pay restitution to ME/DHHS for the health care fraud and theft of public money charges.
SSA’s Office of the Inspector General and ME/DHHS’s Fraud Investigation and Recovery Unit investigated the case.
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Texas man sentenced to more than 3 years in prison for providing faulty military partsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Texas was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to 37 months in prison for crimes related to providing faulty parts to the U.S. military.
Philip R. Huddleston, 59, of Ft. Worth, supplied the United States military with unapproved and substituted parts as a Department of Defense (DoD) contractor.
Since 2013, Huddleston was a civilian employed as a quality assurance specialist at the Defense Contract Management Agency. Since 2018, Huddleston also co-owned WM Industries, a DoD contractor in Beaumont, Texas, who sold and supplied a variety of military parts to the DoD.
Huddleston co-owned the DoD parts business with Gregory Gotreaux, 56, of Beaumont, Texas, who is also convicted in this scheme. Gotreaux was sentenced in November 2023 to 21 months in prison.
According to court documents, Huddleston and Gotreaux conspired to supply the United States with unapproved and substituted parts on 41 orders totaling at least $704,000.
Specifically, from November 2019 through September 2021, Huddleston and Gotreaux provided nonconforming parts used in various U.S. military defense and weapons systems. The defendants were paid by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) located in Columbus.
The two men pleaded guilty to wire fraud and engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property.
The defendants have agreed to pay $706,000 in restitution, which includes approximately $2,100 for testing costs to the DoD.
“The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the law enforcement arm of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Inspector General, is fully committed to protecting the integrity of the DoD supply chain,” said Patrick J. Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge of the DCIS Northeast Field Office. “Supplying nonconforming parts to the DoD compromises military systems and potentially endangers the lives of U.S. service members. We will continue to partner with the Defense Logistics Agency, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and Department of Justice to ensure that DoD contractors provide approved material and quality products to the U.S. military.”
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Patrick Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS); and Karen Wingerd, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); announced the sentence imposed today by Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Deputy Criminal Chief Jessica W. Knight and Special Assistant United States Attorney J. Michael Marous are representing the United States in this case.
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Texas Man Admits Selling 1.4 Kilos of Methamphetamine to the DEARead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Texas on Friday admitted selling 1.4 kilograms of methamphetamine to an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agent, and giving the agent another kilogram of cocaine to sell.
On August 16, 2022, Marco Chavira met with the agent in El Paso. Chavira believed the agent was a driver who would transport the drugs to St. Louis and Chicago. Chavira sold 1.4 kilograms of methamphetamine to the agent and “fronted” the agent a kilogram of cocaine, meaning he expected to be paid later for the cocaine.
Chavira, 35, of El Paso, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Chavira’s sentencing is set for August 9. The charge carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of five years and a maximum of 40 years. He could also face a fine of up to $5 million.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Casey is prosecuting the case.
Stilwell Resident Sentenced to 35 Years for Multiple Counts of Aggravated Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Daniel Wayne Bayless, age 27, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 420 months for each of four counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian Country. The terms of imprisonment will be served concurrently. Bayless will also be required to register as a sex offender.
The charges arose from investigations by the Adair County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On July 18, 2023, Bayless was found guilty of the charges by a federal jury. During the trial, the United States presented evidence that in 2020 Bayless sexually assaulted a minor victim under the age of 12 on multiple occasions. The Government also presented evidence Bayless victimized another child ten years prior. The crimes occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation of Oklahoma, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Bayless will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Paladino and Morgan Muzljakovich represented the United States.
Standish Man Sentenced to 3+ Years for Attempted Transfer of Obscene Material to a MinorRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Standish man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced John Wilson, 36, to 40 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Wilson pleaded guilty on January 30, 2023.
According to court records, in March 2022, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office received reports that an individual later identified as Wilson had engaged in inappropriate conversations with at least two minor children using the internet and social media. In June 2022, Wilson engaged in sexually explicit online chats with members of a watchdog group posing as underage girls. During one sexually explicit chat, Wilson sent photographs of his penis and live-streamed a video of himself masturbating to someone he believed to be an 11-year-old girl.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Online enticement is increasing: The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) reported an alarming increase in online enticement reports between 2020 and 2022, with reports more than doubling. “Online enticement” involves an individual communicating with someone believed to be a child via the internet with the intent to commit a sexual offense or abduction. This type of victimization takes place across every platform, including social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, etc. Learn more about online enticement, including red flags and risk factors, at https://www.missingkids.org/theissues/onlineenticement. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
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Springfield, Illinois Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison for Multiple Crimes Against ChildrenRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Springfield, Illinois man, James Simons, 32, of the 2000 block of South 5th Street in Springfield, Illinois, was sentenced to 35 years in the Bureau of Prisons, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release on April 23, 2024.
Simons, a registered sex offender, pleaded guilty on December 20, 2023, to the charges of sexual exploitation of a child, distribution of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, attempted enticement of a minor, use of interstate facilities to attempt to transmit information about a minor, attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor, and penalties for registered sex offenders.
At the sentencing hearing in front of U.S. District Judge Collen R. Lawless, the government established that the defendant persuaded children to produce sexual images of themselves and send them to him for his sexual gratification. The Court further found that between August 13, 2020, and August 28, 2020, Simons communicated with an individual online he believed to be fifteen years old. Despite knowing the individual’s age, Simons discussed engaging in sexual activity with the minor, asked for the minor’s address, and sent child pornography to the child. On August 28, 2020, after confirming that the minor was alone, he asked for the child’s address and drove to the residence expecting to engage in sexual conduct; he was then arrested.
“This sentence sends a strong message to every perpetrator that the U. S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois and its law enforcement partners prioritize the protection of children and will use every resource at our disposal to ensure that the internet is not used by predators as their hunting ground.” said Assistant United States Attorney Tanner K. Jacobs.
“The FBI prioritizes investigations that protect children,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge David Nanz. “This substantial sentence resulted from the dedicated efforts of our agents and law enforcement partners who work around the clock to stop perpetrators who harm our children.”
Simons was indicted in September 2020 and has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest in August 2020.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office with assistance from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; the Springfield Police Department; and the Illinois State Police investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Tanner K. Jacobs represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Simons was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
South Carolina Construction Company and Its Owner Settle Matter Alleging Receipt of Improper CARES Act LoansRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A construction company based in South Carolina and its owner entered into a settlement agreement with the United States resolving allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by taking two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) to which the company was not entitled, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced today.
Congress created the PPP in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to provide emergency financial support to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses struggling to pay employees and other business expenses. The act also authorized EIDL non-forgivable loans to small businesses impacted by the COVID-19.
According to the allegations in the complaint and the contentions of the United States in the settlement agreement:
From June 20, 2020, to Nov. 21, 2021, Dennis Corp., a construction company owned by Daniel R. Dennis III, applied for and received two PPP loans, each for approximately $512,900, and a loan pursuant to the EIDL program, for $500,000. In applying for the loans, Dennis denied having a been convicted of a felony involving fraud within five years of the submitting the loan applications. In fact, in February 2017, Dennis pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia to the felony charge of conspiring to impede the IRS. As a result of Dennis’s false certification on the PPP and EIDL applications, Dennis Corp. received more than $1.5 million in loans to which it was not entitled.
Dennis Corp. and Dennis fully cooperated in the investigation and resolution of this matter. In accordance with the terms of the settlement agreement, Dennis Corp. and Dennis will pay a total of $2.5 million plus interest. The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties, called relators, to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. In this matter, the relator is receiving $250,180 as his share.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David V. Simunovich of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
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 Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Forsyth v. Dennis Corp. et al., 23-20792 (D.N.J.).
denniscorp.settlement.pdfSeminole Resident Sentenced for MurderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Douglas Vaughn Switch, Jr., age 47, of Seminole, Oklahoma, was sentenced to a term in prison for 168 months for one count of Second Degree Murder in Indian Country.
The charges arose from investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the Seminole Nation Lighthorse Police Department.
On September 25, 2023, Switch pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on the evening of October 23, 2022, Switch fired a single round from a .380, killing the victim instantly. Law enforcement officers responding to a 911 call discovered Switch pressing the .380 pistol to his own chin and sitting beside the body of the deceased on the front porch of a Seminole residence. The crime occurred in Seminole County, within the boundaries of the Seminole Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Keith Starrett, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Switch will remain in 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 Erin Cornell represented the United States.
San Gabriel Valley-Based Nursing Home Chain and Executives to Pay over $7 Million to Settle COVID-Related False Claims AllegationsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The United States and the State of California have reached a $7,084,000 civil settlement with Monrovia-based ReNew Health Group LLC, ReNew Health Consulting Services LLC, and two corporate executives for knowingly submitting false Medicare Part A claims for nursing home residents.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, to conserve hospital beds, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services waived the requirement that a person must have had a hospital stay of at least three days (signaling an acute illness or injury) before reimbursing for skilled care in a nursing home.
The United States and the State of California alleged that the defendants knowingly misused this waiver by routinely submitting claims for nursing home residents when they did not have COVID-19 or any other acute illness or injury, but merely had been near other people who had COVID-19. Under the settlement, the defendants will pay $6,841,727 to the United States and $242,273 to the State of California, plus interest.
“False claims are anathema to the Medicare system, especially during a public health crisis,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada of the Central District of California. “This settlement agreement highlights my office’s determination to ensure our nation’s health care programs help those who actually need them.”
“The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the integrity of taxpayer-funded programs,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “We will hold accountable those who sought to defraud such programs during the COVID-19 pandemic, including those who knowingly misused emergency waivers for personal gain.”
This investigation was prompted by a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the government to redress false claims for government funds and to receive a share of any recovery. The settlement agreement in this case provides for the whistleblower, Bay Area Whistleblower Partners, to receive $1,204,280, plus interest, as its share of the settlement. The case is captioned United States and State of California ex rel. Bay Area Whistleblower Partners v. ReNew Health Group LLC et al., No. 2:20-cv-09472 (C.D. Cal.).
Assistant United States Attorney Karen Y. Paik of the Civil Division’s Civil Fraud Section and Senior Trial Counsel Albert P. Mayer of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section are handling this matter with assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General and the California Department of Justice’s Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse.
The claims settled by the United States and the State of California are allegations only, and there was no determination of liability.
San Gabriel Valley Woman Pleads Guilty to Counterfeit Postage Fraud that Caused More Than $150 Million in Losses to U.S. Postal ServiceRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Gabriel Valley woman pleaded guilty today to defrauding the United States Postal Service (USPS) out of more than $150 million by using counterfeit postage to ship tens of millions of parcels.
Lijuan “Angela” Chen, 51, of Walnut, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of use of counterfeit postage. Chen has been in federal custody since her arrest in May 2023.
“This defendant participated in a fraud scheme that caused massive losses to our nation’s postal service,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “My office will continue to focus on holding fraudsters accountable and bringing justice to victims everywhere.”
According to her plea agreement, from at least November 2019 to May 2023, Chen and her co-defendant, Chuanhua “Hugh” Hu, 51, owned and operated a package shipping business located in the City of Industry. This company provided shipping services, including the shipping of packages via U.S. Mail, for China-based logistics businesses.
To avoid the cost of postage, Hu began creating false and counterfeit postage to ship packages by printing duplicate and counterfeit Netstamps – stamps that may be purchased online from third-party vendors and printed onto adhesive paper.
In November 2019, knowing that law enforcement was investigating his use of counterfeit postage, Hu fled the United States and moved to China. After fleeing to China, Hu developed ways to make counterfeit postage and avoid detection, such as a computer program for fabricating counterfeit postage shipping labels. Chen remained in the United States and managed the warehouses that she and Hu used to ship mail bearing counterfeit postage.
Starting in 2020, Chen and Hu began affixing counterfeit postage to mail they presented to USPS for delivery. Chen and Hu received parcels from the China-based vendors and others, applied shipping labels showing postage purportedly paid and then arranged for the parcels to be transferred to USPS facilities to be shipped across the nation. The shipping labels were fraudulent and frequently included, among other red flags, “intelligent barcode data” recycled from previously mailed packages, according to court documents. Intelligent barcode data is used in some postage shipping labels to evidence the payment of required postage for the shipped item.
For example, on October 25, 2022, Chen and Hu caused to be transported to USPS a delivery of approximately 4,779 packages to be shipped via U.S. Mail. This delivery included multiple packages bearing counterfeit USPS Priority Mail postage meter stamps.
From January 2020 to May 2023, Chen and Hu knowingly mailed and caused to be mailed more than 34 million parcels containing counterfeit postage shipping labels, which caused more than $150 million in losses to USPS.
As part of her plea agreement, Chen has agreed to forfeit funds that law enforcement seized from her bank accounts, insurance policies, and real estate in Walnut, Chino, Chino Hills, South El Monte, Diamond Bar, and West Covina.
“The Postal Service and the Postal Inspection Service will continue to implement expanded measures to preserve the level of security Postal Service customers expect and deserve,” said Inspector in Charge Carroll Harris, Los Angeles Division of the Postal Inspection Service. “Engaging in counterfeit postage fraud causes monetary losses to customers and the Postal Service alike. Fraudsters beware, the Postal Inspection Service will continue to exhaust all its efforts to disrupt your scheme, find you, and bring you to justice.”
“Ms. Chen has admitted today that she conspired with Mr. Hu to defraud the United States Government willfully and knowingly,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “IRS:CI will work tirelessly with our partners to protect taxpayer interests in the postal service and other government agencies.”
United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton scheduled an August 2 sentencing hearing, at which time Chen will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count.
Hu, who is believed to be a fugitive residing in China, is charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, three counts of passing and possessing counterfeit obligations of the United States, and one count of forging and counterfeiting postage stamps.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The United States Postal Inspection Service and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys James C. Hughes and Richard E. Robinson of the Major Frauds Section are prosecuting this case.
Rocky Mount Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearm Possession After High-Speed Chase with Child and Puppy in VehicleRead the Press Release
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – A Rocky Mount man was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison for possessing a short-barreled rifle that was not marked with a serial number. On September 26, 2023, Chi-Ali Bunn pled guilty to the charge.
“This defendant fled police in a high-speed chase exceeding 111 miles per hour with guns, drugs, and a kid in the car,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “A short-barreled rifle and high-capacity drum magazine have no place around a child, especially in a car traveling at speeds over a hundred miles an hour. We will keep up our partnership with local law enforcement to get illegal guns out of dangerous hands like Bunn’s.”
“We appreciate the collaboration and partnerships with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and dedicated law enforcement,” said Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone. “Dedicated law enforcement and prosecutors make safe communities.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Bunn, 29, approached a Nash County Sheriff’s Office license check station in January 2023. Bunn, a felon, then turned around to avoid the station and deputies pursued. When a deputy activated his blue lights, Bunn fled, reaching speeds of up to 111 miles per hour. During the pursuit, Bunn ran multiple stop signs, traveled on the wrong side of the road, weaved in and out of traffic, and narrowly avoided colliding with other motorists, including a law enforcement vehicle. The pursuit continued into Zebulon where deputies with the Wake County Sheriff’s Office successfully deployed stop sticks, which flattened two tires of the suspect’s vehicle. Unknown to law enforcement at the time, Bunn’s young child and a small puppy were in the car during the chase. After the car was stopped, deputies searched the vehicle and found a loaded 9mm handgun capable of accepting a large capacity magazine; a .223 caliber rifle with a barrel length of 7.5 inches; a loaded drum magazine; a pill bottle containing eight Oxycodone pills; a cut straw containing cocaine residue; and a digital scale.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Nash and Wake County Sheriff’s Offices, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Phil Aubart prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-00127-BO-RJ.
Registered Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to 14 Charges for Producing, Transporting and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A West Gardiner man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to 14 charges relating to the production, transportation and distribution of child sexual abuse material, as well as failing to register as a sex offender.
According to court records, on August 29, 2022, Maine State Police executed a search warrant in West Gardiner on the person of Jon A. Hall, 30. In the search, they seized an iPhone belonging to Hall, and child sexual abuse material was recovered from that phone. Some of the images and video files depicted Hall sexually abusing a young child while earlier living in another state. The phone also included messages with a person in Maine while Hall was out of state. In many of those messages, Hall sent child sexual abuse material to the user in Maine.
On September 11, 2022, Hall was arrested for a sex offender registry violation. At the time, he was in possession of another phone, which also contained images of victims under 12 that Hall had downloaded from online storage, and images Hall had solicited and received directly from a 12‑year-old child using the internet.
Hall was required to register as a sex offender following a conviction for possessing sexually explicit material depicting a child under 12. Although Hall was aware of his requirement to notify the registry of changes in residence, he failed to update his registry information after he moved back to Maine from out of state in August 20222.
Hall faces:
- Transportation of child pornography charge (2 counts): Minimum of 15 and maximum of 40 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,00, followed by up to three years of supervised release.
- Receipt of child pornography (1 count): Minimum of 15 and maximum of 40 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, followed by five years to life of supervised release.
- Possession of child pornography (2 counts): Minimum of 10 and maximum of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, followed by up to three years of supervised release.
- Distribution of child pornography (8 counts): Minimum of 15 and maximum of 40 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, followed by five years to life of supervised release.
- Failure to register as a sex offender (1 count): Up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, followed by five years to life of supervised release.
A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Maine State Police investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
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Registered Sex Offender Arrested and Charged with Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man, who is a Level 3 sex offender, has been arrested and charged with possession of child pornography.
Bryan Horgan, 58, was charged with possession of child pornography. Horgan made his initial appearance in federal court in Boston yesterday following his arrest and agreed to voluntary detention.
According to the charging documents, Horgan was identified as the owner of a Microsoft account uploading child pornography. During a search of Horgan’s residence, it is alleged that one of his electronic devices contained several video files of child pornography depicting children as young as infants. It is further alleged that another device contained filenames with words and phrases indicative of child pornography.
Horgan was previously convicted in the Suffolk Superior Court of rape of a child, assault to rape a child, indecent assault and battery on a child, disseminating obscene material to a minor, and possession of child pornography.
The charge of possession of child pornography as a person with a prior conviction under Mass. state law relating to sexual abuse of a minor provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, five years to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Soto of the Major Crimes Unit 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.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Readout of Disruptive Technology Protection Network Summit with Japan and the Republic of KoreaRead the Press Release
Yesterday, the Departments of Justice and Commerce launched the Disruptive Technology Protection Network with Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK), hosting the first high-level trilateral summit in Washington, D.C. The creation of this network follows an August 2023 Camp David summit between the leaders of the three countries, during which they committed to expanding collaboration on technology protection measures and building connections between representatives of the U.S. Disruptive Technology Strike Force and Japan and ROK counterparts. The Disruptive Technology Protection Network expands information-sharing and the exchange of best practices across the three countries’ enforcement agencies.
“Keeping sensitive technology out of the wrong hands is a global problem and demands a global response,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Our partnerships with like-minded nations are critical to our ability to succeed, and we are proud to join forces with Japan and the Republic of Korea in forming the Disruptive Technology Protection Network.”
The meeting was hosted by Assistant Attorney General Olsen and Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, the two co-leads of the Disruptive Technology Strike Force. The Strike Force, established in February 2023, is an interagency law enforcement effort aimed at preventing critical technologies from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation-states.
Assistant Attorney General Olsen and Assistant Secretary Axelrod were joined by Hyeon-Wook Kim, Secretary to the President of the ROK for Economic Security; Soonjeong Kwon, Deputy Minister of Justice, Head of the Prosecution Service Bureau (ROK); Woohyuk Choi, Director General for the Bureau of Trade Controls Policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE) (ROK); IGARI Katsuro, Director General of the Trade Control Department at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI); and TSUTSUI Hiroki, Director General of Japan’s Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Department. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco delivered opening remarks for the event, highlighting the successes of the Strike Force and the importance of international partnerships.
“Preventing sensitive technologies from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation-states is not only a critical endeavor, but a shared one,” said Assistant Secretary Axelrod. “Today’s Summit formally launches our work with our partners in South Korea and Japan, as we join together to prevent our countries’ most sensitive items from getting into the world’s most dangerous hands.”
The United States, Japan and the ROK enjoy strong trade relationships and law enforcement cooperation. Recognizing that violations of export controls or other laws prohibiting the illicit transfer of technology threaten their respective national security interests, the delegations agreed that combating illicit technology transfer is a critical national and economic security imperative and agreed to further enhance cooperation and information sharing through the signing of two memoranda of intent between the three countries.
Over the course of the day, delegates shared updates on their respective technology protection efforts, presented case studies about recent enforcement actions, and provided overviews of their key enforcement authorities. The summit ended with a comprehensive discussion of practical next steps to execute the newly-signed memoranda and concurrence on the network’s near- and medium-term goals.
The delegations included representatives from the following agencies:
The United States
- The Department of Justice
- The Department of Commerce
- The Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations
- The Department of Defense’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service
Japan
- The National Police Agency
- The Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI)
- The Ministry of Finance, Customs and Tariff Bureau
The Republic of Korea
- The Office of the President
- The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE)
- The Ministry of Justice
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- The Customs Service
In August 2023, President Biden welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Kishida and ROK President Yoon to a historic trilateral summit at Camp David, the first-ever stand-alone summit of leaders from the United States, Japan and ROK, and the first summit of foreign leaders at Camp David during the Biden-Harris Administration. The leaders jointly inaugurated a new era of trilateral partnership and reaffirmed that cooperation between the United States, Japan and ROK advances the security and prosperity of our people, the Indo-Pacific region and the world. Among other priorities, the leaders committed to building connections between the Disruptive Technology Strike Force representatives and their Japan and ROK counterparts.
Additional information about the Camp David Summit is available here.
Quad Cities Man Sentenced to 84 Months in Federal Prison for Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Quad Cities man was sentenced April 23, 2024, to seven years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.
According to public court documents, Marveon Dashawn Jovan Williams, 27, in May 2022, Davenport Police responded to a call for a gunshot victim in a vehicle. Upon arrival on the scene, the victim was located in the driver seat of a vehicle, with a gunshot wound to the head. Several firearms, including one located on the passenger side, and one located on the sidewalk outside the passenger side of the vehicle were recovered. A cell phone belonging to Williams was also located on the scene. Witnesses described a shootout between two different vehicles. A male, matching Williams’ physical description was seen possessing the firearm that was dropped on the sidewalk and recovered by police and fleeing the crime scene. Video surveillance footage of the scene showed Williams fleeing the area and then changing his clothing in a nearby wooded area. The discarded clothing was recovered by law enforcement and tested for DNA. DNA belonging to Williams was located on the clothing recovered from the wooded area.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Williams will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by Davenport Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Previously Convicted Clinton Resident Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Clinton, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possessing material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Roderick T. Long, 59, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on March 9, 2020, Long—who had previously served a 121-month federal sentence of imprisonment for receiving material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor—was found in possession of more than 500 videos and still images in computer graphics and digital files depicting the sexual exploitation of minors, many of whom had not attained the age of 12 years. The Pennsylvania State Police had obtained a search warrant for Long’s home, where they found the sexually exploitive material saved in his laptop computer and cellular telephone.
Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for August 8, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the Court ordered that Long remain in custody.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Long.
Port Charlotte Drug Dealer Sentenced to Twelve Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber today sentenced John Alton Knight, Jr. (58, Port Charlotte) to 12 years in federal prison for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it. Knight entered a guilty plea on April 26, 2023.
According to court documents, on August 9, 2022, Knight was arrested by deputies from the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office after he was found in possession of over 2,700 grams of methamphetamine and approximately 49 grams of fentanyl. Deputies located evidence showing Knight’s intention to distribute those drugs including a scale, plastic baggies, a drug cutting agent, and vacuum sealed bags.
This case was investigated by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.
Plaquemines Parish Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl, Heroin and Cocaine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – CHRISTOPHER GLASS (“GLASS”) , age 46, a resident of Plaquemines Parish, La., pleaded guilty on April 18, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agents started investigating GLASS in June 2020 as a narcotics distributor in the New Orleans metropolitan area. The investigation involved use of physical and electronic surveillance, confidential sources, and controlled purchases of narcotics, all of which led to a court authorized wiretap. During the investigation, agents discovered GLASS was conspiring with conspiring wirh others to distribute cocaine and pills containing heroin and fentanyl.
GLASS faces up to twenty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, at least three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was investigated by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Pearl River Woman Pleads Guilty to Assault on the Choctaw Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Pearl River woman pled guilty to assaulting a tribal member with a knife in the Pearl River Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation.
According to court documents, in 2023, Telinah Kowi Tek Farve, 25, stabbed the tribal member with a knife causing serious bodily injury. Farve was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury and she pled guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
Farve is scheduled to be sentenced on August 6, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.
Oxford Man Charged with Sexually Exploiting MinorRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A federal grand jury sitting in Worcester has returned an indictment against an Oxford man for child exploitation offenses.
Michael Lamountain, 41, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, one count of sex trafficking of a minor and four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. Lamountain is currently in state custody on related offenses and will appear in federal court in Worcester on April 30, 2024. The defendant was previously charged by criminal complaint with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor on Feb. 16, 2024.
According to the charging documents, on July 19, 2023, Lamountain sex trafficked a minor victim and coerced the minor victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. It is further alleged that Lamountain coerced three other minor victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography.
Lamountain was arrested in August 2023 and subsequently charged by state authorities in Worcester Superior Court with rape of a child, aggravated indecent assault and battery on a child, depicting minors in sexual conduct, human trafficking of a minor, possession of child pornography, distribution of child pornography and intimidation of a witness.
The charge of sexual exploitation of a minor provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of sex trafficking of a minor provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Worcester Police Chief Paul B. Saucier; and Oxford Police Chief Michael K. Daniels made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Rhode Island State Police and Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Noto of the Worcester Branch Office 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.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Orleans Parish Man Indicted for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that, on April 19, 2024, JASON PICK, age 42, of New Orleans, was indicted on eight counts of wire fraud.
According to the indictment, from June 2020 through October 25, 2021, PICK worked as an accountant for Company A. Company A manages residential and commercial real estate in the New Orleans area. During his employment, PICK stole approximately $64,137.00 from Company A by altering the face of money orders intended to be rent payments from tenants and deposited the altered money orders into his own bank account. While awaiting sentencing for a scheme to defraud his previous employer, PICK submitted a fraudulent letter from Company A to a federal judge. The letter was intended to delay his prison report date so he would have more time to make fraudulent changes in Company A’s accounting system, thereby concealing his scheme to defraud Company A.
If convicted, PICK faces up to 20 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Secret Service in investigating this matter. G. Dall Kammer, Chief of General Crimes, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy L. Bell of the Violent Crimes Unit, are in charge of the prosecution.
Orlando Man Charged with Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the filing of a criminal complaint charging George Andrew Pherai-Bogeajis (35, Orlando) with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and the seizure of numerous kilograms of methamphetamine, suspected fentanyl and cocaine, pressed pills, firearms, and drug proceeds. If convicted on all counts, Pherai-Bogeajis faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
According to court documents, a federal search warrant was executed on April 9, 2024, at two residences – one in Orlando and one in Ocoee – used by Pherai-Bogeajis. At the Orlando residence, DEA agents located approximately 150 pounds of methamphetamine and over 100,000 pressed pills in the garage.
In Pherai-Bogeajis’ bedroom, agents recovered 3 kilograms of cocaine. They also found four firearms and over $700,000 in drug proceeds.
At the residence in Ocoee, agents found several thousand pressed pills, 10 kilograms of marijuana, and two vehicles with hidden compartments commonly used for concealing narcotics. Pherai-Bogeajis was not present at either premises but was later apprehended and is now in federal custody.
A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Orlando Police Department, the Ocoee Police Department, the Oviedo Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Customs Border Protection. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Transportation of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Timothy Sousa, age 58, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on April 25, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for transportation of child pornography. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Sousa to 120 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Sousa’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. Sousa was ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution to the victims depicted in the images.
On September 6, 2022, Timothy Sousa uploaded 161 images of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct to his Gmail account while using the internet. Google reported this activity, and the Nebraska State Patrol was ultimately notified.
On February 7, 2023, the Nebraska State Patrol executed a search warrant at Sousa’s residence in Omaha, Nebraska. During the warrant, Sousa agreed to speak with law enforcement and stated he would view young girls in bikinis with “maybe a nipple slip or something.” Numerous devices of Sousa’s were seized during the search warrant to include hard drives, a computer, and a flash drive. A search warrant was also conducted for Sousa’s Google account. Sousa was in possession of 5,222 images and videos of child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Firearm and Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Maen Chuol, 24, of Omaha, Nebraska was sentenced on April 24, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for distributing fentanyl and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Chuol to 46 months’ imprisonment on the drug charge and a consecutive 60 months’ imprisonment on the firearm charge, for a total sentence of 106 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Chuol’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On October 19, 2021, Chuol delivered fifty fentanyl pills to a confidential source with the Omaha Police Department. The transaction occurred in Omaha, Nebraska. On February 24, 2022, a federal arrest warrant for Chuol was issued by the District of Nebraska for distribution of fentanyl.
Chuol was observed exiting his residence and driving away. His vehicle was stopped, and Chuol was arrested without incident. Officers immediately noticed a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, looked into the open driver door and observed a small plastic baggie of marijuana on the center console in plain view.
The Ziploc style bag contained numerous small plastic baggies commonly used to distribute narcotics. One small plastic baggie contained seventy-seven suspected fentanyl pills, one contained white powder (suspected cocaine) weighing 3 grams, and three individually packaged pills, one blue pill (suspected fentanyl) and two unknown pills.
Officers secured a search warrant for Chuol’s residence and recovered fifty-six grams of blue fentanyl pills, a plastic baggie containing nine grams of cocaine, a plastic baggie containing seventeen grams of psilocybin mushrooms, and a loaded 9mm Taurus firearm loaded with live rounds, twelve in the magazine and one in the chamber. Officers also located a safe which contained eight thousand US dollars ($8,000) in various denominations. The money was determined to be drug sale proceeds and administratively forfeited to the United States.
The narcotics were later confirmed via forensic laboratory analysis as 4-ANPP (a fentanyl precursor), fentanyl, and cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
Omaha Man Sentenced for COVID Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Ramel D. Thompson, 60, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on April 25, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Thompson to 70 months’ imprisonment and ordered him to pay $2,518,556.75 in restitution for the loans and grants, plus interest and processing fees, Thompson actually acquired. After Thompson’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
During 2020 and 2021, Thompson provided direction and assistance to others in preparing and submitting applications containing material misrepresentations to obtain inflated Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) loans and grants on behalf of their businesses. Those loan programs were created or expanded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, which was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thompson also submitted one fraudulent application for a loan on his own behalf, but it was not funded.
Thompson assisted in inflating the amount of the loans for which his and others’ businesses would qualify by overstating on applications what the businesses had paid in past compensation or had received in revenue, and/or by understating the expenses the businesses had incurred. He also created and assisted in creating phony documents in support of applications, such as false tax documents that were not filed with the IRS.
Thompson also assisted others in preparing and submitting false applications for forgiveness of PPP loans. The forgiveness applications were supported by false documents that Thompson helped prepare and falsely stated, among other things, that the PPP proceeds had been expended for proper purposes.
The fraudulent applications that Thompson helped prepare and submit sought loans and grants totaling approximately $5,844,999, and co-conspirators obtained $2,442,616.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General.
Olathe Man Indicted for Stealing 41 FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Olathe, Kansas, man was arrested yesterday while crossing the border from Mexico back into the United States after being indicted by a federal grand jury for stealing 41 firearms from a gun store in Raytown, Mo.
“We are committed to stanching the flow of illegal firearms on the black market, whether they’re trafficked within the United States or smuggled into Mexico,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore of the Western District of Missouri. “Stolen firearms often supply black market dealers and fuel more crime and violence. It’s critical that we hold to account everyone involved along this chain of criminal activity.”
“Today’s charges demonstrate the power of crime gun intelligence and cooperation with Mexican law enforcement to stem the flow of firearms from the U.S. into Mexico — where they arm the violent cartels that flood our communities with deadly drugs,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “By submitting information about recovered firearms to ATF’s eTrace system, Mexican law enforcement helped us link the alleged theft of firearms in Missouri to their international transport and recovery in Mexico.”
“Mexican organized crime groups use firearms to commit heinous crimes against civilians and rival criminal groups,” stated Bernard G. Hansen, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Kansas City. “There is no safe hiding place for anyone engaged in illegal firearms trafficking to Mexico. Stemming the flow of illegal guns to Mexico is of the highest priority for ATF and we will work relentlessly to investigate firearm thefts in order to prevent and dismantle the flow of illegal firearms.”
Frank Guereca, 22, was charged with one count of stealing firearms from a federal firearms licensee in an indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, April 24. The indictment was unsealed and made public today. Guereca is scheduled for his initial court appearance today at 2:30 p.m. in El Paso, Texas (3:30 p.m. CST) before U.S Magistrate Judge Miguel Torres of the Western District of Texas.
The federal indictment alleges that Guereca, aiding and abetting others, stole the firearms on June 16, 2023. All of the stolen firearms were pistols of various manufacturers and calibers.
According to court documents, Guereca and at least two others used a stolen U-Haul to conduct the firearms theft. One of the stolen pistols from the gun store was recovered in Tracy, Calif., on Nov. 14, 2023. A second stolen pistol was recovered in Chihuahua, Mexico, on Dec. 19, 2023. A third stolen pistol was recovered in Juarez, Mexico, on Feb. 6, 2024.
Guereca was arrested on Thursday, April 25, as he attempted to cross back into the United States from Mexico. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection records, Guereca had previously crossed the border approximately 20 times since the burglary and theft on June 16, 2023.
The charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Raytown, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
North Carolina Man Sentenced for Role in Counterfeit Currency ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Xavier Sanders, 24, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced today to three years of probation after serving five months in jail, for conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. Sanders admitted to his role in a conspiracy to create and pass counterfeit United States currency in the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 12, 2022, Sanders and co-defendants Jamarcus Harris and Crystal Wilks traveled with another individual from North Carolina to West Virginia. Sanders admitted that they passed counterfeit $100 bills at businesses in Beckley, Fayetteville and Summersville.
Sanders and his co-conspirators rented a room that evening at a Summersville hotel, where they attempted to create new counterfeit United States currency. Sanders admitted that their counterfeiting process involved bleaching $1 bills, scanning a genuine $100 bill, and printing the scanned image on the bleached bills.
Harris, 33, and Wilks, 24, of Lenoir, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on October 13, 2023 to conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. Harris was sentenced on February 2, 2024, to two years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $800 in restitution. Wilks awaits sentencing.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Secret Service.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Redmon, Andrew D. Isabell and Ryan Blackwell prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-54.
New York Woman Sentenced for Defacing Degas Sculpture Exhibit at the National Gallery of ArtRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joanna Smith, 54, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today to 60 days in prison for the April 2023 defacement of an exhibit at the National Gallery of Art that displayed a wax sculpture, Little Dancer Aged Fourteen, created by Edgar Degas, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott, of the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.
Smith pleaded guilty on December 15, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson to one count of causing injury to a National Gallery of Art exhibit. In addition to the prison term, Judge Berman Jackson ordered Smith to serve 24 months of supervised release, serve 150 hours of community service, of which 10 hours must involve cleaning graffiti, and pay restitution for the damage to the Degas exhibit. Smith is also barred from entering the District of Columbia and all museums and monuments for two years.
According to the government’s evidence, Smith, along with other co-conspirators, traveled to Washington D.C., on April 27, 2023, to smear red and black paint on the National Gallery of Art permanent exhibition of the Little Dancer Aged Fourteen created by Degas from 1878 to1881. Smith and a co-conspirator previously had conducted research on the piece and specifically targeted it. Before entering the National Gallery, the duo recorded video statements explaining their intent. Smith and the co-conspirator passed through security undetected with paint secreted inside water bottles.
The duo approached the exhibit, removed the bottles from their bags, and began smearing paint on the case and base surrounding the sculpture. Smith delivered statements telling onlookers why she was undertaking the action as paint dripped from the exhibit onto the surrounding floor.
Following the action, the National Gallery was required to remove the sculpture from public display for 10 days while it assessed the sculpture for damage and made repairs to the case. Gallery officials said it cost over $4,000 to repair the damage.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, specifically the FBI’s Art Crime Team, with assistance from National Gallery of Art Police, and U.S. Park Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron A. Tepfer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Violating the Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – IVAN BALLARD (“BALLARD”), age 21, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on April 25, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier after previously pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court records, New Orleans Police Department officers responded to an event in the 4700 block of Erato Street when they saw BALLARD ducking by a car to put something under the vehicle. An officer looked under the vehicle and saw a rifle. BALLARD ran and was detained by the officers. As they attempted to handcuff BALLARD, his brother took the rifle from beneath the car and threw it over a nearby fence. The officers ultimately recovered what was later determined to be an AR-15 style rifle. Record checks revealed that BALLARD had pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a firearm only few weeks before. As a result, the officers arrested him for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The United States later adopted these state charges for federal prosecution and charged BALLARD with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Judge Barbier sentenced BALLARD to 60 months in the Bureau of Prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Barbier also ordered BALLARD to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the New Orleans Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller, Senior Litigation Counsel.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KEVIN JOHNSON (“JOHNSON”), age 33, a New Orleans resident, pleaded guilty on April 24, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, the Federal Bureau Investigation New Orleans Gang Task Force and the New Orleans Police Department investigated JOHNSON for his involvement in a drug distribution operation in April 2021. The investigation revealed that JOHNSON conspired with AL VERNON BROWN, CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON, DONALD MYLES, and others to distribute heroin. On June 22, 2021, agents seized a package containing 485 grams of heroin that was mailed by AL VERNON BROWN from California to New Orleans and intended for JOHNSON.
JOHNSON faces up to twenty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, at least three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
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.
New Orleans Man Indicted for Federal Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DWINE HARDY (“HARDY”), age 32, a resident of New Orleans, was charged by a federal grand jury in a three-count indictment. Count One charges him with being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). Count Two charges him with possession of a machinegun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2). Count Three charges him with possession with the intent to distribute cocaine hydrochloride, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). Count Four charges him with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
If convicted, HARDY faces up to 15 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release for Count One; up to 10 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release for Count Two; up to 20 years of imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least 3 years of supervised release for Count Three, and a mandatory minimum 5-year term up to life imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 5 years of supervised release for Count Four. As to all four counts, HARDY also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, on December 23, 2023, Kenner police officers arrested HARDY for being a felon in possession of 15 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition and a stolen Glock Model 23, .40 caliber pistol equipped with a machinegun conversion device and an extended twenty-two round capacity magazine. HARDY was also charged with possession with the intent to distribute cocaine hydrochloride and possessing the above-described firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
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.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Kenner Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy Bell of the Violent Crimes Unit.
Murder for Hire Convict Sentenced to Ten Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO –Allen Gessen was sentenced to 120 months in prison for arranging to pay an undercover FBI agent for the murder of the mother of his young children, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. Jacqueline Scott Corley, U.S. District Judge.
Gessen was convicted of the crime by a jury after a one-week trial before Judge Corley. The evidence at trial established that Gessen, 49, of Massachusetts, was an attorney licensed in New York when he was introduced to an undercover FBI agent by a target of a separate FBI investigation into violations of international money laundering. In the summer of 2022, Gessen met with the undercover FBI agent on two occasions, first in Boca Raton, Florida, and then again in New York City, New York. During the meetings, Gessen volunteered details of a years-long dispute with his former partner which had resulted in contentious child custody proceedings. At these meetings and through a series of encrypted electronic messages, Gessen initiated plans to commit two different crimes utilizing the undercover FBI agent’s connections. The evidence at trial established that over the course of the investigation, Gessen’s objectives quickly transformed from bribing an immigration official to deport his former partner to hiring someone to murder her. Gessen resolved to murder his former partner because it was a “cheaper way to get rid of her” and was a more permanent solution.
The trial evidence established that Gessen wired a total of $23,000 to an FBI undercover bank account in San Francisco to carry out the murder. Around the same time, Gessen also sent to the undercover FBI agent a written agreement containing a promise to pay for phony “consulting services” as a method to disguise the true nature of the funds. Gessen also provided to the undercover FBI agent a target package containing details about his former partner’s whereabouts, schedule, and lifestyle habits.
A federal grand jury indicted Gessen on July 26, 2022, charging him with one count of murder for hire, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1958. The jury convicted Gessen of the charge.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Corley also ordered Gessen to serve three years of supervised release to begin after his prison term.
The case is being prosecuted by the Corporate and Securities Fraud Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The case is a result of an investigation by the FBI.
Mount Vernon Mother and Daughter Sentenced to Prison for $1.7 Million COVID-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ALICIA AYERS and ANDREA AYERS were sentenced today to two years in prison followed by six months of home confinement and 42 months in prison, respectively, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and making false statements in connection with a scheme to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”), resulting in a loss to the SBA of approximately $1.7 million. ALICIA AYERS and ANDREA AYERS previously pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román, who imposed today’s sentences.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “These defendants stole from a taxpayer-funded program intended to help small businesses that were in desperate need of assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. As their convictions and sentences reflect, my Office is determined to continue to work to bring to justice those who exploit and defraud government programs during a national emergency. I thank the FBI and the career prosecutors of this Office for their outstanding work investigating and prosecuting this scheme.”
According to the Indictment, other public filings, and statements made in court:
The SBA is a federal agency of the Executive Branch that administers assistance to American small businesses. This assistance includes making direct loans to applicants through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) Program. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress expanded the SBA’s EIDL Program to provide small businesses with low-interest loans of up to $2 million prior to in or about May 2020 and up to $150,000 beginning in or about May 2020 in order to provide vital economic support to help overcome the loss of revenue small businesses were experiencing due to COVID-19. Applicants seeking a loan under the EIDL program were also permitted to request and receive an advance of approximately $1,000 per employee, for an amount up to $10,000, which the SBA generally provided while the loan application was pending.
In June and July 2020, ALICIA AYERS and her mother, ANDREA AYERS, a former Code Enforcement Officer for the City of Mount Vernon Police Department, used the identities of approximately 300 other individuals (the “Applicants”) to submit approximately 315 online applications to the SBA, seeking over $3 million of funds through the SBA’s EIDL Program (the “EIDL Applications”). In connection with the EIDL Applications, ALICIA AYERS and ANDREA AYERS falsely represented to the SBA that the applicants were the owners of businesses with 10 or more employees. However, that was a lie – as ALICIA AYERS and ANDREA AYERS knew, the applicants did not employ the number of people reported, and the majority of the applicants did not own businesses or have any employees. Based on the fraudulent EIDL Applications, the SBA made advance payments of approximately $1,690,000 to the applicants, who then kicked back a portion of the advance payments to ALICIA AYERS and ANDREA AYERS.
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In addition to the prison terms, ALICIA AYERS, 37, and ANDREA AYERS, 57, both of Mount Vernon, New York, were each sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $1,690,000 and to pay restitution to the SBA in the amount of $1,690,000.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey C. Coffman and Courtney L. Heavey are in charge of the prosecution.
Morgantown Man Guilty of Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Morgantown, West Virginia man has been convicted of possessing and receiving child pornography.
United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced that Christopher Harp, age 39, was found guilty by a jury on multiple counts of receiving and possessing child pornography. According to the evidence introduced at trial, FBI agents identified an Internet Protocol (IP) address in Morgantown that appeared to be active in the distribution and receipt of illegal images and videos via a peer-to-peer network. Agents determined that the IP address was associated with Mr. Harp and executed a search warrant, seizing his computers, tablets, phones and thumb drives. Agents discovered hundreds of downloads to Harp’s devices, with many of the videos and images including children under the age of 12.
“Protecting young people is one of our most important responsibilities at the Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. “Whenever we identify someone who is engaged in this type of activity, we devote all resources necessary to hold the offender accountable and prevent further victimization of the children involved.”
Harp faces a sentence of five to twenty years in federal prison for each of the receipt charges and up to twenty years for the possession charge when sentenced. Harp was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal’s Service following the guilty verdicts where he will remain pending his sentencing hearing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Conklin and David Perri prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
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Montgomery County Man Sentenced to 19 Years’ Imprisonment for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tylee Brown, age 39, of Norristown, Montgomery County, was sentenced on April 23, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to 19 years’ imprisonment on the charge of possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Brown previously pleaded guilty and admitted to possessing between 1.5 kilograms and 5 kilograms of high-quality crystal methamphetamine for further distribution in the Susquehanna County area in April 2020. On April 30, 2020, the Pennsylvania State Police apprehended Brown in Susquehanna County and seized approximately four pounds of crystal methamphetamine from a vehicle in which Brown was traveling. Brown had traveled from Montgomery County to distribute the crystal methamphetamine to other individuals in Susquehanna County. Brown was indicted by a grand jury in Scranton for methamphetamine trafficking in October 2020.
The charges against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Missouri Man Sentenced to 60 Months for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Chillicothe, Missouri man, Scott Young, 37, was sentenced on April 25, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless to 60 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine.
Young was indicted in December 2019 and pleaded guilty in September 2023.
At sentencing, the Court found that Young had distributed methamphetamine on two occasions in Adams County, Illinois in 2019. The Court further noted the terrible effects methamphetamine use has had on communities in the Central District of Illinois.
The statutory penalties for distributing methamphetamine are up to 40 years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and up to a life term of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Illinois State Police, and Quincy Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Young 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.
Mexican Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Juan Tapia-Torres, 44, of Guadalupe Victoria Miramar, Mexico, was sentenced April 26, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for his involvement in a methamphetamine conspiracy. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Tapia-Torres to 90 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On March 2, 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted a controlled drug purchase of meth from Tapia-Torres in Omaha. During the controlled buy, special agents purchased approximately 437.3 grams of pure meth. The controlled buy was orchestrated by a Mexico-based source of supply that was in communication with Tapia-Torres and the special agents.
On or about March 14, 2023, a search warrant was executed on Tapia-Torres’s residence in Omaha. During the search, 3,966 grams of pure meth was located in multiple packages located inside the basement ceiling.
This case was investigated by the DEA.
Mescalero Man Pleads Guilty to AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man, Lestat Cree Valdez, 21, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges arising from the stabbing of an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe.
According to court records, on May 18, 2023, Valdez assaulted Jane Doe, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache tribe by straddling her and stabbing her repeatedly in the head, face, and chest with a knife, causing Jane Doe to suffer serious bodily injury.
At sentencing, Valdez faces up to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau Investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorneys Joni Autrey Stahl and Eliot Neal are prosecuting the case.
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Mason City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Thomas Alan Newman, from Mason City, Iowa, who received, distributed, and possessed images of child pornography was sentenced on April 25, 2024, to 6 years in federal prison.
Newman, age 60, from Swaledale, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 18, 2023, guilty plea to Possession of Child Pornography.
Evidence at the hearing showed that in May 2021, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a report from Facebook of a user trafficking in child pornography. Pursuant to a search warrant, the content of Newman’s account was provided to law enforcement. The content included several chats of a sexual nature where Newman solicited child pornography from others. Newman and another individual proposed they create a group on Facebook in order to share and trade child pornography. When interviewed by agents, Newman admitted to the activity associated with the NCMEC CyperTip report as well as sharing and receiving child pornography that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct or the sexual abuse and exploitation of an infant or toddler. Newman admitted he shared approximately 50 videos of child pornography.
Newman was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Newman was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay a total of $30,000 in fines and assessments. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term and register as a sex offender. There is no parole in the federal system.
Newman is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case is being was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-3016.
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Maryland Payroll Company Owner Pleads Guilty to Employment Tax Crimes and Embezzling from Employees’ 401(k) PlansRead the Press Release
A Maryland woman pleaded guilty today to failing to pay employment taxes to the IRS and embezzling from an employee benefit plan.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Michelle Leach-Bard, of Lutherville-Timonium, was the owner and sole corporate officer of iProcess Online Inc., a third-party accounting company that specialized in payroll, human resources and bookkeeping. From at least October 2016 through the end of 2021, she was, as iProcess’s sole corporate officer, responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from employees’ wages and paying those wages to the IRS. Though the taxes were withheld from employees wages, Leach-Bard did not pay them to the IRS, as she was required to do.
In total, Leach-Bard caused a tax loss to the IRS of $2,663,264.12.
In addition, iProcess had a Section 401(k) Profit Sharing and Retirement Plan for the benefit of some of its employees. Contributions to the 401(k) Plan were deducted from participating employees’ wages. Beginning in or around 2007, Leach-Bard did not pay those employee contributions to the 401(k) Plan. In total, Leach-Bard did not pay to the 401(k) plan approximately $207,180.41 in wages that had been withheld from employees’ paychecks. Additionally, Leach-Bard did not make approximately $18,740.37 in employer matching contributions for certain employees.
Leach-Bard is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 20 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for both the tax and embezzlement charges. She also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Catriona Coppler and Jeffrey McLellan of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Man Who Downloaded Child Pornography After Previous Conviction for Child Pornography Offense Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
A man who received child pornography over the internet while in a residential facility for a prior child pornography charge pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Brady David Salow, age 27, from Vinton, Iowa, was convicted of one count of receiving child pornography.
In a plea agreement, Salow admitted that he was convicted of four counts of possession of a depiction of a minor in a sex act in Dubuque County in 2019. As a condition of his sentence in that case, in 2023 he was residing at a residential facility in Vinton. Per the rules of the facility, Salow was not permitted to have access to a phone or a computer. Beginning in the summer of 2023, however, Salow repeatedly persuaded an employee at the facility to loan him her cellular phone under the pretense that he was going to use it for either looking up photos of celebrities or to listen to music. By at least August 2023, Salow began receiving and downloading child pornography to the employee’s phone without the employee’s knowledge, saving downloaded images to a hidden folder on the phone. In October 2023 a fellow resident alerted staff that Salow had been using a phone, and the staff member turned over her phone for examination. A forensic examination of the phone revealed child pornography, and Salow admitted that he had downloaded child pornography to the phone.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Salow remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Salow faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and lifetime term of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23‑CR‑00089.
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- Man Sentenced for Distributing Meth to a Minor
Man Sentenced for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Tyrece Thomas, 23, of Macy, Nebraska, was sentenced on April 26, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., sentenced Thomas to 24 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Thomas’s release from prison, he will begin a 2-year term of supervised release.
In May 2023, Thomas assaulted an adult male, knocking him unconscious, before then continuing to strike, kick, and stomp on the victim. Thomas’s assault resulted in serious injuries to the victim which required medical attention, including a broken jaw. When a third party attempted to help the victim, who was lying unconscious in a roadway, Thomas kicked the third party in the face, breaking that person’s nose.
This case was charged in United States District Court as there is federal jurisdiction under the Major Crimes Act for felony assaults on an Indian Reservation.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Madison County Man Sentenced for Distributing FluorofentanylRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Richmond, Ky., man, James A. Phelps, 42, was sentenced on Friday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, to 220 months in prison, for distribution of fluorofentanyl.
According to his plea agreement, on December 6, 2022, Phelps sold a confidential informant an ounce of suspected heroin; and when the substance was tested, it was found to be 27.919 grams of a mixture containing fluorofentanyl. Additionally, on two other occasions, November 16, 2022, and January 18, 2023, Phelps sold the confidential informant fluorofentanyl and other controlled substances. Each of those sales involved approximately 28 grams of fluorofentanyl. Phelps admitted to knowing that the substance that he distributed contained a controlled substance.
Phelps has previously been convicted of a felony drug offense, distribution of cocaine. He was convicted in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky in 2011.
Under federal law, Phelps must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for six years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Erek Davodowich, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Louisville Field Division, jointly announce the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, with the assistance of the AHIDTA. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Chapman is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Leader of $50 Million Health Care Fraud Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MANISHKUMAR PATEL pled guilty today in connection with a $50 million health care fraud and kickback scheme involving the sale of fraudulent prescriptions for durable medical equipment, among other medical supplies, to suppliers, pharmacies, and laboratories who obtained payment for those fraudulent prescriptions from Medicare. PATEL pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 26, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Lorna Schofield.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Behind every dollar siphoned through fraud lies a patient denied rightful care. Manishkumar Patel cost Medicare nearly $50 million in resources that could have been used to provide genuine care to those in need. His guilty plea today is a step toward restoring integrity and trust in our health care system.”
According to the charging documents and other filings and statements made in court:
Between 2019 and 2022, PATEL and a co-conspirator (“CC-1”) fraudulently sold prescriptions and doctors’ orders for durable medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, and laboratory tests (collectively, “scripts”) to durable medical equipment suppliers, pharmacies, and laboratories (collectively, the “Medicare Providers”).
PATEL obtained the scripts from call centers that called Medicare beneficiaries and asked them perfunctory questions designed to justify a script that would be reimbursed by Medicare. PATEL turned the information from those calls into scripts by arranging cursory telemedicine appointments with the beneficiaries — a practice called “doctor chasing,” in which the information was sent to a doctor who signed the script without seeing the patient and who was frequently unaware of what they were signing — and obtaining forged scripts. PATEL then sold the scripts to Medicare Providers, which filled the orders and billed Medicare.
Because the scripts were fraudulently obtained, many beneficiaries rejected the items they were sent by the Medicare Providers, many doctors threatened to report PATEL for fraud, and Medicare frequently refused to pay for the scripts.
The Medicare Providers made payments to PATEL for the scripts in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statue. PATEL and the Medicare Providers entered into sham contracts for generic marketing services at flat rates in an attempt to conceal their illegal kickback scheme.
PATEL was a leader of the scheme, which resulted in losses to Medicare of nearly $50 million.
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PATEL, 44, of Pelham Manor, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, one count of wire fraud, and one count of violating the Anti-Kickback Statute, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. In addition, PATEL was ordered to pay $48,150,692.49 in restitution to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and forfeit $6,839,900.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Mead is in charge of the prosecution.
Lackawanna County Woman Indicted for Production and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Mykayliah Hevener, age 25, of Carbondale, Pennsylvania, was indicted on April 23, 2024, for production and distribution of child pornography.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that in 2023, Hevener both produced and distributed child sexual abuse material in the form of images and videos of herself engaging in sexual contact with a toddler.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Honora Berti is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments, Complaints, and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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