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Tuesday 5 March 2024
Two Eastern Panhandle Residents Sentenced for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Two Eastern Panhandle residents were sentenced today for drug trafficking.
Kimberely Sue Smith, age 54, of Falling Waters, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute crystal methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine base. According to court documents and statements made in court, Smith, also known as “Tina-Marie Smith” and “Deniej Smith,” was selling methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine base in Berkeley County. A search of her home uncovered fentanyl capsules, cocaine base, crystal methamphetamine, and cash. Smith will be required to report for supervised release for three years following her prison sentence.
Charles Douglas Cobak, age 34, of Ridgeley, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine hydrochloride. According to court documents and statements made in court, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service found a suspicious package and contacted the Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force. The package contained 2.3 pounds of methamphetamine and was meant for Cobak. Cobak will serve five years of supervised release when he is released from prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Kane prosecuted the Smith case on behalf of the government. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the Cobak case.
The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office investigated the Smith case. The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office investigated the Cobak matter.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Two Defendants Arrested for Conspiring to Illegally Export Weapons to South SudanRead the Press Release
A federal criminal complaint was unsealed yesterday in the District of Arizona charging Abraham Chol Keech, 44, of Utah, and Peter Biar Ajak, 40, of Maryland, with conspiring to purchase and illegally export millions of dollars’ worth of fully automatic rifles, grenade launchers, Stinger missile systems, hand grenades, sniper rifles, ammunition, and other export-controlled items from the United States to South Sudan, in violation of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) and the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA).
“As alleged, the defendants sought to unlawfully smuggle heavy weapons and ammunition from the United States into South Sudan – a country that is subject to a U.N. arms embargo due to the violence between armed groups, which has killed and displaced thousands,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Department of Justice will not tolerate the illicit export of weapons overseas, and we will hold accountable those who would violate our laws.”
“Sanctions and export controls help ensure that American weapons are not used internationally to destabilize other sovereign nations,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona. “We thank our law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations, for continuing to use their legacy customs enforcement authority to protect the public.”
According to court documents, in July 2018, in response to the conflict between South Sudan’s Transitional Government of National Unity and opposition forces, the United Nations Security Council imposed an arms embargo on South Sudan. The Security Council has renewed the arms embargo every year since 2018, most recently in May 2023. Under U.S. law, specifically the AECA and ECRA, it is unlawful to export weapons and ammunition to South Sudan absent authorization in the form of a license from the U.S. Department of State or the Department of Commerce. It is the policy of the United States to deny licenses and approvals to export to South Sudan defense articles, such as automatic rifles, grenade launchers, and missile Stinger systems.
As alleged in court documents, between at least February 2023 and February 2024, Keech and Ajak sought to illegally purchase weapons and related export-controlled items from undercover law enforcement agents and smuggle those weapons and items from the United States to South Sudan through a third country. The defendants knew that South Sudan was subject to an arms embargo and that exporting weapons and ammunition from the United States to South Sudan without a license from the U.S. government was illegal and would violate U.S. law. For example, the defendants openly discussed the illegality of the transaction, expressed the need to be discreet, and agreed to pay a risk fee for the weapons because of the illegal nature of the arms sale. In addition, to facilitate the smuggling scheme, the defendants discussed disguising the weapons as humanitarian aid and paying bribes.
As part of the scheme, the defendants further sought to conceal from financial institutions and others the source and purpose of the funds used to purchase and smuggle the illicit arms. For example, the defendants agreed to an arms contract for nearly $4 million worth of weapons and related items and requested a “fake contract” in the same amount in “consulting services” and items, such as “communications equipment,” related to “human rights, humanitarian, and civil engagement inside South Sudan refugee camps.” The defendants then caused funds to be transferred through an intermediary company identified in the fake contract to complete the purchase.
If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison for conspiring to violate the AECA, up to 20 years in prison for conspiring to violate the ECRA, and up to 10 years in prison for smuggling goods from the United States.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Defense’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement are investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona and the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Keech and Ajak complaintTucson Orthodontist and His Spouse Charged with Engaging in Scheme to Embezzle from Dental PracticeRead the Press Release
Tucson, Ariz. – A federal grand jury in Tucson returned a seven-count indictment last week against Dr. Andrew L. Kassman and his wife, Laurie Ann Kassman, of Tucson, for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud.
Dr. Kassman was the former owner of a Tucson orthodontics practice. After selling the practice, Dr. Kassman and his wife continued as employees for the new owner. Dr. Kassman worked as an orthodontist, and Dr. Kassman’s wife continued as the office manager. The indictment alleges that, after the sale, Dr. Kassman kept his business bank account open. The Kassmans then engaged in an embezzlement scheme in which they diverted funds that belonged to the practice without the new owner’s knowledge or consent. To conceal the scheme, Laurie Kassman manipulated financial records in the practice’s record keeping system. The Kassmans embezzled at least $73,000.
A conviction for either charge - Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud or Wire Fraud - carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The United States Secret Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-00789-TUC-RM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-025_Kassman# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Three Kanawha County Women Sentenced for Roles in Wire Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Three Kanawha County women were sentenced today for roles in a fraudulent scheme that used personal identification information stolen through the employment of two of the women with an office cleaning service.
Brittany King, 35, of East Bank, and Tabatha Deavers, 30, of Charleston, were each sentenced to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Amy Deavers, 51, of Glasgow, the mother of Tabatha Deavers, was sentenced to six months of incarceration, which she has already served, and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Amy Deavers and Tabatha Deavers were jointly ordered to pay $4,256.06 in restitution, with additional restitution amounts for Tabatha Deavers and King to be determined.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from approximately December 2020 through at least December 1, 2022, King and Tabatha Deavers unlawfully obtained the personal identification information of multiple individuals through their employment with a business that cleaned local office spaces. King and Tabatha Deavers rerouted the mail of their identity theft victims and opened lines of credit and bank accounts and obtained loans and credit cards in the names of their identity theft victims.
From approximately December 2020 through at least December 1, 2022, King and Tabatha Deavers stole money and property from individuals, companies, lenders, financial institutions and car dealerships with their scheme. King and Tabatha Deavers submitted a fraudulent change of address form to the United States Postal Service to reroute one victim’s mail to their Bridge Road apartment in Charleston on June 7, 2022. Tabatha Deavers attempted to purchase a vehicle from a Charleston area car dealership using the personal identification information of another victim on January 15, 2022. King fraudulently used another victim’s personal identification information to purchase a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu from a Charleston business on September 30, 2022.
King and Tabatha Deavers caused a loss of at least $260,239.19 to more than 10 victims as a result of their fraudulent schemes. Amy Deavers became involved in the wire fraud scheme after King and Tabatha Deavers were arrested and federally charged for their actions on December 5, 2022. King and Tabatha Deavers attempted to transfer $1,000 from one of the scheme’s fraudulent bank accounts to Amy Deavers on December 30, 2022. This account was opened to reroute the Department of Veterans Affairs disability benefits of one of the identity theft victims.
On January 30, 2023, Tabatha Deavers was incarcerated at the South Central Regional Jail when she spoke to Amy Deavers during a recorded jail phone call. Tabatha Deavers provided Amy Deavers with information during the call to access and transfer funds from the veteran victim’s fraudulent account.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Secret Service, the United States Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew D. Isabell, Jonathan T. Storage and Kathleen Robeson 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. 2:23-cr-14.
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Three Additional Individuals Charged in Twin Cities Fentanyl Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Three additional individuals have been charged in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl throughout the Twin Cities and surrounding areas, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, between August 2022 through December 2023, Phyu Win Jame, 27, Amaya Tiffany-Nicole Mims, 23, and Da’Shawn Natori Domena, 24, and their previously charged co-defendants Cornell Montez Chandler, Jr., Robiel Lee Williams, Quijuan Hosea Bankhead, Stardasha Christina Davenport-Mounger, Fo’Tre Devine White, and Shardai Rayshell Allen, conspired to distribute fentanyl in Minnesota. Several defendants traveled to Phoenix to obtain fentanyl pills from suppliers, hid the pills inside stuffed animals, and mailed them to addresses in and around the Twin Cities. Law enforcement in Dakota, Ramsey, and Washington counties became aware of the trafficking and initiated a joint investigation, which resulted in the seizure of six packages containing over 30,000 grams of fentanyl pills.
All defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. White was also charged with one count of possession of a firearm as a felon and one count of possession of a machinegun.Jame and Mims made their initial appearances in U.S. District Court before a magistrate judge. Domena was arrested in Indiana and will make his initial appearance before a magistrate judge in the District of Minnesota at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Dakota County Drug Task Force, the Washington County Drug Task Force, and the Ramsey County Violent Crime Enforcement Team.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Third Conspirator Pleads Guilty in Nearly $600,000 Charity Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Fuquay-Varina man pled guilty to devising and executing a scheme to defraud the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (“PCS”) by conspiring to fraudulently obtain matching charitable contributions for the Boys and Girls Succeed (“BAGS”) organization. Dwayne Moorer West, age 60, faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced later this year. Two of West’s co-conspirators pled guilty to the same charges on January 23, 2024, and are also facing up to 20 years behind bars.
“Many companies encourage their employees to support local charities by matching their employees’ charitable contributions. This defendant recruited PSC employees to make fake donations to his charity so he could fraudulently secure over a half-million dollars in matching funds from PSC. He then paid kickbacks to the employees,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “This defendant was driven by greed to take advantage of a charitable program meant to help those in need. He now faces federal prison.”
According to documents and information presented in court, Dwayne Moorer West owned BAGS, an organization that provided services to boys and girls in Wake County. Between 2010 and 2018, West conspired with Michael Lavern King, a PCS employee, and Martin Fareed Abdullah, a BAGS employee, to fraudulently obtain matched charitable contributions from PCS. To carry out this scheme, King and Abdullah solicited multiple PCS employees to aid and assist in the fraud. West obtained bank checks that fraudulently showed large charitable donations from each PCS employee to the BAGS foundation. The fraudulent checks were then used as donation receipts for submission to PCS as part of their matching charitable program. The PCS employees never made charitable donations to BAGS. Instead, they received a quarterly kickback from West, Abdullah, and King for the use of their employee information. In total, PCS matched nearly $600,000 in fraudulently obtained contributions to BAGS.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle accepted the plea. The United States Postal Inspection Service are investigating the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa K. Labresh is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-00091-BO.
Texas Man Admits to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Nolan Eugene McCray, age 39, of Cedar Lane, Texas, has admitted to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, McCray was identified during an investigation into drug activity. A Wetzel County property where McCray had stayed was searched and officers found methamphetamine and $14,580 in cash. McCray was then taken into custody on outstanding warrants in Texas. While in jail, he made several phone calls to drug associates in the Northern Panhandle. Those conversations led officers to search another property, yielding more than 400 grams of methamphetamine and nearly one kilogram of heroin.
McCray faces up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Wetzel County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton Reid is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Statement from U.S. Attorney’s Office on Passage of Secure DCRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia applauds the Council’s passage of the Secure DC legislative package. The provisions in this bill will provide crucial tools to police and to prosecutors as we collectively work together to hold those who commit crimes in our community accountable. And we are particularly grateful that the Council listened to our arguments related to DNA collection and developed a compromise position that allows for the earlier collection of DNA. This provision will both help solve violent crimes and prevent future crimes by removing these dangerous people from our community.
Stamford Man Sentenced to Prison for Theft of $800K from Trust AccountRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CURTIS SOLSVIG, 69, of Stamford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 18 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for stealing more than $800,000 from a family trust he administered.
According to court documents and statements made in court, a married couple (the “victims”) created a trust for the primary benefit of their two children. In 1996, Solsvig, a relative of the victims, began serving as trustee of the trust. Beginning in 2011 and continuing for approximately eight years, Solsvig stole approximately $816,000 from the trust and used the funds for a variety of personal expenses. By the time his scheme concluded, less than $20 remained in the trust account.
Judge Nagala ordered Solsvig to pay restitution of $816,205.09.
On December 6, 2023, Solsvig pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
Solsvig, who is released on a $250,000 bond, is required to report to prison on April 19.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Conor M. Reardon.
Stamford Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Sex Abuse ImagesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SERVIO BARROS-TERREROS, 57, of Stamford, pleaded guilty today in Bridgeport federal court to a child exploitation offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in December 2022, a minor female victim reported that, when she was nine and 10 years old, Barros-Terreros had sexually assaulted her multiple times. The victim reported that Barros-Terreros took sexually explicit pictures of her, and threatened to publish the pictures and show them to the victim’s mother if the victim told anyone. Barros-Terreros also instructed the victim to undress during video calls he initiated with the victim, during which he also engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
On January 12, 2023, Stamford Police arrested Barros-Terreros on state sexual assault and risk of injury offenses, and seized Barros-Terreros’ iPhone. Analysis of the iPhone revealed sexually explicit images of the minor victim, and images of Barros-Terreros engaging in sexually explicit conduct with the minor victim.
Barros-Terreros pleaded guilty to production of child pornography, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford on June 13.
Barros-Terreros has been detained since his arrest.
This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Stamford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings with the assistance of the Office of the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Stamford-Norwalk.
This prosecution is part of 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.
St. Charles County Man Sentenced for the Unlicensed Sales of FirearmsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Charles County, Missouri who illegally sold hundreds of guns was sentenced Monday to five years of probation and 200 hours of community service.
Harry Trueblood, 69, is also now a convicted felon and is barred from possessing, let alone selling, firearms.
Trueblood pleaded guilty in November to one count of being an unlicensed firearms dealer. He admitted selling firearms at not less than 15 gun shows from January of 2021 through May of 2023 despite never having been licensed to deal in firearms. He continued selling even after agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) warned him that he was committing a crime. Trueblood purposely avoided obtaining a Federal Firearms License (FFL), Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski said in court Monday.
“ATF is a leader in the nation’s fight to disrupt violent crime for safer communities,” said Bernard Hansen, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Kansas City Field Division. “Trueblood was linked to selling over 250 firearms without a Federal Firearms License and over 40 crime guns were traced back him. It is firearm traffickers like this defendant that fuel violence in our communities by putting deadly weapons in the hands of people who commit violent crimes in our communities. Our Crime Gun Intelligence Center was at the center of this investigation, utilizing intelligence to identify this defendant and disrupting the supply of illegally transferred firearms and making our neighborhoods safer.”
Guns sold illegally by Trueblood were recovered at the scene of a homicide, a suicide and other shootings and from felons and a juvenile, Szczucinski said. One person with mental health issues severe enough that he was turned away from two gun stores found Trueblood and bought a firearm from him, Szczucinski said in court.
The ATF began investigating Trueblood after multiple guns recovered in unrelated crimes were traced back to him as the original purchaser. Trueblood sold AR-15-type pistols and handguns to undercover ATF agents before the ATF on Feb. 1, 2023 sent him a cease and desist letter ordering him to stop dealing in firearms without a license. Trueblood continued to sell guns, his plea agreement says.
The ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski is prosecuting the case.
Springfield Man Sentenced to 18 Years for Meth Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for using his residence for trafficking methamphetamine and for illegally possessing firearms.
Anthony Brandon, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark on Monday, March 4, to 18 years in federal prison without parole. Brandon was sentenced as a career offender due to his prior felony convictions.
On March 15, 2022, Brandon pleaded guilty to one count of controlling a drug-involved premises and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
On May 23, 2019, Springfield police officers executed a search warrant at Brandon’s residence. Officers found a Taurus 9mm handgun and five individually packaged bags of methamphetamine that weighed a total of more than 75 grams under a couch cushion in the living room, an Eagle Arms AR10 .62-caliber rifle in a bedroom closet, an extended firearm magazine with 32 rounds of 9mm ammunition in a dresser drawer in a bedroom, and miscellaneous ammunition.
Brandon admitted he was storing drugs at his residence for his source of supply. He also told investigators that he was expecting to receive methamphetamine as payment for storing the drugs.
Brandon’s extensive criminal history includes violent crimes and assault, possessing and distributing illegal drugs, theft, stealing, burglary, and robbery.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron A. Beaver and Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Southern California Man Pleads Guilty to Fraud Charges Involving Scheme to Divert More Than $4.6 Million in San Francisco-Based InvestmentRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Joon Woo Kim pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to his role in two related multi-million-dollar fraud schemes—the first, a scheme to mislead investors to contribute to a fund he formed in San Francisco, and the second, a scheme to obtain a multi-million dollar business loans and line of credit by lying to a bank—announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp.
In his plea agreement, Kim, 57, of Montebello, Calif., admitted that he engaged in the first fraud scheme from June 2015 through at least March 19, 2022. Kim created an investment fund called the M5 Doctors Fund and induced investors to contribute to the fund by making false statements and omissions about the kinds of investments Kim would make while managing the fund’s assets. For example, Kim admitted that he advertised that he would invest assets of the M5 Doctors Fund in securities of Tesla, Inc. and electric vehicle companies. Nevertheless, rather than invest the funds as he promised, Kim admitted that he transferred nearly all M5 Doctors Fund assets, including funds from the liquidation of investments and the return on those investments, to CKR Enterprise, Inc., a wholesale food distribution company owned by, among others, Kim and his wife and operated by Kim and his wife.
Kim further admitted in his plea agreement that he acted with the intent to deceive and cheat investors and that in furtherance of the scheme he caused the creation of the M5 Doctors Fund and a separate management entity called M5 Management and he induced investors to invest in the M5 Doctors Fund and maintain their investment funds in the M5 Doctors Fund based on false statements and omissions regarding the kinds of investments he would make.
Kim admitted that without telling his investors he transferred nearly all M5 Doctors Fund assets to his business, CKR, and thereby defrauded investors out of $4,690,000. Further, Kim misled investors into believing that the M5 Doctors fund was solvent and engaged in investment activities. For example, Kim sent investors misleading quarterly reports suggesting that their money was invested in securities such as Tesla when in fact Kim had transferred nearly all investor money to CKR.
Kim further admitted that he engaged in a second fraud scheme in which he defrauded Hanmi Bank by applying for two loans for CKR, a $1,300,000 line of credit and a $3,200,000 business loan, that contained materially false and fraudulent representations and promises. As a result of these fraudulent representations and promises, Kim obtained the proceeds of these loans.
A federal grand jury charged Kim on June 27, 2023, with eight counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343; two counts of bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344; and one count of making a false statement to a bank, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1014. Under the plea agreement, Kim pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement to a bank. If Kim complies with his plea agreement, the remaining counts will be dismissed at sentencing.
Kim was arrested on July 17, 2023, and subsequently released on a bond. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 24, 2024. The maximum statutory penalty for each of the wire fraud charges is 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution, if appropriate. The maximum statutory penalty for each of the bank fraud and making a false statement to a bank is 30 years in prison, and a fine of $1,000,000, plus restitution, if appropriate. The court also may order an additional term of supervised release to begin after a prison term as part of any sentence. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christiaan Highsmith is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Aarian Beti. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
Semi-Pro Rugby player indicted for Ponzi scheme involving false representations about cryptocurrency mining investmentsRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 36-year-old Seattle semi-pro rugby player was arrested on an indictment charging him with nine counts of wire fraud. Shane Donovan Moore operated Quantum Donovan LLC – a Washington company Moore claimed was purchasing and operating cryptocurrency mining equipment. In fact, the indictment alleges the company never invested in such equipment and operated as a Ponzi scheme, with the investments from later investors being used to pay off earlier investors. Moore made his initial appearance on the indictment Monday morning.
“Cryptocurrency investors can fall victim to all the same fraud tactics as any investor. Mr. Moore used a ‘Ponzi scheme,’ – a fraud that has been around for decades - and uses new investor money to pay off older investors until the scheme collapses,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “So far investigators have identified 38 known victims but believe there could be many more. We urge any such investors to contact the FBI.”
“According to the indictment, between January 2021 and October 2022, Moore allegedly made fraudulent promises to obtain investor money. Moore claimed both verbally and in writing that the invested money would be used to purchase computers for a cryptocurrency mining operation. He told investors they would receive 1% of their investment daily based on the work of the mining machines. However, Moore never purchased the mining machines. He comingled the investor money with his personal accounts and used some of those funds to live a lavish lifestyle. Some of the funds were used to purchase cryptocurrency so that a portion of the funds could be sent to investors to lull them into believing the cryptocurrency mining operation existed.
An analysis of accounts controlled by Moore show he purchased more than $820,000 in cryptocurrency from crypto.com during the course of the scheme. Other records show Moore transferring more than $1 million in cryptocurrencies from his Coinbase account to other Coinbase accounts.
Moore recruited investors in Utah, Oregon, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Washington. Many of the investors are people he knew from his rugby activities.
Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian Wynne.
Santa Cruz County Drug Dealer Sentenced to Nineteen Years’ Imprisonment for A Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Paul Garcia was sentenced today to 235 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to methamphetamine trafficking, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Jennifer L. Cicolani. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. Edward J. Davila, United States District Judge.
Garcia, 34, formerly of Santa Cruz County, was arrested in July 2019 after Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Deputies seized a stash of drugs in a Santa Cruz motel room Garcia was using. The stash included more than two pounds of heroin, 440 grams of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, and pills. Deputies also found a loaded, semi-automatic pistol in the motel room. Garcia was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 6, 2020, on one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A).
In February 2020, Garcia made his initial appearance in federal court and was released on a $100,000 bond. Garcia eventually violated the terms of his release, his bail was revoked, and Garcia was ordered to report to the Santa Rita Jail facility in June 2020. Garcia failed to report as ordered, and became a fugitive. Garcia’s bond was subsequently forfeited, and the Court entered forfeiture judgments against his sureties.
Garcia remained a fugitive until he was arrested on April 18, 2021. At that time, Sunnyvale police officers approached Garcia in the parking lot of a motel, and Garcia fled through the motel with officers in pursuit. During the chase, Garcia retrieved a pistol from his waistband and fired two shots at the officers before being taken into custody.
On December 18, 2023, Garcia pleaded guilty to the federal charge against him. In the plea agreement, Garcia admitted, among other things, that he possessed the methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin found in his Santa Cruz motel room in July 2019, with the intent to distribute them, and also that he possessed the semi-automatic pistol found in the motel room in connection with his drug dealing. Garcia also admitted he failed to report to the Santa Rita Jail facility as ordered, and that he willfully remained a fugitive until he was arrested in Sunnyvale.
“Disrupting drug trafficking in Santa Cruz County is a priority for our office,” said United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey. “Anyone who traffics drugs in Santa Cruz County, or anywhere else in the Northern District, particularly while armed, should know that federal criminal convictions come with serious prison time.”
“Removing violent offenders from our communities is a priority for ATF,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani. “Anyone who participates in trafficking will be held accountable. Throughout this case, ATF has worked side by side with our prosecutorial partners to fulfill one of our core duties to the public. That duty being to ensure the safety of our communities. Today’s sentencing ensured that our commitment to the public is being upheld.”
Judge Davila ordered that Garcia’s federal prison term be served concurrently with a 29-year prison term Garcia is currently serving. In addition to the prison term, Judge Davila also ordered Garcia to serve a five-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison.
Assistant United States Attorneys Michael G. Pitman and Daniel N. Kassabian are prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Sahib Kaur. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by ATF and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.
Repeat Federal Felon Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Burnsville felon has been sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, in September 2022, while John Paul Majerus II, 34, was still serving a prison sentence for a prior federal controlled substance crime, law enforcement began investigating a drug trafficking operation led by Bureau of Prisons inmates. While in custody, Majerus coordinated the sale of methamphetamine to an undercover officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration. Majerus continued his drug trafficking activity after he was released, and conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine from a “stash house” in Southeast Minneapolis belonging to codefendant Sara Evenson, 34. A search warrant was executed after additional controlled buys were conducted at Evenson’s apartment, and law enforcement found approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in the wall, as well as drug paraphernalia and two firearms.
On November 8, 2023, Majerus pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. On February 20, 2024, Evenson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. She will be sentenced at a later date. Majerus was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge David S. Doty.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the West Central Minnesota Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren O. Roso prosecuted the case.
Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Firearm and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston-area man was sentenced yesterday for illegally possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number while on supervised release from an earlier federal firearm charge.
Dane Mitchell, 32, of Boston and Revere, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to seven years in prison and three years of supervised release. In October 2023, Mitchell pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
In 2021, as part of an investigation into a violent Boston gang, Mitchell was identified as the owner of a Snapchat account who regularly posted images of himself in possession of firearms. Specifically, images showed Mitchell’s face with firearms and bullet holes in his vehicle after he had been shot at. Mitchell is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to a 2018 federal conviction in the District of Maine for unlawful transportation of firearms, for which he was sentenced to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
During a search of Mitchell’s Revere residence in December 2021, a Taurus .380 caliber pistol with an obliterated serial number, ammunition, bags of cocaine, cocaine base, fentanyl, cutting agents, a digital scale, a blender and a press for packaging narcotics were seized.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Division; and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division made the announcement. Special assistance in the investigation was provided by the Boston, Quincy and Lynn Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
The operation was conducted is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.President of Queens-Based Construction Company Pleads Guilty to Fraud in Connection with Homeless Shelter Contracts Worth $12 MillionRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that LIAQUAT CHEEMA pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his leadership of a scheme to defraud New York City (the “City”) in connection with public contracts to perform general contracting work at City homeless shelters.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Liaquat Cheema has admitted to leading a scheme to steal millions of dollars in public funds intended to pay for vital maintenance at homeless shelters in New York City. This Office has no tolerance for those who use public contracts intended to aid underserved members of our society to fraudulently enrich themselves. We will continue to aggressively detect and dismantle schemes such as this one.”
According to the Indictment to which CHEEMA pled guilty, the Complaint, the plea agreement, and statements made in court:
LIAQUAT CHEEMA was the President of AFL Construction Co. Inc. (“AFL”), located in Queens, New York. AFL entered into public contracts with the City worth approximately $12 million to perform general contracting work at homeless shelters located in the City, including in the Southern District of New York. Pursuant to the contracts, AFL was to perform, among other things, general maintenance, landscaping, roofing, and snow removal at shelter sites.
From at least in or about 2014 through at least in or about 2017, CHEEMA and others used the contracts to fraudulently enrich themselves and steal from the City. In furtherance of the scheme, CHEEMA and others, among other things, submitted fraudulent invoices and other documentation in support of requests for payment on the contracts, which falsely claimed that workers had performed work on certain projects and inflated amounts paid by the defendants for materials purportedly used on such projects. These fraudulent invoices and supporting documentation contained, without authorization, the identities of other persons, including the names, and in at least one case, the social security number, of purported workers who in fact had not worked on the projects specified in the requests for payment submitted by CHEEMA and others.
CHEEMA and others also obtained tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of Medicaid benefits by repeatedly submitting fraudulent certifications, which underreported their actual incomes and accordingly enabled them to obtain Medicaid benefits for which they were not eligible. In support of requests for Medicaid benefits, CHEEMA and others repeatedly submitted nearly identical employment letters, which, among other misrepresentations, contained the name and purported signature of a purported “Project Manager” who, in fact, was deceased. In connection with his guilty plea, CHEEMA agreed to pay back the money misappropriated from Medicaid.
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LIAQUAT CHEEMA, 64, of East Elmhurst, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. As part of his plea agreement, CHEEMA agreed to pay restitution and forfeiture of $3,267,811.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the work of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and the New York City Department of Investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy V. Capozzi is in charge of the prosecution.
Pittsburgh Resident Sentenced to Prison for Possession of Firearm by Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm after a prior felony conviction, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy imposed the sentence on Isaiah Wise, 23. Judge Hardy also ordered Wise to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
Wise previously pleaded guilty in this case to possessing a firearm on December 4, 2021, after prior felony convictions for fentanyl trafficking, unlawful firearm possession, and endangering the welfare of children. Prior to sentencing, the Court was informed that Wise was on probation for those felony crimes on that date, when he participated in an unlawful scheme to purchase and possess a Glock 27 .40 caliber pistol, a high-capacity drum magazine, and ammunition. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Wise.
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 of Justice 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.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to Prison for Evading TSA Security at Philadelphia International AirportRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Hugh James, 52, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, two years’ supervised release, a fine of $1,000, and a mandatory special assessment of $200 for attempting to board an international flight with undeclared currency that had not passed through airport security. United States District Judge Paul S. Diamond also ordered James to forfeit the sum of $62,000.
On October 9, 2020, James attempted to board a flight from Philadelphia International Airport to Montego Bay, Jamaica. When questioned by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers during boarding, James initially denied having cash in his carry-on luggage. However, a search of his luggage revealed $62,000 in undeclared cash, including $42,000 in $100 bills inside sealed toothpaste boxes. Subsequent investigation revealed that James, an employee with access to the secure area of the airport, arranged to have the cash smuggled around Transportation Security Administration screening. On November 16, 2023, James pleaded guilty to one count of evading airport security and one count of failure to declare currency.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Brown.
Peoria Man Pleads Guilty to Wide-Ranging Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria, Illinois man, Chad D. Campen, 34, of the 6100 block of Pfeiffer Road, pleaded guilty on March 5, 2024, to one count of bank fraud, three counts of wire fraud, one count of money laundering, one count of bankruptcy fraud, and one count of false statements under oath. Sentencing for Campen has been scheduled for July 11, 2024, at the U.S. Courthouse in Peoria, Illinois.
In court before U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid, Campen admitted that he had orchestrated a long-term fraud scheme in which he lied about his business involvement and success and created false and fraudulent documents to deceive his victims. Campen obtained money from various financial institutions as well as goods, services, and funds from individuals and companies throughout central Illinois. At the hearing, the government stated that beginning as early as January 2013, Campen engaged in a scheme to defraud in which he made several false and fraudulent statements to banks and others. Specifically, Campen obtained funds by falsely claiming his success in multiple business ventures; representing to others the amount of land he was farming; claiming that he sold agricultural inputs; that he had substantial amounts of grain stored; representing that he had substantial assets and that he was a financial success.
Campen has been in the custody of U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest on January 25, 2022, and remains in custody pending sentencing.
Campen faces statutory penalties as follows: Bank Fraud up to 30 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and 5 years’ supervised release; for Wire Fraud, up to twenty years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years’ supervised release for each count; for Illegal Monetary Transaction, up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine (or twice the amount of the criminally derived property), and 3 years supervised release, for Bankruptcy Fraud and False Statement Under Oath, up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years’ supervised release for each count.
The matter was referred to the United States Attorney’s Office by the United States Trustee for Region 10. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas F. McMeyer is representing the government in the prosecution.
Pennsylvania Family Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Three members of a Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, family pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents, Hadja Franklin, 55, Nabyunissa Bangoura (“Nayunissa”), 34, Tanziludin Bangurah (“Tanziludin”), 52, manufactured counterfeit oxycodone and Xanax in a laboratory in their residence in rural Pennsylvania, which they sold on the darkweb under the moniker “MonPham.” Tanziludin and Franklin are the married parents of Nabyunissa.
In fall 2021, law enforcement identified “MonPham” as a prolific narcotics distributor operating on several darknet markets. After making numerous controlled purchases from “MonPham” between October 27, 2021, and August 25, 2022, law enforcement traced cryptocurrency transactions to the defendants’ Internet Protocol (IP) address. Law enforcement then observed Bangurah mailing fentanyl packages to customers and later observed one of the defendants with an infant child entering the residence.
While executing a search warrant on August 31, 2022, law enforcement discovered the trio’s drug lab, pills, binding agents, drug ledgers, and numerous electronic devices that contained hundreds of text messages between Nabyunissa and Franklin detailing the day-to-day operation of the conspiracy. Based on the drug ledgers, law enforcement determined the conspirators sold approximately 3,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills and approximately 55,000 counterfeit Xanax pills. In most cases, the counterfeit oxycodone pills contained fentanyl, while the counterfeit Xanax contained benzodiazepines.
Franklin, Nabyunissa, and Tanziludin each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Each faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for June 5. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David J. Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division; George Scavdis, Special Agent in Charge, Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office; and Ajay Lall, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea.
The Commonwealth’s Attorney for Powhatan County; USPIS – Philadelphia Division; Pennsylvania State Police; FBI Philadelphia Division – Scranton Resident Agency; and Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department assisted in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip Alito and Gavin Tisdale are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-121.
Owner of Home Health Care Company Sentenced to Two Months in Prison for Tax OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Certified Nurse Assistant who owns and operates a home health care company has been sentenced for underreporting his income to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Patrick S. Kityo, 43, of Waltham, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to two months in prison and one year of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $306,603 in restitution to the IRS. In August 2023, Kityo pleaded guilty to one count of aiding the preparation of a false tax return.
Kityo owned and operated a home health care company named Every Step Home Care Inc. (Every Step). During the years 2016 and 2017, Every Step’s total gross receipts were at least $2 million. Kityo, however, failed to report all of Every Step’s gross receipts to his tax preparer. Instead, Kityo only reported those gross receipts that he deposited into Every Step’s business bank account and did not report those he received via checks written to Kityo personally. As a result, Kityo caused his tax preparer to underreport nearly $2 million in gross receipts and Kityo failed to pay at least $306,603 in personal income taxes.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Drabick of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Olean man pleads guilty to possession of child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Brian Graham, Jr., 34, of Olean, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer to possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who is handling the case, stated that in February 2021, Graham’s IP address was identified on a child pornography file sharing website. In June 2021, a search warrant was executed at Graham’s Olean residence, during which investigators seized various electronic devices. A forensic review recovered images and videos of child pornography on the devices. For instance, a USB hard drive contained at least 200 images and 300 videos of child pornography. Some of the child pornography included violence against children and the sexual abuse of an infant or toddler.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
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Nine buckets of narcotics: trafficker admits to importing $340,000 of liquid meth in fuel tankRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 41-year-old resident of Monterrey, Mexico, has pleaded guilty to importing 300 pounds of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
On Nov. 22, 2023, Allan Alberto Moreno Trevino approached the Laredo Colombia Solidarity International Bridge Port of Entry driving a white 2004 Ford F-250 pickup truck. Law enforcement subsequently referred him to secondary inspection where an x-ray revealed anomalies within the vehicle’s fuel tank.
While inspecting the vehicle, authorities noticed Moreno Trevino pacing and appearing nervous, eventually asking them if something had been found.
Authorities eventually discovered the fuel tank was filled with liquid meth mixed with gasoline. Law enforcement extracted nine buckets of the mixture with an approximate gross weight of 137.2 kilograms and an estimated street value of $340,000.
As part of his plea, Moreno Trevino stated he expected to be paid between $1,500 and $2,000 for transporting the drugs from Mexico.
He also admitted knowing the fuel tank contained a controlled substance which he was to deliver to others in San Antonio where the liquid meth would then be extracted.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña will set sentencing at a later date. At that time, Moreno Trevino faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Homero Ramirez is prosecuting the case.
Nigerian National Pleads Guilty to His Role in a Business Email Compromise SchemeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Henry Onyedikachi Echefu, age 32, a Nigerian national residing in South Africa at the time of the criminal conduct, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, related to a business email compromise (“BEC”) scheme. Echefu arrived in the United States on November 30, 2023, after being extradited from Canada.
The guilty plea was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Special Agent in Charge Matthew R. Stohler of the U.S. Secret Service - Washington Field Office.
According to his plea agreement, from February 2017 until at least July 2017, Echefu conspired with others to perpetrate a BEC scheme. Specifically, Echefu and his co-conspirators, including co-conspirators residing in Maryland, gained unauthorized access to email accounts associated with individuals and businesses targeted by the conspirators and sent false wiring instructions to the victims’ email accounts from “spoofed” emails, which are emails with forged sender addresses, to deceive the victims into sending money to bank accounts controlled by perpetrators of the scheme, called “drop accounts.”
Further, during the same time frame, Echefu and his co-conspirators conspired to commit money laundering by disbursing the fraudulently obtained funds in the drop accounts to other accounts by initiating account transfers, withdrawing cash, obtaining cashier’s checks and by writing checks to other individuals and entities, to hide the true ownership and the source of those assets. As detailed in the plea agreement, the intended loss for transactions in which Echefu was directly involved—which were some, but not all of the transactions involving Echefu and his co-conspirators—was approximately $304,414 and the actual loss resulting from these transactions was at least $199,929. Echefu had personal control over at least $22,187.35 of the funds obtained from victims.
According to the plea agreement, Echefu will be required to pay a money judgment in the amount of $22,187.35 and pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, which the parties agree is at least $199,929.
Echefu faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud conspiracy and for the money laundering conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman has scheduled sentencing for May 23, 2024, at 2:00 p.m.
Co-defendant Kosi Goodness Simon-Ebo, age 30, also a Nigerian nation who resided in South Africa at the time of the criminal conduct, extradited from Canada on April 12, 2023, previously pleaded guilty to the same charges and was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison and was ordered to pay a money judgment of $45,925 and to pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, $1,072,306.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI’s Mid-Atlantic El Dorado Task Force and the U.S. Secret Service for their work in the investigation. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Department of Justice Canada’s International Assistance Group also provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of both Echefu and Simon-Ebo. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Newton County man sentenced to federal prison for trafficking methRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Bon Wier man has been sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for trafficking drugs in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.
Charles Edward Isaac, 44, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on March 4, 2024.
According to information presented in court, in March 2021, federal, state, and local law enforcement began an investigation into the distribution of methamphetamine in Newton County, Texas. During the investigation, law enforcement conducted controlled purchases of narcotics from Isaac and executed a search warrant at his residence. During the search, law enforcement recovered a firearm and additional narcotics. Isaac is responsible for distributing more than 100 grams of methamphetamine throughout East Texas.
This case was investigated by the FBI; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Lab; Texas Department of Public Safety; Newton County Sheriff’s Office; and Orange County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lee.
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New York Man Sentenced to 144 Months’ Imprisonment for Methamphetamine Trafficking in Susquehanna CountyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Roy Niles, age 59, of Nineveh, New York, was sentenced on February 29, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to 144 months’ imprisonment on the charge of conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Niles previously pleaded guilty and admitted to conspiring with another individual to distribute between 1.5 kilograms and 5 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine in the Susquehanna County area in March 2020. The charge stems from an incident in March 2020, in which Niles arranged to purchase several pounds of crystal methamphetamine from another individual in Susquehanna County. After the methamphetamine was received by Niles, the Pennsylvania State Police moved in and attempted to arrest him. Niles fled from the police and led police on a high-speed chase from Pennsylvania into New York. Niles was later apprehended.
The charge against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Pennsylvania State Police. The New York State Police also provided assistance during the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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New Franklin Couple Indicted for Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A New Franklin, Mo., couple has been indicted by a federal grand jury for attempted bank robbery and illegally possessing firearms.
Jacob Lowell Hessing, 25, and his wife, Tristen Nicole Hessing, 25, were charged in a three-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo., on Feb. 27,2024. That indictment was unsealed and made public today upon the Hessings arrests and initial court appearances. Jacob Hessing remains detained in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Wednesday, March 6. Tristen is released on bond.
The federal indictment alleges that Jacob Hessing attempted to rob Exchange Bank of Missouri in New Franklin on Sept. 9, 2023.
Jacob and Tristen Hessing are each charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The indictment alleges they were in possession of a Diamondback Arms rifle and a Rossi .38 special revolver on Oct. 30, 2023.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Jacob Hessing has two prior felony convictions for the distribution/manufacture of drugs and a prior felony conviction for possession of a controlled substance. Tristen Hessing has a prior felony conviction for possession of a controlled substance.
The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require the Hessings to forfeit to the government the Diamondback Arm rifle, the Rossi revolver, and assorted ammunition, including several magazines that contained dozens of rounds of ammunition.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa A. Pierce. It was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Howard County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Morgan County Man Sentenced for Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Kenneth Carey Markley, age 45, of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for a firearms conspiracy.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Markley worked with others to illegally purchase and sell firearms in West Virginia and Maryland. Markley, who’s prohibited from having firearms because of a prior breaking and entering felony charge in Berkeley County, paid another defendant to purchase firearms on his behalf. He would then sell those firearms to others. Six of those firearms have been recovered in criminal investigations in New York, Maryland, and Kentucky.
Markley is required to report for supervised release for three years with the U.S. Probation Office following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
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Missouri Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A Noel, Missouri man was sentenced on Friday, March 1, to 180 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, in November 2022, detectives with the Benton County Drug Unit and special agents with Homeland Security Investigations received information that Lyle Russell White, age 46, was trafficking narcotics throughout the Northwest Arkansas area. Law enforcement subsequently conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from White. In December 2022, investigators received information that White was in Bella Vista, Arkansas and was in possession of a large amount of methamphetamine. White was later observed traveling as a passenger in a vehicle heading towards Missouri by a Benton County Sheriff’s Office deputy who recognized White from a separate traffic stop the week before. During that first traffic stop, White had attempted to consume controlled substances and to conceal the bags in which the substances were contained when the vehicle in which he was traveling was pulled over. After recognizing White and witnessing a traffic infraction, the deputy conducted a traffic stop. In the vehicle, detectives discovered over 150 grams of actual methamphetamine. A criminal records check revealed that White has several prior convictions, including convictions for violations of controlled substance statutes, and that he was currently on release for another offense at the time he possessed the methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Benton County Drug Unit and Homeland Security Investigations Fayetteville investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Eaton prosecuted the case.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov.
Mexican National Sentenced to 25 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking, Illegal Possession of Firearms, and Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Mexican National, residing in Lexington, Renaldo Villa Gomez, 38, was sentenced on Monday, to 25 years in federal prison, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams of more of methamphetamine, unlawful re-entry into the United States after a prior deportation, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to his plea agreement, following surveillance, law enforcement conducted searches of a vehicle and multiple residences in in Fayette County affiliated with the conspiracy. In all, law enforcement seized 23.7 kilograms (52 pounds) of crystal methamphetamine, 1.7 kilos of cocaine, six semi-automatic firearms, ammunition, ammunition magazines, and more than $91,000 in drug proceeds.
Gomez admitted to the possession of the drugs, firearms, and cash proceeds. Gomez further admitted that he was born in Mexico and has been deported several times, including in April 2004, August 2009, October 2015, and August 2017. Gomez has also been convicted of two prior drug felony offenses and four prior illegal reentry convictions.
Under federal law, Gomez must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon competition his prison sentence, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years. He will also be processed for deportation.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Erek Davodowich, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; LaDeon Francis, Director, Department of Homeland Security, ICE-ERO (Enforcement and Removal Operations) Chicago Field Office; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, FBI, ICE- ERO, and the Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger West is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Mexican National Sentenced After Pleading Guilty to Violating the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that ALEJANDRO AGUILAR-RAMOS, age 30, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced on February 27, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter to 78 months incarceration, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 846. Judge Vitter also ordered a three-year term of supervised release following imprisonment and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to the indictment, in March of 2023, AGUILAR-RAMOS knowingly conspired and agreed with others to pick up a bag containing over 9 kilograms of methamphetamine in Dallas, Texas, then work with others to transport the bag and the narcotics within, from Texas to Kenner, Louisiana.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at http://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
United States Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kenner Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.
Methuen Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Involving Fentanyl, Fentanyl Analog and CocaineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Methuen man pleaded guilty yesterday to drug conspiracy charges involving distribution of fentanyl, fentanyl analog and cocaine.
Daniel Lopez-Gonzalez, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, involving 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of fentanyl analog. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for June 10, 2024. Lopez-Gonzalez was indicted in April 2023 along with Erickson Castro Perez and Gustavo Adolfo Reyes Gonzalez.
Between June 2022 and January 2023, Lopez-Gonzalez and his alleged co-conspirators sold fentanyl and fentanyl analog to undercover law enforcement on six separate occasions in Haverhill and Boxford. A search of a Haverhill-based stash location used by Lopez-Gonzalez and his alleged co-conspirators on Jan. 23, 2023, resulted in the seizure of additional quantities of fentanyl, fentanyl analog, cocaine and other narcotics. Additionally, an illegal firearm, ammunition, more than $35,000 in U.S. currency and two high-end watches were also seized from Lopez-Gonzalez's home.
In total, approximately 2.5 kilograms of fentanyl or fentanyl analog was seized over the course of the investigation.
Daniel Lopez-Gonzalez is the second defendant in this case to plead guilty. Castro Perez plead guilty in February 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, 2024.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, involving 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of fentanyl analog, provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mescalero Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Assault on Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Jeremy Dennis was sentenced to 4 years in prison. Dennis, 43, of Mescalero, and an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, Dennis pled guilty to assault on a federal officer in Indian Country on June 26, 2023.
According to publicly available court documents, on Dec. 25, 2022, shortly after 10 p.m., an officer from the Bureau of Indian Affairs responded to the Dennis’ residence on the Mescalero Apache reservation to conduct a welfare check. Dennis’ family members had called the police because Dennis was smoking methamphetamine in the laundry room of the house. The officer attempted to arrest Dennis’ for child abuse for smoking with a minor in the house, but Dennis grabbed his minor child and would not let go. The officer and a family members tried to release Dennis’s grip on the child but were unable to do so. Finally, the officer deployed pepper spray on Dennis, which caused him to release the child and the family member was able to grab the child and leave the area.
Dennis then punched and kicked the officer before throwing him to the ground and straddling him. Dennis grabbed the officers bulletproof vest pressed it into the officer’s neck, attempting to strangle him and cut off his air supply. Backup arrived on scene and together the officers were able to subdue Dennis.
Upon his release from prison, Dennis will be subject to 2 years of supervised release.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case.
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Mercer County Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Denise R. Allen, 29, of Bluefield, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 16, 2023, Allen and another individual were apprehended at a gun store in Princeton, West Virginia. Following their arrest, Allen and the other individual consented to a search by law enforcement officers of a truck they had rented using a stolen identity. Officers found 431 grams of methamphetamine, 21 grams of fentanyl and two Glock 9mm semiautomatic handguns during the search of the rental truck. Allen further admitted that she and the other individual possessed the methamphetamine and fentanyl and intended to distribute it.
Allen is scheduled to be sentenced on June 10, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at last three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The task force consists of members of the West Virginia State Police, the Bluefield Police Department, the Princeton Police Department, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, the McDowell County Sheriff’s Department, and the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Department.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell is prosecuting 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. 1:23-cr-196.
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McAlester Resident Sentenced for Assaulting Intimate PartnerRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Buster Leo Garrett, age 57, of McAlester, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for an assault on an intimate partner which resulted in substantial bodily injury.
The charges arose from investigations by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On February 17, 2023, Garrett pleaded guilty to one count of Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to an Intimate Partner in Indian Country. According to investigators, on June 25, 2021, Garrett assaulted an intimate and dating partner while boating on Lake Eufaula. The attack resulted in substantial bodily injury to the victim. The crime occurred in McIntosh County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Keith Starrett, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, sitting by appointment, presided over the hearings in Muskogee. Garrett was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Edith Singer represented the United States.
Massachusetts Man Indicted for Fraudulently Obtaining Funds Intended to Help Veterans at Risk of SuicideRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Massachusetts man was indicted in connection with defrauding a nonprofit health care provider to obtain funds designated for reducing suicide rates among veterans, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
David Duren, a/k/a Dawud Hakiem Duren, 48, was indicted on wire fraud and federal program fraud charges. Duren will appear in federal court in Concord today.
According to the charging documents, Duren was a program manager for a nonprofit health care provider in Nashua, New Hampshire. He was in charge of overseeing a program funded by a $750,000 Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grant. The grant was awarded by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to provide treatment and services to veterans at risk of suicide. At Duren’s recommendation, the health care provider hired a company called “E3 Foundation” to provide services funded by the Staff Sergeant Fox grant. E3 Foundation was in turn purportedly led by a “Dr. Michael Rapp.” However, unbeknownst to the health care provider, Duren controlled E3 Foundation and was pretending to be “Dr. Michael Rapp” on emails and calls.
Duren was able to fraudulently obtain almost $50,000 in Staff Sergeant Fox program funds and tried to obtain an additional $25,000 before being discovered. He used a website called “Invoice Generator” to create fake invoices. Duren and E3 Foundation also did not provide the services and products that he billed for. Instead, Duren misused the Staff Sergeant Fox program funds on personal purchases, including landscaping, a Royal Caribbean cruise, and payments to models on OnlyFans.com.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of federal program fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of the Inspector General and Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Maryland Man Sentenced for Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Malachi Michael George, age 20, of Cumberland, Maryland, was sentenced today to 57 months in federal prison for trafficking firearms.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the investigation began with a shots-fired incident in Maryland, leading officers to several firearms traced to Quinton Baker. Baker purchased the firearms in Mineral County, West Virginia, and sold them to George. George then sold those firearms for cash. During a search of George’s home, investigators witnessed George discard a 9mm pistol, a bag of crack cocaine, and $4,000 out of one of the apartment’s windows.
George will also serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Baker was sentenced to five years of probation earlier this year.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Maryland Man Charged in Shooting of a DCHA Police OfficerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Victor Scott Terrill, 40, of Landover, Maryland, had an initial appearance today in U.S. District Court on a criminal complaint charging federal firearms offenses – in addition to Superior Court charges of felony assault on a law enforcement officer – for the February 29, 2024, shooting of a District Housing Authority Police officer in Southeast Washington’s Navy Yard neighborhood. The injured officer was seriously wounded and is still recovering from his injuries.
According to court documents, two police officers from the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) were dispatched to a Southeast apartment building for a report of a disturbance early on the morning of February 29, 2024. During his interactions with the responding DCHA officers, Terrill pulled out a handgun and fired a shot, striking one DCHA officer in the abdomen. Terrill fled through the hallway and down a westside staircase. The officers chased Terrill while calling for backup and split up. As the uninjured officer exited the building, he observed two flashes of muzzle fire and heard two additional gunshots, appearing to be exchanged between Terrill and the injured DCHA officer. The uninjured officer then rendered aide to the injured DCHA officer, who had been shot. When help arrived, the DCHA officer was rushed by ambulance to a hospital.
Additional officers responded to the scene and began canvassing for Terrill. Citizens reported seeing Terrill enter 1331 4th Street, SE. Law enforcement barricaded the building. Surveillance cameras inside the building captured Terrill placing a handgun into a trashcan in the building’s parking garage. Minutes later, Terrill is seen via video surveillance seen pulling a fire alarm. Terrill eventually was detained by the Emergency Response Team without incident. Investigators found a Smith & Wesson 40 Caliber handgun in the trashcan.
On Tuesday, March 5, 2024, prosecutors asked Magistrate Judge Robin M. Meriweather to order Terrill detained pending trial. A hearing is scheduled for Friday, March 8, where the court will determine whether to release Terrill or detain him.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the MPD. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Mayer-Dempsey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man Indicted and Arrested for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Ángel Alexis Vázquez Sánchez, 25, of Jayuya, PR, for child exploitation.
According to court documents, from December 2021 throughout May 2023, Ángel Alexis Vázquez Sánchez sexually exploited four different minor females, between the ages of 12 and 16, with the intent that the minors engage in sexual activity, and to obtain sexually explicit images of the minors.
Ángel Alexis Vázquez Sánchez is facing four counts of coercion and enticement of a minor for using a cellular phone, instant messaging services, and social media to engage in sexual activity and to engage in sexually explicit conduct with four different female minors; four counts of sexual exploitation of children for engaging in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct; and two counts of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
“Once again we call on all citizens: If you see something, say something,” said United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow. “Those who engage in child exploitation and create child sexual abuse material will be tracked down and held accountable for their heinous conduct.”
“This case is an example that if we all work together by sharing information and using our common sense to report something that just doesn’t seem right, we can save children from sex predators. We want to thank our HUD-OIG colleagues who understood the importance of collaboration and worked hand in hand with our team to make this investigation possible,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan. “The investigation is ongoing, and we need the public to come forward and be a part of the solution. If you have been a victim of this subject or know someone who may have been, call 787-987-6500. The FBI San Juan Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Squad works around the clock to detect, locate, and arrest sexual predators.”
“Today’s arrest reflects the unwavering commitment of our agents to seek justice for victims and hold bad actors accountable for this conduct,” said Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Daniel López with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG), Southeast Region. “HUD OIG will continue to work with our prosecutorial and law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of HUD’s programs and ensure our communities are safe.”
The defendant is scheduled for his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marshal D. Morgan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. If convicted for the charges of coercion and enticement and transportation of minor to engage in illicit sexual conduct, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of ten years up to life, and for production of child pornography he faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of fifteen years up to 30 years; all charges followed by a term of supervised release of no less than 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is investigating the case. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG) provided significant assistance during the ongoing investigation.
Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Jenifer Y. Hernández-Vega, Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit Chief, is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Man Convicted of $5.6M International Advance-Fee SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the Southern District of Texas convicted an Indiana man yesterday for his role in an international advance-fee scheme orchestrated from Nigeria that defrauded victims of over $5.6 million.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from at least February 2015 to January 2018, Tochukwu Nwosisi, 52, of Indianapolis, participated in an advance-fee scheme involving fraudulent offers of investment funding and inheritances to victims around the world. His co-conspirators, who were based in Nigeria, induced victims to make large wire payments to bank accounts in the United States on the false belief that payment of the purported advance fees was necessary before the bank would release their funding or inheritance. Nwosisi served as a money launderer who accepted victim funds into his U.S. bank accounts and directed the proceeds to the ringleaders in Nigeria.
The jury convicted Nwosisi of conspiracy to commit money laundering and concealment money laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 13 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams Jr. of the FBI Houston Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Hileman of the Department of State Office of Inspector General (DOS-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI and DOS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Philip Trout of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Latham for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
Mail Carrier Sentenced for Obstructing the Mail and Diverting Mail PackagesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fall River U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for obstructing the mail by diverting multiple packages in his custody.
Rafael De Los Angeles, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to time served (approximately one day in prison) and six months of supervised release. In December 2023, De Los Angeles pleaded guilty to five counts of obstruction of mail.
On five separate occasions in August 2017, De Los Angeles knowingly and willfully obstructed the passage of five mailed packages he was responsible for delivering. On each occasion, De Los Angeles drove the packages to different locations that were not listed as the delivery addresses. There, he scanned the packages to record them as having been delivered to the correct addresses before ripping off the address labels and giving the packages to someone other than the listed recipients.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kunal Pasricha and Luke Goldworm of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Luzerne County Man Sentenced to 78 Months’ Imprisonment for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Dario George, age 32, of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy Mannion, to 78 months’ imprisonment of the charge of possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, George previously pleaded guilty and admitted to distributing between 280 grams and 400 grams of fentanyl in the Luzerne County area in 2021 and 2022. The charge stems from an investigation in which investigators made four purchases of fentanyl from George and then, on May 19, 2022, obtained a search warrant for George’s residence in Nanticoke. A search of that residence resulted in the seizure of approximately 30,000 individual bags of fentanyl and additional amounts of heroin and cocaine, $8098 in U.S. currency, and drug packaging materials.
The charges against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, 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.
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Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Covington, Louisiana man pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute approximately 1,000 pills laced with fentanyl.
Santana Phillipe Elzy, 23, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
According to court documents, on August 29, 2023, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration followed up on a written complaint alleging drug trafficking at the Motel 6 in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Agents surveilled the motel and were able to narrow down the suspected parties and rooms. During surveillance, agents observed a red Toyota Camry arrive at the Motel 6 to pick up two of the individuals suspected of selling drugs. Once the vehicle departed, agents followed the vehicle across state lines and observed the occupants of the vehicle, who were identified as Christopher Fricke, Kolby Sims, Emma Stoute, and Dakari Sykes, participate in what appeared to be a drug transaction with an individual, later identified as Santana Elzy, at a Wal-Mart parking lot in Louisiana. After the transaction, agents followed the Camry back into Mississippi and conducted a traffic stop where they recovered approximately 1,000 fentanyl laced pills and it was confirmed that Elzy had sold the group the pills for distribution in the Southern District of Mississippi.
According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. The DEA reports that two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal, and one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people. More facts on fentanyl can be found at https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl and https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl.
Elzy plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25, 2024. He faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Christopher Fricke and Emma Stoute have pled guilty and will be sentenced later this year. The cases against Dakari Sykes and Kolby Sims remain pending.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Hofer of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose is prosecuting the case.
Lincoln County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – James Evans Hughes, 51, of Sumerco, pleaded guilty today to distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 28, 2018, Hughes sold a quantity of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in the South Charleston area of Kanawha County. Hughes admitted to that transaction and further admitted to selling methamphetamine to the confidential informant on seven other occasions between July 2018 and November 2018.
Hughes is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Senior States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin is prosecuting 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. 2:23-cr-83.
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Liberty County woman sentenced for passport-related federal violationsRead the Press Release
Beaumont, Texas – A Mexican national illegally living in Dayton has been sentenced to prison for federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.
Margarita Torres Barajas, 50, pleaded guilty to making a false statement on a passport application and aggravated identity theft and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone on March 4, 2024.
According to information presented in court, on October 11, 2021, Barajas entered the U.S. Post Office in Beaumont to apply for a U.S. passport. Barajas claimed to be a citizen of the United States while in fact, she was a citizen of Mexico. Barajas used a social security card and Puerto Rican birth certificate she found in New York City to apply for the passport. The social security card and birth certificate belonged to a U.S. citizen. Barajas also used these items to apply for a state identification card from another state.
This case was investigated by the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Diplomatic Security Service. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reynaldo P. Morin.
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Leader of $6.8 million pandemic fraud scheme sentenced to 5 years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – The leader of a wide-ranging fraud scheme that stole more than $3.3 million from federally funded pandemic assistance programs was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 5 years in prison for wire fraud and money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Paradise Williams, 29, personally received more than $2 million in fraudulent proceeds and spent the money on luxury cars, lavish trips, cosmetic surgery, jewelry, and designer goods. Overall, the fraud ring sought to steal more than $6.8 million, in pandemic benefits from nearly every major pandemic assistance program. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge John H. Chun said, “These were serious and terrible crimes. [Williams and her co-defendants] stole from programs designed to help members of their community during the pandemic.”
“Paradise Williams was relentless in her efforts to steal pandemic benefits throughout the entire duration of our national emergency, and it is unconscionable that she funded a life of luxury by stealing millions in taxpayer funds that should have prevented King County residents from being evicted in the winter,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “Combatting pandemic fraud is a priority for our district, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold individuals accountable for exploiting a national crisis.”
According to records in the case, from June 2020 to February 2022, Williams personally submitted over 125 fraudulent applications for the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program funds administered by King County, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program, and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act unemployment benefits. Williams enlisted over 50 associates, including her five codefendants, to obtain more than $3.3 million by posing as fake tenants, landlords, and small business owners in need of assistance. In submitting these applications, Williams, among other things, created falsified bank statements, tenant ledgers, and landlord attestations.
Upon receipt of the illegal funds, Williams and her associates methodically laundered the funds through cash withdrawals, wire transfers, and expensive luxury purchases. In addition to fraudulently obtaining over $700,000 directly from administrating agencies, Williams received more than $1.2 million in kickback payments from her associates for facilitating the fraudulent submissions.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Williams will pay restitution in the amounts of $2,791,241 to the U.S. Department of the Treasury and $512,730 to the U.S. Small Business Administration. The defendant will forfeit $2,023,104, the proceeds Williams personally obtained through the scheme. Williams will also forfeit a Lexus sedan and a Range Rover SUV that she purchased with the fraudulent gains.
Williams’ codefendants D’Arius Jackson, Tia Robinson, Rayvon Peterson, and David Martinez previously entered guilty pleas for their participation in the scheme. Judge Chun sentenced Jackson to three years in prison and Robinson to 18 months in prison. Martinez is scheduled for sentencing March 11, 2024, and Peterson is scheduled for sentencing March 18, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cindy Chang.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
Lawrence Man Sentenced to over Seven Years for Role in Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.
Francis Manuel Santos Arias, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 87 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In October 2023, Arias pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Arias was indicted by a federal grand jury along with co-defendant Eddy Reyes Tejada in December 2022.
In January 2022, Arias was identified as a cocaine and fentanyl distributor seeking customers in the greater Boston and Lawrence areas. During the investigation, Arias distributed a total of over 700 grams of fentanyl to a cooperating witness over the course of four controlled purchases.
Tejada was sentenced in November 2023 to 70 months in prison and three years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to his role in the drug conspiracy.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Interim Commissioner Shawn Jenkins of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement today. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Fitchburg and Lunenburg Police Departments provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea E. Porter of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty on March 1, 2024 in federal court in Boston to his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.
Fredis Manuel Guerrero Guzman, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue; one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl; and aiding and abetting. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV scheduled sentencing for May 30, 2024.
Guzman was indicted by a federal grand jury along with Melvin Antonio Perez Medina and Fraily Rodriguez Morillo in November 2022.
Between March 2022 and August 2022, Guzman, Morillo and Medina conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue, in Lawrence, Woburn, Wilmington and Andover. Specifically, Guzman and Morillo distributed 50 grams of fentanyl to a cooperating witness in April 2022. In July 2022, Morillo and Perez Medina distributed an additional nearly 130 grams of fentanyl to a cooperating witness on one occasion, as well as over 560 grams of a fentanyl and fentanyl analogue mixture to cooperating witnesses on another occasion.
In August 2022, Perez Medina was arrested and found in possession of nearly two kilograms of a mixture containing fentanyl and a fentanyl analogue hidden inside of a cereal box.
On Jan. 18, 2024, Perez Medina was sentenced to 64 months in prison and three years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to his role in the conspiracy. Morillo pleaded guilty on Feb. 12, 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 31, 2024.
The charges of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue, and of possession with intent to distribute and/or distribution of 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue, each provide for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charges of distribution and/or possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl as well as aiding and abetting provide for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. The Massachusetts Department of Correction; the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office; and the Watertown, Reading, Peabody, Hudson, Concord and Waltham Police Departments provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.