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Friday 8 March 2024
Colorado Springs Man Sentenced in Three Colorado Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Aron Radej, 39, of Colorado Springs, was sentenced to 204 months in prison after pleading guilty to three counts of bank robbery, and one count of a being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to the facts in the plea agreement, Radej was on federal supervised release in April 2023 for a prior conviction of being a felon in possession of a firearm when he robbed three banks in Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and Thornton by threatening tellers at each location. Radej was identified by law enforcement and arrested on May 2, 2023, in the passenger seat of a rented minivan. Radej had two loaded firearms in a backpack at his feet at the time of arrest.
“This case and sentence demonstrate that we will not stand for repeat criminal offenders in our communities,” said United States Attorney Cole Finegan. “We continue to commend the work of our local, state and federal partners when helping to bring people like this to justice.”
"We appreciate the collaborative efforts of the Colorado Springs Police Department, Pueblo Police Department and Thornton Police Department in stopping this repeat offender's violent crime spree," said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. "FBI Denver and our law enforcement partners remain laser-focused on reducing gun violence and ensuring that those who victimize citizens for personal gain are brought to justice."
United States District Court Judge Regina M. Rodriguez presided over the sentencing on March 6, 2024. The FBI investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Brian Dunn handled the prosecution.
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.
Case Number: 15-CR-00037
Colombian National Extradited from Colombia to the United States to Face Charges of Murder Conspiracy and Attempted Murder of U.S. Army SoldiersRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On March 7, Ciro Alfonso Gutierrez Ballesteros, 32, made his initial appearance in federal court in Miami. Gutierrez Ballesteros was extradited from Colombia to the United States to face federal charges lodged against him in a federal indictment returned in 2022 by a Miami federal grand jury. Gutierrez Ballesteros was indicted for charges that include conspiring to murder members of the United States Uniformed Services and attempted murder of members of the United States Uniformed Services.
According to the indictment, Gutierrez Ballesteros, in concert with other co-conspirators, planned a bombing attack against U.S. Army soldiers present at the Colombian 30th Army Brigade Base in Cucuta, Colombia. Co-conspirator Andres Fernando Medina Rodriguez used his status as a medically discharged Colombian Army Officer to gain access to the base where he conducted surveillance. As part of the surveillance, Medina Rodriguez took photographs and video of the areas where the U.S. Army soldiers were primarily located.
Gutierrez Ballesteros instructed Medina Rodriguez to find and purchase a vehicle suitable for conducting a vehicle borne improvised explosive device (“VBIED”) attack at the base. Medina Rodriguez purchased a white SUV and Medina Rodriguez and Gutierrez Ballesteros then drove the vehicle to Venezuela where it was outfitted with the explosives.
On June 15, 2021, Medina Rodriguez drove the vehicle with the VBIED to the 30th Army Brigade Base in Cucuta, Colombia, where he parked it in front of the location where U.S. and Colombian military personnel were located. Gutierrez Ballesteros, riding a motorcycle, followed Medina Rodriguez to the Colombian military base. Medina Rodriguez pulled the detonation pin on the explosive and left the area on foot before fleeing on the motorcycle driven by Gutierrez Ballesteros. As a result of the detonated VBIED, three U.S. Army soldiers were injured.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI’s Miami Field Office announced the extradition of Gutierrez Ballesteros.
The FBI investigated the case. The FBI was assisted by the FBI Legal Attaché in Bogotá, the Fiscalía General de la Nación Colombia, and the National Police of Colombia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy A. Hummel, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy R. Camacho, and the Justice Department’s National Security Division Trial Attorneys David C. Smith and Michael Dittoe are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá worked with Colombian authorities to secure the arrest and extradition of Gutierrez Ballesteros.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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-20054.
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Cedar Rapids Woman Who Produced and Distributed Child Pornography Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A woman who created child pornography videos and distributed them online was sentenced today to 40 years in federal prison.
Abigail Elizabeth Lambert, age 32, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 12, 2023 guilty plea to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of sexual exploitation of children.
At the guilty plea, Lambert admitted that she used, persuaded, induced, or enticed at least one minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing one or more visual depictions of the conduct. She also admitted that she knowingly distributed visual depictions of child pornography over the internet. Court documents reflect that, in June 2023, Lambert exchanged messages with an undercover officer over a fetish website. Lambert told the officer that she had committed sexual acts with two minors and that she had videos of the sexual acts. On June 29, 2023, Lambert sent the undercover officer some of the videos she had previously described.
Lambert was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Lambert was sentenced to 480 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Lambert is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23‑CR‑00049‑CJW‑MAR.
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Carleena Graham Sentenced for Defrauding Federal Program Funding RecipientRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont - The United States Attorney’s Office stated that Carleena Graham, 57, of Accokeek, Maryland, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Burlington to four years of probation following her guilty plea to a charge of wire fraud. As a condition of probation, Chief U.S. District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford ordered that Graham make a final restitution payment of $209,000 within 60 days. Graham had previously paid $210,000 in restitution.
On May 31, 2023, the United States filed a one count information charging Graham with wire fraud. The defendant pleaded guilty to that charge last summer. According to the information, the victim, World Learning, is a non-profit global development and exchange organization that delivers educational and professional training programs, and people-to-people exchange opportunities around the world. World Learning had headquarters in Brattleboro, Vermont and Washington, D.C. World Learning received millions of dollars in federal funding from the United States Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development.
In 2014, World Learning hired Graham as the Director of Human Resources. She was subsequently promoted to Divisional Vice President of Human Resources and then to Vice President of Human Resources. Graham worked in World Learning’s Washington office. By reason of her positions of trust, Graham had access to a World Learning credit card that was to be used for human resources purposes.
At the time she was employed by World Learning, Graham also held positions at or had relationships with other non-profit and charitable organizations in the Washington, D.C. area (together the “third-party organizations”). Beginning in approximately 2016 and continuing until the middle of 2022, Graham orchestrated a scheme to defraud World Learning of hundreds of thousands of dollars. As part of the scheme, Graham arranged for goods and services to be delivered to the third-party organizations, and then fraudulently arranged for World Learning to pay for these goods and services via electronic transfers of funds from its Vermont bank account. Graham falsified invoices submitted by vendors for payment of the goods and services to make them appear as though World Learning was the recipient of the goods and services. Graham often misused her access to World Learning’s credit cards to cause World Learning to pay the expenses incurred by the third-party organizations. World Learning suffered a loss of $419,000 because of this fraud.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commends the excellent work of the Offices of Inspector General of both the U.S. State Department and the Agency for International Development, who partnered to investigate this case. These Offices are committed to protecting the people, programs and financial resources of the State Department and the Agency for International Development. “This result demonstrates the significant consequences for individuals who defraud organizations responsible for implementing critical U.S. foreign assistance programs,” said USAID OIG Special Agent in Charge Jason Donnelly and Chris Hileman, Special Agent in Charge of the State Department’s OIG. “Our agencies, through their global investigative activities, will continue to work with the Department of Justice and other law enforcement counterparts to detect, disrupt, and hold accountable those whose schemes compromise the work of the State Department and USAID around the world.”
Graham is represented by Walter Reynoso, Esq. of Coral Gables, Florida and Christina Nolan, Esq. of Burlington, Vermont. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.
Cape Girardeau Man Sentenced to 14+ Years in Prison for Selling FentanylRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Thursday sentenced a Cape Girardeau, Missouri man to 175 months in prison for selling fentanyl.
Jimmy L. Hudson Jr., 47, pleaded guilty last year to distribution of fentanyl. He admitted selling fentanyl in April of 2023 to an informant working for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
This latest case represents Hudson’s third federal drug-trafficking conviction, according to court documents. At the time he sold the fentanyl, Hudson was on federal supervised release stemming from a 2015 conviction for distributing methamphetamine. After serving the nearly 15-year sentence, Hudson will once again be placed on supervised release.
The DEA investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the government.
California man sentenced for multimillion-dollar fraud and money laundering schemesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 45-year-old Nigerian national has been ordered to federal prison for his participation in two separate schemes to defraud victim homeowners and a corporation and launder the proceeds of those frauds.
Joseph Modile pleaded guilty Feb. 27, 2023, to charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft filed in the Eastern District of New York (EDNY) and charges of money laundering and wire fraud filed in the Southern District of Texas (SDTX) and subsequently transferred to the EDNY.
U.S. District Judge Diane Gujarati has now ordered Modile to serve 145 months in prison. As part of the sentence, Modile was also ordered to pay more than $1.5 million each in restitution and forfeiture.
“Although Modile took part in a complicated scheme, involving a cadre of runners and a series of fake documents and bank accounts, his goal was simple - steal from unsuspecting victims,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the SDTX. “While his crimes stretched to all parts, from Brooklyn to Houston, thanks to the work of two U.S. Attorney’s Offices, Modile will spend several years in one place, a prison cell, no longer able to help fellow criminals prey on the innocent.”
“Modile checked all the boxes for a sophisticated fraud–stealing, deception, money laundering and identity theft. Today’s sentence checks the box for an appropriate penalty for his crimes of greed from Brooklyn to Texas,” stated U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the EDNY. “I commend the prosecutors from my Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the SDTX and the special agents for their outstanding work unraveling Modile’s scheme.”
“Today’s sentencing is a positive step toward justice for Joseph Modile’s victims – homeowners, business owners and the everyday email users alike who were defrauded of over $15 million as a result of his sophisticated schemes. The defendant spearheaded at least three fraud schemes across the country and over the course of several years. His tactics, while sophisticated, were no match for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York’s El Dorado Task Force Cyber investigators,” stated HSI New York Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan. “I commend HSI New York, the New York City Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the EDNY and SDTX, as well as FBI Houston, for a job well done.”
“FBI Houston, along with our domestic and international law enforcement partners, led an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation on numerous prolific organized crime figures. Modile, for years, was an orchestrator of multi-million-dollar fraud schemes who stole from countless victims around the world,” stated FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Douglas Williams. “Dismantling large-scale criminal enterprises is what the FBI does, and Modile’s sentence should send a message to greedy criminals like him still out there, it’s just a matter of time before we get you too.”
In the SDTX case, from November 2017 until May 2018, Modile knowingly devised a scheme to defraud victims. Modile used his cellular phone to communicate with others about financial transactions for the purpose of executing his scheme. Modile directed an individual already convicted in Houston to withdraw cash from their bank account and provide it to others. Modile also directed the individual in Houston to lie to their financial institution regarding the reason for withdrawing money from their account. In February 2018, Modile orchestrated and directed a substantial amount of money into an account of the individual in Houston. The money derived from wire fraud, and Modile was aware the money came from unlawful activity.
In the case filed in the EDNY, from January 2014 and September 2018, Modile and others defrauded victims, businesses and financial institutions in the United States through a sophisticated home equity line of credit (HELOC) scheme involving a series of bank account takeovers. During this time, Modile and others also laundered proceeds from the bank account takeovers. In furtherance of the HELOC fraud scheme, Modile and others acquired personal identifying information (PII) of the actual holders of the targeted bank accounts at the financial institutions. The co-conspirators then used the PII to impersonate the actual holders of the targeted bank accounts, thereby gaining control of the accounts. In some cases, members of the conspiracy recruited “runners,” who impersonated the actual account holders inside bank branches using forged and fraudulent identification documents created at Modile’s direction. In most instances, the stolen funds were first deposited into fraudulent bank accounts co-conspirators set up and controlledin the names of the actual victims from whom the money had been stolen. In other cases, the bank accounts into which the stolen funds were first deposited were in the names of sham corporations, which were opened using false and fraudulent identification. In total, Modile and others stole at least $5 million as part of the HELOC fraud scheme.
In May 2018, Modile and others engaged in a separate business email compromise scheme using fraudulent emails and telephone calls to steal approximately $10.2 million from a victim company. The co-conspirators used a fraudulent email address to impersonate a contractor of an entity located in St. Paul, Minnesota, and directed representatives of that entity to deposit the funds in an account members of the conspiracy controlled. Modile and others then laundered those stolen funds through bank accounts that co-conspirators controlled.
FBI and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
This effort is part of an 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
Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Rodolfo Ramirez prosecuted the case along with EDNY AUSA David Pitluck.
California Woman Pleads Guilty to Leaving Threatening Anti-Semitic MessageRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Melanie Harris, 59 of Riverside, California, pled guilty to knowingly and intentionally transmitting a threatening communication in interstate commerce. Harris, who has been in custody since July 20, 2023, entered her guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jared M. Strauss on March 4. Harris remains in custody and is scheduled for sentencing on May 23 before U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman in Miami, where she faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
According to the facts admitted at the change of plea, on October 3, 2022, Harris made multiple calls to Victim 1’s cell phone, and left four separate threatening voicemails, with the intent to communicate a true threat and with the knowledge that the communications would be seen as true threats. In one of these four October 3 voicemails, Harris stated in relevant part: “I’ll cut your f------ head off kiker.” The term “kike” has long been used as an anti-Semitic slur aimed at Jews.
Neither Victim 1 nor his wife, Victim 2, knew the identity of the person (Harris) calling Victim 1 with these threatening and harassing calls and voicemails. Nor did they know where the calls were coming from because Harris concealed her phone number using the *67 feature. However, all of these calls originated from the Riverside, California area, where Harris lived at the time, and were received by Victim 1’s phone in the Southern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the guilty plea.
The FBI's Miami Area Corruption Task Force, which also investigates civil rights violations, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward N. Stamm and Nardia Haye are prosecuting the case, which was indicted by Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry C. Wallace, Jr.
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-60050.
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California Man Sentenced to 145 Months in Prison for Multi-Million Dollar Fraud and Money Laundering SchemesRead the Press Release
Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, Joseph Modile, a Nigerian national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Diane Gujarati to 145 months in prison for his participation in two separate schemes to defraud victim homeowners and a corporation and launder the proceeds of those frauds. In February 2023, Modile pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft that were filed in the Eastern District of New York, and to charges of money laundering and wire fraud that were filed in the Southern District of Texas and subsequently transferred to the Eastern District of New York. As part of the sentence, Modile was also ordered to pay more than $1.5 million in restitution and more than $1.5 million in forfeiture. Modile pleaded guilty to both charging documents in February 2023.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Alamdar S. Hamdani, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, Erin Keegan, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), and Douglas Williams, Special Agent-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Houston Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.
“Modile checked all the boxes for a sophisticated fraud–stealing, deception, money laundering and identity theft. Today’s sentence checks the box for an appropriate penalty for his crimes of greed from Brooklyn to Texas,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “I commend the prosecutors from my Office, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas and the Special Agents for their outstanding work unraveling Modile’s scheme.”
Mr. Peace also expressed his thanks to the New York City Police Department which conducted this investigation as part of an enterprise Priority Transnational Organized Crime (PTOC) of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), the FBI’s Boston Field Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, New York County District Attorney’s Office, the Houston Police Department, and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office for their substantial assistance.
“While Modile took part in a complicated scheme, involving a cadre of runners and a series of fake documents and bank accounts, his goal was simple - steal from unsuspecting victims,” stated United States Attorney Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas. “Although his crimes stretched to all parts, from Brooklyn to Houston, thanks to the work of two U.S. Attorney’s Offices, Modile will spend several years in one place, a prison cell, no longer able to help fellow criminals prey on the innocent.”
“Today’s sentencing is a positive step toward justice for Joseph Modile’s victims – homeowners, business owners, and the everyday email users alike who were defrauded of over $15 million as a result of his sophisticated schemes. The defendant spearheaded at least three fraud schemes across the country and over the course of several years. His tactics, while sophisticated, were no match for HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force Cyber investigators,” stated HSI New York Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Keegan. “I commend HSI New York, the New York City Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of New York and the Southern District of Texas, as well as FBI Houston, for a job well done.”
“FBI Houston, along with our domestic and international law enforcement partners, led an OCDETF investigation on numerous prolific organized crime figures. Modile, for years, was an orchestrator of multi-million-dollar fraud schemes who stole from countless victims around the world,” stated FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Williams. “Dismantling largescale criminal enterprises is what the FBI does and Modile’s sentence should send a message to greedy criminals like him still out there, it’s just a matter of time before we get you too.”
In a scheme that was charged in the Eastern District of New York, from January 2014 and September 2018, Modile and others defrauded victims, businesses, and financial institutions in the United States through a sophisticated home equity line of credit (HELOC) scheme involving a series of bank account takeovers. During this time, Modile and others also laundered proceeds from the bank account takeovers. In furtherance of the HELOC fraud scheme, Modile and others acquired personal identifying information (PII) of the actual holders of the targeted bank accounts at the financial institutions. The co-conspirators then used the PII to impersonate the actual holders of the targeted bank accounts, thereby gaining control of the accounts. In some cases, members of the conspiracy recruited “runners,” who impersonated the actual account holders inside bank branches using forged and fraudulent identification documents created at the direction of Modile. In most instances, the stolen funds were first deposited into fraudulent bank accounts set up and controlled by co-conspirators in the names of
the actual victims from whom the money had been stolen. In other cases, the bank accounts into which the stolen funds were first deposited were in the names of sham corporations, which were opened using false and fraudulent identification. In total, Modile and others stole at least $5 million as part of the HELOC fraud scheme.In a related scheme charged in the Eastern District of New York, in May 2018, Modile and others engaged in a separate Business Email Compromise scheme, using fraudulent emails and telephone calls to steal approximately $10.2 million from a victim company. The coconspirators used a fraudulent email address to impersonate a contractor of an entity located in St. Paul, Minnesota, and directed representatives of that entity to deposit the funds in an account controlled by members of the conspiracy. Modile and others then laundered those stolen funds through bank accounts controlled by members of the conspiracy.
Finally, as set forth in the information filed in the Southern District of Texas, from November 2017 until May 2018, Modile knowingly devised a scheme to defraud victims.
Modile used his cellular phone to communicate with others about financial transactions for the purpose of executing his scheme. Modile directed an individual already convicted in Houston, Texas to withdraw cash from their bank account and provide it to others. Modile also directed the individual in Houston to lie to their financial institution regarding the reason for withdrawing money from their account. In February 2018, Modile orchestrated and directed a substantial amount of money into an account of the individual in Houston. The money derived from wire fraud and Modile was aware the money came from unlawful activity.This effort is part of an 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 government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorney David Pitluck is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist William Daniels, along with Assistant United States Attorney Rodolfo Ramirez of the Southern District of Texas.
The Defendant:
JOSEPH MODILE
Age: 45
Los Angeles, CaliforniaE.D.N.Y. Docket Nos. 21-CR-108 and 23-CR-50 (DG)
California Man Sentenced for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Christopher Jason Kirk, age 43, of Tracy, California, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy in the Northern Panhandle.
Kirk pled guilty in October 2023 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 5 kilograms of cocaine, and 400 grams or more of fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, Kirk worked with others in the Ohio Valley to sell large quantities of drugs in the Wheeling area. Kirk was one of the cash couriers for the operation, flying in and out of the Pittsburgh International Airport to San Diego, California, to deliver large amounts of drug sale proceeds.
Once he completes his prison sentence, Kirk will be required to report to the U.S. Probation Office for a period of five years of supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The case was investigated by the Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, which includes officers from the Wheeling Police Department, the West Virginia State Police, the Ohio County Sheriff’s Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Belmont County (OH) Sheriff’s Office and the Belmont County Prosecutor’s Office assisted. The investigation was supported by the ATF, the Marshall County Drug Task Force, the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force, the Allegheny County (PA) Police, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
California man arrested, charged with cyberstalking and identity theftRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal grand jury returned a nine-count indictment charging Max Yang Chen, 29, of San Jose, CA, with three counts of obtaining information from a protected computer, three counts of cyberstalking, and three counts of aggravated identity theft. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 36 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan P. Cantil and Douglas A.C. Penrose, who are handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between March 2021, and June 2023, Chen accessed the computers of three separate victims, without authorization, to obtain information about the victims. Chen then used that information to harass and intimidate the victims. In addition, Chen unlawfully accessed the social media accounts of the victims, and then stole data from those accounts.
Chen made an initial appearance in the Northern District of California and was held pending a detention hearing on March 11, 2024. He will be returned to the Western District of New York at a later date.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Bronx, New York Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Commit Wire FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Gregory Lorenzo, 32, of Bronx, New York, was sentenced on March 8, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Lorenzo to 60 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Lorenzo’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. Additionally, Lorenzo is ordered to pay $528,002.33 in restitution.
This case began in 2017 when Lorenzo, along with others, conspired and agreed together to enact a scheme to defraud Verizon Wireless. Members of the conspiracy did so by acquiring stolen identities of real United States citizens including at least three individuals from Nebraska. The conspiracy members would use the victims’ information to create Verizon accounts. Once accounts were created, they would purchase cellphones and accessories that would be billed to the accounts, causing financial loss to Verizon and potential credit damage to the individual whose identity was used. Once purchased, the phones would be shipped back to New York or New Jersey where they would be sold on the black market.
Different members of the conspiracy played different roles. For his part, Lorenzo would go to FedEx and retrieve packages of fraudulently purchased cellphones and electronic devices. would additionally send money to the “authorized user” members of the conspiracy when they were travelling to make fraudulent purchases. In January of 2019, Lorenzo travelled to the state of Washington where he went to Verizon stores to assist in the purchase of devices on fraudulently created accounts.
The conspiracy continued for years and Verizon Wireless suffered a loss of over $528,002.33. In February of 2019, two of the conspirators were arrested after attempting to purchase cellphones using the stolen identity of a Nebraska resident in Kearney, Nebraska thus beginning the investigation of this matter. Since the investigation began, Lorenzo and seven others have all been charged and convicted for their individual role within the conspiracy. Lorenzo is the last conspiracy member to be sentenced.
This case was investigated by Kearney Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Bridgeport Man Admits Role in Scheme that Defrauded Social Security AdministrationRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Sharon MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, Boston – New York Field Division, announced that TROVOY DIXON, 31, of Bridgeport, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today to an offense stemming from his role in a scheme to defraud the Social Security Administration.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2021, unidentified fraudsters engaged in a scheme to defraud the Social Security Administration (SSA) using stolen identities. The fraudsters would contact the SSA posing as legitimate Social Security recipients, often presenting the SSA with confidential personal information, like Social Security numbers and dates of birth, to validate their purported identities. They would then instruct the SSA to change the legitimate SSA recipients’ existing bank account deposit information so that monthly SSA payments would be deposited into bank accounts controlled by scheme participants.
In approximately August 2021, Dixon was contacted by phone by a scheme participant using a Jamaican based telephone number and was asked if he wished to make money through moving money. Dixon agreed, and was instructed to open bank accounts that he would control. After monies generated from the scheme were deposited into Dixon’s online bank accounts, he would withdraw cash from the accounts and use commercial money transfer services to wire a portion of the cash to designated bank accounts in either Jamaica or Mexico. Dixon admitted that he consciously avoided learning the monies were illegally obtained, although in time he knew them to be, and ultimately kept close to half of the monies for his personal use.
Between August 2021 and July 2023, more than $300,000 was deposited into bank accounts Dixon controlled. When accounts were closed due to suspicious fraudulent withdrawal activity, Dixon opened additional accounts to continue his illegal activity.
Dixon pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. He has agreed to make restitution of $161,000.
Judge Oliver scheduled sentencing for June 30. Dixon is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.
This investigation is being conducted by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Biloxi Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. -- A Biloxi man was sentenced to 136 months in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for receipt of child pornography.
Andrew Gilbert Landry, 51, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport. In addition to Landry’s term of imprisonment, the Court ordered restitution for victims in the amount of $15,000, and imposed an assessment of $3,000 under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018.
According to court documents, Landry was identified by law enforcement as an individual utilizing a peer-to-peer file sharing network and knowingly receiving via the internet at least one visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Hard drives and a laptop computer recovered from Landry’s residence contained at least 800 videos and 80 still images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, to include those under 12 years of age.
Landry was indicted by a federal grand jury in September of 2022. He pled guilty on November 2, 2023, to receipt of child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Cyber Crime Division of the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Billings felon sentenced to more than five years in prison for bank fraud, aggravated ID theft, illegal possession of firearmRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings man with seven prior felony convictions was sentenced on March 7 to five years and five months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for using a stolen bank card to make unauthorized purchases and for illegally possessing firearms, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
James Kendall Wiles, 42, pleaded guilty in November 2023 to bank fraud, aggravated identity theft and prohibited person in possession of firearms and ammunition.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court also ordered Wiles to pay $4,439 restitution.
In court documents, the government alleged that in September 2022, a victim, identified as Jane Doe 2, notified the Billings Police Department that her bank card had been stolen from her vehicle and successfully used by someone to make purchases around Billings. An investigation found that Wiles used the stolen bank card at Walmart to purchase a pre-paid gift card for $504. Later, in December 2022, a Montana Highway Patrol trooper observed Wiles stealing property from a vehicle in Billings. The trooper attempted a traffic stop of Wiles’ vehicle but stopped his pursuit because of safety concerns. Police officers found Wiles a short time later outside of a friend’s apartment and learned that Wiles had asked to store a few things in the residence because he was being chased. Officers located two semi-automatic pistols and various rounds of ammunition. One of these pistols was reported stolen from the vehicle the trooper had seen Wiles breaking into. Wiles had seven prior felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation.
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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Arkansas Man Sentenced for Multi-State Check Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Ricky Ellis Lamb, age 66, originally from Arkansas, was sentenced on March 8, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for passing a fictitious obligation. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Lamb to a sentence of time served; Lamb has been in custody for related charges in multiple states since August 15, 2019. There is no parole in the federal system. After Lamb is released from custody on additional pending charges in multiple states, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. Lamb was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $55,653.16 to the victims of his offense.
From on or about January 15, 2019, through on or about July 15, 2019, Lamb traveled throughout the Midwest passing, uttering, presenting and offering fictitious securities to farm or hardware store. Specifically, Lamb passed, 72 fictitious checks at multiple stores throughout Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Colorado. The fictitious checks purported to be issued under the authority of 14 different fictitious organizations belonging to Lamb.
As a result of Lamb’s scheme, he caused a total loss of $64,651.27. Of that total loss, $7,243.37 occurred within the District of Nebraska across a span of 7 fraudulent transactions.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service in conjunction with numerous local law enforcement agencies across several states.
Arkansas Man Admits Exchanging Nude Pictures with GirlRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Arkansas pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Friday and admitted exchanging nude pictures with a minor for five years, starting when she was 12.
Joseph D. Najera, 25, of Lincoln, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to one felony count of coercion and enticement of a minor.
Najera and the victim met in 2017 via Kik Messenger when Najera sent her a friend request. At that time, the victim told Najera her age. During their online communications, Najera sent the victim artwork depicting nudity, pornography and graphic violence. He then had her draw artwork as well. His instructions about what to draw became increasingly complex and sexual. On numerous occasions, Najera told the victim to perform sex acts during video chats, and to create pornographic images and pictures, his plea agreement says. He sent her pornographic videos via TextNow and Facebook Messenger. Najera also had parental controls set up on the victim’s phone to monitor her online actions and told her she was not allowed to talk with boys at school. He had to approve her makeup, her clothes and whether she cut her hair. They discussed meeting in person but never did.
Najera is scheduled to be sentenced June 27. Both sides are recommending 10 years in prison.
The FBI, the St. Charles County Cyber Crime Task Force, the St. Charles County Police Department and the Montgomery City Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.Albany Man Indicted for Fentanyl SalesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jahvan Martin, age 28, of Albany, was arrested and arraigned yesterday on two counts of distribution of fentanyl.
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.
Martin is charged with two counts of distributing fentanyl in June-July 2023. Both sales involved more than 40 grams of the controlled substance. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If convicted, Martin faces at least 5 years and up to 40 years in prison, and at least 4 years of supervised release after completing his term of imprisonment. 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.
Martin was arraigned yesterday in Albany, before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart, and detained pending a hearing on March 11.
The DEA and the Watervliet Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph S. Hartunian is prosecuting the case.
Thursday 7 March 2024
West Plains Woman Sentenced to 18 Years for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A West Plains, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for possessing methamphetamine to distribute.
Amanda J. Jones, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 18 years and four months in federal prison without parole.
On Oct. 12, 2023, Jones pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
A Howell County sheriff’s department officer contacted Jones on March 30, 2022, as she was driving a vehicle that did not have an operating registration lamp on the rear license plate. The officer searched the vehicle and found 226.72 grams of pure methamphetamine, 210 fentanyl capsules, 12.62 grams of cocaine, and $2,615 in cash.
At the time of the traffic stop, Jones was on bond after being charged in state court with drug trafficking and illegally possessing firearms. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at her residence in August 2021 and seized distributive amounts of fentanyl and psilocybin, along with multiple firearms and cash.
In June 2022, while Jones was on bond in two separate drug-trafficking cases, law enforcement officers again seized distributive amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl from her residence.
According to court documents, Jones sold fentanyl that ultimately caused the death of a West Plains, Mo., man in September 2020.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the Howell County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the South Central Drug Task Force.
Waterbury Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Racketeering ChargeRead the Press Release
LADERRICK JONES, also known as “Lexus,” 31, of Waterbury, pleaded guilty today in Bridgeport federal court to a racketeering offense stemming from his participation in the 960 gang, a violent Waterbury street gang.
Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Maureen T. Platt, State’s Attorney for the Waterbury Judicial District; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando C. Spagnolo.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address drug trafficking and related violence in Waterbury, the FBI, ATF, and Waterbury Police have been investigating multiple Waterbury-based groups, including the 960 gang. On September 14, 2021, a federal grand jury in Hartford returned a 36-count indictment charging Jones and 15 other alleged 960 gang members with racketeering, narcotics trafficking, firearm possession, murder, attempted murder and assault, and obstruction of justice offenses.
In pleading guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy, Jones admitted that he trafficked narcotics in furtherance of the 960 enterprise, and that he was aware that 960 members were engaged in violent activity and committed murders and attempted murders.
Jones has been detained since his arrest on June 27, 2019. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley on June 11, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, ATF and Waterbury Police Department, with the assistance of the Watertown Police Department, New Milford Police Department and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey M. Stone, John T. Pierpont, Jr. and Natasha M. Freismuth, and Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Don E. Therkildesen, Jr. and Deputy Assistant State’s Attorney Alexandra Arroyo of the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office, who have been cross-designated as Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys in this matter.
This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
PSN is 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.
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.
Walla Walla Felon Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Richland, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Seth Cory Cunha, 38, of Walla Walla, Washington, was sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke imposed a sentence of 84 months imprisonment to be followed by 4 years of supervised release.
According to court documents and information disclosed at sentencing, on the evening of January 10, 2021, Cunha was in a rental vehicle when he was arrested by Walla Walla Police (WWPD) on a felony arrest warrant from the Washington State Department of Corrections. A narcotics K-9 alerted to the presence of the odor of narcotics in the vehicle, and as a result, the vehicle was seized pending a search warrant. Investigators executed the search warrant and observed more than $3,500 in cash in the center console. No drugs were found in the vehicle.
On January 12, A detective with WWPD reviewed several phone calls made by Cunha while he was housed at the Walla Walla County Jail. Cunha made calls to his girlfriend and a roommate. During the phone calls, Cunha discussed the cash, his phones, and a storage unit. The WWPD Detective noted that anytime the storage unit was mentioned, Cunha became uneasy and redirected the conversation. Cunha would also refer to the storage unit in coded language only the person on the call could understand.
Through further investigation, detectives determined the location of the storage unit, and on January 13, Detectives obtained and executed a search warrant for the unit. During the search, detectives located several power tools, a Gatorade bottle that had been made into a smoking device and a small black safe. Inside the safe, detectives located five bags containing a methamphetamine, a loaded Smith & Wesson .45 caliber pistol, a spare magazine with bullets, and cash.
During the prosecution, Mr. Cunha challenged the admissibility of certain evidence against him. Ultimately, our prosecution team successfully established that the evidence was legally obtained through lawful search warrant.
“Mr. Cunha was a felon who trafficked narcotics and had access to firearms. Furthermore, he continued his drug trafficking while in the Walla Walla County jail,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Our office is working tirelessly to hold those who peddle poison in our community criminally accountable. We are working together with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to make Eastern Washington a safer place for everyone”
"Drug traffickers like Mr. Cunha have no regard for the safety of our communities,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “He exacerbated this by trying to continue his illegal actions while in jail. He also had access firearms to ‘protect’ his illegal actions, further endangering citizens. ATF will continue to work with our local, state and federal partners to investigate and take traffickers off the streets.”
“I am extremely proud of the work done by our team here at the Walla Walla Police Department,” said Walla Walla Police Chief Chris Buttice. “We are grateful for the continued partnerships within this valley and region of the state. We will remain committed to taking dangerous drugs and those who provide them off our streets.”
This case was investigated by the ATF, Walla Walla Police Department, and the College Place Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter.
Vernon Man Charged with Enticing Minors He Communicated with on Snapchat to Send Him Sexually Explicit ImagesRead 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, announced that DARYL TODD, 43, of Vernon, was arrested today and charged by criminal complaint with child exploitation offenses.
Following his arrest, Todd appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford and was ordered detained pending a detention hearing that is scheduled for March 11.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, an investigation by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force revealed that Todd used Snapchat to communicate with minor girls and entice them to send him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves, often in return for money that Todd sent the victims using the mobile payment service Cash App. Todd also sent sexually explicit images of himself to the minor victims.
Todd was arrested this morning after investigators executed a court-authorized search warrant at his residence and a preliminary review of his cellphone revealed sexually explicit images of minor females.
The complaint charges Todd with transfer of obscene material to minors, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; receipt of child pornography, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Union County Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Role in Interstate Car Theft RingRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 41 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to steal and transport across state lines luxury cars stolen from towns in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced.
Malik Baker, 30, of Vauxhall, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to transport stolen vehicles in interstate commerce and one count of receiving a stolen vehicle that had crossed state lines after being stolen. Judge Salas imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
Baker’s conspirators – Hakeem Smith, Nafique Goodwyn, and Bilal Cureton – previously pleaded guilty to related charges. Smith was sentenced on April 25, 2023, to 41 months in prison. Goodwyn was sentenced on Feb. 27, 2024, to time served. Cureton is awaiting sentencing.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Since as early as July 2019, the defendants and others stole and conspired to steal at least 10 luxury cars from towns in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, and hid those cars at a location in Irvington, New Jersey. The cars include a 2019 BMW X4 M40i, stolen from Greenwich, Connecticut, on July 19, 2019; a 2017 BMW Alpina, stolen from Hewlett Bay Park, New York, on July 22, 2019; a 2017 Maserati GranTurismo, stolen from Manalapan, New Jersey, on Aug. 5, 2019; a 2018 Range Rover and a 2019 Porsche Cayenne, stolen from New City, New York, on Aug. 6, 2019; a 2017 Mercedes S550 and a 2019 Rolls Royce, stolen from Hewlett Bay Park, New York, on Aug. 13, 2019; a 2019 Land Rover, stolen from Kensington, New York, on Aug. 22, 2019; a 2019 Mercedes Maybach, stolen from Quogue, New York, on Aug. 29, 2019; a 2014 Lexus GS, stolen from West Long Branch, New Jersey, on Aug. 29, 2019; a 2017 BMW M4, stolen from Marlton, New Jersey, on Sept. 7, 2019; and a 2017 Mercedes AMG S63, stolen from Orangeburg, New York, in September 2019.
The defendants often used the stolen cars to steal more cars, and, in one instance, they used a Maserati GranTurisimo they stole from Manalapan to steal a Range Rover and a Porsche Cayenne. When law enforcement attempted to conduct a stop of the Maserati, the Maserati accelerated and crashed head-on into a police vehicle before the suspects fled the scene in another stolen vehicle. Law enforcement recovered one of the stolen cars in a shipping container at the port in Newark en route to Ghana, Africa.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Salas sentenced Baker 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, and the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Fritz G. Fragé. He also thanked officers with the Irvington Township Police Department, under the direction of Director Tracy Bowers; the Clarkstown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jeffrey Wanamaker; the Wall Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Sean O’Halloran; the Marlboro Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Peter Pezzullo; the Tewksbury Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Tim Barlow; the Port Authority Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Edward Cetnar; the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Renée M. Robeson. He also thanked officers with Customs and Border Protection, New York Field Office, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Francis J. Russo; special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Kurtz; and the Department of Commerce-Office of Export Enforcement, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Carson in New York, with the investigation leading to the charges.
This investigation is part of the Violent Crime Initiative (VCI) in Newark. The VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety to combat violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the DEA New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, N.J. State Board of Parole, Union County Jail, N.J. State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, N.J. Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Amore, Chief of the General Crimes Unit.
U.S. Attorney and FBI Cleveland Warn About COVID Fraud Enforcement ScamRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND - A new twist on an old scam is targeting consumers and businesses throughout Northeast Ohio. The United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Ohio, and FBI Cleveland are warning the public about a scam that combines aspects of tech-support fraud with government impersonation.
In this scam, the victim receives a document or documents resembling an official court document both in its format and language, sent through an email, the U.S. Mail, a text, or website pop-up. The document and/or accompanying notice state that the victim is being investigated for Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) fraud and that an arrest warrant has been issued. The notice asserts that the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch has issued it, and it states that, to “lift the warrant,” the victim must go to a cryptocurrency kiosk and make a designated payment. Such notices and documents are fake, and persons who receive them should report receiving them to the FBI at https://www.ic3.gov.
“Fraudsters are often quite sophisticated. Time and again, we see these criminals refine their schemes to make their false claims seem more believable, and then succeed in cheating our community members of their hard-earned money,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko. “Recently, we are seeing more and more scammers impersonate law enforcement officers, government agencies, banks, and companies, and use these false personas to convince their victims to hand over money, gold, or other things of value. The United States Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and our other law enforcement partners will continue to pursue such scammers aggressively, but we would much rather prevent a scam than prosecute one. Please remain vigilant, treat unsolicited emails, texts, and pop-up ads with suspicion, and check in on friends or loved ones who you think might be particularly susceptible to these types of scams. And if you believe that either you or someone you know has been the victim of a scam, promptly report it to the FBI or, if appropriate, call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 [1-833-372-8311].”
“Scammers are becoming increasingly clever in the way they are portraying government agencies and banking and financial institutions,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “This scam-- creating bogus documents designed to look like a court summons and compelling the victim to oblige or face arrest, jail time, or further action, highlights the efforts the criminals will take to dupe unsuspecting victims. We can’t stress enough to the public that the government will not contact you via email or text with a summons for action, payment, or arrest and instead, urge residents to place a phone call with the publicly listed phone number of the government agency, not the number or email listed in the [bogus] document, to confirm if a communication was sent by that agency. Typically, it’s a scam. And in that case, we ask that you report it to the FBIs Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.”
In addition to COVID Fraud Enforcement and PPP Resolution scams, internet-based crimes continue to target all Americans. According to information from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, last year, consumers in Toledo, Akron, Cleveland, Youngstown, and beyond reported that they received notifications that their computer or Amazon account was compromised. These alerts came in the form of websites or pop-ups. Victims believed they were talking to tech support staff from Microsoft or Amazon and then were transferred to other individuals who represented themselves as an "officer of the law" or staff from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who then requested tens of thousands of dollars to remedy the situation. The victims were asked to put the cash in a package and then meet with a “federal marshal” for the pickup. The locations where the victims met the couriers were areas like gas stations, fast food restaurant parking lots, and even their own homes. Sometimes the victims were shown educational videos about fraud by the scammers and thanked for “doing the right thing” and supporting law enforcement efforts. Victims were often older consumers who lost tens of thousands of dollars. While tech support scams are not new, this newest trend is quite frightening because scammers are requesting face-to-face meetings for cash pickups while impersonating law enforcement. Both seniors and their families should be aware of this and other, similar scams.
Consumers who are asked to wire, pay, or transport large amounts of cash or crypto currency to avoid arrest, jail time, or fix a tech support or some type of business-related account issue should cease communications, and instead contact the FBI directly by filing a report online at the Internet Crime Complaint Center (https://www.ic3.gov).
Additionally, consumers should always try to verify questionable correspondence with a government agency or member of law enforcement by a separate means—such as contacting them directly using information found on an official website.
U.S. Army Intelligence Analyst Arrested and Charged with Conspiracy to Obtain and Disclose National Defense Information, Export Control Violations and BriberyRead the Press Release
Korbein Schultz, a U.S. Army soldier and intelligence analyst, was arrested today at Fort Campbell following an indictment by a federal grand jury charging him with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information, exporting technical data related to defense articles without a license, conspiracy to export defense articles without a license, and bribery of a public official.
“Mr. Schultz, a member of the U.S. Army, stands accused of conspiring to obtain and provide national defense information to an individual overseas. As part of the conspiracy, the defendant provided sensitive government information to his coconspirator in exchange for thousands of dollars, placing personal profit above the security of the American people,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Today’s arrest shows that such a betrayal does not pay — the Department of Justice is committed to identifying and holding accountable those who would break their oath to protect our nation’s secrets.”
“Protecting national defense information is absolutely critical to our country’s safety and security,” said U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. “The unauthorized sale of such information violates our national security laws, compromises our safety, and cannot be tolerated. Today’s indictment should serve as a reminder of the Justice Department’s vigilance in protecting the United States against any threat to national security, foreign or domestic.”
“The American people rely on our military personnel and clearance holders to serve and protect U.S. interests,” said Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBI's National Security Branch. “The conduct alleged in today's indictment represents a grave betrayal of the oath sworn to defend our country. Instead of safeguarding national defense information, the defendant conspired with a foreign national to sell it, potentially endangering our national security.”
“Today’s arrest underscores the unwavering commitment of the Army Counterintelligence Command, our partners at the Department of Justice, and the broader intelligence community in safeguarding our Nation’s secrets,” said Brigadier General Rhett R. Cox, Commanding General of the Army Counterintelligence Command. “We cannot tolerate any betrayal of trust, and we remain vigilant in our mission to protect national defense information crucial to our security. We encourage all members of the Army team, past or present, to remain vigilant and report any potential suspicious activity."
The indictment alleges that from June 2022 until the time of his arrest today, Schultz conspired with an individual, identified as Conspirator A, to disclose documents, writings, plans, maps, notes, and photographs relating to national defense as well as information relating to national defense which Schultz had reason to believe could be used to injure the United States or used to the advantage of a foreign nation. Conspirator A recruited Schultz, who possessed a Top Secret security clearance, and frequently tasked him to gather documents and sensitive U.S. military information. Specifically, Conspirator A tasked Schultz with gathering information related to a variety of U.S. military weapons systems, including classified information, and information related to the United States’ potential plans in the event that Taiwan came under military attack. Some of the information that Schultz provided to Conspirator A included documents related to the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), information on hypersonic equipment, studies on the future development of U.S. military forces, studies on major countries such as the People’s Republic of China, and summaries of military drills and operations. In exchange for the documents and information, Conspirator A made at least 14 payments to Schultz that totaled approximately $42,000. Throughout the entirety of the conspiracy, Conspirator A represented to Schultz that he lived in Hong Kong and worked for a geopolitical consulting firm based overseas.
During the course of the conspiracy, Schultz also sent Conspirator A three documents that violated the Arms Export Control Act (AECA). The three documents included an Air Force Tactics Techniques and Procedures manual for the HH-60W helicopter, an Air Force Tactics Techniques and Procedures manual for the F22-A fighter aircraft, and an Air Force Tactics Techniques and Procedures manual for intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The FBI and the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Adam Barry and Christopher Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Schultz IndictmentU.S. Army Intelligence Analyst Arrested and Charged with Conspiracy to Obtain and Disclose National Defense Information, Export Control Violations and BriberyRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Korbein Schultz, a U.S. Army soldier and intelligence analyst, was arrested today at Fort Campbell following an indictment by a federal grand jury charging him with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information, exporting technical data related to defense articles without a license, conspiracy to export defense articles without a license, and bribery of a public official, announced Henry C. Leventis, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
The indictment alleges that from June 2022 until the time of his arrest today, Schultz conspired with an individual, identified as Conspirator A, to disclose documents, writings, plans, maps, notes, and photographs relating to national defense as well as information relating to national defense which Schultz had reason to believe could be used to injure the United States or used to the advantage of a foreign nation. Conspirator A recruited Schultz, who possessed a Top Secret security clearance, and frequently tasked him to gather documents and sensitive U.S. military information. Specifically, Conspirator A tasked Schultz with gathering information related to a variety of U.S. military weapons systems, including classified information, and information related to the United States’ potential plans in the event that Taiwan came under military attack. Some of the information that Schultz provided to Conspirator A included documents related to the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), information on hypersonic equipment, studies on the future development of U.S. military forces, studies on major countries such as the People’s Republic of China, and summaries of military drills and operations. In exchange for the documents and information, Conspirator A made at least 14 payments to Schultz that totaled approximately $42,000. Throughout the entirety of the conspiracy, Conspirator A represented to Schultz that he lived in Hong Kong and worked for a geopolitical consulting firm based overseas.
During the course of the conspiracy, Schultz also sent Conspirator A three documents that violated the Arms Export Control Act (AECA). The three documents included an Air Force Tactics Techniques and Procedures manual for the HH-60W helicopter, an Air Force Tactics Techniques and Procedures manual for the F22-A fighter aircraft, and an Air Force Tactics Techniques and Procedures manual for intercontinental ballistic missiles.
“Protecting national defense information is absolutely critical to our country’s safety and security,” said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. “The unauthorized sale of such information violates our national security laws, compromises our safety, and cannot be tolerated. Today’s indictment should serve as a reminder of the Justice Department’s vigilance in protecting the United States against any threat to national security, foreign or domestic.”
“Mr. Schultz, a member of the U.S. Army, stands accused of conspiring to obtain and provide national defense information to an individual overseas. As part of the conspiracy, the defendant provided sensitive government information to his coconspirator in exchange for thousands of dollars, placing personal profit above the security of the American people,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Today’s arrest shows that such a betrayal does not pay - - the Department of Justice is committed to identifying and holding accountable those who would break their oath to protect our nation’s secrets.”
“As alleged, Korbein Schultz betrayed his oath to defend and protect U.S. national security for personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas DePodesta of the FBI Memphis Field Office. “Today’s charges are the first step in holding him accountable for his alleged crimes. The FBI and our partners remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting the American people and U.S. national security."
“Today’s arrest underscores the unwavering commitment of the Army Counterintelligence Command, our partners at the Department of Justice, and the broader intelligence community in safeguarding our Nation’s secrets,” said Brigadier General Rhett R. Cox, Commanding General, Army Counterintelligence Command. “We cannot tolerate any betrayal of trust, and we remain vigilant in our mission to protect national defense information crucial to our security. We encourage all members of the Army team, past or present, to remain vigilant and report any potential suspicious activity."
The FBI and the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Adam Barry and Christopher Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
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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Two Men Charged for Causing the Death of A Seven-Year-Old Boy and A 48-Year-Old Woman in Hudson River Boat CapsizingRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Rear Admiral John Mauger, Commander of the First Coast Guard District, announced today the arrests of RICHARD CRUZ and JAIME PINILLA GOMEZ for causing the death of a seven-year-old boy and a 48-year-old woman after the vessel CRUZ and GOMEZ were operating in the Hudson River capsized. The two passengers drowned after being trapped underneath the vessel. CRUZ and GOMEZ were arrested today in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and will be presented later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Federal regulations and safety protocols exist to ensure that captains and operators of commercial vessels keep passengers safe. The defendants allegedly flouted those regulations, recklessly disregarded safety protocols, operated the vessel at an unsafe speed in hazardous conditions, and overloaded the vessel with too many passengers onboard. And the result was tragic — a young boy and a woman were trapped under the vessel and drowned after the vessel capsized.”
Rear Admiral John Mauger said: “This case demonstrates the deadly consequences of illegal passenger operations. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims today. Through this complaint, the Coast Guard and our partners from the U.S. Attorney’s Office affirm our steadfast commitment to preventing similar tragedies by investigating and holding violators accountable. We urge the public to assist in this detection and deterrence by notifying the Coast Guard of vessel owner and operators suspected of engaging in illegal passenger operations at the following email address: CGIS TIPS at https://www.p3tips.com/878.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint:[1]
On or about July 12, 2022, at approximately 2:40 p.m., the motor vessel Stimulus Money capsized in the Hudson River resulting in the death of two passengers — a seven-year-old boy (“Victim-1”) and a 48-year-old woman (“Victim-2”). At the time of the capsizing, RICHARD CRUZ was the owner and captain of the vessel and JAIME PINILLA GOMEZ was the pilot of the vessel. CRUZ had purchased the vessel approximately three months before the capsizing. CRUZ and GOMEZ conducted boat “tours” for paying customers onboard the vessel on multiple occasions in the months leading up to the capsizing, although they did not have the required United States Coast Guard (“USCG”) credentials and certifications to do so.
CRUZ’s and GOMEZ’s negligent actions and omissions caused the capsizing and the deaths of Victim-1 and Victim-2. At the time of the capsizing, among other things: (i) CRUZ and GOMEZ operated Stimulus Money with 13 people on board, exceeding the vessel’s maximum allowable capacity; (ii) CRUZ and GOMEZ operated Stimulus Money at a high rate of speed during a Small Craft Advisory in high winds and heavy seas; (iii) neither CRUZ nor GOMEZ had obtained a required USCG certification to operate the vessel with paying customers on board; (iv) CRUZ and GOMEZ operated Stimulus Money without a valid USCG Certificate of Inspection, which is required for a vessel to operate with paying customers on board; (v) GOMEZ, an insufficiently experienced mariner, piloted Stimulus Money in a dangerous manner, including by rapidly accelerating one engine of the vessel immediately before the capsizing, which contributed to the overturning of the vessel; and (vi) GOMEZ, at the time of the capsizing, failed to properly wear a safety device that should be worn around the pilot’s wrist or life vest, which contributed to the vessel’s engine continuing to operate even after GOMEZ shifted from the helm console (at which the vessel was operated).
All 13 people on board Stimulus Money were thrown overboard during the capsizing. Shortly after the capsizing, boats from the New York City Police Department’s (“NYPD”) Harbor Unit and the New York City Fire Department’s (“FDNY”) Dive Rescue Team, and ferries operating nearby, arrived at the scene of the capsizing to render emergency assistance. 10 passengers and GOMEZ were recovered conscious and in varying medical conditions. They were subsequently transferred to hospitals in Manhattan and survived the capsizing. Approximately 25 minutes after the capsizing, members of the FDNY Dive Rescue Team recovered Victim-1 and Victim-2 from the Hudson River. They were trapped underneath the capsized vessel and found unconscious. Emergency medical personnel subsequently pronounced Victim-1 and Victim-2 deceased. The cause of death was drowning. Photos of the capsized boat are below:
Please report any illegal passenger charters to the USCG at https://www.p3tips.com/878.
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CRUZ, 32, and GOMEZ, 25, both of Elizabeth, New Jersey, are each charged with one count of misconduct and neglect of a ship officer resulting in death, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the USCG Investigative Service and the Special Agents and NYPD Detectives assigned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey W. Coyle is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Tulsa Man Sentenced for Second Degree Murder of a JuvenileRead the Press Release
Today, U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Christian James Harrison, 21, of Tulsa to 300 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release for Second Degree Murder in Indian Country.
According to court documents, in December 2021, Tulsa Police Officers responded to a “shots fired” call. Upon arrival, officers found a juvenile victim with three gunshot wounds. Officers interviewed several witnesses. Each witness identified Harrison as the shooter. According to the witnesses, Harrison was arguing with the victim’s brother. As the argument escalated, Harrison pulled a gun from his waistband. Harrison shot approximately seven times toward the brother, missing him, and hitting the victim. The juvenile victim later succumbed to the injuries and died.
Harrison is a citizen of the Seminole Nation. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.
The FBI and Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Briden prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Three-Time Convicted Felon Indicted for Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida–United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Dominick Yvon Louissaint, (19, Lake Mary) with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted Louissaint faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Louissaint that the United States intends to forfeit the firearm and ammunition involved in the offense.
According to the indictment, Louissaint has previously been convicted of felonies on three occasions. Despite knowing this fact, the indictment alleges that Louissaint possessed a Taurus firearm on January 24, 2024. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance from the Sanford Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan.
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.
Texas Woman Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison for Defrauding Indiana Pharmaceutical Company Out of over $640,000Read the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Courtney Anguiano, 37, of Texas, has been sentenced to 2 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud.
According to court documents, Business 1, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, developed prescription medicines and then created savings card programs for the medicines. The savings card programs were designed to lower the out-of-pocket costs incurred by patients purchasing the medicines. After obtaining a savings card, patients were able to use it at the time of purchase or after the fact, by seeking reimbursements.
Between September 1, 2017, and July 26, 2020, Anguiano led seven other individuals in a conspiracy to defraud Business 1 by submitting fraudulent reimbursement requests under three savings card programs. The conspirators claimed that they had incurred significant costs when they purchased the drugs at issue, but none of them were actually prescribed the drugs during the relevant period.
Members of the conspiracy submitted 189 false reimbursement requests. Anguiano herself personally submitted 65 false claims. Acting through a contractor, Business 1 approved the fraudulent requests and paid the members of the conspiracy $648,528.22. Anguiano and her co-conspirators stole over 90% of the savings card program funds for one of the medications.
In an effort to avoid detection, Anguiano submitted some of her reimbursement requests under an alias or an altered version of her true name.
“This heinous fraud scheme stole nearly $650,000 from savings programs were created to help patients struggling to afford specialty medications,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “For years, these scammers targeted the program intended for financially vulnerable patients with utter disregard for the harm they caused. The serious federal prison sentence imposed here demonstrates that our office will continue to work with closely with the FBI to investigate healthcare fraud schemes and hold the perpetrators accountable.”
“Investigating fraud and identifying those who perpetrate is one of our top priorities and this sentence should put others on notice that this illegal activity will not be tolerated,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “We will continue to work with our partners to ensure those to who take advantage of the system for their own greed are held accountable.”
The FBI investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge James P. Hanlon. Judge Hanlon also ordered that Anguiano be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 2 years following her release from federal prison and pay $648,528.22 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew B. Miller, Meredith Wood, and Kyle Sawa, who prosecuted this case.
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Texas Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Selling FentanylRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Quintel N. Owens, age 39, of Katy, Texas, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for selling fentanyl in the Eastern Panhandle.
According to court documents, Owens sold more than 780 grams of fentanyl in Berkeley County over a period of several months.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
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Seminole Resident Pleads Guilty to Accessory After the Fact to Murder in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Scott William Lanham, age 45, of Seminole, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to Accessory After the Fact to Murder in Indian Country.
According to the Indictment, on April 2, 2019, Lanham knowingly assisted Coker Dean Barker in hindering and preventing Barker’s apprehension, trial, and punishment for murder. On April 10, 2023, Barker was convicted by a federal jury at trial for that murder. Lanham’s crime occurred in Seminole County, within the boundaries of the Seminole Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charges arose from investigations by the Seminole Police Department, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Texas Rangers, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Lanham will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.
Saint Martin Man Pleads Guilty to Narcotics and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A Saint Martin citizen residing in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Hector Concepcion, 35, pleaded guilty to Counts One and Eleven of the Superseding Indictment before United States Senior District Judge Kim R. Gibson on March 6, 2024.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around August 2019 to in and around April 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Concepcion conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base, in the form commonly known as “crack”, and quantities of heroin and cocaine. Further, in and around July 2021, Concepcion, an illegal alien who is unlawfully in the United States, possessed a firearm and ammunition. Federal law prohibits anyone who is illegally or unlawfully in the United States, or who is an alien admitted to the United States under a non-immigrant visa, from possessing a firearm. Concepcion was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of crack-cocaine, heroin, and cocaine that he distributed to others.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for July 8, 2024. The law provides for a total maximum sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Laurel Highlands Resident Agency, and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Concepcion. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Previously convicted felon sentenced for possession of firearmsRead the Press Release
James Vickers, 45, was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Mar. 5, in Casper, Wyoming.
The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge on Nov. 28, 2023. According to court documents, on Sep. 9, 2023, Rock Springs Police Department (RSPD) responded to Santa Fe Southwest Grill, to a report of shots being fired inside the restaurant. RSPD officers contacted Vickers in the parking lot and took him into custody. Officers searched Vickers and located a magazine loaded with ammunition as well as one loose round of ammunition in his pocket. Vickers admitted to tossing two guns when officer arrived. At the time of the gunshots, approximately 25-30 people were inside the restaurant, all of whom were evacuated. Vickers could not sit still during the interview and told officers he was coming down from methamphetamine. He also explained that he thought people were after him. Vickers, a previously convicted felon, possessed the firearms illegally.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the RSPD. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christyne M. Martens.
Case No. 23-CR-00142
Postal Service Letter Carrier Pleads Guilty to Stealing MailRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TIMOTHY MCMILLAN, JR., age 43, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on March 5, 2024 to Theft of Mail by a Postal Service employee, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1709.
According to court documents, the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (“USPS-OIG”) received complaints regarding opened parcels that were delivered by the New Orleans Main Office Delivery Unit. On October 11, 2023, USPS-OIG Special Agents placed a greeting card containing $100 in mail to be processed and delivered by MCMILLAN while on his route. The card was addressed to a fictitious person and address from another fictitious person and address. While on his route, MCMILLAN opened the package. Shortly after, USPS-OIG Special Agents stopped his vehicle and observed the opened card in the rear of his vehicle. The marked bills were found on his person.
MCMILLAN faces a maximum penalty of five (5) years imprisonment, followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. United States Chief District Judge Greg G. Guidry has set sentencing for June 11, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Office of the Inspector General in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon M. Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Possession of Machine Guns Results in Federal Prison Sentences for Shreveport MenRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – LaDarrell C. Washington, Jr., 24, and Stacy Deshane Borner, 22, both of Shreveport, have been sentenced for illegally possessing machine guns, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced Borner to 51 months in prison, and Washington to 55 months in prison. Each will serve an additional 3 years of supervised release following their release from prison.
The charges in this case stem from an incident on March 28, 2022, when officers with the Shreveport Violent Crime Abatement Team (VCAT) received information of the whereabouts of Washington and Borner, who were fugitives out of Desoto Parish. Law enforcement officers with the VCAT arrived at the residence in Shreveport where Washington and Borner were suspected to be, and approached the front door. The door was open, but the burglar bar door was shut, and officers heard what sounded like several people running throughout the house. Officers gave commands for the occupants to come out of the house. Eventually several occupants exited the home, including two females who leased the residence. Borner eventually made his way out of the residence.
A search warrant was obtained for the residence and officers made entry into the house. Inside the residence officers found Washington hiding in a bedroom closet. During the continued search of the house, officers found numerous firearms in the bedroom where Washington was hiding. The firearms seized were a Glock Model 17Gen4 9x19mm firearm equipped with a Glock switch (a conversion device attached to the firearm making it a machine gun), a Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 5.56 mm rifle with a drop-in auto sear (a conversion device attached to the firearm making it a machine gun), a SCCY CPX-2 9mm pistol, a Sig Sauer P320 9mm pistol, and a Century Arms AK47 rifle.
Washington, Borner, and the other occupants were taken to the police station and interviewed. The two females advised officers that none of the firearms belonged to them and that the males inside the residence, including Washington and Borner, arrived that morning, each carrying at least one firearm. Through their further investigation, agents found videos from Borner’s social media of multiple individuals shooting machine guns out of car windows. Agents also obtained a rap video of Borner and a juvenile taking turns holding a Glock gun with a Glock switch, including one of the guns seized from the residence.
The seized firearms with conversion devices installed were tested by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and confirmed to be machine guns. Washington was convicted in 2019 of illegal possession of a stolen firearm and knew he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition. Borner pleaded guilty to illegal possession of machine guns and Washington pleaded guilty to possession of firearms by a convicted felon.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Shreveport Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Aaron Crawford.
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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
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Philadelphia Man Charged with Cocaine-Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Edgardo Pueyo-Malave, age 37, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for conspiring to distribute cocaine.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that between December 2020 and December 2021, Pueyo-Malave conspired to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli is prosecuting the case.
The total maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is imprisonment for life, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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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Orlando Man Indicted for Distributing and Possessing FentanylRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Luis Miguel Plaza (33, Orlando) with distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted on all counts, Plaza faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.
According to the indictment, beginning on or about August 25, 2023, through February 8, 2024, Plaza distributed and possessed distribution amounts of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and an analogue of fentanyl. The amounts ranged from 40 to 400 grams.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Hu.
Oregon Man Charged with Federal Hate Crimes for Defacing SynagogueRead the Press Release
An Oregon man has been charged with hate crimes for intentionally defacing a synagogue in Eugene, Oregon, several times over the course of five months.
Adam Edward Braun, 34, of Eugene, has been charged by criminal complaint with intentionally defacing a synagogue because it was a place of religious worship for Jewish people.
According to court documents, on four separate occasions between August 2023 and January 2024, Braun is alleged to have intentionally defaced Temple Beth Israel, a Jewish synagogue in Eugene, by repeatedly targeting the synagogue with graffiti, some of which used antisemitic symbols and phrases. Court documents describe how Braun’s pattern of behavior culminated in the early morning hours of Jan. 14, when Braun traveled to Temple Beth Israel with a hammer and prepared to swing at the glass doors of the synagogue. Braun stopped when he saw that he was being recorded by surveillance camera, and he then moved to a different area of the property and used spray paint to write “White Power” in large letters on the building’s exterior.
On Jan. 31, officers from the Eugene Police Department, with assistance from the FBI, executed a state search warrant on Braun’s Eugene residence and located multiple pieces of evidence connecting Braun to the attacks on Temple Beth Israel. Investigators also found several items and writings belonging to Braun that were consistent with antisemitic beliefs and biases.
Braun was arrested today without incident by the FBI and made his first appearance in federal court before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Natalie K. Wight for the District of Oregon and Acting Special Agent in Charge Aubree Schwartz of the FBI Portland Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Portland Field Office investigated the case with assistance from the Eugene Police Department.
Trial Attorney Cameron A. Bell of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gavin W. Bruce for the District of Oregon are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Oregon Man Charged with Federal Hate Crime for Defacing SynagogueRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—An Oregon man has been charged with a federal hate crime for intentionally defacing a Eugene synagogue several times over a five-month period.
Adam Edward Braun, 34, a resident of Eugene, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with intentionally defacing a synagogue because it was a place of religious worship for Jewish people.
According to court documents, on four separate occasions between August 2023 and January 2024, Braun is alleged to have intentionally defaced Temple Beth Israel, a Jewish synagogue in Eugene, by repeatedly targeting the synagogue with graffiti, some of which used antisemitic symbols and phrases. Braun’s pattern of behavior culminated in the early morning hours of January 14, 2024, when he traveled to Temple Beth Israel with a hammer and prepared to swing at the glass doors of the synagogue. Braun stopped when he saw he was being recorded by a surveillance camera, and then moved to a different area of the property and used spray paint to write “White Power” in large letters on the building’s exterior.
On January 31, 2024, officers from the Eugene Police Department, with assistance from the FBI, executed a state search warrant on Braun’s Eugene residence and located multiple pieces of evidence connecting Braun to the attacks on Temple Beth Israel. Investigators also found several items and writings belonging to Braun that were consistent with antisemitic beliefs and biases.
Braun was arrested today without incident by the FBI and made his first appearance in federal court before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Eugene Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Gavin W. Bruce, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, and Cameron A. Bell, Trial Attorney for the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Charleston Woman Sentenced to Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking Organization CaseRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Nicole Leigh Fierbaugh, 44, of Charleston, was sentenced today to one year and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Fierbaugh admitted to her role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between October 2022 and March 22, 2023, Fierbaugh conspired with other individuals to sell quantities of methamphetamine. Fierbaugh admitted to collecting money from customers and using that money to purchase methamphetamine from a co-defendant. Fierbaugh further admitted to delivering methamphetamine to the customers while usually keeping some of the methamphetamine she purchased with their money for her personal use.
On January 30, 2023, Fierbaugh arranged by phone to purchase methamphetamine from a co-defendant, who directed her to a woman who lived at his Charleston residence. Fierbaugh admitted to providing the woman with $160 in exchange for approximately 10.5 grams of methamphetamine.
Fierbaugh is among 32 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash.
Fierbaugh is among 27 defendants who have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-31.
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Oneida County Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Carol Evans, age 56, of Sauquoit, New York, pled guilty today to multiple counts of wire fraud. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced.
As part of her guilty plea, Evans admitted that, while she was employed at Sullivan Contracting, Inc., she doctored invoices from vendors to reflect inflated charges. Unaware that the invoices were altered, Sullivan Contracting, Inc. then issued checks for the amount due in the doctored invoices and gave the checks to Evans to pay the invoices. Instead, Evans deposited the checks into her own bank account. Thereafter, Evans paid the vendors the amount due in the unaltered invoices or kept the entire payment herself. Altogether, Evans admitted to depositing approximately $1,800,000 in checks into her personal bank account from Sullivan Contracting, Inc.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 26, 2024, before United States District Judge David N. Hurd. Evans faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of three years. 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 FBI is investigating the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck is prosecuting the case.
New York Acupuncturist Admits $9 Million Health Care Fraud Targeting AmtrakRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New York acupuncturist today admitted participating in a $9 million health care fraud scheme to defraud Amtrak, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Punson Figueroa, aka “Susie,” 57, of Long Island City, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to an information charging her with conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
“This defendant has admitted to fleecing the health care system for millions of dollars in illicit claims,” U.S. Attorney Sellinger said. “Submitting fraudulent claims to steal money harms the public and the health care system. My office and our partners are committed to stopping health care scams and ensure that guilty participants are punished.”
“We remain fully committed to bringing justice to those who target Amtrak’s health care plans, including Amtrak employees who wrongly accept payments for the use of their insurance information to further such schemes,” said Amtrak’s Inspector General, Kevin H. Winters. “We hope this case serves as a deterrent for health care providers and Amtrak employees who may choose to engage in such schemes, and we ask anyone who suspects or observes such fraud to report it to our fraud, waste, and abuse hotline.”
“This investigation unveiled the mastermind behind a $9 million health care fraud scheme,” DEA – New York Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino said. “I applaud our law enforcement partners whose diligent work put an end to this conspiracy and brought Punson Figueroa to justice to face the consequences of her illegal actions.”
“This case demonstrates Amtrak’s resolve to work alongside all our law enforcement partners to investigate and hold accountable those who attempt to defraud the system,” Chief Sam Dotson said. “We are grateful for the collaborative law enforcement effort that led to this guilty plea, and we will continue to be vigilant in safeguarding Amtrak’s assets.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From January 2019 through June 2022, Figueroa and her conspirators agreed to engage in a scheme to bill the Amtrak health care plan for fraudulent claims for services that never were provided and were medically unnecessary. Figueroa recruited Amtrak employees to participate in the scheme by paying them cash in return for allowing her to use their personal and insurance information to submit false and fraudulent claims. Figueroa conspired with dozens of Amtrak employees and paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash kickbacks to Amtrak employees over the course of the scheme.
On June 16, 2021, an undercover law enforcement agent posing as an Amtrak employee met with Figueroa at Figueroa’s office in New York. Figueroa instructed the undercover agent to sign his name about 30 times for services received and instructed the undercover agent not to date the signatures. Figueroa caused false claims to be submitted to Amtrak’s health care plan indicating that the undercover agent had visited providers at least seven times in May 2021, purportedly receiving acupuncture and physical therapy services.
The undercover agent visited Figueroa’s office on only one other occasion, on July 29, 2021. At this meeting, Figueroa handed the undercover agent an envelope filled with $1,000. Thereafter, Figueroa continued to use the undercover agent’s personal and insurance information to submit dozens of fraudulent claims to the Amtrak health care plan.
In total, Figueroa caused Amtrak to pay out over $9 million in false and fraudulent insurance claims.
The charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for July 16, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Waters, special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III in New York, and the Amtrak Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Sam Dotson, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine M. Romano and Jessica R. Ecker of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
figueroa.information.pdfNew York Acupuncturist Admits $9 Million Health Care Fraud Targeting AmtrakRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New York acupuncturist today admitted participating in a $9 million health care fraud scheme to defraud Amtrak, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Punson Figueroa, aka “Susie,” 57, of Long Island City, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to an information charging her with conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“This defendant has admitted to fleecing the health care system for millions of dollars in illicit claims. Submitting fraudulent claims to steal money harms the public and the health care system. My office and our partners are committed to stopping health care scams and ensure that guilty participants are punished.”
“We remain fully committed to bringing justice to those who target Amtrak’s health care plans, including Amtrak employees who wrongly accept payments for the use of their insurance information to further such schemes,” said Amtrak’s Inspector General, Kevin H. Winters. “We hope this case serves as a deterrent for health care providers and Amtrak employees who may choose to engage in such schemes, and we ask anyone who suspects or observes such fraud to report it to our fraud, waste, and abuse hotline.”
“This investigation unveiled the mastermind behind a $9 million health care fraud scheme,” DEA – New York Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino said. “I applaud our law enforcement partners whose diligent work put an end to this conspiracy and brought Punson Figueroa to justice to face the consequences of her illegal actions.”
“This case demonstrates Amtrak’s resolve to work alongside all our law enforcement partners to investigate and hold accountable those who attempt to defraud the system,” Chief Sam Dotson said. “We are grateful for the collaborative law enforcement effort that led to this guilty plea, and we will continue to be vigilant in safeguarding Amtrak’s assets.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From January 2019 through June 2022, Figueroa and her conspirators agreed to engage in a scheme to bill the Amtrak health care plan for fraudulent claims for services that never were provided and were medically unnecessary. Figueroa recruited Amtrak employees to participate in the scheme by paying them cash in return for allowing her to use their personal and insurance information to submit false and fraudulent claims. Figueroa conspired with dozens of Amtrak employees and paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash kickbacks to Amtrak employees over the course of the scheme.
On June 16, 2021, an undercover law enforcement agent posing as an Amtrak employee met with Figueroa at Figueroa’s office in New York. Figueroa instructed the undercover agent to sign his name about 30 times for services received and instructed the undercover agent not to date the signatures. Figueroa caused false claims to be submitted to Amtrak’s health care plan indicating that the undercover agent had visited providers at least seven times in May 2021, purportedly receiving acupuncture and physical therapy services.
The undercover agent visited Figueroa’s office on only one other occasion, on July 29, 2021. At this meeting, Figueroa handed the undercover agent an envelope filled with $1,000. Thereafter, Figueroa continued to use the undercover agent’s personal and insurance information to submit dozens of fraudulent claims to the Amtrak health care plan.
In total, Figueroa caused Amtrak to pay out over $9 million in false and fraudulent insurance claims.
The charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for July 16, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Waters, special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III in New York, and the Amtrak Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Sam Dotson, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine M. Romano and Jessica R. Ecker of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
figueroa.information.pdfNampa Man Pleads Guilty to Selling His Co-Worker Fentanyl Pills That Resulted in the Co-Worker’s DeathRead the Press Release
BOISE – Tanner Lee Goforth, 37, of Nampa, pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl after selling a co-worker fentanyl that led to his overdose death, announced U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit today.
According to court records, on May 17, 2022, Goforth met his friend and co-worker, the victim, at a local gas station where Goforth sold the victim 10 fentanyl pills. The victim went home, ingested the fentanyl intravenously, and died almost immediately. Nearly a half hour later, his girlfriend found him in their bathroom, called 911, and began performing CPR. Nampa Police Department officers and Nampa Fire Protection District arrived on scene and attempted life-saving measures including the administration of Narcan. Unfortunately, the victim was unable to be resuscitated.
U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford will sentence Goforth on May 30, 2024. Judge Brailsford will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the investigation by the Nampa Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Canyon County Coroner’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Morse is prosecuting this case.
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Mom Pleads Guilty to Providing Fentanyl That Killed Her Sons’ FatherRead the Press Release
An Albuquerque mother who concealed a deadly dose of fentanyl inside her children’s luggage pleaded guilty yesterday to a federal drug crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Magdalena Silva Banuelos, 47, was indicted in November 2022. She pleaded guilty Wednesday to distribution of fentanyl before U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn.
In plea papers, she admitted she gave her sons’ father the fentanyl that killed him.
On May 31, 2022, Ms. Silva Banuelos put her sons, ages 8 and 10, onto a flight from Albuquerque to Dallas to visit her ex-husband, their father.
Surveillance video from Dallas / Love Field Airport shows that her ex-husband picked up the boys from the gate around 9:47 p.m., rifled through their luggage at around 10:17 p.m., and entered the airport restroom at around 10:26 p.m. A few minutes later, he overdosed and died in a restroom stall, just steps away from his sons. At 10:33 p.m., his sons exited the restroom, visibly distraught.
From inside the stall, investigators recovered a Clinique brand makeup container containing more than a gram of fentanyl. In plea papers, Ms. Silva Banuelos admitted she packed the fentanyl for her ex-husband’s use.
Text messages between him and Ms. Silva Banuelos confirmed that she knew he planned on ingesting the fentanyl and was aware of the risk it posed.
“Hey you need to be careful,” she wrote a few hours before he died.
“Yes ma’am. Very slow and easy,” he replied.
“Just one and then wait you’ll see,” she said. “Just one.”
“Ok cool. Thank you. Will do,” he said.“No passing out on the kitchen floor,” she responded. “Seriously you could od. No dying on the kitchen floor… It’s going to f**k you up!!!
At her January 2023 detention hearing, the prosecutor said Ms. Silva Banuelos “used her minor children to mule drugs.”
“This case is a double tragedy: A pair of young boys lost one parent to drugs, and the other to the criminal justice system,“ said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “This defendant allowed her two young sons to fly more than 500 miles cross-country with a highly lethal synthetic opioid stashed inside their suitcase, knowing full well how dangerous it was. These boys stood nearby as their father suffered a fatal overdose after ingesting it. The Justice Department will continue to fight until fentanyl is eradicated from our streets.”
“Fentanyl not only destroys individuals, it also destroys families. This tragic reality could not be more evident than when looking at the destruction caused by the actions of Ms. Silva Banuelos that terrible day,” said Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez of the DEA Dallas Field Division. “The DEA will never stop working to remove this terrible drug and its even more terrible effects from our communities so tragic events like this can never happen again.”
Under the terms of her plea agreement, Ms. Silva Banuelos faces 12 years in prison.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Office of the Medical Examiner, Southwest Institute of Forensic Science at Dallas, and Dallas Fire & Rescue. Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Coker is prosecuting the case.
Missouri Woman Admits $135,000 Pandemic Loan FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A woman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Thursday and admitted fraudulently obtaining $135,622 in loans through a pandemic relief program.
Edna E. McGowan-Baker, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and two counts of bank fraud and admitted engaging in a scheme between May 2020 and September 2021 to fraudulently obtain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The loans were intended to aid small businesses in paying and retaining employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.
McGowan-Baker applied for PPP loans for five different companies in her name. At the time, only two of the companies were actually in operation. On the loan applications, McGowan-Baker misrepresented the companies’ payroll, number of employees and annual income in order to inflate the amount of PPP loan money she could receive. She also submitted fraudulent tax forms to support these misrepresentations. Finally, she certified that she would use the loans for payroll and other authorized expenses but actually used the money for her own bills, personal purchases and in payments to others.
McGowan-Baker is scheduled to be sentenced June 5. The wire fraud charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The bank fraud charge is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, or both.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about pandemic fraud should call the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or report via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Minnewaukan, ND, Man Convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Brandishing of a Firearm in a Crime of ViolenceRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that on March 6, 2024, Dantae Jerome Whitetail, age 21 of Minnewaukan, ND, appeared before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, U.S. District Court, Fargo, ND, and was sentenced to 12 months for assault with a dangerous weapon, and a consecutive 48 months for brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, for a total sentence of 60 months of imprisonment. He will be on three years of supervised release following his term of federal imprisonment and must pay $200 in special assessments. Whitetail pleaded guilty for his role in the May 21, 2022, assault while brandishing a firearm in St. Michael, ND.
For his part in the May 21, 2022, assault while brandishing a firearm, 21-year-old Nathaniel Azure was convicted in December 2023, after a 7-day jury trial of the same crimes, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Azure was also convicted at trial for his role in a non-fatal shooting in Fort Totten, ND, on January 6, 2021, and for his role in a second non-fatal shooting in St. Michael, ND, on May 22, 2022. Sentencing of Azure on the six counts of conviction is scheduled for June 17, 2024.
Michael Al-Jerome Denne, the 25-year-old brother of Azure, previously pleaded guilty to his participation in the January 6, 2021, shooting and has been sentenced. Skyla Kay Cavanaugh, age 23 of St. Michael, ND, previously pleaded guilty to her role in the May 22, 2022, shooting for being an accessory after the fact, making false statements, and retaliating against a witness, and has been sentenced.
“This sentence is a just result that will benefit public safety in Indian country,” Schneider said. “The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to combat violent crime in tribal communities.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Benson County Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob T. Rodenbiker and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Klemestrud Puhl, District of North Dakota.
Previous press releases for this case: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nd/pr/st-michael-nd-woman-sentenced-three-years-federal-prison-accessory-after-fact-false
https://www.justice.gov/usao-nd/pr/st-michael-nd-man-convicted-multiple-counts-assault-dangerous-weapon-discharge-firearm
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Michigan Woman Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Nicole Christian Ball, 44, of Jackson, Michigan, was sentenced today to one year in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for aiding and abetting the distribution of 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 12, 2021, Ball delivered methamphetamine, fentanyl and a cutting agent to mix with the fentanyl and increase the sellable amount to an individual in the Pea Ridge Road area of Oak Hill, West Virginia. Ball admitted that she was acting as a courier for co-defendant Darrell Lamar Holcomb. Ball further admitted she took what she believed to be $60,000 packaged in vacuum-sealed plastic from the individual after he unloaded the drugs and cutting agent from her vehicle and placed them in his vehicle. Law enforcement officers stopped Ball’s vehicle following the transaction and seized the money.
Holcomb, also known as “Smiley,” 32, of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, was sentenced on December 7, 2023, to 10 years and one month in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl and aiding and abetting the distribution of 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Central West Virginia Task Force.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-216.
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Methuen Woman Sentenced to Six Months in Prison for Stealing Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Methuen woman was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for stealing Social Security benefits intended for her child.
Karen Silva-Brown, 58 was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to six months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Silva-Brown was also ordered to pay restitution of $60,810 to the Social Security Administration (SSA). In December 2023, Silva-Brown pleaded guilty to one count of theft of public funds.
From November 2014 through October 2018, Silva-Brown embezzled approximately $60,810 in Social Security benefits that were intended for her minor child. In March 2012, when Silva-Brown applied for and began receiving benefits on behalf of her child as a representative payee, SSA informed her of her obligation to notify SSA if her child left her custody. However, Silva-Brown did not notify SSA when she lost custody of her child in November 2014. Instead, Silva-Brown provided two fraudulent accountings to SSA in June and July 2016 where she claimed that her child still lived with her and that she spent all the Social Security benefits she received for her child’s care. In reality, Silva-Brown used the vast majority of the stolen funds to pay her own bills.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Sharon MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Memphis Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Counterfeit Airbags from ChinaRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A retired auto mechanic in Memphis pled guilty in federal court yesterday to trafficking counterfeit airbags and causing a dangerous good or forbidden explosive to be placed onto a commercial aircraft. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the guilty plea today.
According to information presented in court, Mohammed Al-Abadi, 51, imported counterfeit motor vehicle airbag parts from China and assembled the parts to make counterfeit airbags. Al-Abadi then sold the fake airbags on eBay to unsuspecting automobile repair shops and individual customers for prices ranging from $100 to $725 each. On December 8, 2020, a shipment of counterfeit airbag parts ordered by Al-Abadi was intercepted by agents from the United States Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Further investigation determined that Al-Abadi sold approximately 533 counterfeit airbags. Additionally, Al-Abadi shipped at least one counterfeit airbag by airplane without proper hazardous material classifications, labeling, or packaging in violation of the Department of Transportation’s hazardous material regulations.
China has been identified as one of the largest exporters of counterfeit commodities, including counterfeit airbags. In this case, federal agents recovered more than 2,000 counterfeit airbags and parts from Al-Abadi’s residence and place of business.
Al-Abadi is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Mark S. Norris on June 11, 2024. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of $2,000,000, and three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Department of Transportation-Office of Inspector General, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Raney Irwin is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.