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24 April 2024
Former Operator of Two Municipal Golf Courses Sentenced to Prison for Tax Conspiracy and Making False StatementRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former operator of two municipal golf courses in Western Massachusetts was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield for conspiring to defraud the United States and making a false statement.
Kevin M. Kennedy, 45, of East Longmeadow was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 13 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and restitution to be determined at a later date. The government argued for a sentence of 21-27 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and restitution in the amount of $351,565. On Dec. 11, 2023, Kennedy was convicted by a federal jury for conspiracy to defraud the United States and making a false statement to a federally insured financial institution. The defendant was acquitted of embezzlement from a local government receiving federal benefits, wire fraud, money laundering and unlawful monetary transactions.
“Stealing from the taxpayers is far from a victimless crime. It diverts scarce resources that are needed to fund important services like education and elder care and public safety,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Every honest law abiding citizen is a victim of this type of embezzlement from the city.”
“Today’s sentencing of Kevin Kennedy demonstrates that no one is above the law,” said Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “Kennedy’s status as a professional golfer could not insulate him from the consequences of his actions to defraud the America taxpayers. Today’s sentencing demonstrates IRS Criminal Investigations commitment to investigating all financial crimes and ensuring equity in our tax system.”
Kennedy owned and operated Kennedy Golf Management Inc., through which he managed the City of Springfield’s two public golf courses, Franconia Golf Course and Veterans Memorial Golf Course. Kennedy skimmed money from the company without reporting that money to the IRS. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Kennedy conspired with two individuals to evade taxes he owed on money received from his company. Kennedy used a substantial amount of cash to pay for the construction of two custom homes in East Longmeadow and on Cape Cod. To induce the bank to provide him a mortgage for part of the East Longmeadow home, Kennedy submitted a home purchase contract to the bank that falsely reflected a total purchase price reduced by the $160,000 cash downpayment he had made.
Just prior to trial, Kennedy also pleaded guilty to four counts of filing a false individual income tax return for 2011 through 2014, during which he also admitted to filing a false return in 2009 and 2010. For each of those years, Kennedy did not report to his return preparer all of the cash and checks his management company received from his operation of the golf courses.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; and IRS SAC Chavis made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven H. Breslow and Neil L. Desroches of the Springfield Branch Office and Trial Attorney Eric B. Powers of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Operator of Two Municipal Golf Courses Sentenced for Tax Conspiracy and Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A former Massachusetts golf course manager was sentenced to 13 months in prison yesterday for conspiring to defraud the United States, filing false tax returns and making a false statement to a financial institution.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Kevin Kennedy conspired with a luxury home builder in western Massachusetts to evade taxes he owed on money he received from his management of two municipal golf courses owned by the City of Springfield. The home builder constructed custom homes for Kennedy in East Longmeadow and on Cape Cod. Kennedy paid for much of the homes in cash he received from the golf courses. For the East Longmeadow home, Kennedy and the home builder created two contracts, one with the agreed-upon purchase price and one with a deflated purchase price. The latter contract listed a purchase price that was $160,000 lower than the contract price, which was the amount Kennedy had paid in cash as a down payment to the home builder. To induce the bank to provide him a mortgage for part of the East Longmeadow home, Kennedy submitted the deflated home purchase contract to the bank.
Just prior to trial, Kennedy pleaded guilty to filing false individual income tax returns. According to court documents and statements made in court, for tax years 2009 through 2014, Kennedy filed false tax returns that did not report all the cash and checks he received from his golf course management. In total, Kennedy underreported his income by more than $1 million, resulting in a tax loss to the IRS exceeding $300,000.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Mark G. Mastroianni for the District of Massachusetts ordered Kennedy to serve three years of supervised release. Judge Mastroianni will determine the amount of restitution at a later date.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant Chief Eric B. Powers of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Desroches for the District of Massachusetts prosecuted the case.
Former Maricopa County Deputy Public Defender Sentenced for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Sally Joyce Nyemba, 33, of Phoenix, was sentenced on Monday to 18 months in prison by United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich. Nyemba pleaded guilty to Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on August 31, 2023.
Nyemba was a practicing attorney and is a former Maricopa County Deputy Public Defender. On May 11 and 12, 2020, Nyemba negotiated the purchase of two pounds of methamphetamine for $3,600 and 4,000 M30 pills for $10,000 from an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent.
On May 12, 2020, Nyemba met with the undercover DEA agent in Phoenix, and was arrested after she provided the agent $3,600 for the drugs. Agents searched Nyemba’s vehicle and seized approximately $14,158 in U.S. currency.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The Drug Enforcement Administration East Valley Drug Enforcement Task Force conducted the investigation in this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-01094-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-055_Nyemba# # #
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.Former Fall River Police Officer Sentenced to over Two Years in Prison for Assaulting Man in Custody and Filing False ReportsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Fall River Police Officer was sentenced today for assaulting a man in custody with a baton and failing to report the assault in subsequent reports.
Nicholas M. Hoar, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 33 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release. In February 2024, Hoar was convicted of one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and two counts of false reports.
On Dec. 21, 2020, while on duty as an officer with the Fall River Police Department, Hoar struck an individual who had been arrested in the forehead with a 22-ounce, steel, expandable police baton, resulting in an injury to the arrestee that required stitches. Hoar then submitted two official police reports which omitted any mention of the fact that he had struck the arrestee in the forehead with a baton; in one of the reports Hoar falsely blamed the victim’s injury on a fall.
“Police officers take an oath to uphold the law and the vast majority of men and women in uniform bravely protect and serve the public across this District each and every day,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Nicholas Hoar violated his oath and broke the law. This lengthy prison sentence sends a message to the entire community that we will continue to hold members of law enforcement accountable when they violate a person’s civil rights.”
“What Nicholas Hoar did is indefensible and a serious divergence from the oath he took to faithfully serve and protect the citizens of Fall River,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “There is no question police officers have a challenging job, but it doesn’t give them the right to beat someone in their custody and lie about it. Those under arrest retain the same civil rights you and I do. Know that the FBI is determined to defend those rights, and root out corrupt law enforcement officers, on behalf of the vast majority who carry out their duties with honor.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina E. Barclay and John J. Reynolds III of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Former Comptroller General of Ecuador Convicted for $10M International Bribery and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal jury in Miami convicted the former Comptroller General of Ecuador yesterday for his role in a multimillion-dollar international bribery and money laundering scheme.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2010 to 2015, Carlos Ramon Polit Faggioni, 73, solicited and received over $10 million in bribe payments from Odebrecht S.A., the Brazil-based construction conglomerate. Polit, in his position as Comptroller General of Ecuador, was responsible for protecting public funds against fraud and rooting out corruption. Instead, Polit took bribes from Odebrecht in exchange for removing fines and not imposing fines on Odebrecht’s projects in Ecuador. Additionally, in or around 2015, Polit received a bribe from an Ecuadorian businessman in exchange for assisting the businessman with obtaining certain contracts with the state-owned insurance company of Ecuador.
“This verdict is a reminder of our office’s firm commitment to investigating and prosecuting corrupt foreign officials who bring their criminally obtained funds to South Florida to buy real estate,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida.
“As Comptroller General of Ecuador, Carlos Ramon Polit Faggioni was entrusted to protect the people of Ecuador from the misuse of public funds. Instead, Polit abused his position as a public official by soliciting and pocketing over $10 million in bribes and then laundering the illicit funds in Miami,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is committed to ensuring that the United States is not a safe haven for the illicit funds of corrupt officials.”
From in or around 2010 and continuing until at least 2017, at the direction of Polit, another member of the conspiracy caused proceeds of Polit’s bribery scheme to “disappear” by using Florida companies registered in the names of friends and associates, often without the associates’ knowledge. The conspirators also used funds from Polit’s bribery scheme to purchase and renovate real estate in Florida.
“This conviction shows that despite your wealth, title, or influence, nobody is above the law,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami. “HSI and its partners on the El Dorado Financial Crimes Task Forces will continue to pursue corrupt foreign officials who utilize their official positions for their own illicit gain”.
The jury convicted Polit of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, three counts of concealment money laundering, and two counts of engaging in transactions in criminally derived property. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count of engaging in transactions in criminally derived property. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Odebrecht S.A. pleaded guilty in December 2016 in the Eastern District of New York to conspiring to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in connection with a broader scheme to pay nearly $800 million in bribes to public officials in 12 countries, including Ecuador.
HSI’s Miami Field Office investigated this case. The FBI International Corruption Squad investigated the Odebrecht case and provided substantial assistance in this case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department also thanks the assistance of law enforcement authorities in Ecuador, Brazil, Panama, and Curacao with the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael N. Berger for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Jil Simon and Assistant Chief Alexander Kramer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx P. Calderon for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA) matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-CR-20114.
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Former Comptroller General of Ecuador Convicted for $10M International Bribery and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Miami convicted the former Comptroller General of Ecuador yesterday for his role in a multimillion-dollar international bribery and money laundering scheme.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2010 to 2015, Carlos Ramon Polit Faggioni, 73, solicited and received over $10 million in bribe payments from Odebrecht S.A., the Brazil-based construction conglomerate. Polit, in his position as Comptroller General of Ecuador, was responsible for protecting public funds against fraud and rooting out corruption. Instead, Polit took bribes from Odebrecht in exchange for removing fines and not imposing fines on Odebrecht’s projects in Ecuador. Additionally, in or around 2015, Polit received a bribe from an Ecuadorian businessman in exchange for assisting the businessman with obtaining certain contracts with the state-owned insurance company of Ecuador.
“As Comptroller General of Ecuador, Carlos Ramon Polit Faggioni was entrusted to protect the people of Ecuador from the misuse of public funds. Instead, Polit abused his position as a public official by soliciting and pocketing over $10 million in bribes and then laundering the illicit funds in Miami,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is committed to ensuring that the United States is not a safe haven for the illicit funds of corrupt officials.”
“This verdict is a reminder of our office’s firm commitment to investigating and prosecuting corrupt foreign officials who bring their criminally obtained funds to South Florida to buy real estate,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida.
From in or around 2010 and continuing until at least 2017, at the direction of Polit, another member of the conspiracy caused proceeds of Polit’s bribery scheme to “disappear” by using Florida companies registered in the names of friends and associates, often without the associates’ knowledge. The conspirators also used funds from Polit’s bribery scheme to purchase and renovate real estate in Florida.
“This conviction shows that despite your wealth, title, or influence, nobody is above the law,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami. “HSI and its partners on the El Dorado Financial Crimes Task Forces will continue to pursue corrupt foreign officials who utilize their official positions for their own illicit gain”.
The jury convicted Polit of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, three counts of concealment money laundering, and two counts of engaging in transactions in criminally derived property. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count of engaging in transactions in criminally derived property. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Odebrecht S.A. pleaded guilty in December 2016 in the Eastern District of New York to conspiring to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in connection with a broader scheme to pay nearly $800 million in bribes to public officials in 12 countries, including Ecuador.
HSI’s Miami Field Office investigated this case. The FBI International Corruption Squad investigated the Odebrecht case and provided substantial assistance in this case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department also thanks the assistance of law enforcement authorities in Ecuador, Brazil, Panama, and Curacao with the investigation.
Trial Attorney Jil Simon and Assistant Chief Alexander Kramer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael N. Berger for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx P. Calderon for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA) matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
Former Berklee College of Music Student Sentenced to Prison for Threatening Individual Promoting Democracy in ChinaRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Berklee College of Music student, who is a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), was sentenced today for stalking and threatening an individual who posted fliers around campus in support of democracy in China.
Xiaolei Wu, 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to nine months in prison and three years of supervised release. In January 2024, Wu was convicted by a federal jury on one count of cyberstalking and one count of interstate transmissions of threatening communication.
“Mr. Wu’s criminal conduct is very serious. He harnessed the fear of potential retribution from the PRC government to harass and threaten an innocent individual who had posted an innocuous, pro-democracy flier on the Berklee campus. Mr. Wu’s violent threats achieved his goal of instilling fear in his effort to silence this brave victim and others who might want to speak out against the PRC government,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Our office and the Department of Justice will not tolerate efforts to intimidate and threaten people to suppress their First Amendment rights. Censorship and repression campaigns will never be tolerated here.”
“Today, Xiaolei Wu learned there are serious consequences for harassing, threatening, stalking, and infringing on a fellow student’s constitutional rights solely because she was critical of the ruling Communist Party of China,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “What Mr. Wu did – in weaponizing the authoritarian nature of the People’s Republic of China to threaten this woman – is incredibly disturbing. We’d like to thank her for her bravery in coming forward, and remind others that the FBI will do everything it can to ensure that those who try to infringe on our fundamental rights – will face similar consequences.”
On Oct. 22, 2022, while Wu was attending the Berklee College of Music, an individual posted a flier on or near the Berklee College of Music campus which said, “Stand with Chinese People,” as well as, “We Want Freedom,” and “We Want Democracy.” Beginning on or about Oct. 22, 2022 through Oct. 24, 2022, Wu made a series of communications via WeChat, email and Instagram directed towards the victim who posted the flier. Among other things, Wu said, “Post more, I will chop your bastard hands off.”
Wu told the victim that he had informed the public security agency in China about the victim’s actions and that the public security agency in China would “greet” the victim’s family. Additionally, Wu solicited others to find out where the victim was living and publicly posted the victim’s email address in the hopes that others would abuse the victim online. Wu also told the victim that he had reported the victim’s information back to a member of the Chinese government.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, FBI SAC Cohen and Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy H. Kistner and Alathea E. Porter of the National Security Unit prosecuted the case with the assistance of Counterintelligence and Export Control Section Trial Attorney Menno Goedman.
Felon Who Possessed A Loaded Handgun Sentenced to Almost Nine Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Lamar Nolan Ryan has been sentenced to 105 months in prison following his conviction at trial for illegally possessing a loaded firearm, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp; and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. William H. Orrick, Senior United States District Judge.
Ryan, 42, of San Francisco, was convicted at a bench trial in December 2023 on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). A federal grand jury had indicted him on that offense in August 2023.
The evidence presented at trial showed that, on July 1, 2023, Ryan possessed a loaded, semi-automatic Glock handgun with an obliterated serial number that he had concealed in a holster underneath his clothes. Law enforcement officers detained Ryan in South San Francisco after receiving a report that he had taken a woman there and was attempting to coerce her to perform commercial sex work.
According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, the defendant met the woman at a San Francisco motel, where he paid her $500 for sex. After having sex with the woman, however, the defendant took the money back and tried to convince the woman to perform commercial sex acts under his management, in exchange for a 30 percent cut of her profits. The woman reluctantly agreed to go with the defendant, and he brought her to South San Francisco, where the defendant rented a motel room and showed the woman a handgun, telling her she would be “protected” while working for him. Not long thereafter, South San Francisco police officers found the defendant and the woman—whose family had tracked her location using her cellphone—in a car parked outside a laundromat.
In addition to sentencing Ryan to prison, Judge Orrick ordered the defendant to serve three years of supervised release to begin after his prison term is completed.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Buszin and Alexandra Shepard are prosecuting the case with assistance from Maribel Gallegos. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and ATF.
Federal Jury Convicts Okmulgee Resident of First Degree MurderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Elijha Dewayne Taylor, age 34, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, was found guilty by a federal jury at trial of one count of Murder in the First Degree in Indian Country, one count of Causing the Death of a Person in the Course of a Violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c), and one count of Using, Carrying, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
The jury trial began with testimony on Monday, April 22, 2024, and concluded on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, with the guilty verdicts.
At trial, the government presented evidence that on March 4, 2023, Taylor approached a Muskogee apartment building, entered an apartment, then intentionally shot the victim with a .22 firearm before fleeing. The victim later died at an area hospital.
The guilty verdicts were the result of an investigation by the Muskogee Police Department, the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The crimes occurred in Muskogee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation of Oklahoma, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Keith Starrett, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, sitting by assignment, presided over the trial and ordered the completion of a presentence report. The sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. The defendant will remain in custody of the United States Marshal until sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Attorneys Richard Lorenz and Gregory Dean Burris represented the United States.
Federal Jury Convicts Man of Illegally Possessing Machine Gun in Chicago SuburbRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a man on firearm charges for illegally possessing a machine gun in a Chicago suburb.
KEVIN DIXON, 27, of Midlothian, Ill., was found guilty April 19, 2024, of both counts against him, including one count of illegal possession of a machine gun and one count of illegal possession of a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Each count is punishable by a maximum sentence of ten years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall set sentencing for Sept. 10, 2024.
Evidence at the week-long trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago revealed that Dixon illegally possessed the firearm on June 6, 2021, in his vehicle in Lansing, Ill. The firearm was a Glock handgun equipped with a “switch” device, also known as a “Glock switch,” making it capable of firing in fully automatic mode. Dixon initially crashed his vehicle into another car and then sped off. The victim followed Dixon and eventually was able to block Dixon’s vehicle, at which point Dixon fired several gunshots and then drove off again. Dixon then sped through a red light and collided with two vehicles before running off on foot. Law enforcement apprehended him a short time later.
The conviction was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Alfred Phillips, Chief of the Lansing, Ill. Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the Illinois State Police, Illinois Secretary of State’s Office, and Illinois Department of Corrections. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Totten and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Fox.
Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Two Men for Conspiracy to Traffic Heroin, Fentanyl, and CocaineRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville returned an indictment on April 17, 2024, charging two Louisville men with conspiracy to traffic heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Brent Goldsberry, 40, and Marcus McGinnis, 33, were charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances that included heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine. These offenses occurred between January 18, 2024, and April 10, 2024.
McGinnis made his initial court appearance this week before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. The Court ordered McGinnis detained pending trial. Goldsberry is currently in state custody and has not been scheduled for an initial court appearance yet. If convicted, Goldsberry and McGinnis each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the ATF and LMPD.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Lantz is prosecuting 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.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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El Paso Man Sentenced to over 21 Years for Deadly Kidnapping in El PasoRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso man was sentenced today to 262 months in prison for kidnapping resulting in death.
According to court documents, Armando Leonardo Moreno aka Cholo, 21, served as a soldier in a transnational criminal organization (TCO) and conspired with other TCO members on or around Sept. 13, 2021, to kidnap a subject from an El Paso stash house. The kidnappers drove the subject to another address, dragged him out of the vehicle and beat him in the front yard of the home before taking him inside and beating him further. On Sept. 16, 2021, the subject was found deceased in Las Cruces, New Mexico, with multiple gunshot and stab wounds.
Codefendants Michelle Karen Avila, Ruben Pimentel and Ricardo Matthew Gutierrez were previously sentenced. Avila was sentenced to 60 months in prison, Pimentel was sentenced to 108 months, and Gutierrez received a 135-month sentence. A fourth defendant, Alberto Rodriguez, remains in federal custody and is scheduled to be sentenced May 1.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations, the El Paso Police Department, the New Mexico State Police, and the Texas Department of Public Safety investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Valenzuela and Ian Hanna prosecuted the case.
The indictments and convictions of these defendants are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas is part of JTFA, which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland created JTFA in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security to strengthen the Justice Department’s efforts to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous smuggling emanating from Central America and impacting our border communities. JTFA is comprised of detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of Texas, the Western District of Texas, the District of New Mexico, the District of Arizona, and the Southern District of California. Dedicated support is also provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division that are part of JTFA, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT), the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS), the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), the Office of Enforcement Operations (OEO), the Office of International Affairs (OIA), and the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in over 295 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of human smuggling; over 230 U.S. convictions; 170+ significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
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East Hartford Man Charged with Narcotics Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a five-count indictment charging BRANDON SPENCE, also known as “Spun,” 36, of East Hartford, with fentanyl and cocaine trafficking offenses.
As alleged in court documents, in March and April 2024, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force made controlled purchases of fentanyl and crack cocaine from Spence. On April 3, 2024, a court-authorized search of Spence’s residence and vehicles revealed distribution quantities of fentanyl.
The indictment, which was returned on April 16, charges Spence with three counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, controlled substances, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Each charge carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Spence appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He has been detained since his arrest on April 3, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The Task Force includes members of the FBI, Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shan Patel.
Drug Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JASON COX, 50, formerly of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Savannah, Georgia, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 125 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl and heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2019, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force began investigating an organization that was distributing heroin, fentanyl and crack cocaine in an around Bridgeport. During the investigation, Task Force members made four controlled purchases of heroin and fentanyl from Frank Best. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and hundreds of consensual recordings, revealed that Frank Best’s uncles, Wallace Best and Jeffrey Thomas, were supplying Frank Best and others with narcotics.
The investigation further revealed that Jeffrey Thomas worked with Jason Cox to establish a connection to Mexican-sourced drug suppliers in California who could provide kilogram quantities of narcotics for distribution on the East Coast. In December 2019, a cooperating source working in conjunction with Wallace Best, Thomas, and Cox, traveled to a Home Depot parking lot in San Diego and purchased from their suppliers 1.1 kilograms of fentanyl, cut with Xylazine, which is a veterinary sedative, and Tramadol, in exchange for $27,000. After this successful transaction, the conspirators arranged to purchase five kilograms of heroin from their Mexican suppliers. On February 10, 2020, four individuals were arrested after they arrived at the same parking lot to conduct the transaction and investigators seized a box containing approximately 4.9 kilograms of heroin. A related search of a storage locker in San Diego revealed an additional five kilograms of heroin.
On October 14, 2022, a jury found Wallace Best, Thomas, and Cox guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute kilogram quantities of heroin and fentanyl, and Wallace Best, Thomas, and Frank Best guilty of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine base (“crack”). In addition, Frank Best was found guilty of five counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine base.
Wallace Best, Thomas and Frank Best await sentencing.
Cox has been detained since his arrest on February 11, 2020.
This matter was investigated by the DEA’s Bridgeport HIDTA Task Force with the assistance of the DEA San Diego Field Division. The DEA’s Bridgeport HIDTA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, Milford, and Danbury Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck, Lauren C. Clark, and Katherine E. Boyles through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Dover Man Sentenced for “Straw Purchasing” FirearmsRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that Jordan Harmon, 25, of Dover, was sentenced on April 15, 2024, to three years’ incarceration for straw purchasing firearms. The Honorable Colm F. Connolly, Chief Judge, United States District Court for the District of Delaware imposed sentence.
According to court documents, in 2020, Harmon purchased a total of 19 semi-automatic pistols from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Delaware. Federal firearm laws provide that, at the time of purchase, gun buyers must certify in writing that the firearm is being purchased for the buyer and not for someone else. Harmon falsely certified on a federal firearm transaction form that he was purchasing the 19 firearms for himself. In fact, Harmon was illegally purchasing the guns for others, a scheme known as “straw purchasing.” To date, law enforcement officers have recovered seven of the semi-automatic pistols. The investigation to recover the remaining firearms is ongoing.
U.S. Attorney Weiss said, “Straw purchasing firearms for individuals who cannot legally purchase guns is a threat to public safety. I commend the Dover Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Explosives for their hard work in investigating this case. For anyone considering purchasing a firearm for someone who cannot legally purchase one on their own, consider the end result in Mr. Harmon’s case – federal prison.”
The case was investigated by the Dover Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edmond Falgowski.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 22-110.
Doctor Indicted on Charges of Unlawfully Distributing Controlled Substances and Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
Burlington, VT – A New Hampshire doctor made his initial appearance yesterday afternoon in federal court in Burlington and was arraigned on charges related to his alleged involvement in conspiracies to illegally distribute controlled substances and to commit health care fraud.
According to court documents, Adnan S. Khan, M.D., 48, of Grantham, New Hampshire orchestrated his alleged illegal prescribing and health care fraud conspiracies through New England Medicine and Counseling Associates (NEMCA), which operated a network of clinics located in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Through NEMCA, Khan allegedly distributed drugs to individuals outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. Khan allegedly required that patients pay cash in exchange for their prescriptions, despite many of his patients having insurance through Medicare and Vermont Medicaid. Khan allegedly prescribed the drugs knowing that at least some of his patients were abusing and diverting the drugs. In addition, Khan allegedly ordered medically unnecessary definitive urine drug testing while soliciting kickbacks and bribes from laboratories, knowing that federal health care programs would be billed for the medically unnecessary tests.
Khan is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit unlawful distribution of a controlled substance, 12 counts of illegal distribution of a controlled substance, one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and two counts of health care fraud. If convicted, Khan faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the illegal distribution counts and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each of the health care fraud counts.As a condition of Khan’s release pending trial, he is prohibited from writing prescriptions for controlled substances.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest for the District of Vermont; Acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau and Diversion Program Manager Evangela Dortch of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New England Division; Special Agent in Charge Roberto Coviello of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Boston Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli of the FBI Albany Field Office; and Attorney General Charity R. Clark of the Vermont Attorney General’s Office, on behalf of the office’s Medicaid Fraud & Residential Abuse Unit, made the announcement.
DEA, HHS-OIG, the FBI, and the Vermont Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Thomas D. Campbell and Danielle H. Sakowski of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Gilman for the District of Vermont are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section partners with federal and state law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country to prosecute medical professionals and others involved in the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
The Vermont Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit receives 75% of its funding from HHS-OIG under a grant award totaling $1,229,616 for federal fiscal year 2024. The remaining 25%, totaling $409,870 for federal fiscal year 2024, is funded by the State of Vermont.Anyone needing access to opioid treatment services can contact HHS-OIG’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 24/7 National Helpline for referrals to treatment services at 1-800-662-4359.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
District Woman Pleads Guilty to Defrauding the STAY DC Tenant Assistance ProgramRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Khin Phoo Ngon, 27, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty yesterday in Superior Court to six felony counts arising from her defrauding a Covid-19 tenant assistance program of more than $245,000, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and D.C. Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas.
According to the government’s evidence, to which Ngon admitted in her plea, in 2021 Ngon submitted seven fraudulent applications to the Stronger Together by Assisting You (STAY DC) program, a DC government program established in 2021 to help cover unpaid rent and utilities for renters suffering hardship from the Covid-19 pandemic. At the time she submitted all seven applications, Ngon was the sole tenant of an apartment at 1111 New Jersey Ave SE in the District. Two of her fraudulent applications listed her actual address and stated accurate information about unpaid rent she owed, but falsely stated that her 2020 income was $17,270 and that her projected 2021 income was $12,000. In 2020, however, Ngon had actually received income well in excess of $57,650, the STAY DC program’s minimum qualifying threshold for a household of one, and was on pace to exceed that threshold for 2021 when she submitted both applications.
Ngon also submitted two applications in which she listed her residence as 3210 ½ O Street NW, an apartment she had moved out of in the summer of 2020 with her rent paid in full. Ngon attached a fictitious lease to that application and falsely stated in her application that she was residing at the O Street address and owed 19 months of unpaid rent. Based on that fraudulent application, Ngon received $37,000 from the program.
In her guilty plea, Ngon also admitted to submitting two STAY DC applications in her stepfather’s name without his knowledge or permission. Ngon falsely stated in those applications that her stepfather lived at 3632 N Street NW in the District and owed tens of thousands of dollars in back rent. In fact, Ngon’s stepfather lived in Virginia, and had never lived at that address. Ngon admitted that she attached stolen and doctored documents to both applications, including her stepfather’s expired driver’s license and federal and DC tax return documents. Ngon fraudulently obtained $82,800 from these two applications.
Finally, Ngon admitted to submitting a seventh STAY DC application, on behalf of an associate of hers. Ngon created a fraudulent lease document for an apartment at 450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, falsifying the lease term and monthly rent due. Based on those and other fraudulent representations, the STAY DC program issued Ngon’s associate a check for $78,200. Through a series of transactions involving other individuals, Ngon received at least $38,500 of those funds.
Ngon pled guilty to two counts of First-Degree Felony Fraud, two counts of First-Degree Felony Theft, and two counts of First-Degree Identity Theft. Her plea included the admission that, in total, she defrauded the DC government out of approximately $246,020.
The Honorable Jason Park accepted Ngon’s guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for August 9, 2024.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Micah Bluming, on detail from the DC Office of the Attorney General to prosecute matters involving fraud and public corruption.
Colby CPA accused of defrauding business clientRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man made his initial appearance before a federal judge following an indictment for defrauding clients of his accounting firm.
According to court documents, Quintin Flanagin, 43, of Colby is charged with seven counts of wire fraud, four counts of bank fraud, two counts of false statements, and six counts of money laundering.
Flanagin, a certified public accountant (CPA), is part owner of the accounting firm, Williams Consulting. The owners of Diamond M. Farms in Thomas County contracted the firm to perform CPA duties for the company. Flanagin acted as signatory for Diamond M Farms bank accounts and prepared payroll.
Flanagin created a fictitious business called Middle Finger Ranch and added the company name to his personal bank account. Between December 2021 and August 2022, the defendant allegedly wrote multiple checks and initiated wire transfers totaling approximately $409,710 from Diamond M. Farms to Middle Finger Ranch under the guise of being payments for farm operations.
In 2021, Flanagin hired a construction company to build him a new house. The transaction records indicate he paid the contractor from the Middle Finger Ranch bank account within days of the funds being transferred from Diamond M. Farms
The defendant made his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gwynne E. Birzer of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###Clemency Recipient ListRead the Press Release
President Joseph R. Biden Jr. today is granting clemency to 16 individuals, consisting of 11 pardons and five commutations.
President Biden is pardoning the following 11 individuals:
Jason Hernandez – McKinney, Texas
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (two counts); possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine/cocaine hydrochloride; distribution of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school (three counts); establishing a place for the manufacture and distribution of a controlled substance (two counts); Eastern District of Texas
Sentence: 240 months in prison (as commuted on Dec. 19, 2013); eight years of supervised release; $3,500 fine (as amended by order of Feb. 29, 2016); Oct. 2, 1998
Beverly Denise Holcy, also known as Beverly Canty – Palatka, Florida
Offense: Knowingly, willfully, and intentionally distributing a quantity of cocaine base, commonly known as “crack”; Middle District of Florida
Sentence: 60 months in prison; four years of supervised release; $1,000 fine; June 22, 1994
Jeffrey Alan Lewis – Douglasville, Georgia
Offense: Use of a communication facility to facilitate a felony; Eastern District of Virginia
Sentence: Six months in prison; one year of supervise release; Feb. 17, 2006
Bobby Darrell Lowery – Jackson, Mississippi
Offense: Possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute; felon in possession of a firearm; Northern District of Mississippi
Sentence: 60 months in prison (as amended on Oct. 4, 2000, Sept. 21, 2001, Oct. 3, 2001, and Oct. 11, 2002); five years of supervised release; May 28, 1999
Jesse Mosley, also known as Jessie Mosley – Ponchatoula, Louisiana
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute cocaine; use of a communication facility in furtherance of a drug offense; Eastern District of Louisiana
Sentence: 28 months in prison; five years of supervised release; June 20, 2001
Katrina Polk – Washington, D.C.
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine; Southern District of West Virginia
Sentence: One day in prison; four years of supervised release; July 5, 1988
Glenn Ray Royal Jr. – San Antonio, Texas
Offense: Conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base; Western District of Texas
Sentence: 30 months in prison; four years of supervised release; $500 fine; May 23, 1996
Alexis Sutton – New Haven, Connecticut
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin; District of Connecticut
Sentence: 48 months of probation; Feb. 25, 2014
Ricky Donnell Tyler, also known as Rick Tyler – Columbia, South Carolina
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine and cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine base (three counts); District of South Carolina
Sentence: Time served (as amended on Aug. 17, 1999, and June 15, 2007); five years of supervised release; Sept. 12, 1996
Stacy L. Wilder – Albany, New York
Offense: Conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine base; Northern District of New York
Sentence: 70 months in prison; five years of supervised release; Jan. 7, 2003
Pilar Alejandra Yelicie-Rodriguez – Fairfax, Virginia
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 50 grams or more of cocaine base; Eastern District of Virginia
Sentence: 42 months in prison (as amended on May 11, 2007); three years of supervised release; Sept. 23, 2004
President Biden is commuting the sentences of the following five individuals:
Daequon Charles Davis – Johnson City, Tennessee
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute or to possess with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine (Eastern District of Tennessee).
Sentence: 262 months in prison; 10 years of supervised release (July 13, 2017).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to a term of 120 months, leaving intact and in effect the 10 years of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.
Jophaney Hyppolite – Miami
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 280 grams cocaine base; distribution and aiding and abetting the distribution of cocaine base (Middle District of Florida).
Sentence: Life in prison; 10 years of supervised release (Jan. 22, 2013).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to a term of 360 months in prison, leaving intact and in effect the 10 years of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.
Xavier Martez Parnell – Clarksville, Tennessee
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including 500 grams or more of cocaine and 280 grams or more of cocaine base (Middle District of Tennessee).
Sentence: 300 months in prison; 10 years of supervised release (Sept. 18, 2012).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to a term of 210 months, leaving intact and in effect the 10 years of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.
Leshay Nicole Rhoton – Bristol, Tennessee
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base and 5 kilograms or more of cocaine (Western District of Virginia).
Sentence: 240 months in prison; 10 years of supervised release (Sept. 5, 2013).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to a term of 150 months in prison, leaving intact and in effect the 10 years of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.
Margaret Ann Vandyke – Ellenville, New York
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance (crack cocaine) (Northern District of New York).
Sentence: 60 months in prison; three years of supervised release (Jan. 19, 2022).
Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on Aug. 22, leaving intact and in effect the three years of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.
Child Predator Sentenced for Life after Federal Jury ConvictionRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Garrin Michael Thompson, 50, of Catoosa. Thompson was found guilty by a federal jury in Sep. 2022 for the Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity; Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 in Indian Country; and Coercion and Enticement of a Minor.
Judge Heil ordered Thompson to serve life in prison. If released, Thompson will be supervised for life and required to register as a sex offender.
“One of the five essential components to Project Safe Childhood is accountability,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson. “Thompson knew his victims and exploited their trust. Life imprisonment ensures that Thompson is held accountable for his actions.”
Four victims boldly testified at trial as to the molestation, abuse, coercion, or enticement they experienced as children in his care. Prosecutors showed during the trial that Thompson’s predatory acts went back to 2000 or 2001. He placed a video camera in his home and another in a vacation rental to record the victims. Thompson also abused and attempted to assault or molest a victim. Investigators further found on Thompson’s computer indicators that he may have been viewing child pornography or incest.
One of the victims is a tribal member. Thompson will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI and the Catoosa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cheryl L. Baber prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Central Oregon Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Central Oregon drug trafficker who conspired with others to traffic fentanyl and methamphetamine to Madras and Redmond, Oregon, and surrounding areas, was sentenced to federal prison today.
Israel Sarabia, 30, of Culver, Oregon, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, as part of a joint drug trafficking investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team (CODE), investigators learned that a Central Oregon drug trafficking organization was using a courier to transport bulk quantities of drugs from either Southern California or Mexico into Oregon. On December 10, 2022, investigators located and stopped the courier in Klamath Falls, Oregon. While searching the courier’s vehicle, investigators located three packages containing approximately 30,000 counterfeit Oxycodone pills that later tested positive for fentanyl.
Further investigation revealed that the courier was traveling to Sarabia’s residence and that he had been tasked by Sarabia with bringing him fentanyl from Southern California or Mexico. On March 15, 2023, investigators located and arrested Sarabia near his residence in Culver. On the same day, investigators located and seized 519 grams of methamphetamine, more than 1,000 fentanyl pills, 41 grams of cocaine, and nine firearms from the residence of a co-conspirator who was working for Sarabia and storing drugs on his behalf.
On March 15, 2023, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a six-count indictment charging Sarabia and an accomplice with conspiring with one another to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, and distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine. A third individual was also charged with conspiracy.
On August 21, 2023, Sarabia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by DEA and CODE. It was prosecuted by Lewis S. Burkhart, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
The CODE team is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. CODE includes members of the Bend, Redmond, Prineville, Madras, Sunriver, and Black Butte Police Departments; the Warm Springs Tribal Police Department; the Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson County Sheriff and District Attorney’s Offices; the Oregon State Police; the Oregon National Guard; DEA; and the FBI.
Carthage Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 13 Grams of Methamphetamine and Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – A Carthage man pled guilty to possession of 13 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, in September 2023, Roby Lee Jackson, Jr., 31, possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine in the Red Water Community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Court documents revealed that Jackson also possessed two firearms at the time of his arrest. Jackson was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2024.
Jackson is scheduled to be sentenced on July 30, 2024, and faces a penalty of not less than five years and a maximum of forty years in prison on the methamphetamine charge, and not less than five years and a maximum of life in prison on the firearms charge. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Todd Gee, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Whitney Woodruff, Regional Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Choctaw Police Department, the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.
California Man Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Role in Multistate Recovery Home Patient Brokering SchemeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A California man was sentenced to 15 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to broker patients as part of a multistate patient scheme in which he directed recruiters to bribe drug-addicted individuals to enroll in drug rehabilitation and received referral fees from the rehabilitation centers, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Kevin M. Dickau, 35, of Tustin, California, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Judge Sheridan imposed the sentence on April 23, 2024.
Six other individuals have previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the scheme: Peter Costas; Seth Logan Welsh; John C. Devlin; Akikur Mohammad; Lauren Philhower; and Anastasia Passas.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Dickau, Welsh, Devlin, and their conspirators owned and operated a marketing company in California. Dickau, Welsh, and Devlin used the marketing company to help orchestrate a scheme in New Jersey, Maryland, California, and other states that involved bribing individuals addicted to heroin and other drugs to enter into drug rehabilitation centers so Dickau, Welsh, Devlin, and their conspirators could generate referral fees from those facilities. Two facilities in California that paid such referral fees were owned or operated by Mohammad, Philhower, and Passas.
The marketing company run by Dickau, Welsh, and Devlin maintained contractual relationships with drug treatment facilities around the country, including the ones run by Mohammad, Philhower, and Passas. The marketing company also engaged a nationwide network of recruiters – including Costas in New Jersey – to identify and recruit potential patients, from New Jersey and other states, who were addicted to heroin or other drugs and who had robust private health insurance.
To convince drug-addicted individuals to travel to and enroll in rehabilitation when they otherwise would not have, Costas and other recruiters offered to bribe them – often as much as several thousand dollars – with the approval of Dickau, Welsh, and Devlin. Once the patients agreed to enroll in drug rehabilitation in exchange for the offered bribe, Dickau, Welsh, Devlin, and Costas would arrange and pay for cross-country travel to the drug treatment centers in California and other states, in concert with the owners of the facilities themselves, including Mohammad, Philhower, and Passas. Costas would stay in touch with the New Jersey patients at the facilities and specifically instruct them to stay at the facilities long enough to generate referral payments, and he would pass along information to Dickau, Welsh, and Devlin about the patients’ status at the facilities. Dickau, Welsh, and Devlin would monitor the other patients they brokered by speaking to other recruiters or to the owners and employees of the drug treatment facilities themselves.
The drug treatment facilities run by Mohammad, Philhower, and Passas had contracts with the marketing company. Those facilities typically paid the marketing company a fee of $5,000 to $10,000 per patient referral. Dickau, Welsh, Devlin, and their conspirators shared that money among themselves. Costas and other recruiters received approximately half that amount for each patient they brokered. Dickau, Welsh, Devlin, and their conspirators brokered scores of patients to drug treatment facilities around the country, including the ones run by Mohammad, Philhower, and Passas, and the conspiracy caused millions of dollars of losses for health insurers.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Sheridan sentenced Dickau to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading the sentencing. He also thanked the FBI, under the direction of Acting Assistant Director in Charge Amir Ehsaei in Los Angeles and the District Attorney’s Office in Orange County, California.
The government is represented by Jason S. Gould, Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Angelica Sinopole of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
Burlington County Couple Convicted of Forced Labor and Other Federal CrimesRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Burlington County, New Jersey, couple was convicted today of forced labor and other crimes related to their coercive scheme to compel two victims to perform domestic labor and childcare in their home, harbor the victims knowing that they were unlawfully present in the United States and unlawfully confiscate the victims’ passports, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced.
Bolaji Bolarinwa, 50, was found guilty of two counts of forced labor, one count of alien harboring for financial gain and two counts of document servitude following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court. The jury also convicted Isiaka Bolarinwa, 67, of two counts of forced labor and one count of alien harboring for financial gain. The defendants were each acquitted of a second count of alien harboring for financial gain.
U.S..Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“These defendants engaged in an egregious bait-and-switch, luring the victims with false promises of a life and an education in the United States, and instead subjected them to grueling hours, physical abuse and psychological abuse. Forced labor and human trafficking are abhorrent crimes that have no place in our society, and I am grateful to our team of prosecutors, agents and support staff for ensuring that justice was done in this case.”
“The defendants exploited the victims’ trust and then inflicted physical and mental abuse against them, all so they could keep the victims working for their profit,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said. “Human trafficking is a heinous crime, and this verdict should send the very clear message that the Justice Department will investigate and vigorously prosecute these cases to hold human traffickers accountable and bring justice to their victims.”
“Imagine showing up in a foreign land, hoping for a better life, and ending up trapped with no place to go and no one to turn to for help,” FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “The victims in this investigation suffered in unimaginable ways at the hands of their captors, enduring years of physical and mental abuse. Human trafficking often takes on many different forms and can hide in plain sight. I want to commend the agents and victim specialists who worked on this case, alongside our partners at the US Attorney's Office. We want everyone to know if you or anyone you know is a victim – you can come to us for help. We will bring your tormentors to justice.”
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
From December 2015 to October 2016, Bolaji and Isiaka Bolarinwa – originally from Nigeria, but living in New Jersey as U.S. citizens – recruited two victims to come to the United States and then coerced them to perform domestic labor and childcare services for their children through physical harm, threats of physical harm, isolation, constant surveillance and psychological abuse. The defendants engaged in this venture knowing that both victims were out of lawful status while working in their home.
Once the first victim arrived in the United States in December 2015, Bolaji Bolarinwa confiscated her passport and coerced her through threats of physical harm to her and her daughter, verbal abuse, isolation and constant surveillance to compel her to work every day, around-the-clock for nearly a year. Isiaka was aware of his wife’s threats and abusive behavior toward the victim and directly benefited from the victim’s cooking, cleaning and childcare. The defendants then recruited a second victim to come to the United States on a student visa. When the second victim arrived in the United States in April 2016, Bolaji Bolarinwa similarly confiscated her passport and coerced her to perform household work and childcare but relied more heavily on physical abuse. On at least one occasion, Isiaka Bolarinwa also physically abused the second victim, and he was aware of his wife’s coercive, abusive behavior toward the second victim and directly benefited from her cleaning and childcare. The two victims lived and worked in the Bolarinwa home until October 2016, when the second victim notified a professor at her college, who reported the information to the FBI.
The defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each forced labor count. The defendants face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the alien harboring count and Bolaji faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each unlawful document conduct count. They will also be required to pay mandatory restitution to the two victims and each face a fine on each count of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or gross loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty verdict.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney Elizabeth Hutson of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Bettendorf Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Child Pornography and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Bettendorf man was sentenced today to 12 years in federal prison for Receiving/Distributing Child Pornography and being an Unlawful Drug User in Possession of a Firearm.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, the Scott County Sheriff’s Office received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Jakob Paul Newberry, 29, had shared files containing child sexual abuse material from an iCloud account. Officers subsequently obtained another tip that Newberry had uploaded child sexual abuse material using a Kik account as well. During the investigation, officers found that Newberry had also utilized Instagram to obtain nude photographs of minor females and had attempted to extort the minors into sending other sexual images. As a part of the investigation, officers also found that Newberry was possessing firearms as an unlawful drug user.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Newberry will be required to serve 5 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Scott County Sheriff’s Office.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. / For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.
Armed Fentanyl Dealer Pleads Guilty to Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Robert Frazier, Jr., a/k/a “Glass,” age 42, of Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty today to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana. As part of his plea agreement, Frazier also agreed to forfeit two high-power rifles, a handgun, and numerous rounds of ammunition.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; Sheriff Sam Cogen of the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office; and Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to the plea agreement, law enforcement conducted an eviction at Frazier’s apartment in September 2021. In order to evade capture, Frazier assaulted a Baltimore City Sheriff’s Officer and jumped from a second-story window before absconding in his car. A subsequent search of the residence revealed quantities of fentanyl and marijuana, two rifles, including an AR-15 rifle which had been reported stolen, a digital scale, and cash.
Law enforcement later observed Frazier selling drugs at a different location and subsequently made several controlled purchases of fentanyl and cocaine from Frazier. Ultimately, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Frazier’s new residence and recovered cocaine, marijuana, a .38-caliber handgun, a digital scale, and drug packaging material. In all, the parties agree that Frazier distributed up to 160 grams of fentanyl, which is enough to kill 32,000 people.
U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin has scheduled sentencing for July 24, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. Frazier faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA, the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant United States Attorney Jason D. Medinger, who is 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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Armed Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CARLYLE HENRY, 39, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for a drug trafficking and firearm possession offense.
According to court documents and statement made in court, shortly before midnight on October 12, 2022, Henry crashed his vehicle on a retaining wall on the Yale University campus. Carlyle was arrested after Yale Police found a loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun, and a bag containing distribution quantities of cocaine, packaged heroin and fentanyl, and counterfeit pills containing fentanyl.
Carlyle has been detained since his arrest. On November 15, 2022, he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Henry’s criminal history includes state convictions for firearms possession and narcotics distribution offenses, and a federal narcotics conviction in 2006 for which he received a sentence of 50 months of imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Yale Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Clark through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Alleged Hatchet Wielding Man Indicted for Multiple Federal CrimesRead the Press Release
Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today charging a Salt Lake County man with multiple violent crimes after he allegedly stole from a dollar store and a jewelry business while armed.
According to court documents, on May 6, 2023, Carlos Anthony Martinez, 24, of Salt Lake City, robbed, at gunpoint, a dollar store employee in Grantsville, Utah, of money and merchandise.
On May 26, 2023, Martinez allegedly entered Fred Meyer Jewelers inside Smith’s Marketplace in Bountiful. Martinez carried a hatchet in one hand and a handgun in the other and smashed the top of a glass display case with the hatchet. At this time, an employee confronted Martinez and Martinez pointed the handgun in the employee’s direction. Martinez stole jewelry and ran out of the store, leaving the hatchet on the display case. Bountiful Police officers responded to the scene and searched for Martinez. Martinez was arrested April 15, 2024, following a signed arrest warrant by the court.
Martinez is charged with interference with commerce by robbery, and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. His initial court appearance on the indictment is April 26, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. in courtroom 8.4. before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated jointly by an FBI Task Force Officer with the Salt Lake City Police department, investigators from the Department of Public Safety State Bureau of Investigation, and other officers from the Utah Highway Patrol and Bountiful Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Carlos A. Esqueda of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting 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.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Abington Man Pleads Guilty to Oxycodone ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Abington man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to conspiring to distribute oxycodone pills.
Kenneth Veiga, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone pills. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for July 18, 2024. Veiga was originally indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023.
Between November 2022 and May 2023, intercepted communications revealed that Veiga and others were involved in an oxycodone drug trafficking organization. Specifically, Veiga allegedly obtained oxycodone pills from co-conspirator Cristan Russell who redistributed to others. During a search of Veiga’s previous residence in July 2023, oxycodone pills along with a polymer-80 9 mm pistol and nine rounds of commercially manufactured ammunition were seized. Additionally, fentanyl pills, oxycodone pills and approximately $58,000 were seized during a separate search of Veiga’s current apartment.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone pills provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; United States Coast Guard Investigative Service; Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office; and the Barnstable, Dennis, Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee, Yarmouth and Sandwich Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
23 April 2024
York County Man Indicted on Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG– The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Isiah Smith, age 59, of York, Pennsylvania, was indicted on April 3, 2024, by a federal grand jury for firearms offenses.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that, on or about December 7, 2022, Smith possessed an unregistered firearm, without a serial number, and transferred the firearm in violation of the National Firearms Act. Additionally, Smith allegedly possessed ammunition when he was prohibited by law from doing so.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the York County Drug Task Force, and the York County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney K. Wesley (Wes) Mishoe is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the indicted offenses is a combined 45 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine, and special assessment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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York County Man Charged with Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Eliezer Almanzar, age 34, of York County, Pennsylvania, was indicted on April 17, 2024, by a federal grand jury with child pornography offenses.
According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Almanzar is charged with two counts of sexually exploiting a child to produce child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Penn Township Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney K. Wesley Mishoe is prosecuting the case.
The 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 upon conviction for the charged offenses is 160 years imprisonment, a lifetime term of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine, a statutory assessment, and a special assessment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by a court after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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West Plains Man Sentenced for Illegally Harvesting Trees in National ForestRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A West Plains, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally harvesting and stealing trees from Mark Twain National Forest.
Justin Lee Massey, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to two years and six months in federal prison without parole. The court ordered the federal sentence to be served consecutively to the unrelated state criminal convictions for which Massey is currently incarcerated. The court also ordered Massey to pay $30,000 in restitution to the U.S. Forest Service and to forfeit to the government $30,000, which represents the proceeds of his theft.
On July 19, 2023, Massey pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government property. Massey admitted that he illegally cut down trees in Mark Twain National Forest, in the area of HC Road 5120 in Howell County, Mo., between Dec. 15, 2020, and Jan. 20, 2021.
According to his plea agreement, Massey cut down at least 10 trees. The trees were removed from the area and taken to a local sawmill, where they were sold. Based on the value of the trees illegally harvested and stolen from Mark Twain National Forest and those trees damaged due to the illegal harvesting, the total restitution is $30,000.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the U.S. Forest Service.
West Palm Beach Sex Offender Convicted by Jury for Failure to Properly RegisterRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On April 22, 2024, after a six-day trial, a federal jury convicted Ramon Fuertes, a/k/a “Raymond Cortez,” of West Palm Beach, Florida of four counts of failure of a sex offender to properly register, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2250(a).
According to evidence introduced during the trial in West Palm Beach, Fuertes had been convicted in 2009 in federal court for sex trafficking of a minor and enticement of a minor. In 2018, upon completion of his federal prison sentence, Fuentes registered as a sex offender. In January and May 2023, Fuertes created and used two email addresses and a social networking account. Fuertes did not properly register these internet identifiers with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office as required by the Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Moreover, on June 2, 2023, Fuertes vacated his West Palm Beach residence and flew to Georgia to live without notifying the proper authorities in the Southern District of Florida that he was terminating his residence in that jurisdiction and commencing his residence in another jurisdiction.
As the evidence at trial showed, while in Georgia, Fuertes did not properly register as a sex offender and by late July 2023, stopped communicating with law enforcement in Georgia and Florida about his whereabouts. An arrest warrant was issued for Fuertes shortly thereafter. He was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Fugitive Task Force on Oct. 24, 2023.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled in this matter for July 18, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and U.S. Marshal Gadyaces S. Serralta of the USMS made the announcement.
USMS Miami investigated this matter, with assistance from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, and Georgia Bureau of Investigations, as well as the Dekalb County Sheriff’s Office, Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office, and Gwinnett County Police Department, all in Georgia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-CR-80208.
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Watertown Resident Pleads Guilty to Attempted Possession of Controlled Substances with the Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Stuart Chambers, age 44, of Watertown, New York, pled guilty yesterday to attempted possession of methamphetamine and cocaine with intent to distribute. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea yesterday, Chambers admitted that, on January 30, 2024, he travelled to Syracuse from Watertown to purchase one pound of methamphetamine and nine ounces of cocaine, which he intended to distribute. Chambers was arrested as part of a drug interdiction operation conducted by DEA and other law enforcement agencies. He further admitted that, before he committed this offense, he had previously been convicted in federal court in the Middle District of Pennsylvania of possessing controlled substances with the intent to distribute.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 20, 2024, in Syracuse, at which time Chambers faces a mandatory minimum federal prison sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life, a fine of up to $8,000,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 8 years and up to life. 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.
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is investigating the case with assistance from Pennsylvania State Police, Metro-Jefferson Drug Task Force, and the New York State Police-Special Investigations Unit - Syracuse. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica N. Carbone is prosecuting the case.
United States Attorney's Office Releases 2024 First Quarter Immigration Enforcement StatisticsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office announced its immigration enforcement statistics for January 1, 2024, to March 31, 2024. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the Tucson and Yuma Sectors of the Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies. In the three-month period ending March 31, 2024, the United States brought criminal charges in Arizona against 2,113 individuals who illegally entered or re-entered the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States also filed 243 cases against individuals responsible for smuggling undocumented noncitizens to and within the District of Arizona. In this time period, the United States also prosecuted 54 reactive drug cases arising out of immigration ports of entry and checkpoints.
Reducing migrant smuggling and mitigating the risk to communities impacted by these offenses continue to be priorities for the Office and its law enforcement partners. Some of these prosecutions are directed against leaders and coordinators of alien smuggling organizations. Other prosecutions are aimed at deterring young adult drivers, often recruited over social media platforms, from engaging in this dangerous activity. Prosecutions against young drivers include cases brought against three juvenile smugglers during this time period.
Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border vigilance. During this time period, federal prosecutors brought charges against two defendants accused of assaulting federal officers.
These statistics represent United States Attorney’s Office prosecutions only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-054_2024 First Quarter Immigration Enforcement Statistics
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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.U.S. Trustee Program Enforcement Leads to Injunctions, Fines Against Bankruptcy Petition Preparers Who Targeted Vulnerable Consumers in ForeclosureRead the Press Release
Two bankruptcy petition preparers who hid their involvement while providing unauthorized legal advice to debtors in foreclosure were barred from providing bankruptcy-related services, thanks to enforcement actions by the Justice Department’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP).
On Feb. 12, the Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida entered an order permanently enjoining Kafil Hamim Quaiyum Tunsill from acting as a bankruptcy petition preparer in the district. Tunsill was also fined $12,500 and ordered to refund $1,900 to the debtor. Although Tunsill answered the adversary complaint filed by the U.S. Trustee’s office in Orlando, he did not respond to the U.S. Trustee’s motion for summary judgment, which the Bankruptcy Court granted.
On March 29, the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Oregon issued a decision to permanently enjoin Keith Bray and his company Rezidential Group Inc. from acting as bankruptcy petition preparers in Oregon. Bray and Rezidential Group – who did not defend against a complaint filed by the U.S. Trustee’s office in Portland – were also fined $22,500 and ordered to return $3,995 in fees and pay $7,990 in statutory damages to the debtor.
The Bankruptcy Code strictly regulates the services of bankruptcy petition preparers, commonly known as BPPs. BPPs are not attorneys, cannot give legal advice or practice law and generally are limited to typing information provided by debtors into bankruptcy forms for the debtors to file. The Code requires BPPs to disclose information about their fees and services to the debtors and to the bankruptcy court.
“Unscrupulous bankruptcy petition preparers often craft schemes to exploit debtors fearful of losing their homes to foreclosure,” said Director Tara Twomey of the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees. “The Program aggressively roots out BPPs who harm consumers and taint the bankruptcy system through fraud, abuse and the unauthorized practice of law.”
In the Florida case, Tunsill, who used the business name Serving Humanity, located the debtor by reviewing foreclosure dockets. He then knocked on the debtor’s door and offered to help the debtor avoid foreclosure for a fee. He gave the debtor legal advice about bankruptcy and helped prepare and file a chapter 13 bankruptcy case as well as a lawsuit against the debtor’s mortgage servicer, both of which were eventually dismissed. The court’s order against Tunsill noted that he had engaged in fraudulent, deceptive or bad-faith conduct in other cases, including four bankruptcies that he filed for himself.
In the Oregon case, Bray led the debtors to believe he was a licensed attorney in California and told them bankruptcy could help save their home from foreclosure. He directed them to hand copy information he provided onto blank forms and file them with the bankruptcy court. Bray was actually a disbarred attorney who attempted to avoid detection by impersonating a licensed attorney in communications with the chapter 13 trustee. The court’s decision noted similar conduct by Bray and Rezidential Group in several other cases in other districts.
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 Observes National Crime Victims’ Rights WeekRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington and the Department of Justice’s Office of Victims of Crime (OVC) joins communities nationwide in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and celebrating victims’ rights, protections, and services. This year’s observance takes place April 21-27, 2024, and features the theme, “How would you help? Options, services, and hope for crime survivors.” The theme aims to ensure that everyone in a community knows where and how crime victims and survivors can find help — including friends, family members, colleagues, neighbors, service providers, or other trusted members of the community.
In 1975, the first “Victims’ Rights Week” was organized in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by the then district attorney. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first “National Crime Victims’ Rights Week” in 1981 to highlight the importance of prioritizing the rights and needs of crime victims. President Reagan also established the President’s Task Force on Victims of Crime, which laid the foundation for a national network to provide services and legal safeguards for crime victims.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington has a dedicated team of prosecutors and victim assistance professionals, who work together to ensure victims receive the services and support they need. Early intervention helps prevent further victimization and encourages victim involvement in the justice system, mitigating the cycle of violence and restoring hope for the future.
Each year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington prosecutes numerous cases involving individuals who are victims of violent, financial, environmental, and other crimes. In 2023 and continuing into 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s office has filed more than 70 victim cases, which include more than 1,000 individual victims. In each case, victim assistance specialists from our office provide victims with essential services, including referrals to counseling, and help to secure temporary housing, as necessary. These advocates also assist with access to victim’s compensation funds and accompany victims to court proceedings to provide support and guidance.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also works tirelessly to recover restitution on behalf of victims. In 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington recovered more than $68 million on behalf of victims, much of which was recovered in connection with Cody Easterday’s “ghost cattle” scheme. In 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office already has recovered another $15 million in restitution on behalf of victims, bringing the total recovery in just the last year and a half to more than $84 million dollars. These restitution funds are provided directly to those who are victims of violent, financial, sexual exploitation and child abuse, as well as other crimes.
“Honoring the voice of victims of crime is a critical part of securing justice. Providing victims information and a choice in how they participate in cases, is not only their right, but also a meaningful path to recovery from the trauma they have endured,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “I am also grateful for the dedicated service of our victim assistance specialists – Jolene Jones and Marissa Allen – who work tirelessly to ensure the rights of all victims in the Eastern District of Washington. Their important work helps promote healing and provides victims tools for their future, thereby strengthening Eastern Washington communities.”
Representative examples of victim cases prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office in 2023 and 2024, include the following:
- January 24, 2023 sentencing of Ronald Craig Ilg, who was convicted of attempting to hire a dark web hitmen to kidnap his then-estranged wife and harm a former work colleague. Ilg was sentenced to 8 years in federal prison and ordered to pay more than $20,000 in restitution.
- February 21, 2023 sentencing of Jordan Everett Stevens, who was convicted of murdering Alillia “Lala” Minthord and sentenced to life in prison.
- March 8, 2023 sentencing of Jonathan Scott Ard, for shooting a person and conspiring to distribute fentanyl in the Tri-Cities. Ard was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
- April 24, 2023 settlement agreement requiring Jason Dreyer, a former doctor, to pay more than $1 million to resolve allegations that he performed medically unnecessary neurosurgery procedures.
- May 18, 2023 sentencing of Karla Padilla for fraudulently obtaining more than $290,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. Padilla was sentenced to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay approximately $300,000 in restitution.
- June 14, 2023 sentencing of Felipe Tapia-Perez, who was convicted of firearm offenses related to the homicide of a four-year-old child. Tapia-Perez was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
- July 13, 2023 sentencing of Randy Coy James Holmes for shooting an undercover law enforcement officer. Holmes was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
- August 28, 2023 settlement agreement requiring Lincare Holdings to pay $29 million to resolve claims of overbilling Medicare for oxygen equipment.
- September 20, 2023 sentencing of Dylen Joseph Swan for 3-day crime spree involving a car chase, two shootings and an armed robbery. Swan was sentenced to 14 years in prison and was ordered to pay $21,515 in restitution.
- October 11, 2023 sentencing of Michael Gene Rice, who was convicted of producing and attempted production of child pornography. Rice was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison and ordered to pay $48,000 in restitution.
- December 12, 2023 sentencing of Christopher Bruce Gooch, who was convicted for an armed robbery at a Spokane Valley motel. Gooch was sentenced to 4 years in prison.
- January 24, 2024 arrest of 8 individuals in Moses Lake on drug trafficking charges and perpetration of violent crimes.
- February 22, 2024 sentencing of Ronald Walter Hannes for defrauding numerous Spokane victims of more than $3 million. Hannes was ordered to pay restitution to more than a dozen victims in the amount of $3.18 million.
- March 27, 2024 sentencing of Sundron Larsell Miller and Paula Eulojia Cantu-Lopez to decades in federal prison for violent carjacking and assault on the Yakama Nation.
- March 28, 2024 sentencing of Robert Wayne Hutton to 20 years in federal prison on child exploitation charges. Hutton was also ordered to pay $25,000 in restitution.
- April 15, 2024, a restitution hearing in U.S. v. Seth Randles was concluded. Randles was convicted of a violent sex trafficking offense and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Restitution was ordered in the amount of $304,212
- April 17, 2024 indictment of 34 individuals involved in drug distribution, cockfighting, and witness/victim intimidation.
U.S. Attorney Waldref added, “These representative cases demonstrate the commitment of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to protecting victims in Eastern Washington. My office will continue to identify and prosecute those who harm our citizens, and we will seek to hold accountable those who exploit vulnerable members of our community.”
More information about OVC, as well as resources for victims of crime, can be found here.
To commemorate National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, trees at the federal courthouses in Spokane, Richland and Yakima have been decorated with pink and purple ribbons.
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Washington U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of WashingtonU.S. Attorney’s Office Hosts HBCU Regional ForumRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia recently partnered with the Department of Justice to host the inaugural Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Regional Forum at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia. The Regional Forum introduced HBCU students, faculty, and staff to the Department’s diverse range of programs and initiatives.
“Historically Black Colleges and Universities provide students with an environment for achieving academic excellence as well as the skills to serve as future leaders in their communities, in our office, and in the Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “We were honored to join with other federal agencies, and local officials and partners, to promote professional opportunities and development available to HBCU students through career paths with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice.”
The forum was held on April 18 and 19, 2024 and featured plenary and breakout sessions that showcased the wide array of resources, partnerships, and funding opportunities available from the Department. These sessions included:
- A discussion between U.S. Attorney Buchanan and Dr. George French Jr., President of Clark Atlanta University, about the role of HBCUs in advancing justice and equity.
- A conversation between U.S. Attorney Buchanan, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Gray, and Officer Brandon White of the Chamblee Police Department. Officer White was the victim of a hate crime in 2012 and spoke about how he had been beaten and verbally abused outside an Atlanta convenience store. His case resulted in criminal prosecution of his attackers by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and was one of the first successful prosecutions under the federal hate crimes statute based on sexual orientation. Officer White also discussed how this experience led him to pursue a career in law enforcement.
- A presentation by Acting Director of the Department of Justice Community Relations Service, Justin Lock, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marissa Fallica and Rahul Garabadu about the Department’s United Against Hate community outreach program, which connects federal, state, and local law enforcement with local communities to combat unlawful acts of hate.
During the two-day event, members of the HBCU community also heard from other components of the Department of Justice including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Environmental and Natural Resources Division, the Civil Rights Division, the Criminal Division, the Justice Management Division, the Office of Justice Programs, the Office on Violence Against Women, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, the Office of Attorney Recruitment & Management, and the Office for Victims of Crime. Representatives from the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, the Federal Air Marshal Service, and the White House Initiative on HBCUs also made presentations. The presenters provided students with information about their work, and strategies on how students could pursue careers in federal law enforcement.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa Celebrates National Crime Victims’ Rights Week April 21-27, 2024Read the Press Release
National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is April 21-27, 2024. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa is commemorating this important awareness week by announcing winners of Law Enforcement Victim Services Awards.
In 2022, there were nearly 20 million crime victimizations in the United States. More than 6.6 million were the result of violent crimes, including rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. Of that 6.6 million, only about 42% were reported to police.
This year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week theme is “How would you help? Options, services, and hope for crime survivors.” We must create an environment in which victims and survivors feel safe talking about what happened to them. The theme aims to ensure that everyone in a community knows where and how crime victims and survivors can find help — including friends, family members, colleagues, neighbors, service providers, or other trusted members of the community. We must all be prepared to offer support.
“We are fortunate in the Northern District of Iowa to have excellent resources for victims of domestic and sexual violence as well as resources for survivors of homicide and other violent crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy T. Duax. “Our personnel are our greatest asset. They are trained to provide compassionate, consistent, and comprehensive services to crime victims across the state of Iowa.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa is proud to join the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and communities throughout the United States during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in raising awareness of victims’ rights and honoring crime victims and their advocates.
This week, U.S. Attorney Duax announced winners for the Law Enforcement Victim Services Awards in the Northern District of Iowa. This award is presented to law enforcement officers in Iowa who go beyond the call of duty to help crime victims. It is the highest federal honor in Iowa for victim services by a law enforcement officer. The following individuals won the award based on their service to victims:
- Detective Ian Mallory of the University of Iowa Police Department, in recognition of his outstanding investigative and advocacy work that led to the successful discovery and prosecution of Matthew Keirans, perpetrator of a sophisticated, three-decades-old, aggravated identity theft. The vulnerable victim of Mr. Keirans' scam maintained his true identity even after he was jailed, found mentally incompetent, and ordered to receive psychotropic medication. But for Detective Mallory’s open mindedness, patience, and diligence, this victim would have remained the target of a scam that fooled other law enforcement officers, courts, banks, and government officials. Detective Mallory’s persistence and commitment to finding justice for this victim is a credit to himself, the University of Iowa Police Department, and the entire Iowa law enforcement community.
- Detective Michael Sitzman and Detective Nate West, Sioux City Police Department, Investigator Joaquin Orduno, South Sioux City Police Department, and Special Agent Bradley Colligan, Federal Bureau of Investigation, in recognition of their outstanding investigation and advocacy that led to the successful prosecution of Kevon Spratt, perpetrator of at least five armed robberies during one month in 2022 within the Siouxland area. The danger that Spratt posed to the community cannot be overstated. This team’s compassionate, reassuring, strong, and inspirational conduct during the investigation empowered more than thirty victims and witnesses to cooperate with the investigation.
To learn more about how to support all victims of crime, visit the Office for Victims of Crime’s website at ovc.ojp.gov.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Two North Louisiana Men Convicted by Federal Jury in Monroe of Conspiring to Commit Bank Fraud Resulting in Loss of over $3 MillionRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. –United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Charlie L. Simpson, 51, of Downsville, and Charles D. Gardner, 56, of West Monroe, were each found guilty today by a federal jury in Monroe of one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. After two days of deliberations, the jury also found Simpson guilty of four counts of bank fraud. The court declared a mistrial as to the remaining four counts of bank fraud against Gardner. Chief United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty presided over the two week trial.
Simpson worked as the Chief Operating Officer of United Home Care, Inc. (“United”) and Trinity Home Health Care, Inc. (“Trinity”) and Gardner worked as the Chief Financial Officer/Controller of United and Trinity. According to testimony during the trial, from April 2016 until March 2017, Simpson and Gardner conspired together to defraud Origin Bank, Peoples Bank, and Louisiana National Bank (“LNB”) by fraudulently obtaining money and credits from the three banks. Simpson and Gardner orchestrated and executed a check kiting scheme between accounts at Origin Bank and LNB wherein they deposited hundreds of checks between multiple accounts they controlled at both banks and took advantage of the float when they passed the checks, timing the exchanges to artificially inflate the account balances. As a result of this scheme, Simpson and Gardner caused Origin Bank and LNB to honor checks and payments drawn against accounts with insufficient funds and put the financial institutions at risk.
Additional testimony revealed that on March 8, 2017, Simpson learned that accounts under his control at LNB had an overdraft and the bank would only accept a certified check to cover the deficit. To cover the overdraft and prevent the kite from collapsing, Simpson and Gardner added a third bank, Peoples Bank, into the scheme by issuing over 20 checks for approximately $4 million drawn from different accounts at that bank and deposited them into multiple accounts at Origin Bank. However, the accounts used at Peoples Bank had less than $2,000 available and did not have sufficient funds to cover the checks deposited into Origin Bank. The following day, Simpson used the artificially inflated balances to obtain four certified checks totaling $2.1 million from Origin Bank and deposited them into different accounts at LNB to cover the overdraft. Origin Bank suffered a financial loss when it discovered that they had used the inflated accounts to obtain certified funds.
Simpson and Gardner each face a sentence of not more than 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, or both. Sentencing is set for August 7, 2024.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Leon H. Whitten, Brian C. Flanagan, and Criminal Chief Allison L. Duncan.
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Two Indianapolis Men Sentenced to a Combined 17 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Robbery of Southport Road Gas StationRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Bryan Johnson-Taylor, 23, and John Wilson, 19, of Indianapolis, have been sentenced to nine and a half and eight years, respectively, in federal prison, with each followed by three years of supervised release. Both men pleaded guilty to interference with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to court documents, on August 1, 2022, at approximately 3:06 A.M., Johnson-Taylor and Wilson entered the Circle K gas station on East Southport Road in Indianapolis. Once inside, the pair brandished semi-automatic handguns and pointed them at the victim employee, demanding money from the register. Both men removed cash from the register, stole cigarettes from shelf, and took the victim employee’s cell phone.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officers were able to track the robbers whereabouts using electronic surveillance. Officers with the Beech Grove Police Department located the men approximately one-half mile north of the Circle K. In Wilson’s backpack, officers located a Glock 9mm caliber handgun, as well as the stolen cigarettes and cash. Johnson-Taylor was located hiding in nearby bushes with another backpack. Next to where Johnson-Taylor was hiding, officers located a Glock Model 45 handgun.
“Armed criminals who terrorize our community must be held accountable,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “I am thankful for the quick reaction of the responding IMPD and Beech Grove officers, preventing the defendants from getting away with their crimes and further endangering the public. The serious federal prison sentence imposed here demonstrates our commitment to working closely with the FBI, and all our partners in federal, state, and local law enforcement as we seek to reduce gun violence.”
The FBI investigated this case, with valuable assistance provided by IMPD and the Beech Grove Police Department. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Matthew P. Brookman.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Jayson McGrath, who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Twelve CJNG Cartel Members Sentenced for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Twelve drug traffickers tied to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel have been sentenced to between four and a half and 40 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Francisco Javier Rodriguez Arreola, a top source of supply charged in the case, was sentenced Tuesday to 40 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Mr. Rodriguez Arreola, a 45-year-old Mexican citizen born in Michoacan, was arrested in 2021 in Del Rio, Texas while illegally reentering the United States from Mexico after having been previously deported.
In plea papers, the defendant admitted that he helped coordinate the shipment of a load of 199.97 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine – with a street value of up to $9.9 million – from Mexico to Dallas concealed inside the diesel tank of a red semi-truck.
During the course of the investigation, court-authorized wiretaps caught Mr. Rodriguez Arreola, who went by the street names “Taquito” and “Viejo” (“Old”), communicating with codefendants in code about the movement and sale of controlled substances.
Courtroom testimony revealed that Mr. Rodriguez Arreola had previously served time in federal prison and that he was deported to Mexico in April of 2020. Less than a month after being deported, he was back in the drug trade when, in May of 2020, he and a codefendant discussed how the COVID-19 pandemic was slowing down the movement and sale of controlled substances. The defendant stated the pandemic was causing the price of methamphetamine to increase and he was heard saying he hoped the price of a kilogram of methamphetamine would go up, as it had once sold for $14,000.
At Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, prosecutors introduced evidence that showed that Mr. Rodriguez Arreola coordinated multiple deliveries of methamphetamine from Mexico into the United States on behalf of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of Mexico’s most violent and powerful drug cartels. During the hearing, Mr. Rodriguez Arreola was identified as a person who had access to the higher echelons of the CJNG because he associated with individuals who reported directly to the cartel’s leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, a.k.a. El Mencho.
Agent testimony revealed that the defendant served the CJNG as a broker of methamphetamine and that he had significant ties to Plaza Bosses who had access to cartel leadership. Mr. Rodriguez-Arreola’s role included finding drivers and people who could transport and distribute methamphetamine, planning routes, confirming delivery, loss prevention, and finding locations to receive, store, and transfer methamphetamine shipments.
Tuesday’s sentencing hearing further revealed the defendant had access to counterintelligence information provided by the CJNG because, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Rodriguez Arreola told a codefendant that they needed drivers that were United States residents to transport methamphetamine [loads], because no drivers with visas could make it through [the border crossings with their loads of methamphetamine].
Other defendants sentenced include:
- Ricardo Hernandez Zarate, sentenced to 480 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and 240 months in prison for money laundering (concurrent sentences)
- Pedro Hernandez Zarate, sentenced to 360 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance
- Uriel Marin Gaona, sentenced to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance
- Benito Diaz Hernandez, sentenced to 210 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance
- Marcos Garcia Reyes, sentenced to 87 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled
- Heleodoro Rosales Ramirez, sentenced to 168 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance
- Rafael Diaz, sentenced to 60 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance
- Jose Alberto Plascencia Torres, sentenced to 292 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
- Elmer Gardea Tello, sentenced to 55 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled (cocaine)
- Walter Daniel Chapa Marty, sentenced to 121 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance
- Salvador Antonio Martinez, sentenced to 151 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 650 kilograms of methamphetamine drugs, 17 guns, $220,922 in U.S. currency, and $12,200 in real and personal property.
The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, with special assistance provided by the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Gainesville Police Department, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, the Dallas Police Department, the Fort Worth Police Department, the Williamson County, Texas Sheriff’s Department, the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Department in Tennessee, the FBI’s Knoxville Field Office (Tennessee Resident Agency Office), and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Strike Force 1. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal prosecuted the case.
The case is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) case. The OCDETF program was established in 1982 in order to attack and reduce the supply of illegal drugs entering the United States and to diminish violence and other criminal activity associated with the drug trade. The OCDETF program leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level drug traffickers and drug trafficking networks using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.
Tulsa Man Sentenced for Meth Conspiracy, Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Tulsa, Oklahoma, man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine in southwest Missouri after law enforcement officers seized approximately 29 pounds of methamphetamine, approximately $57,000, and several firearms.
Jeffrey L. Hughley, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
On Nov. 6, 2023, Hughley pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
Hughley admitted that he was a courier during the conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Barry, Stone, Polk, Lawrence, Greene, Jasper, Newton, and Christian Counties from Nov. 1, 2020, to April 28, 2022. Hughley delivered more than 4.5 kilograms of pure methamphetamine to co-defendant Brian E. Hall, 46, of Aurora, Mo.
Hughley was arrested on April 28, 2022, when he drove to Hall’s residence. Law enforcement officers searched his black Toyota Camry and found 10 garbage bags in the trunk that contained a total of 22 pounds of pure methamphetamine. Officers also found a loaded Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol in the floorboard of the front passenger seat.
Hughley was arrested after law enforcement officers had executed a search warrant at Hall’s residence as part of an ongoing methamphetamine investigation. Officers seized seven pounds of methamphetamine from Hall’s residence, as well as a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol, approximately $57,000 in cash, and drug paraphernalia used for the packaging and sale of methamphetamine.
A co-conspirator told investigators that Hughley had delivered large quantities of methamphetamine to Hall’s residence on at least four occasions. Each time he dropped off methamphetamine, he also picked up cash from Hall to return to an individual in Oklahoma. The co-conspirator told investigators that Hughley was supposed to pick up $57,000 from Hall on the night of his arrest.
According to court documents, Hughley made multiple trips to multiple states to distribute methamphetamine for which he was paid thousands of dollars. In April 2022, Hughley purchased a drone for $5,730 for a leader of the drug-trafficking organization. Hughley and a co-conspirator discussed using the drone to smuggle contraband into a prison facility.
Hughley operated a business, God’s Gifted Athletes, where he provided strength training to young athletes in his community. The government’s sentencing memorandum noted the devastating impact of methamphetamine use on youth and families. According to the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare, children whose parents use methamphetamine have an increased risk of exposure to parental violence, placement into foster care, and living in environments that do not have adequate resources to meet their basic needs.
The amount of methamphetamine Hughley trafficked to Barry County in only four trips (while in possession of a firearm) was enough to supply four doses (0.25 grams per dose) of methamphetamine to every man, woman, and child in the community.
Hughley is the second defendant sentenced in this federal indictment, in which 20 defendants have been charged. Hall pleaded guilty on March 22, 2023, and awaits sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team, the Barry County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, the Stone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, COMET (the Combined Ozark Multi-Jurisdictional Enforcement Team), the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, the Polk County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, the Ottawa County, Ok., Sheriff’s Department, the Bolivar, Mo., Police Department, the Cassville, Mo., Police Department, the Kimberling City, Mo., Police Department, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Texas Man Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Sending Antisemitic Death ThreatsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JEREMY JOSEPH was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for sending interstate threats to injure or kill two former co-workers. JOSEPH previously pled guilty, two days after his trial on these charges had begun, before U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken, who imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Jeremy Joseph sent hateful, violent, and antisemitic death threats over email to two former co-workers. Joseph made these threats as part of a broader scheme in which Joseph threatened dozens of victims, many of whom were Jewish or were perceived to be Jewish. This prosecution and today’s sentence make clear that this Office will not tolerate crimes of hate and will continue to seek justice for the victims of these offensive and harmful acts.”
According to Indictment, other public filings, and statements made in court:
From in or about December 2022 through at least in or about January 2023, JOSEPH sent terrifying death threats over email to two former colleagues (the “Victims”) that he worked with over 10 years prior. The emails detailed how JOSEPH planned to murder his Victims and included photographs of pipe bombs, ammunition, and a firearm. The emails also included personal information about the Victims and their families.
JOSEPH’s threats towards the Victims were part of a larger pattern of death threats sent to various other individuals from JOSEPH’s life, as well as politicians, judges, and prosecutors. The targets of his threats spanned multiples countries and U.S. states. In these communications, JOSEPH consistently used violent, threatening language that targeted Jewish people.
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In addition to the prison term, JOSEPH, 41, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Criminal Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamie Bagliebter and Diarra M. Guthrie are in charge of the prosecution.
Superseding Indictment Charges Three Georgia Residents in Million-Dollar Romance ScamRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on April 17, 2024, a superseding indictment charged KENNETH G. AKPIEYI (“AKPIEYI”), age 43, of Marietta, Georgia, Emuobosan EMMANUELLA Hall (“HALL”), age 43, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Eseoghene Nelly Keniye (“Keniye”), age 27, also of Atlanta, with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1341, 1343, and 1349; and conspiracy to commit money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1956(a)(1)(B)(i) and 1956(h). AKPIEYI was also charged in one count of mail fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1341 and 2.
According to the indictment, the defendants perpetrated a “romance scam,” in which they persuaded victims to send them money by representing themselves to be potential romantic partners for those victims. The defendants used bank accounts in the name of fictitious aliases and various companies in furtherance of the scheme. Investigators have determined that AKPIEYI, HALL, and KENIYE defrauded victims out of over $1 million.
The penalties for mail fraud and for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud are up to 20 years in prison, up to a $250,000.00 fine or the greater of twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss, and up to three years of supervised release after imprisonment. The penalties for conspiracy to commit money laundering are up to 10 years in prison, up to a $500,000 fine or twice the value of the property involved in the transactions, and up to three years of supervised release after imprisonment. Each defendant also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee for each count of the superseding indictment charged against them.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the superseding indictment is merely an accusation and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the FBI New Orleans Field Office in investigating this matter. U.S. Attorney Evans extended his thanks to the FBI Atlanta Field Office and the Cobb County, GA, Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. Payne of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Steele County Man Indicted for International Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Blooming Prairie man has been indicted for sexually exploiting children outside the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, between November 2021 and April 2022, Steven John Sokel, 61, by aiding and abetting other individuals, coerced three minor girls outside of the United States to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions. Sokel also possessed sexually explicit images and videos of minors.
The indictment charges Sokel with two counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of child pornography. Sokel made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on April 19, 2024, before Magistrate Judge David T. Schultz. He was ordered to remain in custody pending a formal detention hearing.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Southwest Georgia Resident Sentenced to Prison for Meth Possession and DistributionRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Pelham, Georgia, resident with a lengthy criminal history in Southwest Georgia who admitted to possessing with the intent to distribute nearly one kilogram of methamphetamine was sentenced to serve more than 15 years in federal prison today.
Skeeter Eugene Weeks, 41, was sentenced to serve 188 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal on April 23. Weeks previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Sept. 8, 2023. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The defendant’s high-speed attempt to evade capture endangered himself, responding law enforcement and other drivers,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Individuals with lengthy criminal histories who continue to disregard the law will be held accountable.”
According to court documents and other evidence, a Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputy attempted to pull Weeks over for a traffic violation on I-75 on Sept. 12, 2021. Weeks, who was driving a motorcycle, didn’t stop but accelerated to speeds of more than 90 mph. Additional officers joined the pursuit, as Weeks weaved between vehicles to avoid law enforcement. Weeks exited at Rumble Road, lost control of his motorcycle and crashed. He began to run away and across the interstate but was taken into custody as he attempted to jump the center median guardrail. Weeks was driving with a suspended license and had several active warrants. He was wearing a cross-body bag, which held a semi-automatic pistol. Inside the cross-body bag and in his pockets, Weeks was carrying 993 grams of methamphetamine. Weeks has a lengthy criminal past in Southwest Georgia including convictions for burglary, harassing phone calls, manufacturing methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Criminal Chief Leah McEwen is prosecuting the case.
Rosebud Man found Guilty of Sexual Abuse of a Minor and Abusive Sexual ContactRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Shane Mousseaux, age 37, of Rosebud, South Dakota, of three counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor and two counts of Abusive Sexual Contact following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on April 18, 2024.
The charges for Sexual Abuse of a Minor each carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, up to life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. The charges for Abusive Sexual Contact each carry a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, up to life of life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Mousseaux was indicted by a federal grand jury in November of 2022.
Between August 6, 2020, and June 21, 2022, Mousseaux lived on the Yankton Sioux Reservation with his then-girlfriend and her children. During that time period, Mousseaux engaged in multiple sexual acts with one of his then-girlfriend’s daughter, who was 14-15 years old at the time. Between May 1, 2022, and June 21, 2022, Mousseaux engaged in sexual contact with another one of his then-girlfriend’s daughter, who was 14 years old at the time.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Yankton Sioux Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ann M. Hoffman and Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has been set for July 19, 2024. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Repeat Offender Sentenced for Narcotics Trafficking and Possession of a Machinegun in a NightclubRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Bryan Rice, 35, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for trafficking fentanyl and cocaine base in an open-air drug market in Northwest and being in possession of a firearm at a District nightclub, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Rice is one of 20 defendants charged in connection with a wide-ranging investigation centered on drug trafficking in the area of 7th and O Streets Northwest. Rice pleaded guilty January 5, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute narcotics and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. In addition to the 10-year prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton ordered Rice to serve four years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Rice, aka “Ice,” sold both fentanyl and cocaine base, including distribution quantities of each, to undercover officers on five occasions between October 20, 2021, and March 24, 2022. When he was arrested on April 25, 2022, Rice was at the Rosebar Lounge, a nightclub on Connecticut Avenue. During an altercation, he was observed by police with a firearm in his waistband. The weapon, a 9mm Glock 17 with 17 rounds in the magazine, had been outfitted with a machine gun conversion device, which is designed to allow the gun to be fired as a fully automatic weapon.
Rice has six prior adult convictions. His first, in 2006, came after he was involved in an armed robbery. His second came less than three years later, after he sold drugs to an undercover officer. Two years after that, he was convicted of possession of a firearm. He was convicted in 2014 and 2019 of additional robbery and theft-related offenses; in one instance, he tried to snatch someone’s phone, and in the other, he was caught trying to steal merchandise from department stores. In April 2022—the same month he was arrested for unlawful possession of a firearm in the instant case—he was convicted of possession of cocaine after he apparently sold someone drugs and was also found to be in possession of drugs for the purpose of distribution.
This case stems from a collaborative investigation by the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) of MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Division, the FBI Washington Field Office’s Cross Border Safe Streets Task Force, the Washington Division of the DEA, and the U.S. Park Police. The Cross Border Safe Streets Task Force targets the most egregious and violent street crews operating in the District of Columbia.
The investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Solomon Eppel of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section, with valuable assistance provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Wasserman and Kevin Rosenberg and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shaunik Panse.
Registered sex offender going to prison for 30 years for production of child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Michael Lanham, 35, of Niagara Falls, NY, who was convicted of production of child pornography with a prior sex offense, was sentenced to serve 360 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin M. Higgins, who handled the case, stated that in December 2010, Lanham was convicted of Rape in the Third Degree, Victim Less than 17-Year-Old, Perpetrator 21 years or more, in New York State Court and is a registered sex offender. In September 2020, he took a sexually explicit photo of a minor victim on his cell phone. In October 2020, Lanham distributed the image of the minor victim in a private online message to an undercover law enforcement officer on the Kik application.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
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