Eastern District of California

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a single-count indictment today against Juan Manriquez, 20, of Antioch, and Andrew Tuma, 19, of Sacramento, charging them with unlawful manufacturing and dealing in firearms, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Tuma used the Snapchat app to advertise narcotics and guns for sale. Law enforcement used undercover officers and a confidential informant to buy guns from Tuma. Tuma is 19 years old and cannot legally purchase a gun in the state of California. Instead, Tuma ordered kits from the internet, including from a company called Polymer80, a licensed firearms manufacturer in Nevada, and manufactured his own firearms and then sold the guns. As part of the undercover investigation, law enforcement purchased firearms from Manriquez. Manriquez sold both commercially manufactured guns that had been converted to machine guns and privately made firearms without serial numbers (commonly called “ghost guns”).

This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Western El Dorado Narcotics Enforcement Team. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Tuma and Manriquez face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is being 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.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Christine M. Iwamoto, 47, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in relation to a scheme to divert funds from the California Department of Public Health, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Iwamoto was employed by the Office of AIDS within the California Department of Public Health until March 2018. The Office of AIDS is responsible for working on behalf of the State of California to combat the HIV and AIDS epidemic.

Between December 2017 and November 2018, Iwamoto participated in a scheme that was coordinated by Schenelle Flores, also employed at the Office of AIDS, to defraud the Office of AIDS. Flores, Iwamoto, other participants in the scheme, and their families and friends obtained at least $2 million in personal benefits, including cash and purchased items.

According to court documents, as part of the scheme, Flores directed a state contractor to make payments allegedly on behalf of the Office of AIDS and caused the contractor to charge those payments to the state. Flores caused the contractor to pay for personal expenses on its debit cards, order gift cards for personal use, and pay false invoices to shell companies for services allegedly provided to the Office of AIDS.

According to her plea agreement, Iwamoto set up a shell company and coordinated with Flores to submit invoices to the state contractor. Those invoices falsely claimed that Iwamoto’s company had provided various consulting and meeting facilitation services to the Office of AIDS. Iwamoto received $450,000 in payments as a result of the invoices. Iwamoto then gave thousands of dollars in cash and blank checks to another employee of the Office of AIDS who was participating in the scheme. Iwamoto also participated in obtaining the gift cards from the state contractor and received hundreds of the gift cards for her personal use.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was referred by the California Department of Public Health and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Miriam R. Hinman and Christopher S. Hales are prosecuting the case.

Iwamoto is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on Feb. 24, 2022. For the wire fraud count, Iwamoto faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. For the count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, Iwamoto faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000 or twice the property involved in the transactions, whichever is greater.

On Feb. 11, 2021, Flores pleaded guilty to wire fraud in a related case, United States v. Flores, 2:21-cr-025 TLN. Flores is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on Jan. 20, 2022. Flores faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater.

The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 12-count indictment today against Travis Gober, 42, of Hanford, charging him with health care fraud and aggravated identity theft, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Gober owns and controls VIP Sleep Center, a sleep disorder clinic that operated out of Fresno and Visalia. Sleep disorder clinics perform diagnostic tests to identify ailments like sleep apnea and narcolepsy. Between January 2015 and September 2021, Gober caused VIP Sleep to bill Medicare for sleep tests the company did not actually perform. Each of these claims also listed a provider who had purportedly referred the patient to VIP Sleep even though the provider had not done so. In total, Gober caused VIP Sleep to submit more than $10 million in false and fraudulent Medicare claims.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vincente A. Tennerelli and Melanie L. Alsworth are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Gober faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the health care fraud charges and a mandatory two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft charges. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — David McDaniels, 29, of Fairfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for possession of a stolen firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, McDaniels has a lengthy criminal history, which includes multiple felony convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, and inflicting corporal injury on a spouse.

According to court documents, on May 22, 2018, law enforcement officers arrived at a motel room in Vacaville to search the room pursuant to the probation search terms of one of the room’s occupants. After identifying themselves as law enforcement and demanding entry into the room, the officers heard items inside the room rustling as well as the sound of a toilet bowl lid being removed and manipulated. The officers requested entry into the room once more and attempted to use a key to open the room, but the door was deadbolted from the inside.

Eventually, a shirtless male later identified as McDaniels opened the door. When one of the officers grabbed McDaniels’s hands to detain him, the officer noticed that both of McDaniels’s hands were wet. McDaniels told officers he had just gotten out of the shower. Police dispatch confirmed that there was an active warrant for his arrest and that he was on state parole following a burglary conviction. While this was happening, officers searched the air conditioning vent in the room. Inside the vent, officers found a stolen and loaded Ruger 9 mm pistol. The gun was wet, and there was a trail of water leading from the bathroom to a chair directly underneath the vent. A records check of the firearm’s serial number revealed that it was unregistered in the State of California.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Vacaville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Audrey Hemesath and Sam Stefanki prosecuted the case.

This case is being 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.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 13-count indictment on Oct. 21 against Jonathan Patrick Turrentine, 39, of Sacramento, charging him with 11 counts of distribution of controlled substances, including methamphetamine, amphetamine, MDMA (ecstasy), LSD, and psilocybin (psychedelic mushrooms), one count of possession with intent to distribute psilocybin, and one count of money laundering, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Turrentine is charged with operating vendor pages on darknet marketplaces, selling drugs and other contraband. Turrentine used various aliases on the different sites, including “CaliPlugMike” and “DatCubensisBoy.” On the darknet’s Empire Marketplace site, he advertised for sale LSD, cocaine, Xanax pills, Adderall pills, psilocybin mushrooms, ecstasy, and marijuana products, including edibles, vape pens and cartridges, as well as marijuana buds in gram, ounce, and pound quantities. Turrentine also offered for sale compromised email account identifiers and passwords. Turrentine accepted payment exclusively in bitcoin, or other cryptocurrency, as is common to darknet transactions.

Court documents indicate that investigators became aware of Turrentine in November 2018, when a suspicious package addressed to him arrived at a Sacramento-area post office and a drug-sniffing dog alerted to it. Investigators questioned him about the package, but Turrentine denied all knowledge.

At the time, Turrentine was on probation from a prior conviction for accessing a computer network to obtain money, property, or data wrongfully. During a search of his residence, investigators found one computer powered-on and observed communications consistent with operating a darknet vendor site, apparently distributing narcotics. Data on that computer indicate that Turrentine was operating several darknet vendor accounts under the names “Mushmike1776,” “Calicartconnect,” “Calicarts,” “Bigboycarts,” and “Californiabudz.”

In December 2019, Sacramento agents learned that federal and local law enforcement agencies in Orange County were investigating the death of an 18-year-old whom they believe committed suicide after taking counterfeit Xanax purchased on the darknet. The victim’s computer showed the victim bought products through darknet market accounts, including from “CaliPlugMike,” on the Empire Marketplace. Agents determined that the delivery to the victim from CaliPlugMike had been mailed from Sacramento. Around this time, agents also became aware of another darknet vendor operating in San Diego, whom San Diego agents believed to be sourcing drugs from CaliPlugMike.

Over the next year, investigators in Sacramento, San Diego, and Orange County continued to track Turrentine via his darknet activity, which appeared extensive. As of April 4, 2020, CaliPlugMike had 904 customer reviews on Empire Marketplace, with a customer service rating of 97.13% positive market feedback.

Posing as Empire Marketplace customers, federal agents placed orders from Turrentine for marijuana, MDMA, LSD, and various pills purporting to be Adderall, Xanax, and Viagra. Agents also bought a list of 1.4 billion email addresses and passwords for $1, which Turrentine’s vendor page described as “compiled from over 100 breaches into a simple plain text file you can read.” His page further explained that “most people have changed their email password but most people use the same password across multiple sites.” Agents paid for all orders in bitcoin or another cryptocurrency.

With every undercover order agents placed, they confirmed from post office security camera footage that Turrentine was the person who mailed the shipment. Agents noted that he paid for the postage at the post office’s self-serve kiosks, using a debit card. An investigation of Turrentine’s financial records showed that the funds on his debit card had come from a cryptocurrency exchange in the United Kingdom. Records further indicated that Turrentine had been transferring bitcoin to that cryptocurrency exchange, in exchange for U.S. dollars, then transferring those dollars to his debit card account. According to court documents, the quantity of bitcoin that Turrentine exchanged was far greater than what he could have acquired through his legitimate income sources.

Beginning on April 4, 2020, however, customer feedback on CaliPlugMike’s Empire Marketplace vendor page indicated that he had performed an exit scam – a ruse in which a vendor takes a number of orders with payment, but then disappears from the marketplace without filling the orders. Around that date, in the “About” section of the CaliPlugMike’s page, Turrentine changed his vendor information to one word: “GOODBYE.”

A few months later, a suspicious package, destined for Iowa, was found that fit the profile of packages agents had received from Turrentine, but from a vendor named “DatCubensisBoy,” on the Dark Market site. Agents acting undercover then placed orders from DatCubensisBoy, via Dark Market, for what he advertised as psychedelic mushroom spores. The packaging in which DatCubensisBoy mailed the spores appeared in all respects the same as the packaging Turrentine had used when shipping orders placed through his CaliPlugMike page. Post Office surveillance footage from the time and place DatCubensisBoy’s orders had been mailed again confirmed that Turrentine mailed them.

On Sept. 27, 2021, agents arrested Turrentine and searched his residence where they found a psychedelic mushroom cultivation operation, processed mushrooms, ready for shipment, as well as the same packaging and shipping materials Turrentine had used to send his prior packages. A review of Turrentine’s computer revealed that he had been actively operating vendor sites on the darknet under the moniker “Fantasticfungi.” Agents also found evidence on the computer confirming that Turrentine had been using the monikers “CaliPlugMike” and “DatCubensisBoy.”

This case is the product of an investigation by the Northern California Illicit Digital Economy (NCIDE) task force, a team composed of agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the California National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Conolly is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Turrentine faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine for each count of distribution and the count of possession with intent to distribute. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted of the money laundering count and a fine of up to $500,000, or twice the value of the property involved in the money laundering activity, whichever is greater. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

FRESNO, Calif. — Jose Mario Quintero Beltran, 31, a citizen of Mexico unlawfully residing in Bakersfield, was sentenced today to nine years in prison for possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on March 31, 2021, Quintero Beltran arranged to meet a customer at a Bakersfield shopping mall and sell him 20,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl for $42,000. During their meeting, Quintero Beltran also offered to sell the customer methamphetamine. Afterwards, law enforcement officers searched Quintero Beltran’s vehicle and residence and located a total of 51,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, packages containing an additional 15 kilograms of fentanyl, one kilogram of cocaine, and approximately 1 pound of pure methamphetamine, all of which Quintero Beltran intended to distribute to others.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Baker prosecuted the case.

FRESNO, Calif. — Eugene Dajohn Marshall, 31, of Fresno, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to two years and eight months in prison, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Oct. 15, 2019, law enforcement officers were called to a domestic violence disturbance at Marshall’s home. Marshall, a previously convicted felon prohibited by law from possessing firearms and ammunition, was found to be in possession of a loaded firearm and additional rounds of ammunition.

This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Massey prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

FRESNO, Calif. — Alena Nicole George, 43, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to access device fraud, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, from February through April 2019, George used a credit card that was fraudulently opened in the identity of a victim with a name similar to her own name to make $100,000 in purchases at national retailers and cash advances at a national bank.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vincente Tennerelli and Joseph Barton are prosecuting the case.

George is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Jan. 21, 2022. George faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Israel Covarrubias, 29, of Woodland, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to 15 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and carrying a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in 2017, Covarrubias and others sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant working for law enforcement. In 2018, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Covarrubias’s residence in Woodland. Covarrubias fled out the back door of the residence with a loaded Glock pistol and a pound of cocaine as law enforcement officers were entering the front door of the residence.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office, the Woodland Police Department, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee prosecuted the case.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case is being 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.

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against Ricardo Ballardo Quintero, 33, and Juan Suarez Jr., 28, both of Modesto, with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and three counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Quintero and Suarez were arrested after delivering 199 pounds of methamphetamine to undercover law enforcement officers. Search warrants executed at the homes of both men and vehicles seen leaving those homes shortly after their arrest yielded a total of an additional 27 pounds of methamphetamine, packaging materials, a digital scale, pay owe sheets, receipts for multi-gallon acetone purchases, and approximately $18,500 in cash.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Stanislaus Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Massey is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Quintero and Suarez each face a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a $10 million fine, and a term of supervised release of at least five years. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

FRESNO, Calif. — Alfredo Garcia Jr., 27, of Fresno, was sentenced today to 10 years and eight months in prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin and methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between Dec. 1, 2020 and Jan. 26, 2021, Garcia, who was an inmate at the Fresno County Jail, conspired with another inmate and others outside of jail to smuggle methamphetamine and heroin into the jail for distribution among inmates. The plot was discovered when law enforcement agents reviewed recorded jail calls and learned about the attempted smuggling set to occur on Jan. 26. On that date, law enforcement officers intercepted an individual attempting to deliver athletic shoes to the jail for an inmate. The shoes were searched, and hidden compartments were found inside the shoes containing the illicit narcotics.

This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Fresno Police Department, and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio prosecuted the case.

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Robbie Soto, 26, of Fresno, charging him with unlawfully possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony crime, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Sept. 22, 2021, Soto was a passenger in a car that officers attempted to stop for a traffic violation. Soto fled from the car and led officers on a chase. Law enforcement officers eventually caught up to him, arrested him, and recovered two loaded firearms, one of which was equipped with a loaded high-capacity magazine. Soto has been convicted of felonies two times, in Fresno County in 2016 and in federal court in 2018.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. Pataca is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Soto faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is being 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.

FRESNO, Calif. — An indictment was unsealed today following the arrest of Bobbi Jo Heiss, 34, of Fresno, charging her with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. 

A federal grand jury returned a 10-count indictment on October 14.

According to court documents, between August 2020 and September 2021, Heiss engaged in a scheme to steal debit cards, checks, identity documents, and banking information in order to make fraudulent purchases, cash checks, and open unauthorized lines of credit. It is alleged that caused at least $250,000 in actual and attempted loss during that year-long period.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office - Elder Abuse Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Withers is prosecuting the case.

If convicted of bank fraud, Heiss faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. If convicted of the aggravated identity theft, Heiss faces a mandatory, consecutive sentence of two years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Juan Carlos Cortez-Gomez, 51, of Riverbank, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Sept. 15, 2020, Cortez-Gomez agreed to sell methamphetamine to an FBI informant. When Cortez-Gomez arrived at the location for the sale, he was arrested by officers. A search of his truck revealed 10 pounds of methamphetamine. During a post-arrest statement, Cortez-Gomez admitted he knowingly possessed this methamphetamine and that he was planning to sell it.

This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force, the California Highway Patrol, and the Stockton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.

Cortez-Gomez is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 31, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller. Cortez-Gomez faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case is being 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.

FRESNO, Calif. — Luis Madrigal-Reyes, 37, a native and citizen of Mexico, was sentenced today to two years and five months in prison for conspiring to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

Madrigal was also ordered to pay $48,000 in restitution to the U.S. Forest Service for the extreme damage that the cultivation operation had on public land.

According to court documents, the cultivation operation consisted of 2,307 marijuana plants in the Sierra National Forest in Madera County. U.S. Forest Service agents saw Madrigal carrying fertilizers into the grow site and later apprehended him after they chased him down the side of a mountain. The cultivation operation caused significant damage to the area, which serves as habitat for the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog, an endangered species and the California spotted owl, which is currently being considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Agents found deadly banned pesticides sprayed directly on the plants.

The cultivation site was located in the Chiquito Creek watershed, which drains into the Fresno River before flowing into the San Joaquin River. Approximately 8.55 million gallons of water had been diverted from a nearby natural stream to irrigate the marijuana plants.

This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP) of the California Department of Justice, and the Madera County Sheriff’s Office. The environmental damage to the forest was analyzed and documented by Integral Ecology Research Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to the research and conservation of wildlife and their ecosystems. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen A. Escobar is prosecuting the case.

Madrigal’s co-defendant, Lester Eduardo Cardenas Flores, 24, also a native and citizen of Mexico, is scheduled for sentencing on Nov. 15, 2021. He faces a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison, as well as a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Marijuana plant sprayed with deadly pesticide Marijuana plant sprayed with deadly pesticide

 

A former civilian employee of the Department of Defense arrived in the United States Friday from Germany to face a charge for assaulting a U.S. military member in the Republic of Korea last year.

According to court documents, Gerald Leon Ray III, 25, of Lathrop, California, intentionally struck an individual in the side of the head, causing the victim serious bodily injury. The alleged assault occurred on July 26, 2020, in the Republic of Korea, where Ray was employed by the Defense Commissary Agency, a component of the Department of Defense. The victim was an active-duty member in the U.S. Army.

On June 17, a grand jury in the Eastern District of California indicted Ray on one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. The charge was brought under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA), which establishes U.S. jurisdiction over certain offenses committed abroad by, among others, civilian employees of the Armed Forces. 

On Oct. 13, U.S. military authorities arrested Ray on a U.S. military installation in Germany. That same day, Ray had his initial appearance remotely before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremy Peterson. On Oct. 14, Judge Peterson ordered that Ray be removed from Germany to the United States pursuant to MEJA.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert of the Eastern District of California, Special Agent Andrew D. Franz of the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations – Osan Air Base Korea and Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office made the announcement.

The U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the FBI are investigating this case, with valuable assistance by the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigation Division and U.S. Marshals Service in connection with the arrest, initial detention and transport of Ray.

Trial Attorney John-Alex Romano of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Heiko P. Coppola for the Eastern District of California are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

FRESNO, Calif. — Steven Martin, 39, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to burglarizing a post office, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in December 2018, Martin burglarized eight different post offices in Kern, Kings, and Tulare counties. He stole cash registers, packages containing clothes, and other mail, and caused thousands of dollars in damages.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case.

Martin is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Jan. 14, 2022. Martin faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

FRESNO, Calif. — Raylon Thijay Randle, 24, of Bakersfield, was charged today by a federal grand jury with being a felon in possession of ammunition, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Aug. 19, 2021, law enforcement officers stopped a vehicle in which Randle was a passenger and discovered that he possessed a 9 mm handgun loaded with 31 rounds of ammunition. Randle cannot lawfully possess firearms or ammunition because he was convicted in 2016 of first degree burglary and in 2018 of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Baker is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Randle faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charge is only an allegation; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is being 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.

FRESNO, Calif. — On Oct. 7, 2021, a grand jury returned an indictment against Kenneth Gould, 65, of Clovis, charging him with bank larceny for stealing over $1 million from a federally insured financial institution, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

The indictment was unsealed today, and Gould will be arraigned tomorrow on Oct. 14.

According to court documents, Gould was a CPA in Clovis who owned and operated a payroll services company. From October 2017 through March 2018, he initiated over 90 fraudulent Automated Clearing House (ACH) payments totaling over $20 million from one of his clients’ accounts to his payroll company’s account at the same bank. An ACH payment is a type of Electronic Funds Transfer used to move money from one bank account to another account.

Based on its prior business relationship with Gould, the bank credited the fraudulent ACH payments to the payroll company’s account before it realized there were insufficient funds to cover the payments, denied them, and attempted to recover its money. Over $1 million of the credited funds, however, was gone because Gould withdrew the money while the payments were pending. Gould withdrew the money in cash, cashier’s checks, and online transfers to other accounts to which he had access. The bank made several demands to Gould for repayment. He repeatedly promised to repay the funds, but never did so.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Barton is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Gould faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after considering any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account several variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Ian Hoffmann, 42, of Bell Canyon, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Hoffmann and his co-conspirators sold heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine using the dark web vendor accounts CALICARTEL and BUXOMBRUNETTE on the dark web Dream marketplace, PLAYGROUND on the Silk Road 3.1 marketplace, and GAMBINOCRIMEFAMILY on the Wall Street Market. Federal agents served a search warrant at Hoffmann’s residence in May 2019, and seized more than 2 kilograms of a mixture or substance containing heroin, more than 7 kilograms of a mixture or substance containing cocaine, and more than 19 kilograms of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine. Agents also seized a firearm and cryptocurrency as part of their investigation into Hoffman’s narcotics distribution operation.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Northern California Illicit Digital Economy (NCIDE) Task Force, which includes agents from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The NCIDE Task Force is a federal task force focused on targeting all forms of illicit dark web and cryptocurrency activity in the Eastern District of California and beyond. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Hemesath and Sam Stefanki are prosecuting the case.

Hoffmann is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on Jan. 11, 2022. Hoffmann faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

A California man was sentenced today to 55 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for sexual exploitation of a minor and distribution of child pornography.

Jacob Blanco, 29, of Fresno, pleaded guilty in May 2020 to sexual exploitation of a minor and receipt and distribution of material involving sexual exploitation of minors. According to court documents, Blanco’s activities were discovered in March 2017 when the parents of a then six-year-old discovered the child had communicated with and created sexually explicit images at the request of another user on the social media application Musical.ly (now TikTok). Law enforcement investigators subsequently identified the offender as Blanco.

Investigators thereafter searched Blanco’s residence and digital devices and discovered that he had successfully persuaded and coerced multiple minors to produce sexually explicit material. Blanco used various methods of deception and enticement, including by pretending to be a modeling agent or to be a minor himself. Blanco used Snapchat, Kik, Musical.ly and other applications to communicate with minor females for the purpose of having those minors create and transmit to him images of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Blanco admitted, as part of his plea agreement, that he communicated with at least 50 minors and asked for and received sexually explicit images from many of them.

“The defendant used an array of social media to target and manipulate young children,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “I commend the investigative and prosecution teams for their success in removing a dangerous child predator from the community. While no amount of jail time can undo the pain caused in this case, I hope today’s sentence brings a sense of justice and healing to those harmed by the defendant’s crimes.”

“Today’s sentence is warranted due to the seriousness of the defendant’s conduct, the large number of minor victims, and the impact that the defendant’s conduct has had – and will continue to have – on the dozens of children victimized by the defendant,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California. “The fact that the defendant used social media to sexually exploit the victims serves as a reminder that the internet can be a dangerous place especially for children.”

“The abuse and exploitation of children is deeply cruel, violating the trust and safety of victims, which generates trauma that may never fully heal. We hope today’s sentence provides some measure of justice to those he harmed,” said Special Agent in Charge Tatum King of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “HSI stands ready with its local, state and federal partners to bring a network of resources and its international law enforcement capabilities to bare against those who seek to exploit our most vulnerable. HSI appreciates the dedicated work of its special agents, computer forensics agents, criminal analysts, victim witness coordinators and forensic interviewers, together with the investigative and prosecutorial teams of our law enforcement partners, who are unwavering in their commitment to pursue these predators.”

HSI investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by the Fresno County Sherriff’s Office and the Fresno Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Gappa of the Eastern District of California and Trial Attorney Nadia C. Prinz of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Fresno man was sentenced today to 55 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a minor and distribution of child pornography.

Jacob Blanco, 29, of Fresno, pleaded guilty in May 2020 to sexual exploitation of a minor and receipt and distribution of material involving sexual exploitation of minors. According to court documents, Blanco’s activities were discovered in March 2017 when the parents of a then six-year-old discovered the child had communicated with and created sexually explicit images at the request of another user on the social media application Musical.ly (now TikTok). Law enforcement investigators subsequently identified the offender as Blanco.

Investigators thereafter searched Blanco’s residence and digital devices and discovered that he had successfully persuaded and coerced multiple minors to produce sexually explicit material. Blanco used various methods of deception and enticement, including by pretending to be a modeling agent or to be a minor himself. Blanco used Snapchat, Kik, Musical.ly, and other applications to communicate with minor females for the purpose of having those minors create and transmit to him images of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Blanco admitted, as part of his plea agreement, that he communicated with at least 50 minors and asked for and received sexually explicit images from many of them.

“The defendant used an array of social media to target and manipulate young children,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “I commend the investigative and prosecution teams for their success in removing a dangerous child predator from the community. While no amount of jail time can undo the pain caused in this case, I hope today’s sentence brings a sense of justice and healing to those harmed by the defendant’s crimes.”

“Today’s sentence is warranted due to the seriousness of the defendant’s conduct, the large number of minor victims, and the impact that the defendant’s conduct has had — and will continue to have — on the dozens of children victimized by the defendant,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert. “The fact that the defendant used social media to sexually exploit the victims serves as a reminder that the internet can be a dangerous place especially for children.”

“The abuse and exploitation of children is deeply cruel, violating the trust and safety of victims which generates trauma that may never fully heal. We hope today’s sentence provides some measure of justice to those he harmed,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. “HSI stands ready with its local, state and federal partners to bring a network of resources and its international law enforcement capabilities to bare against those who seek to exploit our most vulnerable. HSI appreciates the dedicated work of its special agents, computer forensics agents, criminal analysts, victim witness coordinators, and forensic interviewers, together with the investigative and prosecutorial teams of our law enforcement partners who are unwavering in their commitment to pursue these predators.”

The case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Gappa and Trial Attorney Nadia C. Prinz of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Fresno man was sentenced today to 55 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a minor and distribution of child pornography.

Jacob Blanco, 29, of Fresno, pleaded guilty in May 2020 to sexual exploitation of a minor and receipt and distribution of material involving sexual exploitation of minors. According to court documents, Blanco’s activities were discovered in March 2017 when the parents of a then six-year-old discovered the child had communicated with and created sexually explicit images at the request of another user on the social media application Musical.ly (now TikTok). Law enforcement investigators subsequently identified the offender as Blanco.

Investigators thereafter searched Blanco’s residence and digital devices and discovered that he had successfully persuaded and coerced multiple minors to produce sexually explicit material. Blanco used various methods of deception and enticement, including by pretending to be a modeling agent or to be a minor himself. Blanco used Snapchat, Kik, Musical.ly, and other applications to communicate with minor females for the purpose of having those minors create and transmit to him images of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Blanco admitted, as part of his plea agreement, that he communicated with at least 50 minors and asked for and received sexually explicit images from many of them.

“The defendant used an array of social media to target and manipulate young children,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “I commend the investigative and prosecution teams for their success in removing a dangerous child predator from the community. While no amount of jail time can undo the pain caused in this case, I hope today’s sentence brings a sense of justice and healing to those harmed by the defendant’s crimes.”

“Today’s sentence is warranted due to the seriousness of the defendant’s conduct, the large number of minor victims, and the impact that the defendant’s conduct has had — and will continue to have — on the dozens of children victimized by the defendant,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert. “The fact that the defendant used social media to sexually exploit the victims serves as a reminder that the internet can be a dangerous place especially for children.”

“The abuse and exploitation of children is deeply cruel, violating the trust and safety of victims which generates trauma that may never fully heal. We hope today’s sentence provides some measure of justice to those he harmed,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. “HSI stands ready with its local, state and federal partners to bring a network of resources and its international law enforcement capabilities to bare against those who seek to exploit our most vulnerable. HSI appreciates the dedicated work of its special agents, computer forensics agents, criminal analysts, victim witness coordinators, and forensic interviewers, together with the investigative and prosecutorial teams of our law enforcement partners who are unwavering in their commitment to pursue these predators.”

The case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Gappa and Trial Attorney Nadia C. Prinz of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Kevron Marques Byrd, 21, of Fresno, charging him with being a felon in possession of ammunition, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Byrd, who was on supervision following a prison sentence for a 2019 conviction for a firearms offense, was stopped by officers on July 7, 2021. Officers found a backpack that Byrd had dropped inside an apartment that contained a ghost gun, a privately made firearm with no serial number, equipped with a high capacity magazine and 32 rounds of ammunition.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Jean Berger is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Byrd faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is being 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.

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Salvador Ortiz-Padilla, 24, of Fresno, charging him with possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl pills, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Sept. 22, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a residence of a suspected fentanyl-pill dealer, Ortiz-Padilla. During the search of the residence, agents found approximately 9,000 fentanyl pills hidden in a safe that Ortiz-Padilla controlled.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Fentanyl Overdose Resolution Team, a multi‑agency team composed of Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Ortiz-Padilla faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.) a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — David Lee White, 56, of Chandler, Arizona, pleaded guilty on Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021, to two counts of distribution of heroin, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, White and co-defendants Jason Keith Arnold, 47, and Alicia McCoy, 33, both also of Chandler, Arizona, operated the vendor accounts SICKNESSVERSION2 and 23MIGHTYMOUSE23 on the dark web marketplace known as Dream. These vendor accounts distributed heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, and other federally controlled substances on the dark web.

Law enforcement agents working undercover purchased heroin and other controlled substances from these vendor accounts on various dates in 2018, and had them sent to an address in the Eastern District of California. Agents subsequently executed a search warrant at a motel room in which White and McCoy were staying and seized at least 315 grams of heroin, 45 grams of cocaine, 593 grams of methamphetamine, and 30 grams of marijuana. Agents also seized a loaded and unregistered Kel-tec 9 mm handgun from a nightstand in the motel room.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Northern California Illicit Digital Economy (NCIDE) Task Force, which includes agents from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The NCIDE Task Force is a federal task force focused on targeting all forms of illicit dark web and cryptocurrency activity in the Eastern District of California and beyond. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Hemesath and Sam Stefanki are prosecuting the case.

Arnold pleaded guilty on March 5, 2020, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 18, 2021. Charges are pending against McCoy, and a status conference is scheduled for Oct. 28, 2021. The charges against her are allegations; she is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

White is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. on Jan. 6, 2022. White faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine on each count to which he pleaded guilty. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Johnathan Shane Blakeley, 27, of Vallejo, pleaded guilty today to unlawfully possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony crime, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Sept. 20, 2019, law enforcement officers attempted to stop Blakeley for a traffic violation, but Blakeley refused to yield and led police on a high-speed chase through Vallejo. Blakeley crashed his car on Interstate 80 and got out of his car and ran through several lanes of traffic. He tried to get into the passenger seat of a car that stopped. After police apprehended Blakeley, they found a Glock 9 mm pistol with a high-capacity magazine in his car. Blakeley cannot lawfully possess firearms or ammunition because he has previously been convicted of three felony offenses. When the current offense took place, Blakeley was on federal probation. He had just been released from federal prison less than 30 days prior, after having served a 30-month sentence for possessing a firearm as a felon. During his guilty plea, Blakeley also admitted that he violated the terms of his federal supervision by committing this new offense while on supervised release for his previous federal offense.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Vallejo Police Department, with assistance from the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force and the Solano County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.

Blakeley is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 11, 2022, by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez. Blakeley faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case is being 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.

FRESNO, Calif. — On Monday, Oct. 4, U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd sentenced Doroteo Gonzales Jr., 26, of Turlock, to two years and six months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Feb. 23, 2021, Gonzales was arrested in Modesto after a firearm was located under his clothes during a parole search. Gonzales was previously convicted of several felonies and was on parole for robbery at the time of his arrest.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Modesto Police Department, the Turlock Police Department, and the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Schuh prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

FRESNO, Calif. — Morgan Wency Ventura Sanchez, 24, of Fresno, was sentenced today to six years and six months in prison for possessing hundreds of fentanyl pills with intent to distribute them and illegally possessing a firearm in furtherance of the offense, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in August 2020 federal and local law enforcement officers were investigating Ventura Sanchez for dealing fentanyl pills. On Aug. 24, 2020, officers searched Ventura Sanchez’s car, person, and residence and found hundreds of fentanyl pills, as well as other controlled substances, including heroin, cocaine, and marijuana. Officers also found a loaded firearm close to Ventura Sanchez’s drug stash. Ventura Sanchez was arrested and pleaded guilty to federal drug and gun charges.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Fentanyl Overdose Resolution Team, a multi‑agency team composed of Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.) a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.

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.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Christopher Young, 45, of El Dorado Hills, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to 18 months in prison and a $50,000 fine for tampering with monitoring equipment, unlawful discharge of industrial wastewater, and conspiracy, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

Young was Director of Operations for Community Fuels from 2010 to 2016. Community Fuels is registered in San Joaquin County by American Biodiesel Inc. and manufactured biodiesel fuel on property leased from the Port of Stockton

According to court documents, Young participated in a scheme to discharge hundreds of thousands of gallons of polluted wastewater by various unlawful means, including the discharge of wastewater directly into Stockton’s sewer system after tampering with pH sensors and discharge flow monitors to hide evidence of the dumping. Young also directed others to cause a discharge on various dates using improvised hidden hoses and pipes that ultimately connected to the city’s sewer system.

The City of Stockton issued wastewater permits to American Biodiesel that allowed the limited discharge of wastewater into the sewer system under specific standards—a limitation on the total volume discharged per month, an allowable range of pH readings, and a restriction on the concentration of methanol. American Biodiesel had previously represented to the City of Stockton that unpermitted wastewater would be transported offsite to an appropriate facility for treatment. Young’s actions circumvented these restrictions through equipment tampering and unauthorized dumping.

In one instance in 2016, the City of Stockton conducted a surprise inspection and found plant personnel engaged in a procedure that misreported the pH level data and the flow rate of wastewater being discharged into the Stockton sewer system. The City issued an immediate cease and desist order. Young then met with the city inspectors and told them that the discharge was an accident and employees had been disciplined for the act. But later, Young sent an email instructing an employee to restart the wastewater dumping into the sewer because inspectors were unlikely to appear after hours.

“Violating the environmental laws of the United States can carry criminal consequences, potentially including time in prison,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Talbert. “Protecting the environment for our community and future generations is critical, and those who violate our environmental laws will be held accountable.”

“Our nation’s environmental laws are designed to protect our communities, natural resources, and critical infrastructure from hazardous pollutants,” said Special Agent in Charge Scot Adair of EPA’s criminal investigation program in California. “The sentencing outcomes in this case demonstrate that companies and individuals that intentionally violate those laws will be held responsible for their crimes.”

On July 8, 2019, Judge Mueller sentenced American Biodiesel for violations of the Clean Water Act when it allowed the discharge of industrial wastewater into the City of Stockton sewer system. American Biodiesel admitted to tampering with monitoring devices and methods designed to detect such violations, and admitted that employees tampered with pH recordings and flow meters for the purpose of underreporting acid and pollutant levels and volumes that would have exceeded the figures allowed under the city’s regulations.

This case was the product of an investigation by the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office, the City of Stockton Municipal Utilities Department, the San Joaquin County Environmental Health Department, the Port of Stockton, and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip A. Scarborough and Paul Hemesath prosecuted the case.

FRESNO, Calif. — Rodolfo Cardenas-Lara, 44, a Mexican national unlawfully residing in Bakersfield who has been removed from the United States on five occasions, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for unlawfully distributing methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

On July 16, 2021, co-defendant Cesar Larios-Ortega, 40, also a Mexican national unlawfully residing in Bakersfield, was sentenced to seven years in prison.

According to court documents, during two meetings in May 2019, Cardenas-Lara and Larios-Ortega sold 12 pounds of methamphetamine to a customer in Kern County at a negotiated price of $1,750 per pound.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Baker prosecuted the case.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Marcos Lucero, 30, of Santa Ana, charging him with sexual exploitation of a child, receipt of child pornography, and coercion and enticement, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between Aug. 13 and 19, 2021, Lucero asked an 11-year-old girl for explicit pictures, and she sent them to him via email. Lucero continued communicating with her when unbeknownst to him, an undercover law enforcement agent took over the minor victim’s account. Lucero suggested meeting up for sex, and traveled from Santa Ana to Fresno to have sex with the 11-year-old on Sept. 15, 2021.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Yang is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Lucero faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for sexual exploitation of a child, and a maximum of life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the coercion and enticement charge. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contact: Lauren Horwood

Thursday, September 30, 2021

 

Public Affairs Officer

EDCA.gov | @EDCAnews

 

Lauren.Horwood@usdoj.gov

 

San Joaquin County Man Sentenced for Selling Drugs on the Dark Web Under the Moniker Phantomlab

 

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Cody Boyd, 26, of Woodbridge, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to three years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute testosterone, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert  announced.

According to court documents, in December 2017, law enforcement agents began monitoring PhantomLabs, an online storefront on Dream Market, a dark web sales site. Agents identified Boyd, as the owner and operator of this store, which sold, among other things: anabolic steroids (including testosterone, deca durabolin, oxymetholone (Anadrol), oxandrolone (Anavar), methandrostenolone (Dianabol), and boldenone (Equipoise)), cocaine, Xanax pills, and pound-quantities of marijuana.

PhantomLabs had joined Dream Market on May 27, 2017. Less than 10 months later, on March 23, 2018, it had 620 customer reviews presenting an average satisfaction rating of 4.9 on a five-point scale.

On March 26, 2018, agents executed search warrants at Boyd’s home and business. In total, agents found more than 100 pounds of steroids – at least 1,500 vials of liquid steroids and approximately 10 pounds of powder steroids. They also found approximately 20 pounds of marijuana and 50 Xanax pills. Additionally, agents found more than $26,500 in cash, an AR-15-style rifle registered to him, more than 10 fraudulent drivers licenses bearing Boyd’s photo and false names, various items bearing the PhantomLabs brand logo, packets of suspected butane honey oil, and an electronic money counter. Agents also found a Sig Sauer handgun in Boyd’s truck. At Boyd’s business unit, agents found a digital scale, about 50 U.S. Postal Service parcels, and a folder containing indicia for Boyd and Team Phantom.

Agents seized Boyd’s Ford Shelby GT 350, which he valued at $120,000, about $95,000 in currency and bank accounts, and about 2.2 bitcoins.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Northern California Illicit Digital Economy Task Force (NCIDE), composed of agents from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and IRS Criminal Investigation. The NCIDE Task Force is a federal task force focused on targeting all forms of dark web and cryptocurrency activity in the Eastern District of California. Assistant United States Attorney Paul Hemesath prosecuted the case.

 

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Tyler Shayne Nelson, 28, of Rancho Cordova, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. to 15 years in prison to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release for sexual exploitation of a child, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in June 2018, following a tip concerning child pornography trading, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on Nelson’s home. During an interview, Nelson stated that he had communicated with underage girls using the Snapchat and Kik apps. On May 27, 2021, Nelson pleaded guilty to the charges and admitted that he had contacted a 12-year-old victim and requested and received explicit pictures of her.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Sacramento Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a federally and state-funded task force managed by the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department with agents from federal, state, and local agencies. The Sacramento ICAC investigates online child exploitation crimes, including child pornography, enticement, and sex trafficking. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Yang prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

FRESNO, Calif. — A jury found Lorenzo Amador, 23, of Mendota, guilty of one count of assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering and one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Amador was a member of La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), a violent criminal street gang that engages in racketeering activity, including murder, kidnapping, extortion, and drug trafficking. On Aug. 12, 2018, Amador and fellow MS-13 members kicked, hit, and stabbed a member of a rival gang in the back with a knife, slicing his diaphragm and sending him to the emergency room where he had to have life-saving surgery.  

After the attack, Amador logged on to his Facebook account and used coded language to send word of the attack to his fellow MS-13 members. His message was intercepted by a wiretap on the Facebook account of one of his fellow MS-13 members. In the days following the stabbing, Amador’s fellow MS-13 members called each other in frantic efforts to warn Amador that police might be closing in on him and to try to help him flee Mendota, which he did. Police eventually caught him two months later.

Amador also joined a drug conspiracy, which he participated in by driving to Los Angeles to help the gang pick up drugs, returning to Mendota with the drugs, and selling them for the gang.

The investigation was conducted by the California Department of Justice and the California Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit, the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Special Services Unit (SSU). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Pearson, Michael Tierney, and Kimberly Sanchez prosecuted the case.  

Several of Amador’s co-defendants have been sentenced, and others have pleaded guilty and are scheduled for sentencing later this year.  

Amador is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Dec. 17, 2021. Amador faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case is being 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.

FRESNO, Calif. — Ashley Michelle Hill, 33, of Coarsegold, was sentenced today to 11 years and three months in prison for selling heroin that resulted in the overdose death of another Coarsegold resident, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Aug. 22, 2019, Hill and Georgia Nicole Dean, 38, of Coarsegold, drove to the victim’s residence because he had contacted Dean asking for heroin. They arrived after midnight and met with the victim outside his residence on the street. Hill gave approximately .3 grams of heroin and a syringe to Dean, who then gave it to the victim. The victim died later that day as a result of using that heroin.

On April 19, 2021, Dean was sentenced to 12 years in prison for distributing heroin.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Madera County Sheriff’s Office, the Fresno Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen A. Servatius and Justin J. Gilio prosecuted the case.

FRESNO, Calif. — U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd sentenced Alejandro Chavarria, 34, of Mendota, on Friday, Sept. 24,  to five years and four months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Oct. 10, 2020, Chavarria was arrested in Oakhurst in possession of a handgun with a loaded extended magazine, two disassembled AR-style rifles, and numerous rounds of ammunition. Chavarria attempted to flee from police at the scene. Chavarria has been convicted of attempted carjacking, drug possession and robbery, and is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. He was on parole for robbery at the time of his arrest.

This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Fresno Police Department, the Madera County Sheriff’s Office, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Schuh prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

FRESNO, Calif. — William Lee Robinson, 40, of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, was arrested today after a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment charging him with sending interstate threats with intent to extort, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to the indictment brought on Aug. 12, 2021, Robinson worked at a business in Fresno from June to November in 2017. After the business fired him, Robinson began sending threatening messages to his former supervisor and other coworkers in an attempt to extort them for money. These threats included graphic statements threatening to physically harm the supervisor’s daughter. Robinson made the threats because he wanted the company to pay him between $10,000 and $20,000.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincente A. Tennerelli is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Robinson faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Deborah Laughlin, 64, formerly of Paradise, pleaded guilty today to making false statements in an application for FEMA benefits in connection with the 2018 Paradise Camp Fire, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, FEMA provided disaster benefits to certain qualified individuals whose primary residence was damaged or destroyed in the Camp Fire. On Nov. 15, 2018, Laughlin falsely claimed 7209 Skyway in Paradise as her primary residence at the time of the Camp Fire. In fact, at the time of the Camp Fire, other individuals were renting and residing in the mobile home located at this address. Based on her false statement, she received $7,886 to replace essential items damaged by the disaster and $1,788 for two months of rental assistance. In addition, Laughlin received temporary housing from FEMA in a manufactured home from June 24, 2019, until April 7, 2021. The money and housing Laughlin received caused an actual loss to the United States of at least $77,249.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shelley D. Weger is prosecuting the case.

Laughlin is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb on Dec. 20, 2021. Laughlin faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Members of the public who suspect fraud involving disaster relief efforts, including California wildfires or COVID-19 relief efforts, or who believe they have been a victim of fraud from a person or organization soliciting relief funds on behalf of disaster victims, should contact the National Disaster Fraud Hotline toll free at (866) 720-5721. Alternatively, information can be submitted via email to DHSOIGHotline@dhs.gov.

FRESNO, Calif. — Alecia Trapps, 58, of Manteca, was sentenced Sept. 17, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to 21 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Trapps was the leader of a drug trafficking organization that was sending multiple pounds of methamphetamine and heroin to Juneau, Alaska, where the profits were much greater. The drugs were sourced in the Modesto area then transported to Alaska at Trapps’ direction utilizing numerous couriers as well as various methods and modes of transportation. In at least one instance, drugs from Modesto destined for Juneau were seized in Washington state as the courier tried to board the ferry.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Modesto Police Department, the California Highway Patrol, and the Whatcom County (Washington) Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melanie L. Alsworth and Laurel J. Montoya prosecuted the case.

Trapps is the last defendant to be sentenced in this case. Co-defendants were sentenced as follows: Jimmy Brantley was sentenced to 10 years in prison, Carmen Conejo was sentenced to five years of probation, Ernest Westley was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison, Sheena Taylor was sentenced to 10 years, three months in prison, and Joseph Vasquez Jr. was sentenced to 26 years, eight months in prison.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

FRESNO, Calif. — U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd sentenced Hector Kioni Gongora, 44, of Fresno, today to 10 years in prison for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition after being convicted of a felony crime, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Jan. 11, 2021, Gongora was arrested on a felony warrant and found in possession of a firearm and methamphetamine. A search of his residence recovered over 300 additional rounds of ammunition. He was charged with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and pleaded guilty on June 29, 2021.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. Pataca prosecuted the case.

This case is being 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.

FRESNO, Calif. — Christopher Howard, 33, of Delano, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in the evening of April 28, 2021, police officers encountered Howard in Delano while he was carrying a bag that contained a loaded 9 mm caliber handgun and an additional loaded high-capacity magazine. Howard cannot lawfully possess firearms or ammunition because he has sustained numerous felony convictions, including for possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property, escape, and twice for second degree burglary.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Delano Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Baker is prosecuting the case.

Howard is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Dec. 13, 2021. Howard faces a maximum term of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case is being 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.

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Ramiro Cervantes, 24, of Modesto, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on May 29, 2021, police officers attempted to stop a vehicle that Cervantes was riding in as a passenger. Cervantes, who was on parole, attempted to flee the scene and struggled with police. A loaded semi-automatic Colt M4, .22‑caliber rifle was located in the passenger compartment where Cervantes had been seated. Cervantes has prior felony convictions and cannot lawfully possess firearms.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Modesto Police Department, and the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Schuh is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Cervantes faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is being 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.

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against two Fresno residents, Edward Page, 32, and Trayvon Smith, 31, charging each with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in the late-night hours of June 24, 2021, police officers received a tip that two individuals in a parked car were in possession of a firearm. The officers responded to the parking lot and found Smith and Page in the car. Page was quickly detained, but Smith fled, was chased, and eventually was caught and arrested. Inside the car, officers found two loaded semi-automatic firearms, one of the firearms was a privately manufactured weapon, sometimes referred to as a “ghost gun,” with no serial number, but with an extended magazine attached to the firearm. Both Smith and Page have prior violent felony convictions and cannot lawfully possess firearms or ammunition.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Page and Smith face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is being 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.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Kristen Canapary, 53, of Butte County, pleaded guilty today to making false statements in an application for FEMA benefits in connection with the 2018 Paradise Camp Fire, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, FEMA provided disaster benefits to certain qualified individuals whose primary residence was damaged or destroyed in the Camp Fire. Canapary filed a claim for FEMA disaster benefits falsely listing a rental home she formerly lived in as her primary residence at the time of the fire in November 2018. According to the property owner, Canapary vacated the home earlier in the year, and the home had remained vacant while undergoing renovations. As a result of Canapary’s claim that her primary residence was damaged by the Camp Fire, she was given money for rental assistance and the replacement of essential personal property purportedly destroyed with her home. She was also provided with approximately 13 months of temporary FEMA housing.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shelley D. Weger is prosecuting the case.

Canapary is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on Dec. 16, 2021. Canapary faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Members of the public who suspect fraud involving disaster relief efforts, including California wildfires or COVID-19 relief efforts, or who believe they have been a victim of fraud from a person or organization soliciting relief funds on behalf of disaster victims, should contact the National Disaster Fraud Hotline toll free at (866) 720-5721. Alternatively, information can be submitted via email to DHSOIGHotline@dhs.gov.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Richard Beldon Waters III, 29, of Contra Costa County, pleaded guilty today to bank fraud and possession of stolen U.S. mail, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. 

According to court documents, between April and August 2020, Waters and co-defendant Desiree Brianna Bello perpetrated a mail theft and bank fraud scheme throughout Northern California. The scheme involved stealing U.S. mail from residential mailboxes and harvesting bankcards, identification documents, financial information, checks, and personally identifiable information (PII) for use in fraudulent activity. Waters and Bello used the identification and PII of the mail theft victims to obtain money and property from banks and businesses.

On several occasions, Waters and Bello used identification documents and financial instruments of mail theft victims to purchase and lease vehicles from car dealerships. For example, on June 25, 2020, Bello entered a Hyundai dealership in Stockton to lease a new Hyundai Genesis G80 using a stolen identity. She made an initial $7,000 payment with a check in the victim’s name, and also submitted a lease application using the victim’s name, date of birth, California Driver’s License number, and Social Security Number. The dealership ultimately approved the application. Bello was able to drive the new G80 off the lot, which was valued at approximately $55,490. Bello committed these acts with Waters’ knowledge and in furtherance of their bank fraud scheme, of which Waters was a knowing participant.

Additionally, on two separate occasions in May 2020, Waters knowingly possessed stolen U.S. mail. On May 11, 2020, he was arrested in Folsom where he possessed over 300 pieces of stolen mail. Similarly, on May 18, 2020, he was arrested in El Dorado Hills where he possessed five large trash bags of mail that he and his co-schemers had just stolen minutes earlier from a residential complex.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Stockton Police Department, the Folsom Police Department, the Concord Police Department, the Pittsburg Police Department, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Highway Patrol. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Artuz is prosecuting the case.

Waters is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller on Nov. 29, 2021. Bello pleaded guilty in this case to the same charges and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 25, 2021. Waters and Bello face a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for bank fraud and five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for possession of stolen U.S. mail. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which consider a number of variables.

FRESNO, Calif. — Benjamin Martin, 43, of Madera, was charged today by criminal complaint for being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Sept. 2, 2021, Martin was arrested at his residence in Madera on a criminal complaint issued by the District Court for the District of Columbia for charges related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The FBI also executed federal search warrants at Martin’s residence and found that he possessed several firearms, including a Benelli 12-gauge shotgun and Kimber 1911 pistol. Martin has a prior conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.

This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Martin faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations, and Martin is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

FRESNO, Calif. — Daniel Santos Galaviz, 27, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to unlawfully possessing ammunition after being convicted of a felony crime, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Feb. 24, officers arrested Galaviz after he fled on foot from a vehicle during an attempted traffic stop. Officers recovered a loaded magazine from Galaviz during his arrest. Galaviz is prohibited from possessing ammunition because of his prior criminal record.

This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. Pataca is prosecuting the case.

Galaviz is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 6, 2021, by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd. Galaviz faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.

FRESNO, Calif. — Christina Smith, 38, who was formerly incarcerated at the Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) in Chowchilla, was sentenced today to five years in prison for conspiracy and aggravated identity theft charges for the submission of fraudulent unemployment insurance claims to the California Employment Development Department (EDD) in the names of current CCWF inmates, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, another CCWF inmate sent Smith her own and several other inmates’ personally identifiable information (PII) to submit the unemployment insurance claims in their names. The underlying applications represented that the inmates had been working various jobs, which was untrue because they were incarcerated and therefore ineligible for benefits. The intended loss to the EDD and the United States was over $250,000. Smith split the proceeds with her co-conspirators.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Investigative Services Unit, and the EDD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case.

The CARES Act is a federal law enacted March 29 that is designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act is the authorization that expands states’ ability to provide unemployment insurance for many workers impacted by COVID-19, including for workers who are not ordinarily eligible for unemployment insurance benefits.

FRESNO, Calif. — Jorge Chavez, 36, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and marijuana, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Sept. 12, 2020, Chavez was arrested in Bakersfield and was found to be in possession of approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine, approximately 23.5 pounds of marijuana, approximately 2 pounds of cocaine, and approximately 66 grams of heroin. Prior to that date, on three separate occasions between Feb. 18, 2020, and April 27, 2020, Chavez sold to a purchaser a total of five firearms – including four rifles with high capacity magazines – and approximately 2 pounds of methamphetamine. On June 4, 2020, Chavez offered to sell to the same purchaser 1 pound of methamphetamine for $3,400, and 1 ounce of heroin for $750. In his plea agreement, Chavez agreed to forfeit to the United States more than $25,000.

This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bakersfield Police Department, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the Kern County Probation Department, and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Baker is prosecuting the case.

Chavez is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Dec. 3, 2021. Chavez faces a maximum term of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.