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Friday 15 March 2024
Erie Resident Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Methamphetamine ViolationRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in federal court to seven years in prison on his conviction of violating federal drug laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Cordae Shatwon Jones, 27.
According to information presented to the Court, on or about April 8, 2022, Jones sold a confidential informant 223 grams of methamphetamine for $1,560 at a residence in Erie. On April 21, 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at that residence and located $1,709 in cash, a small amount of drugs, cutting agents, a pill press, Jones’s driver’s license, 12 firearms, and ammunition. Jones admitted that he had been dealing drugs and that the guns were his. Jones was convicted in 2016 of Terroristic Threats and Possession of an Instrument of a Crime.
Assistant United States Attorney Molly W. Anglin prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Jones.
District Man Indicted on Enhanced Second-Degree Theft for Theft from CVS in NorthwestRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, March 13, 2024, Troy Thompson, 44, of Washington, D.C., was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on one count of felony second-degree theft stemming from events occurring on February 22, 2024, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced.
Thompson is on bench warrant status and will be arraigned when he returns to court at a hearing before a Superior Court judge.
According to the government’s evidence, on February 22, 2024, Thompson took a range of merchandise without paying from the CVS store at 2009 8th Street NW, Washington, D.C. Thompson was quickly located and arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department.
Thompson has two or more prior theft convictions, though not from the same occasion, and therefore is subject to enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail for each count of theft for which he is indicted.
Since September 1, 2023, including the aforementioned case, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has indicted 33 cases involving a felony second-degree theft charge based on a defendant’s two or more prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sidrah Miraaj-Raza.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
District Man Indicted on Enhanced Second-Degree Theft for Theft from CVS in NorthwestRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, March 13, 2024, Andre Seay, 38, of Washington, D.C., was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on one count of felony second-degree theft stemming from events occurring on February 21, 2024, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced.
Seay is to be arraigned on March 18, 2024, at a hearing before a Superior Court judge.
According to the government’s evidence, on February 21, 2024, Seay took a range of merchandise without paying from the CVS store at 1781 Florida Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. Seay was quickly located and arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department.
Seay has two or more prior theft convictions, though not from the same occasion, and therefore is subject to enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail for each count of theft for which he is indicted.
Since September 1, 2023, including the aforementioned case, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has indicted 33 cases involving a felony second-degree theft charge based on a defendant’s two or more prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sidrah Miraaj-Raza.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
District Man Convicted of Assaulting His ParamourRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Barrington Hart, 36, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty today in Superior Court of two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon (Firearm), two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, one count of assault with significant bodily injury while armed, two counts of obstruction, one count of threats, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm (prior conviction), one count of simple assault, and one count of carrying a pistol without a license. The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The defendant and the victim had been in a previous romantic relationship, broken up, and then reunited for four days when, on July 27, 2023, they got into an argument over the victim’s phone. Hart was accusing the victim of cheating on him and wanted to look through her phone. When she refused, he became angry, retrieved a black and yellow gun, and hit the victim on the head with it causing a laceration. Rather than taking her to the hospital, Hart made the victim come with him to a job interview while her head was still bleeding. She later went to the hospital alone and had the wound treated with nine staples to the top of the head. She reported the assault to the Metropolitan Police Department on July 30 2023. Less than a week later, on August 4, 2023, the victim called the police again and reported that the night before, Hart started an argument about her seeing other people, slapped her, and pointed the same black and yellow firearm at her. The victim snuck out the next morning to call for help. Hart was arrested on August 4, 2023.
After arrest, Hart continued to attempt to control the victim. He instructed her, twice, over Department of Corrections Video Visits, to refrain from testifying in the grand jury. Also, while incarcerated, Hart threatened the victim via numerous text messages.
Superior Court Judge Jason Park scheduled sentencing for May 31, 2024.
DeShawn Whited Sentenced to 546 Months in Prison for Multiple Hobbs Act Robberies and CarjackingRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On March 15, DeShawn Whited, 26, of Knoxville, was sentenced to 546 months imprisonment by the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, United States District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following his incarceration, he will be on five years of supervised release.
On January 18, 2023, Whited was found guilty of four counts of Hobbs Act Robbery and one count of Attempted Hobbs Act Robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951, one count of carjacking, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2119, four counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A), and one count of felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). According to evidence present at trial, Whited, a previously convicted felon, committed a series of armed robberies and an armed carjacking in the Knoxville community in January 2021.
The evidence presented at trial demonstrated that in January of 2021, Whited, disguised in a hoodie and bandana, robbed at gunpoint employees of EZ Stop at 8605 Walbrook Drive, Waffle House at 6230 Papermill Drive, Pilot Food Mart at 410 Merchants Drive, Wendy’s at 4407 Western Avenue, and Pilot Travel Center at 314 Lovell Road, all located in Knoxville. Whited also committed an armed carjacking near downtown Knoxville during the same timeframe. Victims from each of the incidents testified at the trial and the evidence included surveillance footage and cellphone location tracking information.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee, and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent Joseph E. Carrico, made the announcement.
The investigation was led by the FBI, Knoxville Division, the Knoxville Police Department, and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alan S. Kirk and Brent N. Jones represented the United States.
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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Dauphin County Man Sentenced to 10 Years' Imprisonment for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Larry Patterson, age 32, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on March 12, 2024, to 10 years in prison, to be followed by a three year term of supervised release, by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for possessing with intent to distribute cocaine.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Patterson was stopped by law enforcement in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in 2022. He was found to be in possession of 29 grams of crack cocaine in two clear plastic baggies, as well as a digital scale.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Harrisburg City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Johnny Baer and Michael Scalera 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.
# # #Cumberland County Man Sentenced to Three Years of Imprisonment for Threatening President Biden and Former President TrumpRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Mohamed Farah, age 34, of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to three years’ imprisonment for threatening the President and a former President. The Court also imposed a three-year term of supervised release to follow imprisonment.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Farah previously admitted that in January 2022, he threatened to assassinate President Biden and threatened to assassinate former President Trump if he ran for reelection. Farah, a citizen of Somalia, may face deportation after serving his prison sentence.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Lower Allen Township Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli prosecuted the case.
# # #Court Sentences District Man to Seven Years in Connection with 2023 Armed Carjacking in Northeast Washington, D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Marcus Thompson, 28, of Washington D.C., was sentenced yesterday to seven years in prison in connection with an early morning armed carjacking in Northeast Washington D.C. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
In November 2023, Thompson pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to armed robbery and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. During that plea hearing, Thompson admitted that at approximately 6:00 a.m. on July 17, 2023, and armed with a handgun, he approached the victim as the victim was taking property out of his car in the 2300 block of R Street Northeast. Thompson put the weapon in the victim’s back and demanded his car keys. The victim, who had a lawful concealed carry permit, and fearing for his life, turned, and shot Thompson once in self-defense. The victim immediately called 911 and, while waiting for law enforcement to arrive, administered first aid to Thompson’s non-fatal wound. The victim remained cooperative with law enforcement. Metropolitan Police officers recovered a firearm from Thompson on scene.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of the investigators from the Metropolitan Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sabena Auyeung, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
Clarksville Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Selling Fentanyl while on Bond in State Court for MurderRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Mark Ellis, 30, of Clarksville, Tennessee was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison today for selling fentanyl while on bond for state murder charges, announced Henry C. Leventis, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Ellis was convicted in May 2023 after a jury trial for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, Sale of Fentanyl, Possession of over 400 grams of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Possession of a Firearm as a Convicted Felon. The evidence admitted at trial showed that in January 2022, while on bond for a first degree murder indictment, Ellis sold a fentanyl mixture to a confidential informant working at the direction of law enforcement. The evidence showed that Ellis possessed a 9mm pistol during this drug deal. A search warrant was later executed at the home of one of Ellis’ family members in Clarksville where officers seized a pound of fentanyl. At trial, the prosecution played a recording between Ellis and his co-conspirator, Yennifer Angeles, made while Ellis was in jail after his arrest, in which Ellis and Angeles made plans to continue drug trafficking activities even while Ellis remained incarcerated. Angeles pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and was sentenced in August 2023.
Ellis was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr. at a sentencing hearing this morning. He was previously indicted in Clarksville for murder. That case remains pending in state criminal court.
“Fentanyl continues to poison countless people throughout Middle Tennessee,” said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. “Combating fentanyl trafficking is a top priority for this office and we will continue to work aggressively to hold accountable those who deal this deadly drug. Today’s sentence should send a clear message that fentanyl dealers face serious consequences.”
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Clarksville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire prosecuted the case.
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Citizen of India Pleads Guilty to Tech Support Fraud Scheme That Exploited the ElderlyRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that VINOTH PONMARAN pled guilty today to participating in a conspiracy that for several years exploited elderly victims by remotely accessing their computers and convincing victims to pay for computer support services they did not need, and which were never actually provided. In total, the conspiracy generated more than $6 million in criminal proceeds from at least approximately 6,500 victims. PONMARAN pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to intentionally damage victims’ computers before U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick, to whom his case is assigned.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As he admitted today, Vinoth Ponmaran was a leader of a sophisticated fraud scheme that preyed on thousands of victims, including the elderly. This conspiracy caused pop-up windows to appear on victims’ computers — pop-up windows which claimed, falsely, that a virus had infected the victim’s computer. Through this and other misrepresentations, this prolific fraud scheme deceived victims into paying a total of more than $6 million.”
According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Information, court filings, and statements made during plea proceedings:
From approximately March 2015 through July 2018, PONMARAN was a member of a criminal fraud ring (the “Fraud Ring”) based in the United States and India that committed a technical support fraud scheme targeting elderly victims located across the United States and Canada, including in the Southern District of New York. The Fraud Ring’s primary objective was to trick victims into believing that their computers were infected with malware in order to deceive them into paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for phony computer repair services. Over the course of the conspiracy, the Fraud Ring generated more than $6 million in proceeds from at least 6,500 victims.
The scheme generally worked as follows. First, the Fraud Ring caused pop-up windows to appear on victims’ computers. The pop-up windows claimed, falsely, that a virus had infected the victims’ computers. The pop-up windows directed the victims to call a particular telephone number to obtain technical support. In at least some instances, the pop-up windows threatened victims that, if they restarted or shut down their computer, it could “cause serious damage to the system,” including “complete data loss.” In an attempt to give the false appearance of legitimacy, in some instances, the pop-up windows included, without authorization, the corporate logo of a well-known, legitimate technology company. In fact, no virus had infected victims’ computers, and the technical support phone numbers in the pop-up windows were not associated with the legitimate technology company. Rather, these representations were false and were designed to trick victims into paying the Fraud Ring to “fix” a problem that did not exist. And while the purported “virus” was a hoax, the pop-up windows themselves did cause various victims’ computers to completely “freeze,” thereby preventing these victims from accessing the data and files in their computer — which caused some victims to call the phone number listed in the pop-up windows. In exchange for victims’ payment of several hundred or thousand dollars (depending on the precise “service” victims purchased), the purported technicians remotely accessed the victim’s computers and ran an anti-virus tool, which is free and available on the Internet.
PONMARAN was an India-based leader of the Fraud Ring. Among other things, PONMARAN managed a call center in India that was used to provide purported computer repair services to victims of the scheme. PONMARAN also recruited co-conspirators in the United States to register fraudulent corporate entities and open bank accounts that were used to receive fraud proceeds from victims of the scheme. PONMARAN also laundered fraud proceeds in multiple ways, including by directing co-conspirators to wire fraud proceeds to accounts in India and the United States.
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PONMARAN, 35, a citizen of India, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to intentionally damage a protected computer, each of which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Under the terms of his plea agreement, PONMARAN has agreed to forfeit $6,110,884.51 and to pay restitution of $1,851,830.18.
The statutory maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as PONMARAN’s sentence will be determined by the judge. PONMARAN’s sentencing is scheduled for June 24, 2024, at 3:00 p.m.
PONMARAN’s co-defendants, Romana Leyva and Ariful Haque, were both sentenced by U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty in 2022, following their respective guilty pleas. Leyva was sentenced to 100 months in prison and three years of supervised release, and she was ordered to forfeit $4,679,586.93 and to pay restitution of $2,707,882.91. Haque was sentenced to one year and one day in prison and three years of supervised release, and he was ordered to forfeit $38,886.32 and to pay restitution of $470,672.16.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the New York Office of Homeland Security Investigations’ El Dorado Task Force, Cyber Intrusion/Cyber Fraud Group. Mr. Williams also thanked the New York City Police Department for its assistance on this case.
This matter is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Neff is in charge of the prosecution.
Cheswick Resident Sentenced to Prison for Failure to Register as Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Cheswick, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 21 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release on his conviction of failure to register as a sex offender, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy imposed the sentence on Roy W. Knoch, 51.
According to information presented to the Court, Knoch, from May 9, 2022, until in and around November 2022, failed to register or update his sex offender registration after relocating from Nebraska to Pennsylvania, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Knoch was convicted in 2011 of sexual assault on a child in the first and third degrees in the state of Nebraska, and was required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Hardy noted that the defendant had a previous conviction in Nebraska for failing to properly register as a sex offender and stated that a sentence of 21 months’ imprisonment, the middle of the sentencing guideline range, was sufficient but not greater than necessary to serve the purposes of just punishment and deterrence.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the United States Marshals Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Knoch.
California Man Sentenced to over 22 Years in Prison for Attempting to Distribute 441 Grams of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Palmdale, California man was sentenced to 270 months in prison for attempting to possess with intent to distribute 441 grams of pure methamphetamine in Mississippi.
Keith Quintal McGill, 44, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
According to court records, in 2019, an investigation began into a large-scale drug trafficking organization that was shipping large amounts of methamphetamine through the United States Postal Service to the Southern District of Mississippi. Keith McGill was identified as someone who had been sending pound quantities of methamphetamine to Mississippi. On July 8, 2019, federal agents made arrangements to conduct a controlled purchase from McGill. McGill sent 441 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine to a controlled post office box in Mississippi.
McGill was indicted by a federal grand jury and pled guilty on December 13, 2023, to attempting to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee, Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric P. DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations, and Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Hofer of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor- led, intelligence driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.
California Man Charged with Federal Cares Act FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that NIPUN DESAI, formerly of Hammond, La., but now a California resident, age 55, was charged on March 8, 2024, with making false statements related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
On March 27, 2020, the President of the United States signed into law the CARES Act, which provided emergency assistance, administered by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), to small business owners affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The two primary sources of funding for small businesses were the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) program.
According to the charging document,on or about April 2, 2021, DESAI made false statements to an approved lender regarding a closed hotel in order to obtain an SBA backed PPP loan for $146,947.50. At the time of the loan application, DESAI’s hotel had no employees or payroll.
DESAI faces up to five years in prison for making the false statements , a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release, and the payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that this is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
For more information on the Department of Justice’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.
As part of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Task Force, this investigation was conducted by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General. The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. This case was also supported by the PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General, the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee’s Office (Region 5) in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Bradford County Man Indicted for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Jay Holloway, age 36, of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, was indicted on child pornography charges.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Holloway distributed, received, and possessed child pornography from August 2021 to May 17, 2023, in Bradford County. The indictment further alleges that images and videos contained minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, some of which depict the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers.
The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Child Predator Section. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. Wilson 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 these offenses is 20 years, with a mandatory sentence of 5 years, 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 and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
# # #Boswell Resident Sentenced to Five Years for Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Chase Lane Rocha, age 21, of Boswell, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for one count of Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country.
The charges arose from investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Lighthorse Police, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Oklahoma.
On October 4, 2023, Rocha was found guilty by a federal jury at trial of one count of Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country. According to investigators, on January 24, 2023, after family members had twice disarmed him during a dispute at a Boswell-area residence, Rocha returned a third time, armed with a revolver. During the third attempt to disarm Rocha of a firearm, Rocha shot and killed the victim. The crime occurred in Choctaw County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable David C. Joseph, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Rocha was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Patrick M. Flanigan and Special Assistant United States Attorney Genevieve Ozark represented the United States at trial.
Alamogordo Man Sentenced to 60 Years in Prison for Enticement of MinorsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Eric McLoughlin, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations - El Paso, announced today that Alfonso Salcido Herrera, Jr. was sentenced to 60 years in prison. Herrera, 46, of Alamogordo, pleaded guilty in federal court to enticement of a minor on March 30, 2023.
According to publicly available court records, beginning in 2019 until May 2022, Herrera groomed and repeatedly sexually abused four children who were between nine and 13 years old at the time.
Upon his release from prison, Herrera will be subject to 5 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case with assistance from the Alamogordo Police Department and the 12th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Matilda McCarthy Villalobos and Joni Autrey Stahl are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
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5 Central Ohioans plead guilty in narcotics & human trafficking case that charged 23 total defendantsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Five individuals from Central Ohio have pleaded guilty this week in U.S. District Court to charges stemming from a narcotics conspiracy. The guilty pleas involve an overdose death, sex trafficking and money laundering.
A multi-agency law enforcement task force initially announced the case in July 2022 after a federal grand jury indicted 11 defendants for distributing bulk amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Columbus elementary school. In October 2022, the government added 12 defendants and 28 new charges.
According to court documents, from 2008 until June 2022, lead defendants Patrick Saultz and Cordell Washington ran a large-scale drug trafficking organization in Columbus that included sex trafficking, labor trafficking, fraud and money laundering.
Court documents detail that the drug trafficking organization brought large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, oxycodone, alprazolam and marijuana into Columbus. These drugs were sold or used to coerce individuals into sexual activity for some members of the drug ring and their profit.
It is alleged that Saultz began distributing heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine from his residences on Vida Place and South Hague Street in Columbus as early as 2008. The drug trafficking organization sold drugs out of more than 20 Columbus residences to customers and distributed larger amounts to regional drug traffickers who then trafficked those narcotics to places such as West Virginia and the Northern District of Ohio. Most of the alleged drug dealing took place within 1000 feet of Burroughs Elementary School in Columbus.
The defendants who pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr., on March 13 through today include:
Name
Age
City of residence
Tyler N. Bourdo
30
Columbus
Priscilla L. Washington
59
Columbus
Michael D. Burton
40
Columbus
Gabriel R. Smith, aka Gabe
36
Canal Winchester
Brittany A. Williams
38
Columbus
Bourdo admitted to distributing fentanyl and cocaine base that resulted in death, conspiring to commit sex trafficking, and conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances within 1,000 feet of an elementary school. Bourdo’s plea agreement includes a recommended sentence of 20 to 25 years in prison.
According to Bourdo’s plea agreement, on Oct. 14, 2021, an individual was found deceased in an alley between Bourdo’s primary residence and a drug distribution house. The woman was found with a needle in her hand and another needle in her pocket and had been dead for approximately 18 hours.
Further investigation revealed that, on Oct. 10, 2021, the woman had overdosed on crack cocaine and fentanyl at one of the organization’s drug houses that Bourdo supplied on North Warren. Witnesses on site immediately placed the woman in a bathtub and soaked her in cold water. The witnesses provided multiple rounds of Narcan, CPR and chest compressions, eventually resuscitating her. The woman left and, over the next 48 hours, met up with Bourdo on more than one occasion to get and use more drugs.
Video surveillance of the alley shows Bourdo walking to the deceased woman’s body just moments before police personnel arrived to attempt (unsuccessfully) to obtain her phone to prevent further investigation into her death.
As part of his plea, Bourdo admitted to coercing adult drug-addicted females into performing commercial sex acts by using violence as well as providing and then withholding or threatening to withhold narcotics and lodging.
Coconspirators used residences on Racine, South Eureka, South Ogden and North Ogden avenues, Vida Place and Chestershire Road for the drug-addicted females to reside in. Various women engaged in a cycle where they would be allowed to stay at one of the residences, receive a “get well” amount of drugs, go work the street and have sex for money in order to pay the debt from the small hit of drugs, and then be allowed to remain at the house. Some of the drug-addicted women brought in hundreds of dollars per day for the organization.
Bourdo entered his guilty plea before the court on March 13.
Priscilla Washington, drug ringleader Cordell Washington’s mother, was associated with the narcotics conspiracy for a number of years. She pleaded guilty today to using a facility in interstate commerce in aid of racketeering, a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison. Priscilla Washington often communicated with coconspirators via phone or internet, participating in the group’s illicit conduct, and allowed her home – which her son purchased for her in 2017 – to be a safe house for the lead defendants. When investigators searched Priscilla Washington’s home on Smith Road, they discovered 32 firearms, more than $143,000 in cash and bulk amounts of fentanyl and cocaine.
Burton pleaded guilty on March 13 to conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine within 1,000 feet of an elementary school (five to 80 years in prison) and illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon (up to 15 years in prison).
Burton became a source of supply for the conspiracy in 2021. He would provide bulk amounts of cocaine to the drug trafficking organization on a routine basis.
Gabriel Smith pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and alprazolam within 1,000 feet of an elementary school (five to 80 years in prison). Smith trafficked drugs on behalf of the organization, including in Morgantown, West Virginia. In addition, he was the group’s main source of supply for Perc30 pills.
Williams pleaded guilty on March 14 to conspiring to distribute controlled substances within 1,000 feet of an elementary school (one to 40 years in prison) and conspiring to launder money (up to 20 years in prison). Williams admitted to purchasing illegal narcotics on a daily basis. She participated in transporting drugs on behalf of the organization and collected rent checks from the defendants’ purported rental homes. Williams would collect the “rent” in cash each month and obtain cashier checks or money orders for the organization.
As part of this case, local, state, and federal law enforcement officers have executed more than 20 search warrants at various locations throughout Central Ohio and seized more than $1.7 million in alleged drug proceeds. For example, while executing a search warrant at Car-Go storage units, law enforcement officials discovered approximately one million in bulk United States currency. Searches of additional residences yielded 47 firearms, diamonds, Rolex watches and additional bulk amounts of cash.
As of today, 17 of the 23 defendants have pleaded guilty. One defendant, Carmella Brooks, has been sentenced and received a term of imprisonment of five years.
U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker commended the investigation coordinated by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes Columbus Division of Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Shawn Gibson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations; and Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Other agencies that have assisted the task force with the investigation include the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, HIDTA Task Force, IRS-Criminal Investigation, FBI, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI), Ohio National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, Pickerington Police Department, New Albany Police Department, and the Fairfield County Sheriff's Office SWAT Team.
Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Prichard and Emily Czerniejewski are representing the United States in this case.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. More information about OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Thursday 14 March 2024
“Operation SLO Ride” Dismantles Major Drug Trafficking Organization in Tulare CountyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Operation SLO Ride has resulted in the dismantling of a criminal organization operating in Tulare County, charging 28 individuals with drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms.
Announcing the results of Operation SLO Ride today are U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert, DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian M. Clark, Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux, Central Valley California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Director John Martin, Tulare Police Chief Fred Ynclan, Visalia Police Chief Jason Salazar, and Porterville Police Chief Jake Castellow.
In the course of the operation, law enforcement seized more than 936 pounds of methamphetamine, 8.6 pounds of cocaine, 5.5 pounds of heroin, 5.5 pounds of fentanyl, more than $600,000 in currency, and 50 firearms.
“The drug and gun activities in this case presented a real danger to multiple communities in the Eastern District of California, including in Tulare County,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “The targets of this operation ranged from dealers to the Mexican source of supply. We will work with our federal, state, and local partners to do all we can to disrupt these unlawful activities.”
“Dedicated law enforcement officers built this case from the ground up, using old fashion police work, following every lead that ultimately led to the destruction of a deep-rooted drug distribution network operating in the Central Valley,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Clark. “A case of this magnitude is like a puzzle, and it takes thousands of hours to put all the pieces together. More importantly, it takes strong relationships between law enforcement agencies to share intelligence, coordinate efforts, and maximize resources. These partnerships have proven to be invaluable as we work together to save lives.”
According to court documents, beginning in July 2023, investigators gathered evidence regarding individuals involved in the distribution of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and other narcotics in Tulare County using investigative tools that included confidential sources, surveillance, and wiretaps. As the investigation progressed, investigators developed evidence that the group was engaged in drug and firearm trafficking, including the following individuals now charged:
Alberto “Beto” Alvarado, 53, of Mexico, is alleged to be the Mexico-based source of supply who directed the importation and transportation of methamphetamine, cocaine, as well as other controlled substances in Tulare County and elsewhere. He is currently a fugitive from justice.
Alfonso Ortiz, 37, of Tulare, is alleged to be a large-scale methamphetamine distributor in Tulare County, who distributed methamphetamine with the assistance of his sister Angelica Flores.
Angelica Flores, 32, of Tulare, is alleged to be a methamphetamine distributor and transporter who operated at the direction of her brother, Alfonso Ortiz.
Yerlly Vega, 41, of Orisi, is alleged to be a poly-narcotic source of supply and transporter who operated at the direction of Alvarado. On Dec. 20, 2023, Vega was arrested while transporting approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine for Alvarado.
Roberto Soria-Cuevas, 64, of Yettem, is alleged to be a poly-narcotic source of supply and transporter who operated at the direction of Alvarado. On Feb. 25, 2024, Soria-Cuevas was arrested while transporting approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine for Alvarado.
Jose Maria Medina Franco, of Yokuts Valley, is alleged to be a drug stash house operator and transporter who operated at the direction of Alvarado. On Mar. 6, 2024, Medina was arrested while transporting approximately 266 pounds of methamphetamine for Alvarado.
Anthony Ochoa, 40, of Orosi, and Vega’s cousin, is alleged to be involved in transporting and distributing methamphetamine that belonged to Alvarado. On Dec. 16, 2023, a vehicle Ochoa was driving was stopped resulting in the seizure of approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine.
Jorge Avila Perez, 49, of Orosi, is alleged to be Alvarado and Soria-Cuevas’ transporter and distributer of methamphetamine. On Feb. 23, 2024, a vehicle Perez was driving was stopped resulting in the seizure of approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine.
Lorraine Renteria, 39, of Tulare, and Ortiz’ girlfriend, is alleged to have used her vehicle and residence to aid in Ortiz’s distribution of methamphetamine. On Dec. 18, 2023, Renteria purchased a new cellphone for Ortiz after Ortiz informed Renteria that he was being monitored by law enforcement.
Carlos Fernando Macias Manzo, 41, of Rancho Cordova, is alleged to be a poly-narcotic source of supply and transporter who supplied Ortiz with methamphetamine. On Feb. 19, 2024, Macias was seen at Ortiz’s residence, unloading three large duffle bags into Ortiz’ garage. On the same date, Macias was stopped by law enforcement, and investigators seized approximately $65,040 in U.S. currency.
Francisco Garcia, 28, of Tulare, is alleged to have supplied methamphetamine to Hicks on Dec. 23, 2023, which resulted in the arrest of Hicks and the seizure of the methamphetamine. On Feb. 20, 2024, Ortiz and Flores allegedly supplied Garcia with 10 pounds of methamphetamine, which was seized from Garcia during a subsequent stop, and Garcia was found to be illegally in possession of a firearm.
Cory Jay Donaldson, 46, of Tulare, is alleged to have distributed methamphetamine and firearms to a confidential source during controlled purchases. Donaldson has been intercepted multiple times distributing methamphetamine or obtaining methamphetamine from Ortiz.
Adam Sahagun, 44, of Tulare, allegedly sold firearms and ammunition to a confidential source.
Joshua Brock, 42, of Exeter, allegedly ordered methamphetamine multiple times and was arrested on Oct. 1, 2023, after obtaining methamphetamine from Flores.
Alejandro Hernandez Diarte, 21, of Dinuba, is alleged to be a methamphetamine transporter. On Oct. 17, 2023, Hernandez was arrested with approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine while transporting the drugs from a known stash house in Orange Cove.
Cornell Hicks, 45, of Tulare, is alleged to be a methamphetamine customer and transporter who was arrested on two occasions during this investigation. On Oct. 21, 2023, Hicks was supplied with methamphetamine by Flores and subsequently stopped and arrested with the drugs. On Dec. 23, 2023, Hicks purchased methamphetamine from Garcia and was arrested again. During the second arrest, Hicks was illegally in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Landon Jones, 43, of Tulare, is alleged to be a pound-level methamphetamine customer of Ortiz, as well as a methamphetamine distributor in Tulare County.
William Bosma, 52, of Visalia, was arrested on Oct. 24, 2023, after fleeing from police with multiple pounds of methamphetamine previously purchased by Jones from Ortiz.
Arnold Huerta, 37, of Visalia, is alleged to be a methamphetamine and illegal firearms distributor who consistently ordered pound quantities of methamphetamine from Ortiz. Arnold Huerta was also found to be illegally in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Jennifer Huerta, 44, of Visalia, was arrested on Dec. 29, 2023, while transporting methamphetamine obtained from Ortiz to Arnold Huerta.
Edgar Robles Amezquita, 41, of Hanford, is alleged to be a methamphetamine customer and transporter who was consistently supplied by Ortiz. On Feb. 13, 2024, Robles was arrested with the methamphetamine and was found illegally in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Priscilla Pitts, 37, of Ivanhoe, is alleged to be a methamphetamine customer supplied by Ortiz. On Feb. 19, 2024, Pitts ordered a pound of methamphetamine from Ortiz and was stopped and arrested with the drugs after departing Ortiz’s residence.
James Earl Melo, 51, of Visalia, is alleged to be a poly-narcotic distributor. On Jan. 25, 2024, Melo was arrested after methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin were seized at his residence.
Jesus Marin, 39, of Fontana, is alleged to be a methamphetamine source of supply and transporter who was arrested on Jan. 6, 2024, with approximately five pounds of methamphetamine that was supplied by Ortiz.
Marie Quaadman, 49, of Corcoran, allegedly sold methamphetamine to a confidential source. She has also been intercepted multiple times ordering various quantities of methamphetamine from Ortiz.
Jose Ramon Mayorga, 30, is alleged to have purchased approximately 50 pounds of methamphetamine from Alvarado and distributed by Medina and Vega.
Freddy Alvarado, 45, of Cutler, is alleged to have conspired with his brother, Alberto Alvarado, to receive approximately 266 pounds of methamphetamine from Medina.
Derrick Wallen, 33, of Tulare, is alleged to have maintained a drug stash house for Alfonso Ortiz and possessed more than 150 pounds of methamphetamine.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, Tulare County Tactical Narcotics Team, which is a part of Central Valley California HIDTA, the Tulare Police Department, the Visalia Police Department, the Kings County Sheriff’s Office, the Porterville Police Department, the Woodlake Police Department, the Clovis Police Department, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Tulare County District Attorney. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio Pataca is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the defendants face a range of sentences from 10 years in prison to life in prison, and some face mandatory minimum sentences of five and 10 years for drug trafficking offenses. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
West Seneca man pleads guilty to receipt of child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Corey Beasley, 38, of West Seneca, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer to receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin M. Higgins, who is handling the case, stated that in June 2022, Beasley took sexually explicit photographs of himself and a minor female (Victim) with his cellphone. In January 2023, a West Seneca police officer received a report that the sexually explicit images were found on a tablet belonging to Beasley. Subsequently, search warrants were executed at Beasley’s residence, during which investigators seized multiple devices. A forensic review of Beasley’s cellphone recovered multiple sexually explicit images of the Victim. The forensic review also recovered other images of child pornography, which Beasley received and possessed.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the West Seneca Police Department, under the direction of Chief Edward Baker and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
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USTP Prevails at Trial on Objection to Chapter 11 Debtors’ Executive BonusesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) recently prevented the payment of bonuses to an executive of three small businesses that had stopped operating and already had sold their assets in bankruptcy.
Aviation Safety Resources and its two debtor affiliates, which filed for bankruptcy under subchapter V of chapter 11, argued that $30,000 in bonuses were designed to incentivize the companies’ president to avoid leaving for other employment and to facilitate a sale of the debtors’ assets. The U.S. Trustee’s Orlando office objected to the bonuses as a “key employee retention plan,” commonly known as a KERP, which is impermissible under the Bankruptcy Code for insiders unless the proponent can satisfy stringent standards. Among other things, the USTP argued that the bonuses were not incentivizing because they were not tied to any performance-based metrics and that the debtors had already closed on the sale of nearly all their assets three days before filing a motion to approve the bonuses.
On February 2, after a half-day trial, the Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida sustained the U.S. Trustee’s objection and denied the debtors’ KERP motion.
“The USTP scrutinizes executive bonus plans regardless of their label,” said Director Tara Twomey of the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees. “To ensure the faithful application of the Code, we will continue to hold the proponents of these plans to their proof.”
The Code restricts payments intended to induce corporate officers and other insiders to remain with the debtor through the bankruptcy. The proponent of those retention payments must prove that they are necessary because the insider has a bona fide job offer at the same or greater compensation, that the insider’s services are essential to the business’s survival and that the payments are within certain statutory limits. Many debtors improperly seek to characterize insider payments as incentive payments rather than retention payments to avoid this high standard.
The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders – debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 89 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the program at www.justice.gov/ust.
U.S. Attorney’s Office declines to prosecute an officer involved in a fatal shootingRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming announced today that federal authorities will not pursue criminal charges against the Wind River Police Department officer involved in the fatal shooting of Terrance Skye Posey of Ethete, Wyoming, on August 11, 2022. This incident occurred on the Wind River Indian Reservation and was thoroughly investigated by the FBI. Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section of the Department of Justice carefully reviewed the investigation and have concluded that the evidence is insufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer violated Posey’s civil rights or that the officer did not act in self-defense.
The investigation showed that a Wind River Police Department officer was dispatched to Posey’s residence because two individuals had called asking for help, saying that Posey had threatened them with a knife and was outside with a BB gun. When the officer arrived, the individuals were still in the home and asking for help. The officer knocked on the front door, and through a window in the door the officer saw Mr. Posey approach. The officer asked him to come outside. Posey refused, told the officer to go away, and disappeared into the residence. The officer then heard individuals yelling from inside the home that they were locked in the bedroom. Mr. Posey returned to the door and pointed a weapon at the officer.
FBIFrom the officer’s perspective, the weapon appeared virtually identical to a semiautomatic handgun. The officer ordered Posey to drop the weapon, but Posey continued to point it at the officer, tracking the officer as he moved. Believing that Posey intended to shoot him with the weapon, and being unable to determine it was not a firearm, the officer shot Mr. Posey through the door. The officer then entered the residence and attempted to resuscitate Posey, but he was unsuccessful. When investigators inspected Posey’s weapon, they determined that it was not a firearm, but rather was a BB gun that looked very much like a firearm.
Applying applicable legal principles, and the Principles of Federal Prosecution, federal prosecutors determined that no criminal charges should be brought against the officer. They concluded the evidence was insufficient to establish, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officer did not reasonably believe the force he used was necessary to defend himself against an immediate threat of death or great bodily harm. They further concluded the evidence was insufficient to establish, beyond a reasonable doubt, that rather than acting in self-defense, the officer acted unreasonably and for the specific purpose of violating Posey’s constitutional right to be free from an unreasonable use of force.
After deciding that no criminal charges should be filed, federal authorities notified Mr. Posey’s family of this decision.
U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI Seeking to Identify Potential Victims in Connection with Online Child Exploitation CaseRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA - United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero and FBI Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs announced that their offices are seeking to identify potential victims of an online child exploitation scheme, which originated in Los Angeles, California, and is believed to have victimized minor females in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and elsewhere, starting as early as 2014.
The defendant in this investigation, John Douglas Burch, a resident of the Santa Monica, California area, has been charged by federal indictment in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania with traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct and enticement of a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct and prostitution.
Between 2014 and 2024, the defendant was active on numerous online applications, including KIK, Omegle, Snapchat, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, Discord, Seeking Arrangements, and Fetlife, and may be known by the following usernames: “Burch”; “Mstr_trainer”; “Just 9x6.5a”; “Notyourfitguru”; “@TheBurch9567”; “NOTYOURFITGURU”; “@food_is_not_enemy”; “@notyourfitguru2”; “@not_your_fit_guru_original”; “@backup_notyourfitguru”.
If you, your family member, or anyone that you know has had contact with this individual or any of the usernames above and would like to report a crime, please contact the FBI via email at [email protected] or complete this online questionnaire.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
For additional resources and information, please visit:
- DOJ Office for Victims of Crime - Help for Victims
- National Safe Place Network
- National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline | 800-273-8255
- Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)
- National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
U.S. Attorney’s Office Issues 2023 Annual ReportRead the Press Release
DETROIT –The United States Attorney’s Office made significant strides in 2023 in rebuilding community trust, reinvigorating our protection of civil rights, and restructuring our approach to violent crime, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. The details of the office’s work in 2023 are set forth in a 51-page annual report highlighting prosecutions, community outreach, trials, convictions, systemic change, and community impact. The document is available here for review by the public.
The report sets forth the work done in service of the richly-diverse Eastern District of Michigan. The lawyers and support professionals in our Detroit, Flint, and Bay City offices, along with our partner agencies, had significant accomplishments this year.
Among them:
- In fiscal year 2023, our office collected $68,224,759.35 in criminal and civil actions in judgments, fines, restitution, and forfeiture, more than twice our operating budget of $ 24.9 million. These funds are being returned to victims and taxpayers.
- Our efforts to target the most violent offenders who are harming public safety resulted in numerous federal convictions. We obtained conviction for the leader of the Seven Mile Bloods Gang who terrorized Detroit’s east side for many years. We also obtained Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (“RICO”) convictions for three senior members of the Almighty Vice Lords Nation, a criminal enterprise that operates across the country including in Detroit.
- We filed suit against a Dearborn Heights landlord who is alleged to have subjected actual and prospective female tenants to sexual harassment on multiple occasions since at least 2017.
- We charged a former Warren police officer with violating a jail prisoner’s civil rights by assaulting the prisoner without justification.
- We remained committed to rooting out public corruption in our community as 2023 saw the Mayor of Inkster indicted by our office for bribery and guilty pleas from the Mayor of Taylor for conspiracy to receive bribes and wire fraud and the President of the Madison School Board for bribery and tax evasion.
- We obtained a conviction at trial against an ISIS fighter who left his home in Michigan and travelled to Yemen and Syria where he obtained ISIS training and spent more than 2 years as an ISIS soldier.
- The office has charged 142 defendants (52 in 2023) with participating in pandemic fraud schemes, ranging from unemployment insurance fraud conspiracies to fraud in pandemic loan programs. Of the individuals charged in such cases, the United States has thus far obtained more than 86 convictions.
- We indicted 8 people and charged them with federal civil rights offenses and violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act for using physical obstruction to intimidate and interfere with employees and patients of a reproductive health clinic, because the clinic’s employees were providing, and the patients were seeking, reproductive health services.
Although we are encouraged by the results of our efforts in 2023, we recognize that we still have more work to do. The work detailed in the 2023 Annual Report details our ongoing efforts to keep our community safe, protect civil rights, and ensure fairness and opportunity for everyone in our community. Each day, the 220 men and women of the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work diligently to further these goals and to advance the interests of our nation.
U.S. Attorney's Office Reaches Settlement with Chandler Nail Salon to End Disability DiscriminationRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a settlement with an Arizona nail salon to resolve allegations that the salon discriminates against individuals with mobility impairments in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino announced today.
Under the settlement, Canvas Nails & Spa LLC, of Chandler, agrees to adopt and post in a conspicuous place a non-discrimination policy, to train current and future employees on the requirements of Title III of the ADA, and to pay $500 in damages to the individual complainant in this matter. Title III prohibits disability discrimination in places of public accommodation, like nail salons. The settlement resolves allegations that Canvas Nails & Spa LLC discriminated against persons with mobility impairments by refusing equal services to those using a wheelchair.
The Department of Justice’s enforcement efforts under the ADA seek equal opportunity and dignity in all aspects of life, including access to public accommodations such as nail salons. This settlement agreement is the seventh agreement that the Department of Justice has reached with a nail salon through its U.S. Attorney Program for ADA Enforcement, and the second in the District of Arizona.
Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov. Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination in Arizona may file a complaint with the U.S. Attorney’s Office at [email protected] or (602) 528-7299.
In 2022, U.S. Attorney Restaino created an Affirmative Civil Rights Section within the Phoenix Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office with the sole focus on enforcing federal civil rights laws, including the ADA, with the goal of protecting and upholding the civil rights of all Arizonans. The Affirmative Civil Rights Section handled this matter.
Canvas Nails & Spa Settlement AgreementRELEASE NUMBER: 2024-030_Canvas Nails & Spa LLC
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Two Madison Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that two Madison men have been sentenced in connection with fentanyl trafficking.
Tysean J. Pollard, 22, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 24 months for distributing fentanyl. Pollard pleaded guilty to this charge on December 20, 2023.
In June 2023, the Madison Police Department conducted two undercover buys of fentanyl pills involving Pollard. During the two controlled buys, Pollard assisted with selling an undercover officer fentanyl pills weighing 52.8 grams and 50.7 grams. At Pollard’s sentencing, Judge Peterson noted his youthful age and the minor role he played in distributing fentanyl.
In a related case, Judge Peterson sentenced Steven P. Dixon, 30, Madison, Wisconsin, on March 12, 2024, to 122 months in prison for distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possessing with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Dixon pleaded guilty to these charges on December 18, 2023. The prison sentence will be followed by a 6-year term of supervised release.
From late April to early June 2023, Madison Police Department conducted five undercover buys of fentanyl pills from Dixon. During the last buy, which also involved Pollard, Dixon sold an undercover officer 500 fentanyl pills weighing a total of 50.7 grams. Officers arrested him on June 28, 2023. Contemporaneously with his arrest, officers searched Dixon’s bags and found fentanyl pills weighing a total of 911.2 grams, 2 digital scales, drug packaging material, and 8 unfired 9mm cartridges.
At Dixon’s sentencing, Judge Peterson observed that fentanyl presented a serious public health concern and that Dixon had contributed to that concern with his large-scale drug dealing. Judge Peterson acknowledged that Dixon was not a king pin but found that he was more than a street-level dealer and that he had benefited financially from his dealing. Judge Peterson also noted that the defendant had a history of violence and of resisting arrest, including in this case.
The charges against Pollard and Dixon were the result of an investigation conducted by the City of Madison Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anita Marie Boor and Louis Glinzak prosecuted this case.
Two Cocaine Traffickers Are Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two Charlotte-based members of a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) were sentenced to prison today for trafficking large quantities of cocaine, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Sheriff Donald G. Brown II of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
Carlos Hernandez Landeiro, 33, and Holly Christine Furlough, 31, both of Charlotte, were each sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. A third co-defendant, Dante Rashaun Ramseur, 44, of Hickory, North Carolina, was previously sentenced to 121 months in prison followed by six years of supervised release.
According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, law enforcement conducting an investigation into drug trafficking networks in Catawba County determined that Ramseur was distributing significant quantities of cocaine in the Hickory area. Investigators further determined that the cocaine was supplied to Ramseur by Landeiro and Furlough. On February 13, 2023, Landeiro and Furlough attempted to deliver cocaine to Ramseur, which he then intended to sell to an undercover officer. Later that day, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Landeiro and Furlough’s residence. During the search, law enforcement seized 26 kilograms of cocaine, drug paraphernalia to include a vacuum sealer, a money counter, and more than $120,000 in cash drug proceeds. Court records show that the defendants’ residence where the cocaine was seized is next door to a Charlotte high school.
In September 2023, Landeiro and Furlough pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine near a school. They are currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
This case was investigated by a joint Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) which includes the DEA, the FBI, and the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Regina Pack of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution.
Tri-Cities Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Richland, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Larry Jay Halls, age 54, of the Tri-Cities, was sentenced today after pleading guilty to Receipt of Child Pornography. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke imposed a sentence of 78 months imprisonment to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Judge Dimke also imposed $12,000 in restitution.
Judge Dimke’s comments at sentencing focused on the impact on the victims and how the children in this case have been affected for the rest of their lives. Judge Dimke also highlighted the fact that Halls distributed 10,000 images and more than 600 videos to three separate undercover agents, demonstrating that Halls was distributing child pornography for a long period of time: “The quantity of images is substantial, but also the amount of particular victims’ images – the number of those images for any one victim is indicative of the viewer knowing how much abuse that victim was subjected to. That is significant to the court.”
In pronouncing the sentence, Judge Dimke emphasized that Mr. Halls apologized to her, but never once apologized or expressed remorse for what happened to the victims depicted in the child pornography Mr. Halls possessed and distributed.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, in February of 2021, investigators with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) linked image and video files depicting the sexual abuse of children (child pornography) on a file sharing program with an IP address assigned to Halls’s address in Kennewick, Washington.
On March 18, 2021, investigators executed a search warrant at Halls’s residence and located a desktop computer. The on-scene forensic examiner previewed the device and discovered it was actively downloading child pornography utilizing the aforementioned file sharing program. Ultimately, a forensic analysis of the desktop computer seized from Halls’s residence revealed more than 600 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.
When Halls was interviewed by investigators, he admitted to downloading files depicting the sexual abuse of children as early as 2018. Furthermore, Halls told investigators he had looked at such files twice the day before the search warrant was executed and that he had developed a sexual interest in children.
Following his guilty plea, while on pre-sentence release, Halls violated specific court ordered conditions designed to keep the community, and specifically, children within the community, safe. In July of 2023, despite a prohibition on loitering within 500 feet of any playground, park, athletic field or facility, Halls went to a miniature golf facility, a location frequented by children. Later that month, Halls left his home without approval from the United States Probation Office and went to a gas station directly across from an athletic field. During the same timeframe, Halls traveled to an unknown residence and apartment complex in violation of his monitoring requirements. On September 5, 2023, Halls’s pre-sentence release was revoked, and Halls was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending his sentencing hearing.
“For years Mr. Halls sought out depictions of children being abused and then shared those pictures with others online. Following his arrest, Mr. Halls ignored the conditions of his release and traveled to locations where young children were present,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message to those who seek to victimize children: The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners will continue to work tirelessly to seek justice for vulnerable populations."
“Each day HSI and its law enforcement partners bravely confront the harrowing reality of online predators,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “Today’s sentencing serves as a reminder of the perilous landscape our children navigate online. Let us unite in our resolve to shield our most vulnerable from the dangers lurking in the digital abyss. Every click, every download, carries the potential to inflict harm. May this case embolden us to fortify our defenses and safeguard the sanctity of childhood against those who would seek to exploit it.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (SER-ICAC). This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alison Gregoire and Laurel Holland.
Tonawanda man going to prison for receipt of child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. — U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Andrew Vallone, 47, of Tonawanda, NY, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 96 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Rudroff, who handled the case, stated that an individual contacted the Town of Tonawanda Police Department after discovering a video depicting a child (Victim) wearing only a pair of underwear on a desktop computer belonging to Vallone. On January 23, 2021, the Tonawanda Police contacted the FBI and further investigation determined that Vallone had secreted a camera in a location which allowed him to surreptitiously film the Victim. The MicroSD card recovered from that hidden camera contained numerous images which depicted the Victim in various states of undress. In addition, forensic analysis of electronic devices seized from Vallone recovered numerous images and videos of child pornography.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of James P. Stauffiger.
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Three Charged for Fraudulently Seeking $2.9 Billion in COVID-19 Tax CreditsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Three individuals were charged today for falsely seeking more than $2.9 billion from the IRS by filing 131 false tax forms claiming COVID-19 related employment tax credits, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Rudolph Johnson, Frantz Pasteur, and Frederick Anderson, all of Irvington, New Jersey, are each charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to file false claims against the government and one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. Additionally, Johnson is charged with three counts of money laundering, Pasteur with two counts of money laundering, and Anderson with three counts of money laundering. Johnson and Pasteur appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer in Newark federal court and were released on bail. Anderson will appear at a later date.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact, Congress authorized an employee retention tax credit (ERC) that a small business could use to reduce the employment tax it owed to the IRS.
To qualify, the business had to have been in operation in 2020 and to have experienced at least a partial suspension of its operations because of a government order related to COVID-19 (for example, an order limiting commerce, group meetings or travel) or a significant decline in profits. The credit was an amount equal to a set percentage of the wages that the business paid to its employees during the relevant time period, subject to a maximum amount. Congress also authorized the IRS to give a credit against employment taxes to reimburse businesses for the wages paid to employees who were on sick or family leave and could not work because of COVID-19.
From June 2021 to November 2023, Johnson, Pasteur, and Anderson established a slew of sham entities and filed fraudulent IRS forms in the names of these entities claiming fraudulent entitlement to tax refunds, including the ERC. These entities had limited tax histories, never paid any W-2 wages, and made only nominal, if any, payments to the IRS. In total, the defendants claimed $2.9 billion in tax benefits, and as a result, the U.S. Treasury issued $1.03 million in refunds. Subsequently, the defendants deposited the falsely claimed refunds into their bank accounts and used the money to purchase various items such as luxury cars to fraudulently enrich themselves.
The conspiracy to file false claims against the government offense carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud offense carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Each of the money laundering offenses carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine or twice the value of the criminally derived property.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins; and postal inspectors from the U.S. Postal Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation leading to today’s charges. A civil referral from the IRS Office of Fraud Enforcement contributed to the indictments in this criminal complaint.
The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dong Joo Lee of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
johnsonetal.complaint.pdfTampa Man Previously Imprisoned for Attempted First-Degree Murder Convicted of Unlawfully Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Gerard Eric Beasley (50, Tampa) has been found guilty of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon following a bench trial before U.S. District Court Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle. Beasley faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 12, 2024. Beasley was indicted on April 19, 2023.
According to evidence presented at trial, Beasley was stopped by officers from the Tampa Police Department for driving without his headlights on and for a partially opened trunk. During a search of Beasley’s vehicle, police officers discovered marijuana, crack cocaine, and a Taurus G2C 9mm pistol loaded with one round of ammunition. Beasley admitted to possessing the firearm and narcotics during an interview with the officers.
Beasley had previously served over 11 years in a Florida state prison for attempted first-degree murder and is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Shauna S. Hale.
Sudbury Bookkeeper Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former bookkeeper for a Lexington interior design firm was sentenced today to two years in prison after pleading guilty to bank fraud charges in connection with embezzling more than $180,000 from her former employer.
Christina Iannelli, 51, of Sudbury, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Iannelli was also ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture in the amount of $185,120. In December 2023, Iannelli pleaded guilty to seven counts of bank fraud.
Iannelli was an independent contractor for an interior design firm based in Lexington. Beginning in or about October 2018, Iannelli prepared dozens of fraudulent invoices with inflated totals derived from inaccurate math, and then issued herself checks for the inflated amounts due from the firm’s checking account. Additionally, beginning in or about July 2019, Iannelli issued herself dozens of additional unauthorized checks. In both instances, Iannelli used a signature stamp in the name of the firm’s owner to issue the fraudulent checks.
To conceal the fraudulent payments, Iannelli made false entries in the firm’s accounting records. In total, Iannelli embezzled more than $30,000 through inflated compensation checks and more than $150,000 through additional unauthorized checks.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Lexington Police Chief Michael McLean made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Sudbury Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Drabick of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Man Sentenced to 65 Months in Prison for Drug, Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Thursday sentenced a man who was caught with fentanyl, methamphetamine and two fully automatic handguns to 65 months in prison.
Courtlend Green was spotted by St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department detectives with the Mobile Reserve Unit on Jan. 3, 2023, driving into the parking lot of a supermarket in the 8300 block of North Broadway where he was known to sell drugs. Because of his history of fleeing from police, officers deployed tire deflation devices in front of Green’s Honda Crosstour before activating their lights and trying to approach Green’s car. Green sped away before crashing into another vehicle at the intersection of North Broadway and Gimblin Road. Green got out and ran before officers caught and arrested him.
Green’s Honda contained two Glock handguns that were equipped with illegal “switches,” or auto sears, that converted them into fully automatic weapons. One was stolen and had a drum magazine. The other had an extended magazine. Green, who is a convicted felon and therefore barred from the possession of firearms, admitted both possessing the firearms and buying the Glock switches for them. Officers also found about 64 grams of meth and at least 18 grams of fentanyl.
Green, 27, pleaded guilty in December to being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
In June of 2022, Green pleaded guilty in St. Louis Circuit Court to involuntary manslaughter related to a shootout a short distance from the supermarket, according to a detention motion filed in the federal case.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Hoag prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Man Admits Home Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis, Missouri on Thursday admitted using his brother’s identity to fraudulently obtain about $31,700 from the Missouri Medicaid Program.
Christopher J. Spencer, 46, waived indictment by a grand jury and pleaded guilty to five counts of making false statements relating to health care benefits. Spencer admitted making false statements from June 2018 to February 2022 in connection with claims for Medicaid-reimbursed personal care assistance services.
Spencer previously received those services, which can include housekeeping, meals, bathing, grooming and transportation, from his brother, who lived with Spencer. At that time, his brother was reimbursed for the services by the Missouri Medicaid Program and its vendors via a debit card. After his brother moved out in 2018, Spencer continued to submit, on a near daily basis, time sheets and Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) records falsely claiming that his brother was providing care for him. Spencer also submitted enrollment paperwork to the Medicaid vendor listing his brother as his personal care attendant and containing his brother’s forged signature. In reality, Spencer’s brother never provided services to Spencer after June 2018. Spencer retained the debit card used by the Missouri Medicaid Program and its vendors to reimburse his brother and spent the fraudulently-obtained payments deposited onto the card.
Between June 2018 and February 2022, Spencer fraudulently received about $31,700 on the debit card that he used for personal expenses such as bills, rent, groceries, shopping and hotels. He also used his brother’s name and personal information to obtain loans or advances on reimbursement payments from the Medicaid vendor.
“Through his scheme to defraud the Medicaid program, the defendant stole taxpayer funds meant to pay for legitimate services for eligible beneficiaries,” said Linda Hanley, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will hold accountable those who exploit federal health care system for personal gain.”
Spencer is scheduled to be sentenced August 4. Each false statement charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine. Spencer will also be ordered to repay the money.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis Area Pediatrician Indicted, Accused of Exchanging Prescriptions for Sex ActsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis County, Missouri pediatrician was indicted Wednesday and accused of prescribing pain pills and other controlled substances in exchange for sex acts or cash.
The indictment charges Craig A. Spiegel, 67, with 17 counts of illegal distribution of controlled substances and six counts of making false statements related to health care matters. Dr. Spiegel and an acquaintance, April Bingham, 46, were also indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
The indictment says that since at least 2014, Dr. Spiegel repeatedly issued controlled substance prescriptions to numerous adult women – many of whom he met because he was their pediatrician when they were children – in exchange for sexual acts and sexual photographs, without regard for the patient’s medical condition or the medical necessity of the prescription. In many cases, Spiegel issued those controlled substance prescriptions even though he knew the recipients had a substance use disorder and he knew that issuing the prescription was illegal and could endanger the recipient’s mental health and physical safety, the indictment says. He also pressured reluctant women to engage in sex acts at his pediatrics office in Bridgeton, Missouri, the indictment says.
In a motion seeking to have Dr. Spiegel held in jail until trial, the government alleges that investigators are aware of at least 25 individuals with whom Spiegel exchanged controlled substance prescriptions for sexual acts or cash.
The indictment alleges that Dr. Spiegel ignored widely known “red flags” that can indicate prescription drugs are being abused or sold, endangering the well-being of the patients and the community. The indictment also lists a series of examples. One patient met Dr. Spiegel through a friend who told her that he would write any prescription she desired if she performed a sex act while topless. On numerous occasions she did so or provided nude photos in exchange for Adderall, Xanax and Percocet, the indictment alleges. Dr. Spiegel provided the same three drugs to another patient in exchange for sex acts, despite knowing that she had a severe substance use disorder and was at high risk of overdose, the indictment alleges. She died of a drug overdose in April of 2022 at the age of 40, it says.
The indictment also alleges that beginning in 2021, Bingham, who did not have any medical training or a Drug Enforcement Administration registration allowing her to prescribe controlled substances, agreed to distribute controlled substances under Dr. Spiegel’s DEA registration. Dr. Spiegel issued controlled substance prescriptions to Bingham for sexual favors Bingham provided, the indictment says. Dr. Spiegel knew that Bingham was selling some of the drugs he prescribed to her for cash, the indictment says. Dr. Spiegel used the identities of third-party individuals, including Bingham’s ex-husband, mother, and friends, to either take advantage of their prescription insurance benefits or conceal from pharmacies the frequency with which Bingham was receiving controlled substances prescribed by Dr. Spiegel, the indictment says. Bingham also introduced Dr. Spiegel to others who provided him with cash or sex acts in exchange for prescriptions, the indictment says.
“The conduct alleged in the indictment represents an exploitation of patients who were vulnerable because they had been treated by Dr. Spiegel since they were girls, because they were struggling with an addiction, or both, to satisfy a sexual desire,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming. “It is illegal and unethical for a doctor to prescribe controlled substances as payment for sexual favors or for cash, or to provide drugs to someone who is suspected of diverting or abusing those drugs.”
“Physicians who recklessly and illegitimately distribute controlled substances undermine critical efforts to battle the opioid crisis and betray their professional responsibility to serve the health and well-being of the public. As alleged, Dr. Spiegel took advantage of individuals struggling with addiction--some of them his former pediatric patients--all for his own personal gratification,” said Special Agent in Charge Linda Hanley of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to address such abuse to protect patients, communities, and taxpayers from such dangerous conduct.”
“Every day, prescription drugs are misused in the United States at an alarming rate because many people have a false sense of security regarding these potent, and sometimes dangerous, drugs,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis, leader of Drug Enforcement Administration operations in Missouri, Kansas and southern Illinois. “Reducing prescription drug misuse is vital to the health and welfare of the American people and is a priority we take seriously. When the medical practitioners Americans trust contribute to that misuse, DEA is obliged to investigate.”
"The allegations laid forth in the federal indictment describe a heinous abuse of trust,” said FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Christopher Crocker. “The investigation was made possible through strong federal, state, and local partnerships."
Individuals with concerns about Dr. Spiegel should call HHS-OIG at 800-447-8477.
The charges of conspiracy and illegal distribution of controlled substances are each punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both prison and a fine. Each charge of making false statements is punishable by five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Bridgeton Police Department, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Missouri Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Sestric is prosecuting the case.
Southwest Ohio man sentenced to prison for $8.6 million investment fraud scheme that defrauded Pike County investorsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Southwest Ohio man was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to 24 months in prison for orchestrating an investment fraud scheme in Pike County and for failing to remit money withheld from employee paychecks to employee retirement funds.
Robert W. Walton, Jr., 55, of Loveland, Ohio, was also ordered to pay more than $8.6 million in restitution.
According to court documents, Walton committed two distinct financial crimes that resulted in a total loss of $8,657,603. He defrauded investors in a company he co-founded and stole retirement funds of its employees.
Walton engaged in a scheme to defraud investors of Hadsell Chemical Processing, LLC (HCP) and related entities. Walton was the president of HCP and fraudulently sought investments in the form of promissory notes from dozens of victim investors.
Walton claimed the notes were personally guaranteed by a prominent local business owner when in fact they were not. Walton repeatedly forged the business owner’s signature from 2012 through 2015 without the business owner’s authority on several loan documents and promissory notes.
Walton falsely represented his company’s future revenues from another business to be in the millions by creating fake invoices. The actual total legitimate business revenue HCP had with that other business was approximately $50,000. He provided the fake invoices to investors. Walton also provided investors with falsified profit and loss statements, including one that changed HCP’s net income from a loss of approximately $800,000 to a profit of nearly $395,000.
Walton also engaged in Ponzi-type activity by paying earlier investors with money received from new investors.
During part of his employment at HCP, Walton was responsible for approving the remittance of employee retirement funds to an employee benefit plan sponsored by HCP. Walton failed to remit approximately $53,000 withheld from employees’ paychecks, failing to transfer the funds into employee retirement funds.
Walton pleaded guilty in March 2023 to wire fraud and embezzling from employee benefit plans.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Cheryl Mimura, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Cincinnati Division; and L. Joe Rivers, Regional Director, United States Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration, Cincinnati Regional Office, announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate is representing the United States in this case.
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Southgate Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Exploiting Teen GirlRead the Press Release
DETROIT - A Southgate resident was sentenced to 15 years for sexually exploiting a child, coercion and enticement of a minor, and receipt of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by acting Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit field office.
Nopphadon Ninsawat, 32, was convicted on November 28, 2023, following a 4-day jury trial before United States District Judge David M. Lawson.
Ninsawat met the 15-year-old victim on Snapchat. After they communicated for some time, the victim’s mother discovered the communications, contacted the defendant, and told him that her daughter was 15-years old. The defendant agreed not to have further contact with her. Instead, the defendant resumed requesting that the child produce sexually explicit images, even though she indicated that she no longer wanted to do so. The defendant persisted, and the victim eventually produced numerous images of herself engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
“This sentence will hopefully bring some closure to the victim of this defendant’s offenses and serve as warning to those who would seek to exploit the children of this District.” stated United States Attorney.
“The communities we serve can sleep easier knowing that predators like Ninsawat are off our streets,” said HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson. "HSI along with our partners will continue to aggressively investigate and root out child exploitation wherever it may be.”
The crime was originally investigated by the Gibraltar Police Department, who then enlisted the assistance of the Department of Homeland Security. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tara Hindelang and Christopher Rawsthorne.
Silk Road Drug Trafficker Charged with Laundering Drug Proceeds through CryptocurrencyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a nine-count indictment today against Matthew Gillum, 40, formerly of Loomis, charging him with engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Gillum was convicted in the Eastern District of California in 2014 with a federal drug trafficking offense. Gillum used the Silk Road website to solicit drug orders and receive payment in Bitcoin. After Gillum completed service of his 108-month prison sentence, he subsequently attempted to launder the drug trafficking proceeds through the legitimate financial system.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the IRS Criminal Investigation with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Gillum faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the amount of money laundered. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Seventeen Defendants Charged in Connection with Cocaine Trafficking Operation Originating in Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Seventeen individuals from Lawrence County, Pennsylvania; Puerto Rico; and Youngstown, Ohio, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh for violating federal narcotics, firearms, and racketeering laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. The defendants were charged in two Indictments that were unsealed today and allege that, between September 2022 and March 2024, the defendants conspired to distribute cocaine throughout Western Pennsylvania, specifically in the New Castle area, as well as in Youngstown, Ohio.
As alleged in the Indictments, members of the two charged groups would transport, either by person or mail, drugs from Puerto Rico to Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, and elsewhere to distribute those drugs as part of an ongoing illicit business enterprise. Two of the defendants, Daniel Feliciano and Markus Hobel, allegedly possessed firearms in furtherance of the drug trafficking. Another defendant, Jamie Klinesmith, allegedly possessed with intent to distribute a significant quantity of methamphetamine.
A complete list of the defendants, charges, and maximum penalties is included at the bottom of this release. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of each defendant.
“Today’s indictments represent an important step toward dismantling a multi-state drug trafficking operation that brought significant quantities of cocaine from Puerto Rico to Western Pennsylvania and our neighbors in Ohio,” said U.S. Attorney Olshan. “Together with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, we will continue to work collaboratively to keep our communities safe from drug traffickers and, in particular, those who choose to carry firearms in connection with their drug dealing.”
“Joint investigations that involve federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies working together as part of the HIDTA and OCDETF programs are what lead to successful cases and significant indictments, as is the case here,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “These individuals are accused of trafficking cocaine, methamphetamine, and firearms from outside the continental United States, specifically Puerto Rico, to right here in Western Pennsylvania. I commend the efforts of all the agencies involved.”
Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Lawrence County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Drug Task Force, and United States Postal Inspection Service led the investigation resulting in the Indictments in this case, with significant assistance from the New Castle Police Department, Ellwood City Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and United States Department of Agriculture.
Lawrence County is one of six Western Pennsylvania counties officially designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy. The county received its HIDTA designation in July 2022, allowing it to receive dedicated federal resources to coordinate federal, state, and local governments in fighting drug trafficking and abuse.
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.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
List of Defendants
Feliciano Indictment:
Name
Age
Place of Residence
Charges
Maximum Penalty
Daniel Feliciano
47
New Castle, PA
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine
Life imprisonment
Possession with intent to distribute and distribution of a quantity of cocaine on various dates
20 years’ imprisonment
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
Life imprisonment
Luciano Bratini Rivera
36
New Castle, PA
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine
Life imprisonment
Possession with intent to distribute and distribution of a quantity of cocaine on various dates
20 years’ imprisonment
Antonio Bernacett Rodriguez
39
Barceloneta, Puerto Rico
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine
Life imprisonment
Interstate travel or transmission in aid of racketeering
Five years’ imprisonment
Jean Sanchez Tulla
37
Florida, Puerto Rico
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine
Life imprisonment
Interstate travel or transmission in aid of racketeering
Five years’ imprisonment
Ruben Noel Sanchez
28
Youngstown, Ohio
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine
Life imprisonment
Jamie Klinesmith
39
Ellwood City, PA
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine
40 years’ imprisonment
Possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine
Life imprisonment
Amanda Kelosky
37
Ellwood City, PA
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine
40 years’ imprisonment
Thomas James Myers
45
Ellwood City, PA
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine
40 years’ imprisonment
Roberto Muniz Sanchez
45
Rochester, PA
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine
40 years’ imprisonment
Rubel Sanchez
21
Youngstown, Ohio
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine
40 years’ imprisonment
Markus Hobel
34
New Castle, PA
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine
20 years’ imprisonment
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
Life imprisonment
Dorothy Myers
41
New Castle, PA
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine
20 years’ imprisonment
Lindsay Ostrom
37
Ellwood City, PA
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine
20 years’ imprisonment
Glenn Samuels
32
New Castle, PA
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine
20 years’ imprisonment
Tulla Torres Indictment:
Name
Age
Place of Residence
Charges
Maximum Penalty
Kevin Tulla Torres
28
New Castle, PA
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine
Life imprisonment
Possession with intent to distribute and distribution of a quantity of cocaine
20 years’ imprisonment
Luis Rivera Otero
37
New Castle, PA
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine
40 years’ imprisonment
Franchely Shymko Vazquez
31
New Castle, PA
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine
40 years’ imprisonment
Schenectady Man Pleads Guilty to Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Andrew Deleon, age 27, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty today to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, and to the distribution of methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), made the announcement.
Deleon admitted that he received multiple packages in the U.S. Mail that he knew contained controlled substances and intended to give the controlled substances to the leader of his drug trafficking organization. Deleon further admitted that he also distributed methamphetamine on behalf of the organization. As part of the conspiracy, Deleon distributed and possessed with the intent to distribute approximately 1,827.18 grams of pure methamphetamine and 10.68 grams of fentanyl.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 12, 2024 before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. Deleon faces a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, and a supervised release term of at least 3 years and up to life, to begin he finishes his prison term. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
Three other defendants charged as part of this conspiracy have pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and to the distribution of methamphetamine, and are scheduled to be sentenced as follows:
- Melissa Karwan, age 37, of Schenectady, New York, is scheduled to be sentenced on April 16, 2024.
- Flor Arencibia, age 39, of Albany, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 7, 2024.
- Stefanie Plass, age 37, of Schenectady, is scheduled to be sentenced on April 17, 2024.
The DEA and USPIS investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashlyn Miranda and Joshua Rosenthal are prosecuting the case.
This case 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.
Savoy, Illinois Man Sentenced to 15 years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
Peoria, Ill. – A Savoy, Illinois man, David Berry, of the 800 block of Hartwell, has been sentenced to 180 months in the Bureau of Prisons, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and registration as a sex offender, for the sexual exploitation of a minor.
At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that in October of 2021, Berry brought a minor to his home, sexually assaulted her, and recorded the acts on video.
During the hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Michael Mihm noted that Berry was responsible for trauma caused to the minor and ordered a $6,140 restitution amount.
Berry was indicted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in February of 2022. He pleaded guilty in September of 2023.
The statutory penalties for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor are 15 to 30 years in prison, and 5 years to life term of supervised release.
The U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Champaign County Sherriff’s Office, the Urbana Police Department, and the Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office participated in the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon O’Brien, who is also the Deputy Bureau Chief in the High Tech Crimes Bureau for the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, represented the government in the prosecution.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), to marshal federal, state and local resources to 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.
Sarasota Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Leaving Threatening Voicemail Targeted at Jewish Organization in New YorkRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Chief Judge Timothy Corrigan today sentenced Deep Alpesh Kumar Patel (21, Sarasota) to six months in federal prison for transmitting an interstate threat to injure. Patel pleaded guilty on December 15, 2023.
According to the plea agreement, on October 21, 2023, Patel left a threatening voicemail at a Jewish organization in New York City identifying himself by name and screaming, among other expletives, “If I had a chance, I would kill every single one of you Israelis. Every single one of you! Cause mass genocide of every single Israeli.” Patel also admitted that he had called a synagogue in Temple Terrace, Florida the same day, and left a voicemail threatening voicemail laced with expletives. As part of a hate crimes penalty enhancement, Patel agreed that he intentionally selected Jewish and/or Israeli individuals as the objects of his threat based on their actual or perceived race, religion, national origin, or ethnicity.
“No one should live under the threat of violence or intimidation because of their religion, race, ethnicity or beliefs,” stated U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Roger Handberg. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners at every level to investigate and prosecute those who threaten harm to any citizen as we stand united against hate.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Sarasota Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Risha Asokan.
Sandusky Doctor Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Dispensing Drugs to PatientsRead the Press Release
TOLEDO – Gregory J. Gerber, age 58, of Port Clinton, Ohio, was sentenced to prison by U.S. District Judge James R. Knepp, II after earlier pleading guilty to illegally dispensing narcotics to patients. Gerber was sentenced to 42 months imprisonment to be followed by one year of home confinement for the first of 3 years of supervised release. Gerber was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment and restitution in the amount of $861,892.13.
According to testimony and court records, from January 2010 to August 2018, Gerber repeatedly prescribed controlled substances outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose, including powerful painkillers such as fentanyl, oxycodone, oxymorphone and other drugs. Gerber distributed narcotics that were not medically necessary by writing controlled substance prescriptions without first performing adequate patient physical examinations. He also used faulty diagnoses to prescribe excessive doses of controlled substances for long periods of time without evidence that the controlled substances were helping the patients, all while ignoring signs of addiction and drug abuse among those patients.
Gerber, who operated Gregory J. Gerber, M.D. LLC on Hayes Avenue in Sandusky, also profited significantly from prescribing Subsys, a particular branded formulation of fentanyl manufactured by Insys Therapeutics, Inc. Between 2013 and 2016, Gerber received $175,000 from Insys for promoting the drug through Insys’s speaker’s bureau program. During that same time, Gerber wrote 835 prescriptions for Subsys.
“When he became a physician, Dr. Gerber vowed to care for his patients—to heal, not harm,” said U.S. Attorney Becky Lutzko. “But Dr. Gerber violated both federal law and his oath when he illegally distributed addictive painkillers to his patients. The Northern District of Ohio, like many districts throughout the country, continues to combat a staggering opioid crisis. My Office and our law enforcement partners are dedicated to investigating and prosecuting physicians who abuse their positions of trust by unlawfully prescribing medically unnecessary opioid prescriptions and endanger their patients’ lives.”
“Abusing one’s position as a trusted healthcare provider by deliberately harming others for personal gain is disgraceful,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “Gregory Gerber exhibited a blatant disregard for his patients’ wellbeing and instead, purposefully sought ways to capitalize on—and at times, contribute to—a worsening condition.
The FBI will continue to work with our federal, state and local partners to find and investigate practitioners in the medical community who target and victimize vulnerable populations.”
“Physicians are expected to be trusted individuals within the communities they serve. The defendant’s actions placed patients at risk of harm and further burdened the federal health care system through his illegal conduct,” said Mario M. Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Chicago Region. “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who endanger beneficiaries of our federal health care programs are brought to justice.”
“This disgraced doctor violated the most important oath—to do no harm,” said Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. “No punishment can reverse the damage of the opioid crisis, but we are fortunate to have investigators and partner agencies that root out these criminal schemes.”
This case was investigated by the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, Ohio Attorney General’s Healthcare Fraud Section and Ohio Board of Pharmacy. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan R. Miller.
Rochester man who lured child to hotel for sex arrested, charged with enticementRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jonathan Woody, 30, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with enticement of a minor, which carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in January 2024, Woody engaged in sexually explicit online and text communications with a 13-year-old minor victim that he met online. On January 2, 2024, Woody paid to transport the child to a hotel in Greece, NY, where he rented a room. While at the hotel, Woody provided alcohol and marijuana, and engaged in sexual acts with the minor victim. When the minor victim’s family realized that the child was missing from home, 911 was called to initiate a missing person investigation. The minor victim returned home on their own, at which time law enforcement learned of Woody’s interactions with the minor victim. Subsequent investigation led to the identification and arrest of Woody.
The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and was detained.
The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Wood, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Recidivist Sex Offender Sentenced to More Than Two Decades in Federal Prison for the Sexual Exploitation of MinorsRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Manchester man was sentenced today in federal court for producing child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Chad Lawlor, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty to 25 years in prison and 30 years of supervised release. Lawlor pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor on November 13, 2023.
“The defendant is a recidivist sex offender that continued to prey upon and exploit children long after his previous conviction for hands-on sex offenses against a minor,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “Today’s sentence ensures that the public will be safe from the defendant for more than two decades. We will never be able to undo the immeasurable harm Lawlor caused his survivors, but I hope today’s lengthy sentence provides the survivors some measure of comfort and justice that they deeply deserve.”
“Lawlor, already a convicted sex offender, manipulated young children into engaging in sexually explicit conduct in a private video chat which he recorded. He was the ringleader of an online group devoted to the sharing of images and videos that immortalized the abuse of innocent kids for the members’ own sick gratification. Today’s sentence takes him off the street,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “We stand with the families of those Lawlor preyed on and hope today’s sentence can bring some closure as they begin to move forward.”
"NH ICAC is honored and privileged to work with so many dedicated law enforcement officers and prosecuting attorneys,” said Lieutenant Eric Kinsman, Commander of the New Hampshire ICAC Task Force. “It's this type of professional and collaborative relationship that brings cases like this to a successful conclusion and helps the victims of these heinous crimes take one step closer to the peace and happiness they deserve."
“Anyone who chooses to engage in the sexual exploitation of children possess a significant threat to society,” said Chief Kevin Rourke of the Nashua Police Department. “The Nashua Police Department is committed to identifying, arresting and prosecuting those individuals to the fullest extent of the law.”
Lawlor was identified during an online undercover investigation as being the administrator of an online chat group that was devoted to the exchange of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Lawlor used the chat group to both send and receive images of CSAM with other users. Lawlor is a registered sex offender based on a 2005 Massachusetts conviction for indecent assault and battery on a person over 14.
Pursuant to a search warrant in April 2021, federal agents seized and examined two cell phones belonging to Lawlor, one of which contained numerous videos Lawlor created while engaged in online video chats with minors. During the video chats, Lawlor directed the minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Lawlor used the screen recording function of his cell phone to create videos of the minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct from the video chats. Lawlor pled guilty to charges relating to four identified minors ranging in age from 8 to 13 years old.
Homeland Security Investigations led the federal investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Nashua Police Department, the Manchester Police Department, the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Rare, Wrongfully Obtained Manuscript Returned to Peruvian GovernmentRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero and FBI Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs announced that a rare sixteenth-century manuscript was repatriated to the Peruvian government at a ceremony today presided over by U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken. The ceremony took place at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., with the Philadelphia case team in attendance.
On behalf of the Republic of Peru, Foreign Affairs Minister Javier González-Olaechea accepted the manuscript from the FBI. It will now be returned to the Archivo General de la Nación del Perú, the Peruvian national archives.
This six-page document, dated June 28, 1599, is a contract for the formation of the first theatrical company in the Americas in Lima, Peru. It had been in the collection of the Rosenbach Museum & Library (“the Rosenbach”) for almost a century, when it was voluntarily transferred by the Rosenbach to the custody of the FBI in November 2023.
In 2017, at the request of the Republic of Peru and in coordination with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State, the FBI Art Crime Team and the United States Attorney’s Office began an investigation into whether these manuscript pages in the Rosenbach collection had been wrongfully removed from a sixteenth-century bound volume in the Peruvian national archives. The Rosenbach cooperated fully in this investigation and concluded that the manuscript, which had been purchased in the 1920s by its founder, Dr. A.S.W. Rosenbach, had been removed from the bound volume in the archives at some time prior to Dr. Rosenbach’s purchase.
“It’s been an honor for our office to assist in the return of this centuries-old manuscript to the people of Peru,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “The document represents a unique part of Peru’s history, and its repatriation reflects the Department of Justice’s ongoing commitment to protecting cultural heritage, not just in our own country, but around the world.”
“We are incredibly grateful to stand alongside our partners, both national and international, to return cultural property to its rightful home,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “The Bureau, through the diligent work of our Art Crime Team, is committed to preserving cultural heritage and returning them to the communities to which they belong.”
The United States Attorney’s Office and the FBI thank the Peruvian government for their partnership, and acknowledge the cooperation and assistance of the Rosenbach that led to today’s repatriation.
This case was investigated by the FBI Art Crime Team and was handled by Assistant United States Attorney K.T. Newton.
Q1 2024 Local Papering Rates and the Impact of Mandatory Arrest on Local ProsecutionsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney's Office For the District of Columbia, today, released Q1 24 papering rates.
Providence Man Sentenced for Possession of Stolen U.S. Mail, Violating the Terms of Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Providence man found to be in possession of nearly $200,000 in stolen and fraudulent checks while serving a term of federal supervised release for an unrelated bank fraud conviction was sentenced today to eighteen months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
On February 2, 2023, during his arrest on an unrelated state narcotics charge, Edmilson Rodrigues, 25, was found by Providence Police Detectives to be in possession of ninety-one legitimate checks totaling approximately $170,758.26 and eight fraudulent checks totaling approximately $22,838.01. Also seized was blank check-paper stock used for creating fraudulent checks and a printer.
The United States Postal Inspection Service determined that the legitimate checks seized from Rodrigues’ residence had been mailed out by various businesses but were never received by the intended recipients. Combined with the fraudulent checks, the intended loss totals $193,596.27.
At the time of his arrest on an unrelated state drug charge in February 2023, Rodrigues was serving a term of federal supervised release that followed a sentence of twenty-four months of incarceration imposed by a federal judge in September 2020, as a result of his conviction on bank fraud charges.
Rodrigues pleaded guilty in federal court on November 14, 2023, to a charge of possession of stolen mail. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to eighteen months of incarceration to be followed by three years of federal supervised release. The Court ordered that Rodrigues serve the first three months of federal supervised release at a halfway house.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ly T. Chin
The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Providence Police Department.
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Previously Convicted Sex Offender Found Guilty After Three-Day Trial for Production of Child Pornography and Coercion and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal jury yesterday convicted Brian Patrick Werth, age 39, of Beltsville, Maryland, for two counts of production of child pornography and for coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Werth was also convicted of committing a crime involving a minor by a registered sex offender.
The guilty verdict was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr., Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.
According to the evidence presented at his three-day trial, between January and June 2021, Werth persuaded, enticed, and coerced two minor female victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce visual depictions of such conduct and to transmit the images to Werth using the internet-based applications. Werth communicated with the victims over an internet-based chat application.
As detailed in testimony at trial, Werth enticed and persuaded a 14-year-old female victim through various means, including, for example, sending her pictures of other apparent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, flattering her, and sending her cash card codes for the purchase of lingerie and “school girl” outfits that the 14-year-old female had identified in texts to Werth. Werth also enticed and persuaded a separate 15-year-old female victim to produce child pornography for him and transmit it to him via internet-based applications.
Trial evidence proved that during that same time frame, Werth also communicated with a third 11-year-old female victim. The conversations were sexual in nature with Werth asking directly for nude pictures of the 11-year-old victim.
Werth faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in federal prison and a maximum of 50 years in federal prison for production of child pornography due to his prior conviction, to be followed by a 10 year mandatory consecutive sentence for commission of a new offense involving a minor while being required to register as a sex offender. Werth also faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison and up to life in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor. Upon his release from prison Werth will be required to continue to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for July 23, 2024 at 9:30 a.m.
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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI and the Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaShanta Harris and Adam K. Ake, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Previously Convicted Man Pleads Guilty to Escaping from CustodyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that William Valencia pleaded guilty in federal court to escape from custody. Valencia, 33, of Paguete, New Mexico, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled.
Valencia was convicted in January 2020 for assault of an intimate partner by strangling and suffocating and sentenced to 75 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Valencia was placed at the Dismas Charities Diersen Residential Reentry Center in Albuquerque to serve the last 6 months of his custodial sentence. On July 27, 2023, Valencia left the facility without permission and failed to return. On Oct. 6, 2023, Valencia was arrested by the Albuquerque Police Department for possession of a controlled substance and was taken into federal custody on Oct. 10, 2023.
At sentencing, Valencia faces up to five years in prison.
The United States Marshals Service investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jesse Pecoraro prosecuted the case.
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Pocatello Woman Sentenced to over 15 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine and Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Helen Lorraine Monaco, 38, of Pocatello, was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
According to court records, on February 4, 2023, Monaco, and her husband (co-defendant Jonathan Monaco, 43,) were traveling from California to Idaho – where they reside – when their vehicle was stopped by law enforcement in Washoe County, Nevada. Law enforcement initially found 65 grams of methamphetamine in the vehicle along with fentanyl, marijuana, and a digital scale. Monaco and her husband were arrested and booked into the Washoe County Jail. While in jail, law enforcement obtained a search warrant to re-search the vehicle and found an additional 4,000 fentanyl pills, and over two pounds of methamphetamine hidden in a void behind the spare tire. Investigators gathered additional evidence that Monaco and her husband were working with co-defendant Eric Weimer, in the distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl in southeast Idaho, and elsewhere.
Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Monaco to be placed on supervised release for five years following her prison sentence. Monaco pleaded guilty to the charge on December 11, 2023.
Co-defendant Jonathan Monaco entered a guilty plea to the charge of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and fentanyl, on February 1, 2024, and is scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Winmill on May 7, 2024. Co-defendant Eric Weimer, 46, also of Pocatello, entered a guilty plea to the charge of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and fentanyl, on February 1, 2024, and is set to be sentenced before Judge Winmill on May 8, 2024.
“Fentanyl enforcement is a top priority for us in Eastern Idaho and throughout the state,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “I am thankful to our law enforcement partners who investigated this case and helped to dismantle this trafficking operation. We will continue to support this important work and make sure that drug traffickers face the justice that they deserve.”
“The successful outcome of this case is a testament to the strength of collaboration between law enforcement agencies across state lines. The Idaho State Police, along with our partners, remain committed to protecting our communities from the dangers of drug trafficking. Together, we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure the safety and security of Idaho's citizens,” said Captain Fritz Zweigart, District 5, Idaho State Police.
U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit applauded the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Idaho State Police, the BADGES/HIDTA Taskforce, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office in Nevada, and the Montana Highway Patrol for their collaborative work on the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Paskett prosecuted this case.
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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