District of Connecticut

Stanislav Romanyuk, 39, a citizen of Ukraine last residing in Estonia, was sentenced today to 33 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a scheme to violate U.S. export laws and regulations by attempting to smuggle a dual-use export-controlled item to Russia.

According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in 2018, Romanyuk, who operated Estonia-based BY Trade OÜ, conspired with Vadims Ananics and Eriks Mamonovs, both citizens of Latvia who operated the Latvia-based corporation CNC Weld. Romanyuk, Ananics, and Mamonovs violated U.S. export laws and regulations with individuals in Russia and a Russian company to smuggle to Russia a 500 Series CPWZ Precision Jig Grinder that was manufactured in Connecticut.

A jig grinder is a high-precision grinding machine system that does not require a license to export to European Union countries, but does require a license for export and reexport to Russia because of its potential application in nuclear proliferation and defense programs. Romanyuk and his co-conspirators knew that the jig grinder could not be exported from the United States to Russia, and they did not apply for, receive, or possess a license of authorization from the U.S. Department of Commerce to export or reexport the jig grinder to Russia, as required by the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), which restrict the export of items that could make a significant contribution to the military potential of other nations or that could be detrimental to U.S. foreign policy and national security.

In April 2019, Romanyuk brokered the sale of the jig grinder from By Trade OÜ to a Russian company using funds wired to it from the Russian company to purchase the jig grinder from Sapphire Universal LLP, a company in Latvia. Sapphire Universal, which Romanyuk knew was in the business of obtaining dual-use items from the United States for sale in Russia, used CNC Weld as the claimed recipient and end-user of the jig grinder because no license was required to export the jig grinder to Latvia from the United States. In August 2019, to finalize the purchase of the jig grinder, Ananics and others traveled to Bridgeport, Connecticut, where Ananics informed the sellers that the jig grinder was being purchased for the benefit of CNC Weld. In September 2021, Romanyuk provided a false statement to Estonian authorities about the jig grinder transaction in order to cover up his involvement in this scheme.

U.S. authorities, working with Latvian authorities, intercepted the jig grinder in Riga, Latvia, before it was to be shipped to Russia. Approximately $826,000 in funds involved in the purchase of the jig grinder were subsequently forfeited, and a substantial portion of the forfeited funds were transferred to Estonia to provide aid to Ukraine.

Romanyuk was arrested on June 13, 2022, in Estonia. On May 23, he pleaded guilty to international money laundering conspiracy. He has been detained since his arrest. Ananics and Mamonovs pleaded guilty to related charges.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch, and U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery for the District of Connecticut, Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement.

The Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) Field Offices in New Haven and the Hague, Netherlands; HSI Counter Proliferation Mission Center; U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement in Boston and Portland, Oregon; FBI; and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation investigated the case. The Prosecutor-General’s Office of the Republic of Latvia, the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Estonia, Latvian Tax and Customs Police, Estonian Tax and Customs Board, and the Latvian State Police assisted in the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Konstantin Lantsman, Stephanie Levick, and Daniel George for the District of Connecticut and Trial Attorney Brendan Geary of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance.

This case is being prosecuted through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program and is being supported by OCDETF’s International Organized Crime Intelligence and Operations Center (IOC-2). OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about OCDETF can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

The investigation was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls, and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DAVID QUINTANA, 36, of East Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for fentanyl distribution and firearm possession offenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in March and April 2023, investigators made multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl from David Quintana, and his brother, Edgar Quintana.  David and Edgar Quintana were arrested on April 17, 2023.  On that date, a search of David Quintana’s residence revealed two .40 caliber handguns that had been reported stolen, one 9mm handgun with an obliterated serial number, and 250 rounds of ammunition.  A search of Edgar Quintana’s residence revealed distribution quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine.

David Quintana’s criminal history includes felony convictions for narcotics offenses.  It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

On December 27, 2023, David Quintana pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine, and one count of possession of firearms by a felon.

David Quintana, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on January 3.

Edgar Quintana pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.

This investigation was conducted by the DEA’s Hartford Task Force, which includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan J. Keefe and Robert S. Dearington.

Vanessa R. Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BILL G. MAKROS, 58, of Danbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to seven months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for tax evasion.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Makros owned and operated a tree service business known as Budget Tree and Stump Removal Service, LLC.  From 2016 through 2020, Makros’ business gross receipts totaled $1,426,915, but he concealed his income by receiving customer payments in the form of checks made payable to “cash” or to him personally, and by depositing the checks into bank accounts other than his business bank account.  At times, he also cashed check payments and did not deposit the cash into any business or personal accounts.  For the 2016 through 2020 tax years, Makros failed to file his federal individual tax returns, and failed to pay taxes totaling $140,694.

In addition, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Makros received two pandemic relief loans totaling $31,200.  As part of the application process, Makros submitted IRS Schedule C forms for his business that purported to be part of his tax returns for 2019 and 2020, even though he had not filed tax returns with the IRS for those years.  The loans were subsequently forgiven.

Judge Oliver ordered Makros to pay $137,672 in restitution to the IRS.

On July 1, 2024, Makros pleaded guilty to tax evasion.

In 2008, Makros was convicted in Connecticut state court of two counts of failing to pay over sales tax.

Makros, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on January 7, 2025.

This investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia King.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that THELMA “WENDY” EPPS, 59, of Hartford, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to health care fraud.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Epps was a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (LADC) with an office located at 330 Main Street in Hartford.  In April 2013, she enrolled as a participating provider in the Connecticut Medicaid program along with an entity affiliated with Epps called Miracles to Destiny LLC.  In July 2018, the Medicaid program suspended Epps from participating as a provider in the program based on a finding of a credible allegation of fraud.  Medicaid told Epps that any attempt to circumvent her suspension by submitting claims for services performed by Epps or Miracles to Destiny LLC through other agencies or other billing numbers would result in termination of her provider agreement.

In 2019, Epps entered into an agreement with Dennis Tomczak, a Connecticut LADC who was a participating provider in Medicaid.  Epps and Tomczak agreed that Tomczak would bill Medicaid using his Medicaid provider number for psychotherapy counseling services purportedly provided by Epps.  These claims falsely represented that Tomczak had personally provided the services.  In return for Tomczak billing the services, Epps agreed to pay Tomczak 25 percent of the amount Medicaid paid Tomczak.  Between approximately April 2019 and November 2022, Medicaid paid Tomczak $330,547.71 for fraudulent claims for services purportedly provided by Epps that were billed under Tomczak’s provider number.

At some point during their scheme, Tomczak expressed concerns to Epps about the number and frequency of services that Epps told Tomczak she was providing.  At about this time, Epps entered into a similar agreement with Shawn Tyson, a LADC in Connecticut, whereby Tyson would use his Medicaid provider number to submit claims to Medicaid for services Epps purportedly provided to Medicaid clients.

In November 2019, Epps assisted Tyson with the process of enrolling Tyson as a participating provider in Medicaid.  Tyson’s provider application listed the location at which Tyson would provide services as 330 Main Street, Third Floor, in Hartford, the location of the Epps’s and Miracles to Destiny LLC’s office.  Once Tyson was enrolled as a Medicaid provider, Tyson provided Epps with his login information to the online portal for submitting claims to Medicaid, which Epps then used to submit claims.  For a brief period before Tyson was enrolled as a Medicaid provider, unbeknownst to Tomczak, Epps submitted claims through Tomczak’s provider number for services purportedly provided by Tyson, by representing to Tomczak that she had performed these services.  Medicaid paid Tomczak a total of $7,879.40 for these services.

During the scheme involving Epps and Tyson, Tyson would provide Epps the names of Medicaid patients and dates that Tyson purportedly provided psychotherapy counseling services to the patients, and Epps would then bill Medicaid for these services using Tyson’s provider number.  Epps would also submit claims using Tyson’s provider number for services she purportedly provided to Medicaid patients.  These claims falsely represented that Tyson had personally provided the services to the patients.

Epps and Tyson submitted and caused to be submitted claims for hundreds of thousands of dollars of psychotherapy services that neither Epps nor Tyson had actually provided to Medicaid clients.  When Epps warned Tyson that he should not bill Medicaid for having provided psychotherapy to patients on holidays, such as July 4 and Thanksgiving, Tyson would typically change the dates of services and resubmit the list of services to Epps.

Medicaid paid Tyson $663,081.32 for claims that falsely represented that Tyson had personally provided services, or falsely represented that services had been provided when, in fact, they were not provided at all.

Epps has agreed to pay $1,001,058.43 in restitution to the Connecticut Medicaid program.

Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for January 31, at which time Epps faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.  She is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.

Tomczak and Tyson have pleaded guilty to related charges and await sentencing.

This investigation has been conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Social Services.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Sheldon and Auditor Susan Spiegel.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney’s Office, and Connecticut Attorney General’s Office meet regularly as part of The Medicaid Fraud Working Group.  The Working Group also includes representatives from the Connecticut Department of Social Services; the Connecticut Department of Public Health; the Drug Control Division of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection; the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the FBI.  The Working Group reviews pending issues and cases, identifies trends that might indicate fraudulent activity, and coordinates efforts for maximum results.

People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI, and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a 23-count indictment charging JUSTIN C. MURPHY, 49, of Stamford, with offenses stemming from an alleged investment fraud scheme.

The indictment was returned on September 22, 2022.  Murphy, who was extradited from Brazil, appeared on November 1, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford, pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was released on a $250,000 bond.  Murphy had been detained in Brazil since his arrest on December 6, 2023.

As alleged in the indictment, Murphy owned and operated Greenwich-based Mara Investment Group, LLC, also known as Mara Investment Management LP and Mara Investments Global Management LLC (“Mara”), which Murphy purported to be a hedge fund that solicited and accepted investments and used a quantitative strategy that balanced long and short positions in securities.  Between approximately 2016 and September 2022, Murphy defrauded investors by pursuing a much riskier investment strategy than he told investors; diverting substantial investor funds for his own personal use and benefit; representing to investors that their invested funds were performing more favorably than was, in fact, the case, including providing investors with account statements that falsely representing their account balances; and providing investors with federal tax forms that falsely reported business income upon which investors would be required to pay tax.

It is alleged that Murphy stole approximately $3.5 million in investor funds through this scheme and used the funds to pay for personal expenses and to purchase a personal stake in his relative’s startup company.

The indictment charges Murphy with 15 counts of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count; five counts of money laundering, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count; and three counts of tax evasion, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years on each count.  Per the extradition agreement with Brazil, the government has agreed not to pursue the tax evasion charges against Murphy.

U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.  The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Brazilian authorities provided assistance.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Novick.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JORGE MORALES, also known as “Capone,” 38, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 108 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm while serving a term of federal supervised release.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2017, Morales was sentenced in Bridgeport federal court to 46 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for distributing heroin.  The investigation revealed that in April 2016 Morales distributed heroin to a 21-year-old woman who died of an overdose from the drug.  Morales was released from federal prison in September 2019.

On December 17, 2021, while Morales was on federal supervised release, Bridgeport Police conducted a traffic stop of an SUV Morales was driving because the vehicle had been spotted near the scene of a shooting incident and homicide on Barnum Avenue earlier that day.  Before the SUV came to a complete stop, a juvenile girl ran from it carrying an object close to her chest.  As officers apprehended the girl, she dropped a loaded Glock 22 semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine.  The investigation revealed that the gun belonged to Morales and, as he was being pulled over, he told the girl to take the gun and run.  A search of Morales also revealed 169 oxycodone pills separated into two baggies in his front pocket.

In addition to his prior federal conviction, Morales’ criminal history includes state convictions for drug and firearm felony offenses.  It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

Morales has been detained since his arrest on December 17, 2021.  On June 18, 2024, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Stratford Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel George and Karen Peck.

The prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE MARTIN CHAVEZ-VALENCIA, 37, of Bergenfield, New Jersey, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport, to 57 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking heroin.

According to court documents and statements made in court, The Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force arranged to purchase three kilograms of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl from Chavez-Valencia’s associates.  On September 26, 2022, Chavez-Valencia drove to a parking lot in West Haven to complete the transaction.  Chavez-Valencia was taken into custody, and a search of his vehicle revealed approximately three kilograms of heroin.  Investigators subsequently located and seized nearly two kilograms of heroin that Chavez-Valencia also had possessed.

Chavez-Valencia has been detained since his arrest.  On March 4, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.

This investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force, which includes members from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan J. Keefe and Nathaniel J. Gentile.

U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery today announced that Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Francis will lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s efforts in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election.  AUSA Francis serves as the District Election Officer for the District of Connecticut and is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of Election Day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said U.S. Attorney Avery.  “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence.  The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud.  The Department will address these violations wherever they occur.  The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.  It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice.  The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).

“The right to vote is the cornerstone of American democracy,” said U.S. Attorney Avery.  “We all must ensure that those who are entitled to vote can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.”

U.S. Attorney Avery noted that in order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA Francis will be on duty while the polls are open and will be in regular communication throughout the day with the FBI and with state election and law enforcement authorities.

The Connecticut State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC) is staffing a hotline during polling hours on Election Day.  Anyone with knowledge of election fraud or voting rights abuses is encouraged to call 1-866-733-2463 (1-866-SEEC-INFO) to report suspected violations.  The SEEC staff will answer questions, advise on complaint procedures and, if appropriate, request the assistance of state criminal or federal law enforcement authorities in the investigation and possible prosecution of the matter.

The FBI in Connecticut and across the country will have special agents available to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day.  The local FBI field office in New Haven can be reached directly at 203-777-6311.

In addition, complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C., by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.

“Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the public,” said U.S. Attorney Avery.  “It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”

U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, individuals should call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities.  State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

More information on the Justice Department’s efforts to protect the right to vote and make elections secure is available here.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that AKEEM MANOO, 34, of New Britain, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to possessing with intent to distribute cocaine.  He also admitted that he committed the offense while on supervised release from a prior federal conviction.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 26, 2016, Manoo was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 120 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release for his participation in a gang-related narcotics trafficking conspiracy.  He was released from federal prison in November 2022.  On May 11, 2023, Manoo was arrested after Hartford Police stopped his vehicle and found him in possession of nearly a half-kilogram of cocaine.

Judge Oliver scheduled sentencing for January 22, at which time Manoo faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years for the cocaine distribution offenses, and a maximum term of imprisonment of five years for violating the conditions of his supervised release.

Manoo is detained pending sentencing.

This investigation has been conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan J. Keefe.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a 17-count indictment charging MARLENIN VITO, 45, of Waterbury, with fraud offenses.

The indictment was returned on October 22, 2024.  Vito appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven, pleaded not guilty, and was released on a $25,000 bond.

As alleged in the indictment, from approximately 2018 to May 2021, Vito was employed as Medicaid Coordinator at an assisted living facility located in Stamford, referred to in the indictment as “Company A.”  Vito’s responsibilities included assisting the residents in applying for nursing home level Medicaid reimbursements, monitoring the residents’ patient trust accounts, and ensuring compliance with Medicaid regulations.  She was also responsible for keeping journal entries for the residents’ trust accounts and to credit their accounts when funds were received, and for debiting patient accounts when payments were made on behalf of the residents or when cash was given to residents for incidental expenses.

It is alleged that, between approximately December 2019 and May 2021, Vito defrauded Company A and its residents by generating checks from Company A’s system, forging a fellow employee’s signature on the checks, negotiating the fraudulent checks purportedly to give the cash proceeds to certain residents, and keeping the cash for her own use.  Vito then made false entries into Company A’s accounting ledger by debiting the fraudulently obtained cash from the residents’ respective trust accounts.  Many of the residents were not healthy enough or mentally capable of tracking their own expenses or monitoring the balances of their own trust accounts.

It is further alleged, in certain instances, Vito cancelled residents’ supplemental health insurance coverage, but continued to deduct funds from the trust accounts and took the funds for herself.  Also, when certain residents’ trust accounts were credited with Economic Impact Payments (“COVID-19 stimulus payments”), Vito took the funds for herself and then debited the residents’ accounts at a rate of approximately $60 a day until the stimulus funds were depleted.

It is alleged that during the scheme, Vito fraudulently negotiated approximately 500 checks.  When she was confronted by family members of certain residents, Vito created and provided to those family members false account statements that misrepresented the balances in the residents’ trust accounts.

The indictment also alleges that, between approximately May and July 2023, Vito was employed as a bookkeeper at a law firm in Hartford, referred to in the indictment as “Company B.”  Vito took fraudulently generated checks drawn on Company B’s bank account and issued as “Pay to the Order of ‘Petty Cash, ’” forged the signature of an authorized employee on the checks, cashed the checks, and kept the funds for herself.  She then recorded the fraudulently negotiated checks in Company B’s books and records as “Petty Cash.”

It is alleged that Vito stole a total of more than $200,000 through these schemes.

The indictment charges Vito with five counts of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count, and 12 counts of bank fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years on each count.

U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Stamford Police Department and Hartford Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced ANTHONY SANTOS, also known as “A-1,” 36, of Hartford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 63 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release for illegally possessing firearms.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 17, 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force and Hartford Police Department conducted a court-authorized search of Santos’ apartment on Park Street in Hartford.  When investigators entered the apartment, Santos ran to the window and threw a loaded Draco 7.62x39mm assault-style firearm with a high-capacity magazine containing 30 rounds of ammunition.  The firearm landed on a rooftop below and was recovered.  Inside the apartment, investigators seized, three firearm magazines, ammunition, a small amount of fentanyl, large bags containing bulk quantities of marijuana, thousands of bags of marijuana in pre-packaged sleeves, drug processing and packaging materials, jewelry, and approximately $4,070 in cash.

A search of two vehicles associated with Santos that were parked near the apartment revealed a loaded Smith &Wesson .357 revolver and a loaded Glock .40 caliber pistol, both of which had been reported as stolen.  The Glock was fitted with an illegal “switch” that converted the pistol to a fully automatic weapon.  One of the vehicles contained a backpack with numerous bags of marijuana and approximately $3,290 in cash.

Santos’ criminal history includes state convictions for narcotics distribution offenses.  It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

Santos has been detained since October 17, 2023.  On August 6, 2024, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of firearms by a felon.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments.  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has assisted the investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reed Durham and Geoffrey Stone.

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 gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JASON FABEL, 46, of Middletown, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 70 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking methamphetamine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 16, 2022, Fabel was arrested after the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force and Middletown Police Department conducted a court-authorized search of his Middletown residence and seized approximately 100 grams of methamphetamine, a quantity of ketamine, narcotics paraphernalia, and a loaded 9mm handgun.

On April 27, 2023, while Fabel was released on bond and awaiting trial, he was arrested for violating conditions of his pretrial release.  At the time of his arrest, he possessed approximately 24 grams of methamphetamine, six grams of ketamine, and 10 grams of MDMA (“ecstasy”).

Fabel has been detained since April 27, 2023.  On July 15, 2024, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine.

The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Keefe.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, announced that DEBRA WATSON, 64, of Chicopee, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to obstruction of mails.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Watson was employed as a supervisor at the U.S. Postal Service’s processing and distribution center in Hartford.  From December 2021 through July 2022, Watson took envelopes from the mail stream, removed cash and gift cards, resealed the envelopes, and returned them to the mail stream at another location.  When confronted by law enforcement on July 15, 2022, Watson had 53 pieces of mail on her person and a $500 gift card that had taken from the mail.

Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for January 21, 2025, at which time Watson faces a maximum term of imprisonment of six months.

This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Dearington.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal jury in Hartford has found DICKSON ALORWORNU, also known as “Dixon Al,” 35, a citizen of Ghana residing in Greenwich, guilty of fraud offenses.  The trial before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala began on October 23 and the jury returned guilty verdicts on both counts of an indictment this afternoon.

According to the evidence presented during the trial, in December 2017, Alorwornu used other individuals’ names, fake Social Security numbers, and email addresses to submit two non-degree student applications to the University of Connecticut (“UConn”).  He then used American Express card information that had been stolen from three victims to fund the two student accounts with a total of more than $62,000 in fraudulently obtained funds.  In early 2018, Alorwornu withdrew from the courses and requested that UConn refund the money he had deposited.  UConn subsequently transferred tens of thousands of dollars to bank accounts Alorwornu controlled.  The investigation revealed that the email accounts that Alorwornu used to defraud UConn were also used to commit fraud at other universities.

The jury found Alorwornu guilty of two counts of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count.  Judge Nagala scheduled sentencing for February 19.

Alorwornu was arrested on February 1, 2023.  He is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.

This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the UConn Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward Chang and Elena Coronado.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TYREE THOMAS, 39, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 42 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking firearms from Georgia to Connecticut.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Thomas’ criminal history includes felony convictions and he is prohibited from purchasing firearms.  Between approximately August and December 2021, Thomas traveled to Georgia multiple times where, using a family member as a straw purchaser, he acquired approximately 24 firearms.   He then transported the firearms to Connecticut where he sold or transferred them to others, including felons, gang members, and juveniles.

Nine of the firearms that Thomas acquired in Georgia have been recovered by law enforcement in Connecticut, including three that were seized during traffic stops, one of which was possessed by a juvenile; one that was found in the possession of felon who was subsequently federally prosecuted for the offense; one that was used in a Bridgeport shooting incident in August 2022, that resulted in the death of one of victim and injury to two others; one that was recovered from a Bridgeport murder suspect who used it to commit suicide during a standoff with law enforcement in Tennessee in June 2022; and one that was recovered from a homicide victim in Meriden in March 2023.  Fifteen of the guns have not been located.

Thomas was arrested on September 6, 2023.  On June 17, 2024, he pleaded guilty to crossing state lines with the intent to engage in the unlawful dealing of firearms.

Thomas, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on January 7.

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Bridgeport Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Clark and Rahul Kale. through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/PSN.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that KAREEM PORTER, also known as “Reem,” 24, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in an attempted drug robbery in Bridgeport.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 28, 2023, Porter, Andy Marte, and Tyrone Allen drove to a Bridgeport apartment building where they intended to carry out a robbery at an apartment in which they believed they would find drugs and drug proceeds.  Marte instructed Porter and Allen, who had a crowbar, to carry out the robbery while Marte remained in the car and to serve as a getaway driver.  After failing to enter the apartment, Marte contacted Jermaine Bethel, who arrived to participate in the robbery.  Porter, Allen, and Bethel tried again to enter the apartment, but failed, and then returned to the vehicle where they were encountered by law enforcement.  Officers searched the vehicle and its occupants and seized two handguns, which Marte had brought to the robbery, and the crowbar.

On April 4, 2024, Porter pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery.

Porter, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on January 6, 2025.

Marte, Allen, and Bethel pleaded guilty to the same charge and await sentencing.

This investigation has been conducted by FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Weingarten and Karen Peck.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal jury in Bridgeport has found ANTRUM COSTON, 42, of New Haven, guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and with committing the offense while released on bond in another case.

The trial before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill began on October 24 and the jury returned the verdicts this afternoon.

On September 18, 2023, Judge Underhill sentenced Coston to 37 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for pandemic relief fraud, money laundering, and drug offenses.  Judge Underhill ordered Coston, who was released on bond, to surrender for service of his sentence on November 29, 2023.

According to the evidence presented during the trial, on October 25, 2023, New Haven Police arrested Coston after they found him in possession of a loaded Taurus G3 9mm handgun with an extended magazine.

Coston’s criminal history includes multiple felony convictions, including two federal convictions for firearm offenses.

At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Coston faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and a consecutive sentence of up to 10 years for possessing the firearm while on federal release.

Coston has been detained since his arrest.

This investigation has been conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the New Haven Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel J. Gentile and Sean P. Mahard.

This case is part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an eight-count indictment charging ROBERT HARRISON, also known as “Firm” and “Lox,” 38; RICHARD McDANIEL, also known as “Shay,” 44; KEVIN GOOCH, also known as “GWOP,” 41; and ROBERT LAVERTUE, 56; all of Waterbury, with narcotics and firearm offenses.

The indictment was returned on October 2, 2024.  Harrison and Gooch, who have been detained since they were arrested on related state charges on June 20, 2024, appeared today in Hartford federal court and pleaded not guilty to the charges.  McDaniel and Lavertue were federally arrested and arraigned earlier this month and are released on bond.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on June 20, 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department executed multiple federal search warrants for locations connected to a drug trafficking organization headed by Harrison.  A search of Harrison’s residence on Frost Road, his auto repair business on Todd Hollow Road in Waterbury, where Lavertue also resided, and a recording studio he operated on Woodtick Road in Waterbury, revealed distribution quantities of cocaine and narcotic pills, four loaded handguns, gun magazines, numerous rounds of ammunition, and approximately $18,208 in cash.  A search of McDaniel’s residence on Lone Oak Avenue revealed approximately 700 grams of cocaine, approximately 300 grams of fentanyl, drug processing and packaging materials, a money counter, and approximately $2,450 in cash.  Searches of Gooch’s residence on Atwood Avenue, his vehicle, and a residence on Monroe Avenue he used as a stash location revealed more than 100 grams of cocaine, a drug press, a loaded handgun with an obliterated serial number, and approximately $1,141 in cash.

The indictment charges each defendant with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and with one or more counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.  If convicted of these charges, based on the type and quantities of controlled substances attributed to each defendant, McDaniel faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, and Harrison, Gooch, and Lavertue face a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  In addition, Harrison is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, and with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a consecutive term of imprisonment of at least five years.

U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department.  The Task Force includes members from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JESUS MALDONADO, also known as “Zeus,” 34, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 51 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics.  

According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task Force and other law enforcement agencies investigated two drug trafficking organizations based in the city of Waterbury.  One organization operated in the area of William Street and the other operated in the area of Maple Avenue.  The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, video surveillance, GPS tracking of vehicles, and numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that the two organizations distributed cocaine, crack, and fentanyl through a network of sellers.  The organizations shared sources of supply and worked together to further their operations.

During the investigation, Maldonado, who was involved in the William Street organization, was intercepted multiple times over a wiretap discussing the distribution of narcotics.  On November 16, 2023, he was captured on video engaging in a 500-gram cocaine transaction.

Seventeen individuals were charged with federal offenses as a result of the investigation.  Maldonado and several codefendants were arrested on November 29, 2023.  In association with the arrests, investigators executed multiple search warrants and seized approximately 700 grams of crack cocaine, more than 900 vials (“caps”) of crack, approximately 200 grams of loose fentanyl, more than 1,600 dose bags of fentanyl/heroin, two stolen firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, and more than $39,000 in cash.

Maldonado has been detained since his arrest.  On June 24, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

The FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task includes members from the FBI, the Waterbury Police Department, the Naugatuck Police Department, and the Connecticut Department of Correction.  The DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Connecticut State Police, Wolcott Police Department, and Meriden Police Department have assisted the investigation.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth and Shan Patel through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the Waterbury State Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GLENN JAMISON, 43, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 39 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for drug distribution and firearm possession offenses, and for violating the conditions of his federal supervised release that followed a prior firearm possession conviction.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in July 2019, Jamison was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 25 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

On July 24, 2023, while he was on supervised release, Jamison ran from Waterbury Police officers toward a vacant lot, holding his waistband.  After Jamison was apprehended, a search of his person revealed fentanyl, carfentanil, and crack cocaine.  Officers also found a loaded handgun that Jamison discarded as he ran.

In addition to his prior federal firearm conviction, Jamison’s criminal history includes numerous state convictions.  It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

Jamison has been detained since his arrest.  On July 1, 2024, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

Judge Chatigny sentenced Jamison to 33 months of imprisonment for the July 2023 offenses, and a consecutive six months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Waterbury Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Freismuth.

This prosecution was brought through the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARIA DEL CARMEN SANCHEZ POTRERO, also known as Maria Carmela Sanchez, 73, a citizen of Mexico last residing in Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to a charge stemming from her involvement in a scheme to smuggle aliens into the U.S., harbor them at Hartford area residences, force them to work, and threaten to harm them in various ways if they failed to pay exorbitant fees, interest, and other living expenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in September 2022, the FBI and Hartford Police interviewed several Mexican nationals who disclosed that they were smuggled from Mexico into the U.S. and transported to Hartford.  The investigation revealed that victims typically arranged with Sanchez, her co-conspirators in Connecticut, and associates in Mexico to cross the border into the U.S. in exchange for a fee of between $15,000 and $20,000 that each would need to pay once they were in the U.S.  In most cases, the victims were required to turn over a property deed as collateral before leaving Mexico.  They were then smuggled across the border and transported to Hartford area residences, including Sanchez’s residence on Madison Street in Hartford, often at a substantial risk of bodily injury or death.

After the victims arrived in Connecticut, they were told that they would have to pay $30,000, with interest, and that they would have to pay Sanchez and her co-coconspirators for rent, food, gas and utilities.  Sanchez and her co-conspirators created false documents for the victims, including Permanent Residence cards and Social Security cards, and helped the victims find employment in the Hartford area.  In addition to their own jobs, some victims were required to perform housework and yardwork without compensation and without having their debt reduced.

Victims were rarely provided with an accounting of their debt.  If victims failed to make regular payments, or in amounts that Sanchez and her co-conspirators expected, they were sometimes threatened, including with threats to harm family members in Mexico, to take property in Mexico that had been secured as collateral, to reveal victims’ immigration status to U.S. authorities, and to raise their interest payments.

To date, investigators have identified 18 victims of this scheme.

Sanchez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to encourage and induce, bring in, transport, and harbor aliens, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.  Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for January 16, 2025.

As part of her plea agreement, Sanchez has agreed to a restitution order of $494,608.

Sanchez has been detained since her arrest on March 1, 2023.

This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hartford Police Department, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angel Krull and Shan Patel.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Stephen P. Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that DARIUS GAMBLE, also known as “Rell,” 39, of Stamford, has been charged with fentanyl trafficking offenses.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and Stamford Police Department identified Gamble as a large-scale fentanyl distributor.  On September 1, 2024, investigators made a controlled purchase of approximately 50 grams of fentanyl from Gamble.

Gamble was arrested on criminal complaint on September 12, 2024.  On that date, a search of his residence revealed approximately 42 grams of fentanyl, a kilogram press machine, additional items used to process and package narcotics, and approximately $31,307 in cash.  A search of Gamble’s vehicle revealed approximately six grams of fentanyl.

On October 2, 2024, a grand jury in Bridgeport returned an indictment charging Gamble with one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.  Each charge carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.

Gamble appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and pleaded not guilty to the charges.  He has been detained since his arrest.

U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and the Stamford Police Department.  The Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk, Stamford, and Stratford Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TROY HARRIS, 30, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for a Newington gun store burglary in September 2021.

According to court documents and statements made in court, shortly after midnight on September 5, 2021, Harris, who had absconded from state parole, approached a woman in the parking lot of a supermarket in Bristol.  Pointing what appeared to be handgun at the victim, Harris demanded that she leave her car and give him the keys.  After the victim complied, Harris threw her to the ground and drove and away in her car.

In the early morning hours of September 7, 2021, Harris drove the victim’s car to Hoffman’s “Guns for the Good Guys,” a federal firearms licensee located in Newington, and crashed it through the store’s front entrance.  He then entered the store, kicked out a display case, and stole five handguns before fleeing the scene on foot.  He was arrested the next day.

Judge Bolden ordered Harris to pay restitution of $36,166.30.

Harris has been detained since his arrest.  On July 13, 2023, he pleaded guilty to theft of firearms from a licensee.

State charges against Harris relating to the carjacking are pending.

Only one of the five stolen firearms has been recovered by law enforcement.

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Newington and Bristol Police Departments.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings through the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.

U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of New Britain for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.  

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHELE DEVINE, 50, of Waterford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to a fraud offense in connection with her embezzlement from the Southeastern Regional Action Council on Substance Abuse, Inc. (“SERAC”), where she was employed as its executive director.

According to court documents and statements made in court, SERAC, headquartered in Norwich, is a 501(c)(3) organization that serves 41 towns in southeastern and northeastern Connecticut with substance abuse, problem gambling, and mental health related services.  SERAC is primarily funded through hundreds of thousands of dollars in state and federal grants from the State of Connecticut’s Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Devine was the executive director of SERAC until July 2022.  Beginning in approximately 2008, Devine spent thousands of dollars on purchases that did not relate SERAC but instead were personal expenses for Devine and her family, including thousands of dollars spent on home appliances; travel; timeshare fees at a Connecticut resort; stays at the Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires, Massachusetts; and private school donations.

The government contends that Devine stole nearly $400,000 from SERAC.

Devine pleaded guilty to wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for January 13.

Devine was arrested on August 3, 2023.  She is released on a $25,000 bond pending sentencing.

This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, with the assistance of the New London State’s Attorney’s Office and the State of Connecticut Office of the Attorney General.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LISA FAUSEL, 61, of New Haven, formerly of Milford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 42 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for participating in a narcotics distribution conspiracy.

According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force and the DEA New Haven’s Tactical Diversion Squad targeting the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit oxycodone tablets containing fentanyl and counterfeit Adderall tablets containing methamphetamine, and the distribution of heroin and cocaine, in the New Haven area.  The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, physical and electronic surveillance, and traffic stops and searches, revealed that Willis Taylor, of West Haven, coordinated the manufacture of counterfeit pills, which he distributed to others for further distribution.  The investigation also revealed the distribution of other controlled substances.

On February 2, 2023, a court authorized search of a Milford motel room where Fausel was living revealed approximately $94,500 in cash, 832 grams of cocaine, and plastic bags full of hundreds of blue pills that tested positive for fentanyl.

Fausel was arrested on March 28, 2023.  On July 10, 2024, she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, controlled substances.

Fausel, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on December 16.

Fausel, Taylor, and 12 others were federally charged as a result of this investigation.  Taylor pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.

This matter has been investigated by the DEA New Haven’s Tactical Diversion Squad, the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the U.S. Marshals Service.  The DEA Tactical Diversion Squad is composed of personnel from the DEA, the Connecticut State Police, and the West Haven, Hamden, Manchester, Bristol, Fairfield, and Seymour Police Departments.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Weingarten, Katherine Boyles, and Konstantin Lantsman, in coordination with the New Haven and Milford State’s Attorney’s Offices.

This case is being prosecuted through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

In March 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA’s New England Field Division released a public service announcement warning of the danger of fentanyl and the proliferation of counterfeit prescription pills.  Click here for more information.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JONATHAN McEWEN, 35, formerly of Vernon, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 14 months of imprisonment for escaping from a Bloomfield halfway house where he was completing a federal prison term.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 14, 2022, McEwen was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 42 months of imprisonment for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.  On August 1, 2023, McEwen was transferred from a federal prison in Berlin, New Hampshire, to the Drapelick Center, a Residential Reentry Center (halfway house) in Bloomfield, to complete his custodial sentence.  On November 27, 2023, McEwen was authorized to leave the halfway house to attend a state court hearing in Manchester.  He failed to return to the halfway house as required.  On December 6, 2023, McEwen was arrested by the Connecticut State Police and the Hartford Police Department on state charges unrelated to his escape.

McEwen has been detained since his arrest.  On July 16, 2024, he pleaded guilty to escape from the custody of the Attorney General.

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police and Hartford Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Sheldon.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Stephen P. Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that Dr. STEVEN SHIFREEN, Physician Assistant CHRISTOPHER NORVAL, and MULTICARE MUSCULOSKETETAL MEDICINE AND PAIN MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES, P.C. have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal government and have paid a total of $300,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the civil provisions of the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”).

Shifreen, a physician specializing in general medicine, and Norval, a physician assistant, practiced at Multicare Musculoskeletal Medicine and Pain Management Associates, P.C., a medical practice located in Berlin, Connecticut, which is currently owned by Norval.  It is alleged that Shifreen and Norval prescribed controlled substances to patients who were exhibiting signs of potential diversion and drug abuse through their inconsistent urine drug test results.

An inconsistent urine drug test result occurs when a patient tests positive for unexpected, non-prescribed substances in the urine, or tests negative for expected, prescribed substances.  An inconsistent urine drug test can be indicative of diversion or drug abuse.

The settlement resolves allegations that between March 23, 2021, and February 14, 2023, Shifreen and Norval issued 43 prescriptions to six patients for oxycodone and/or fentanyl.  These prescriptions were each issued after the patient received a urine test result that was inconsistent with the medication he or she was prescribed.  The government contends that these 43 prescriptions were issued without a legitimate medical purpose and were written outside the usual course of professional practice, in violation of the CSA.

In passing the CSA, Congress took steps to create “a closed system” of distribution for controlled substances in which every facet of the handling of the substances – from their manufacture to their consumption by the ultimate user – was to be subject to intense governmental regulation.  This mission was taken against the backdrop of trying to prevent the diversion and abuse of legitimate controlled substances, while still ensuring that an adequate supply of those substances meet the medical and scientific needs of the United States.

“When medical practitioners prescribe controlled substances to patients who are showing signs of misuse or diversion, not only are they likely violating the law, but those medical practitioners are putting their patients at risk of overdose, and threatening the safety of our community,” said U.S. Attorney Avery.  “This settlement demonstrates this office’s commitment to holding practitioners accountable for irresponsible prescribing.”

“The DEA is committed to ensuring that all registrants are in compliance with the required regulations, which are enforceable through the Controlled Substances Act,” said DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Belleau.  “Failure to do so increases the potential for diversion and jeopardizes public health and public safety.  DEA pledges to work with our law enforcement and regulatory partners to ensure these rules and regulations are followed.”

On March 10, 2023, Shifreen and Norval voluntarily surrendered their DEA registrations to prescribe controlled substances.  As part of the settlement agreement, Shifreen and Norval will not re-apply for DEA registration numbers for a period of five years.

This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven District Office Tactical Diversion Squad and the Office of Diversion Control, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Drug Control Division.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Kaczmarek.

TOLULOPE SAMUEL BODUNDE, 33, a citizen of Nigeria residing in Newark, New Jersey, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in a business email compromise scheme that operated out of multiple countries, including the United States.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Bodunde participated in a business email compromise scheme masterminded by his co-conspirator, Okechuckwu Valentine Osuji.  Osuji and his co-conspirators targeted specific individuals and businesses by masquerading as trustworthy entities in electronic communications to obtain money.  They utilized unwitting and witting “money mules” to receive fraud proceeds in their bank accounts, and then transferred those funds to accounts under the control of Osuji and his co-conspirators.  Over the course of the scheme’s years-long operation, numerous victims were tricked into transferring funds into bank accounts the victims believed were under the control of legitimate recipients of the funds as part of normal business operations, when in reality, the bank accounts were controlled by Osuji and his co-conspirators.  The victims included a Connecticut-based financial company, a Colorado-based lending company, an Alaska-based nonprofit performing arts organization, a New York-based food and beverage company, and others.

Bodunde’s role in the scheme included the exploitation of elderly women through romance scams to serve as unwitting money mules.

Judge Meyer ordered Bodunde to pay restitution totaling $494,939 to three victims of this scheme.

Bodunde was arrested on August 7, 2020.  On February 16, 2024, he pleaded guilty wire fraud.  He is required to report to prison on November 19.

On May 1, 2024, a jury found Osuji, also a citizen of Nigeria, guilty of conspiracy, wire fraud, and identity theft offenses stemming from this scheme.  He is detained while awaiting sentencing.

A third alleged co-coconspirator is pending extradition proceedings.

This case has been investigated by the FBI New Haven Field Office and the Stamford Police Department.  The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, Royal Malaysia Police, and Malaysian Attorney General’s Chambers have provided valuable assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel and Trial Attorney Lydia Lichlyter of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case.

To learn more about business email compromise scams, please visit www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/business-email-compromise and www.ic3.gov/Media/Y2023/PSA230609.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that VALERIE MENESES, 24, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 63 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for her role in a gunpoint robbery of a victim who was selling an iPhone on Facebook Marketplace.

According to court documents and statements made in court, ATF, the Hartford Police Department, and the Middletown Police Departments investigated a series of gunpoint robberies of individuals who advertised items for sale on internet marketplaces, such as Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp.  At an arranged meeting place to sell their items, which included cell phones and luxury sneakers and accessories, the purported purchaser would brandish a firearm, force the victim to hand over the luxury goods, and flee.  The investigation revealed that in August and September 2022, Meneses’ brother, John Villegas, also known as “Kirby,” committed five armed robberies in Hartford with Jalen Lasalle, and one armed robbery with Meneses in Middletown.

Meneses used a Facebook account to arrange the purported purchase of an iPhone from a victim who advertised its sale on Facebook Marketplace.  On August 20, 2022, Meneses traveled with Villegas to meet the victim at a restaurant parking lot in Middletown.  When the victim arrived at the meeting location, Villegas entered the victim’s car, inspected the iPhone, pulled out a firearm, and told the victim he was “out of luck.” Villegas also attempted to grab the victim’s personal cellphone and threatened to shoot him, before running to his waiting vehicle and fleeing with Meneses.

Judge Nagala ordered Meneses to pay $1,000 in restitution to the victim.

Meneses was arrested on October 5, 2023.  On May 15, 2024, she pleaded guilty to interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery), and carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

Meneses, who is released on a $25,000 bond, is required to report to prison on December 15.

Villegas and Lasalle, both of Hartford, have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

This matter has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Hartford Police Department, and the Middletown Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie T. Levick and A. Reed Durham.

U.S. Attorney Avery encouraged those who sell and purchase items online, and need to meet an individual in person to complete the sale, to use a visible, monitored location.  Contact your local police department to see if it offers a monitored meeting location, or search online for a nearby monitored location.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that on October 11, 2024, CHEVON GRANT, 27, of Hartford, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to a federal firearm charge stemming from a gang-related shootout.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 18, 2022, after an unidentified shooter, who is suspected of being a member of a rival gang, opened fire at individuals who were standing in a parking lot outside of a memorial gathering at a party venue on Main Street in Hartford, surveillance cameras at the location recorded at least nine individuals drawing firearms, some of whom returned fire.  Shot Spotter technology recorded approximately 50 shots fired within approximately 90 seconds in and around the location, and law enforcement recovered at least 31 shell casings from the scene.  Grant was present at the memorial gathering and was recorded on surveillance videos brandishing a handgun.

Following the shooting, Hartford Police obtained a warrant for Grant’s arrest in relation to the April 18 shootout.  At the time, Grant was also subject to two additional state arrest warrants for other alleged offenses.  On May 7, 2022, officers encountered Grant in the driver’s seat of a parked vehicle, retrieved a loaded Ruger P90 .45 firearm from beneath the driver’s seat, and took Grant into custody.

Grant’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for robbery and larceny offenses.  It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for January 9, at which time Grant faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.

Grant is detained in state custody, and state charges against him are pending.

This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Hartford Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Dearington and John T. Pierpont, Jr.

U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the Hartford State Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this matter.

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 gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ESKAVAIL GORDON, also known as “Vail,” 21, of Stratford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 48 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for a firearm trafficking offense.        

According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 26, 2023, Stefan Bagley, Jr. was shot and wounded while traveling in his vehicle in Bridgeport.  Later that same day, Bagley’s vehicle was used in another shooting incident in Bridgeport.  An investigation revealed that, between October 2022 and October 2023, Bagley purchased approximately 20 9mm handguns from licensed firearm dealers and then trafficked the guns to a network of customers, including Gordon.  Bagley typically scratched the serial numbers off of the firearms before providing them to his customers, making the guns more difficult to trace.

During the investigation, a search of Bagley’s text messages revealed communications with Gordon in which the two discussed Bagley purchasing a Glock handgun for Gordon.  Gordon then paid Bagley $750 for the gun.

Gordon was arrested on December 18, 2023, and investigators seized a 9mm firearm from Gordon on the date of his arrest.

Gordon was previously convicted in state court of possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle, and he was on state probation at the time of his criminal conduct in this case.  It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

On May 20, 2024, Gordon pleaded guilty to receipt of a trafficked firearm.  He has been detained since his arrest.

Bagley pleaded guilty to a related charge and awaits sentencing.

Most of the firearms trafficked by Bagley are unaccounted for.

U.S. Attorney Avery noted that this case is being prosecuted, in part, under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022.  The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.

This matter is being investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Gresham.

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 gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.

The United States Attorney’s Office annual law enforcement awards ceremony was celebrated yesterday in New Haven.  The ceremony at the City of New Haven’s aldermanic chambers recognized approximately 160 individuals for their investigative work and other contributions to significant federal criminal prosecutions, civil cases, and community engagement efforts in Connecticut.  The majority of recipients are members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including 16 municipal police departments in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

“This celebration recognizes the many valuable contributions of law enforcement professionals from police departments in cities and towns across Connecticut, those employed by state and federal agencies, and other dedicated individuals who regularly and actively join us in achieving the Office’s mission,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery.  “That singular mission is to do justice – do the right and just thing, in every circumstance.  It requires us to always stand firm in furtherance of our three primary and co-equal priorities: upholding the rule of law, safeguarding civil rights, and doing all we can to keep our residents and our communities safe.  We know that our law enforcement collaborations have been, and continue to be, essential to achieving that goal, and we thank each recipient for their invaluable commitment.  We are stronger and safer because of them.”

In addition to criminal and civil case awards that recognized investigators of violent crime, drug trafficking, national security, child exploitation, public corruption, financial fraud, health care fraud, and other matters, U.S. Attorney Avery presented three special awards during the ceremony.

The U.S. Attorney’s Award for Outstanding Investigator was presented to FBI New Haven Supervisory Special Agent Wendy Bowersox for her persistence and dedication that led to many federal and state prosecutions of dangerous human traffickers, and her empathy in interacting with trafficking victims, many of whom are often suspicious of law enforcement and fearful, and traumatized by the sexual, physical, and mental abuse they have suffered.  Agent Bowersox was recently promoted to the position of profiler at the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit in Quantico, Virginia.

The U.S. Attorney’s Outstanding Community Award was presented to DEA Special Agent Jonah Mazzacane and several individuals who have lost family members to overdose, who have presented to thousands of students across Connecticut about the dangers of fentanyl, other opioids, and counterfeit pills, through the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s HEAT program.

The U.S. Attorney’s Outstanding Partnership Award was presented to members of the FBI, Connecticut State Police, State’s Attorneys, and Assistant State’s Attorneys, who participate in United Against Hate events across the state.  UAH helps raise community awareness about hate crimes, hate incidents, and discrimination, and is building bridges between law enforcement and community, ethnic, and religious groups, particularly those with members who have been reluctant to contact law enforcement for help.

U.S. Attorney Avery also recognized members of the FBI, ATF, Bridgeport Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who recently won an Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA) Award for Superior Performance by a Litigative Team for their investigation and prosecution of 47 members and associates of three Bridgeport gangs who terrorized city residents from 2015 to 2022.  The investigation solved eight murders and approximately 20 attempted murders.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is charged with enforcing federal criminal laws in Connecticut and representing the federal government in civil litigation.  The Office is composed of approximately 68 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and 57 staff members at offices in New Haven, Bridgeport, and Hartford.

For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut, please visit www.justice.gov/ct.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England, today announced that BURNEST GEYER, Jr., 31, of Shelton, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with child exploitation offenses.

As alleged in court documents, an investigation revealed that Geyer had told an individual that he possessed child pornography videos, and that he had communicated with a second individual through Telegram, an encrypted phone messaging application, about his child pornography collection.  During a Telegram communication, Geyer shared his laptop screen and showed pictures and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.

On October 8, 2024, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of Geyer’s residence and seized Geyer’s iPhone and other items.  Preliminary analysis of the Telegram app on the iPhone revealed approximately 2,000 images and videos depicting child pornography.

Geyer was arrested yesterday.  He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and was released on a $100,000 bond.

The complaint charges Geyer with receipt and distribution of child pornography, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and with possession of child pornography, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of the Bridgeport Police Department and the Shelton Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Gordon.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MERVIN FIGUEROA, 27, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to offenses related to his participation in a stolen catalytic converter trafficking ring.

According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement has been investigating the theft of catalytic converters from motor vehicles across Connecticut.  A catalytic converter contains precious metals, can easily be removed from its vehicle, and is difficult to trace, making it a desirable target for thieves.  The average scrap price for catalytic converters currently varies between $300 and $1,500, depending on the model and type of precious metal component.

The investigation revealed that Alexander Kolitsas owned and operated Downpipe Depot & Recycling LLC (“Downpipe Depot”), which had a warehouse on Park Avenue in East Hartford.  From approximately January 2021 to June 2022, Kolitsas and Downpipe Depot purchased stolen catalytic converters from a network of thieves, including Figueroa, and then transported and sold the catalytic converters to recycling businesses in New York and New Jersey.  Kolitsas instructed his suppliers on the types of converters that would obtain the most profit upon resale, and he would often meet with them and transact business at his home late at night or behind a family member’s restaurant after hours.

Business records seized during the investigation revealed that Downpipe Depot paid Figueroa $169,840 for catalytic converters, including converters that were stolen in two separate incidents from vehicles at U-Haul Moving and Storage in Naugatuck.  In messages between Kolitsas and Figueroa, Kolitsas told Figueroa that he needed to remove anti-theft tags that U-Haul had placed on the converters before Kolitsas would take them.

Figueroa pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.  Judge Nagala scheduled sentencing for February 5, 2025.

Figueroa was arrested on November 15, 2023.  He is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.

Kolitsas pleaded guilty to related charges on October 7, 2024, and awaits sentencing.

This investigation is being led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and the East Hartford Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and A. Reed Durham.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHELLE ANN GILSON, 38, of Guilford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 19 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for failing to pay more than a million dollars in business payroll taxes.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Gilson co-owned and co-operated B&M Package Solutions, Inc. and formerly owned and operated Epic Empirez, Inc., both Guilford-based package delivery companies.  As co-owner, Gilson was responsible for company books, payroll, and invoices, and for collecting and paying over certain federal taxes from her employees, namely federal income taxes and Federal Insurance Contribution Act (“FICA”) taxes, which include Medicare and Social Security taxes.  She was also responsible for ensuring that B&M Package Solutions and Epic Empirez, as employers, paid their own share of FICA taxes.

An investigation revealed that, for multiple quarters during the 2017 through 2022 tax years, Gilson failed to report employees’ federal income and FICA taxes, and failed to pay over withheld amounts and the employers’ share of FICA taxes.  During this time, Gilson paid more than $600,000 in mortgage payments and property improvements to her Guilford home, and made approximately $140,000 in payments to casino resorts.

Judge Oliver ordered Gilson to pay the IRS restitution of $1,407,831.16.

In 2020, Gilson applied for a government loan through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was authorized by Congress as part of the March 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.  As part of the PPP application, Gilson attested that B&M Package Solutions paid payroll taxes for its employees.  In July 2020, Gilson received $250,000 in PPP funds.  The PPP loan was subsequently forgiven.

On July 18, 2024, Gilson pleaded guilty to willful failure to pay over withholding taxes.

Gilson, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on December 4.

This matter was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elena L. Coronado.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRYAN JOYCE, 38, of Southington, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to multiple offenses related to his selling privately made AR-15-style firearms, ammunition, and marijuana.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2022, the Connecticut State Police received information that Joyce was offering to sell assault weapons and other firearms, including privately manufactured firearms (PMFs or “ghost guns”), as well as ammunition and firearms accessories.  On January 28, 2022, Joyce sold an undercover law enforcement officer a privately-made AR-15 style rifle, a privately-made 9mm handgun, and a box of ammunition, in exchange for $2,000.  On March 4, 2022, Joyce sold the undercover officer two loaded AR-15 style rifles and approximately 400 grams of marijuana, for $5,800.

On March 21, 2022, Joyce was arrested at a parking lot in Waterbury where he met with the undercover officer who had arranged to purchase five more privately-made AR-15 style rifles and a kilogram of marijuana.  A search of Joyce’s vehicle revealed the five firearms, marijuana, and numerous rounds of ammunition.

The investigation revealed that Gregory Leary was Joyce’s firearm supplier.  A subsequent search of Leary’s Wolcott residence revealed six privately-made AR-15 style rifles; two privately-made 9mm semiautomatic handguns; a loaded Remington 12-gauge shotgun; a Glock .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun; a Glock 9mm semiautomatic handgun stamped “San Antonio Police Department”; numerous firearm parts and accessories; equipment used to manufacture firearms; and $7,129 in cash.

Joyce is a felon with a criminal history that includes state convictions for drug, larceny, and burglary offenses.  It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.

Joyce pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years; three counts of unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count; one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, marijuana, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years; and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.  Judge Underhill schedule sentencing for January 6.

Joyce, who had been released on bond, has been detained since April 2024 after he was arrested after an alleged domestic violence incident.

Leary pleaded guilty on June 13, 2023, and admitted that he manufactured and sold more than 25 firearms to Joyce.  On November 7, 2023, he was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment.

This matter has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Connecticut State Police Statewide Firearms Trafficking Task Force (SFTTF) and Statewide Urban Violence Cooperative Crime Control Task Force (SUVCCCTF/Gangs Unit), assisted by the Statewide Narcotics Task Force (SNTF) Southwest and North Central Offices, and the Bridgeport, Shelton, Orange, Waterbury, and Hartford Police Departments.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JAHQUAN BLACKWIN, also known as “Mula,” 27, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 66 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics and possessing guns.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in June 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force began investigating Blackwin and others for distributing fentanyl and cocaine in the Hartford area.  In July and August 2022, investigators made four controlled purchases of fentanyl from Blackwin.

Blackwin was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on August 17, 2022.  On that date, a search of Blackwin’s Judson Street apartment revealed approximately 750 grams of fentanyl, 500 grams of cocaine, 32 grams of crack cocaine, 700 grams of psilocybin, and five kilograms of marijuana, items used to process and package narcotics, and approximately $15,000 in cash.  Investigators also found and seized two loaded Polymer 80 handguns (“ghost guns”), one of which was fitted with a high-capacity magazine, and a loaded Glock 43X handgun.

Blackwin has been detained since his arrest.  On February 23, 2024, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”), and 100 grams or more of heroin.

The DEA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Keefe with the assistance of Law Student Intern William Clancy.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that VISHAL DHAR, 56, of New Canaan, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for tax evasion.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Dhar formed and operated various entities, including Grey Brown, Inc. (a holding company for several restaurants operating under the name “Oaxaca Taqueria”), West Partners, Inc., and NY Cloud Kitchens, LLC.  From approximately October 2013 through August 2023, Dhar willfully failed to disclose to the Internal Revenue Service significant income from his business and gifts from family members.  Instead of paying his outstanding tax liabilities, Dhar paid off personal and business debts, invested in a new business venture, and paid various personal expenses.  In evading his payment of taxes owed, Dhar used financial accounts in the names of entities and other individuals rather than in his own name, paid personal expenses with corporate funds, and omitted significant assets on IRS forms.

In addition, in the bankruptcy case In re Grey Brown Inc., filed in the Southern District of New York, Dhar failed to disclose the receipt of an Employee Retention Credit check in amount of $254,203.01 made payable to Oaxaca Atlantic Avenue, LLC.  The Employee Retention Credit is a refundable tax credit for certain eligible businesses and tax-exempt organizations that had employees and were affected during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the 2011 through 2020 tax years, Dhar owed $272,390.07 in back taxes, penalties, and interest.  Dhar has paid full restitution to the IRS.

Dhar pleaded guilty on May 23, 2024.

Dhar, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on February 12, 2025.

This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ALEXANDER KOLITSAS, 30, of Wolcott, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to offenses related to his leadership of a catalytic converter theft and trafficking ring.

According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement has been investigating the theft of catalytic converters from motor vehicles across Connecticut.  A catalytic converter contains precious metals, can easily be removed from its vehicle, and is difficult to trace, making it a desirable target for thieves.  The average scrap price for catalytic converters currently varies between $300 and $1,500, depending on the model and type of precious metal component.

Kolitsas owned and operated Downpipe Depot & Recycling LLC (“Downpipe Depot”), which had a warehouse on Park Avenue in East Hartford.  From approximately January 2021 to June 2022, Kolitsas used Downpipe Depot to purchase stolen catalytic converters from a network of thieves.  Kolitsas instructed his suppliers on the types of converters that would obtain the most profit upon resale, and he would often meet with them and transact business at his home late at night or behind a family member’s restaurant after hours.  Analysis of records seized from Downpipe Depot revealed that many of Kolitsas’s suppliers were selling thousands to tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of stolen converters to Kolitsas each week.

Kolitsas regularly transported and sold the catalytic converters to recycling businesses in New York and New Jersey.  Some of these trips yielded payments in excess of $200,000.

The investigation also revealed that Kolitsas used proceeds from the theft and sale of catalytic converters to purchase a Ford Transit Van and other items.

Kolitsas pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and one count of promotional money laundering, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

As part of his plea agreement, Kolitsas has agreed to forfeit the Ford Transit Van, a 2016 Polaris Slingshot, $91,581 held in a Downpipe Depot bank account, and $75,127 in cash, all of which was seized by law enforcement during the investigation.

Judge Nagala scheduled sentencing for January 22.  Kolitsas is released on a $150,000 bond pending sentencing.

This investigation is being led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and the East Hartford Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and A. Reed Durham.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that PORFIRIA MARIBEL RAMOS SANCHEZ, 47, a citizen of Mexico last residing in Vernon, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to a charge stemming from her involvement in a scheme to smuggle aliens into the U.S., harbor them at Hartford area residences, force them to work, and threaten to harm them in various ways if they failed to pay exorbitant fees, interest, and other living expenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in September 2022, the FBI and Hartford Police interviewed several Mexican nationals who disclosed that they were smuggled from Mexico into the U.S. and transported to Hartford.  The investigation revealed that victims typically arranged with Ramos, her co-conspirators in Connecticut, and associates in Mexico to cross the border into the U.S. in exchange for a fee of between $15,000 and $20,000 that each would need to pay once they were in the U.S.  In most cases, the victims were required to turn over a property deed as collateral before leaving Mexico.  They were then smuggled across the border and transported to Hartford area residences, often at a substantial risk of bodily injury or death.

After the victims arrived in Connecticut, they were told that they would have to pay $30,000, with interest, and that they would have to pay Ramos and her co-coconspirators for rent, food, gas and utilities.  The co-conspirators created false documents for the victims, including Permanent Residence cards and Social Security cards, and helped the victims find employment in the Hartford area.  In addition to their own jobs, some victims were required to perform housework and yardwork without compensation and without having their debt reduced.

Victims were rarely provided with an accounting of their debt.  If victims failed to make regular payments, or in amounts that the co-conspirators expected, they were sometimes threatened, including with threats to harm family members in Mexico, to take property in Mexico that had been secured as collateral, to reveal victims’ immigration status to U.S. authorities, and to raise their interest payments.

To date, investigators have identified 18 victims of this scheme.

Ramos pleaded guilty to conspiracy to encourage and induce, bring in, transport, and harbor aliens, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.  Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for January 6, 2025.

As part of her plea agreement, Ramos has agreed to a restitution order of $494,608.  In partial satisfaction or her restitution obligation, Ramos and her husband have agreed to sell a property they own at 74 Burnside Avenue in East Hartford, which was used to facilitate this criminal offense.

Ramos has been detained since her arrest on October 5, 2023.

This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hartford Police Department, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angel Krull and Shan Patel.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that CANYON BEASLEY, 21, of Gresham, Oregon, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with child exploitation offenses, including traveling to Connecticut to engage in sexual activity with a minor.

Beasley was arrested on September 30, 2024.  He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacie F. Beckerman in Portland, Oregon, and was ordered detained.  A detention hearing is scheduled for October 29 in New Haven.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, Beasley and a minor victim in Connecticut engaged in an online relationship, communicating through Snapchat, TikTok, and through text messaging, for more than a year, and exchanged sexually explicit images through these online platforms.  In June 2024, Beasley traveled to Connecticut to engage in sexual activity with the minor victim.

The complaint charges Beasley with production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of 30 years of imprisonment; receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; and traveling to engage in sexual activity with a minor, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years.

U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Cheshire Police Department and the Connecticut State Police.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Lembo.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that SPORTS MEDICINE & ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY, P.C. (“SMOS”), an orthopedic medical practice with offices in Manchester and Tolland, has entered into a settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).

The matter was initiated by a complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Justice by an individual who is deaf and speaks American Sign Language alleging that SMOS did not provide them with a qualified interpreter for American Sign Language at medical appointments.  The government’s investigation determined that SMOS did not provide an American Sign Language interpreter for three medical appointments, and that SMOS offered to communicate with the complainant by typing back and forth on a computer, which did not provide effective communication for a medical appointment.

Under the terms of the settlement agreement, SMOS has agreed not to discriminate based on disability in the future and will provide persons with disabilities with full and equal enjoyment of its services.  As part of that obligation, SMOS will provide auxiliary aids and services, including American Sign Language interpreters, to ensure effective communication with its patients and their companions who have disabilities.  SMOS has also agreed to provide reasonable modifications to policies and procedures for individuals with disabilities consistent with the ADA. 

U.S. Attorney Avery noted that SMOS has worked cooperatively with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to improve their ADA compliance without litigation.

The settlement agreement is effective for three years, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will monitor compliance during that time.

Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 203-821-3700 and ask for the Civil Rights Intake Specialist.

Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Justice Department’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TTY).  More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.

This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stewart C. Dearing.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ISRAEL MENDOZA, also known as “D-Nice” and “Israel Mandosa,” 44, formerly of Reading, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, heroin and cocaine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2018, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force began investigating a Hartford area narcotics trafficking operation that involved the use of the U.S. Mail to ship parcels of drugs and drug proceeds.  Investigators determined that Mendoza supplied Michael Copeland, of Bloomfield, with large quantities of cocaine, and that Copeland, at Mendoza’s direction, mailed parcels containing cash to individuals in California.  In September and October, U.S. Postal Inspectors in California intercepted and seized two parcels, each containing approximately $13,000 in cash, that Copeland mailed in Connecticut to addresses in the Fresno area.  Investigators analyzed postal records and identified dozens of additional parcels connected to this drug trafficking network that are suspected to have contained narcotics or drug proceeds.

In February 2019, investigators seized a parcel containing nearly 500 grams of cocaine that had been mailed from California to a Bloomfield residence that was connected to Copeland.

Mendoza worked with others, including Neliobet DeJesus and Danny Rhodes, in the Hartford area to distribute heroin and cocaine.  During the investigation, after DeJesus had moved to Orlando, Florida, investigators identified a mail parcel that was destined for a residence in Orlando that was linked to DeJesus.  A court authorized search of the parcel revealed approximately 500 grams of cocaine and approximately five grams of fentanyl.

On October 31, 2019, a grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment charging Mendoza, Copeland, DeJesus, and Rhodes with narcotics trafficking offenses.  Mendoza remained a fugitive until his arrest on August 14, 2023, in California.

Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for March 10, 2025, at which time Mendoza faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  Mendoza has been detained since his arrest.

Copeland, DeJesus and Rhodes previously pleaded guilty.  On December 8, 2021, Rhodes was sentenced to 87 months of imprisonment; on December 16, 2021, Copeland was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment; and on March 7, 2022, DeJesus was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment.

This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force, which includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut Army National Guard, and the Hartford, New Britain, Meriden, and Town of Groton Police Departments.  The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Connecticut State Police, and Hartford Police Department assisted the investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JERMEL BATES, also known as “Mel Kitty” and “Kitty,” 28, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning hours of June 25, 2023, Bates crashed his vehicle into a parked car in Bridgeport and fled the scene on foot.  Law enforcement conducted a search of Bates’ vehicle and found plastic bags containing numerous blue/green fentanyl pills stamped “M/30,” wax paper folds containing fentanyl and other controlled substances, and approximately 78 grams of crack cocaine.  Bates was arrested later that day and charged with state offenses.

On March 19, 2024, Bates was arrested on a federal criminal complaint.  In conjunction with his arrest, investigators searched his person and his Newfield Avenue apartment and found plastic bags with thousands of blue-green fentanyl pills stamped “M/30” and weighing more than 400 grams, hundreds of wax paper sleeves containing fentanyl, and a bag containing approximately 12 grams of crack cocaine.

Bates has been detained since his federal arrest.  On May 10, 2024, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, including 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

This matter was investigated by the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Norwalk Police Department.  The Task Force is composed of personnel from the FBI, Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Norwalk, and Trumbull Police Departments.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Gordon.

In March 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA’s New England Field Division released a public service announcement warning of the danger of fentanyl and the proliferation of counterfeit prescription pills.  Click here for more information.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JIMMY LASSUS, 40, of Wethersfield, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to distribution of fentanyl and oxycodone.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning of October 6, 2023, Meriden Police responded to a residence on a report of a suspected overdose and found a 27-year-old woman unresponsive in a bedroom.  She was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced deceased.  The investigation revealed that for several months before the victim’s death, the victim engaged in numerous drug-related text message conversations with Lassus.  The text messages revealed that Lassus supplied the victim with oxycodone, and that he supplied her with fentanyl that she ingested in the hours before she died.  The victim stated in text messages and in a journal entry that it was her first time using fentanyl.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the victim’s death to be caused by acute intoxication due to the combined effects of fentanyl, benzodiazepines, xylazine, and oxycodone.

Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for December 23, at which time Lassus faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

Lassus has been detained since his arrest on April 11, 2024.

This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Meriden Police Department, with the assistance of the Wethersfield Police Department.  The Task Force includes members from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan Keefe and Reed Durham.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that DAVID EDDY, 59, of Manchester, New Hampshire, has waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to child exploitation offenses stemming from his sexual abuse of a young girl.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in September 2022, Eddy sexually abused a minor girl, who was approximately five years old, and used his cell phone to take photographs of his sexual abuse of the victim.  Analysis of Eddy’s phone revealed more than 150 child sexual abuse images and videos of the minor victim and other child victims of sexual abuse.

On September 25, 2024, Eddy pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years, and one count of possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  A sentencing date is not scheduled.

Eddy has been detained since October 2022, when he was arrested on related state charges.  The state charges are pending.

This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Simsbury Police Department, with the assistance of the Manchester (N.H.) Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia King.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that JENNIFER CORMIER, 45, of Naugatuck, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to a fraud offense stemming from an embezzlement scheme.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Cormier was employed at a family-owned business, identified in court documents in “Company A,” in Naugatuck, where she performed bookkeeping and other office-related tasks.  Between approximately 2017 and July 2023, Cormier stole from her employer by fraudulently creating approximately 1,000 checks made payable to her and to “cash,” forged the signature of Company A’s owner or used the owner’s signature stamp on the checks, and then cashed them or deposited them into her personal bank account.  After the checks were issued, she deleted the transaction in Company A’s accounting system.  Through this scheme, Cormier embezzled $865,106.17.

Cormier pleaded guilty to bank fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30.  She is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing, which is scheduled for December 18.

This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Naugatuck Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KEVIN BIEBEL, 72, of Hardeeville, South Carolina, formerly of New Milford, Connecticut, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 18 months of imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, for tax fraud.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Biebel operated Art Metal Industries, LLC (“AMI”), a metal fabrication business.  In 2017, AMI had total gross receipts of more $1.5 million and a net profit of more than $550,000.  That year, Biebel transferred more than $350,000 from AMI to his personal bank account for various personal expenditures.  In 2018, the IRS sought to collect delinquent payroll taxes from Biebel for AMI and instructed Biebel to file delinquent Individual Income Tax Returns (Forms 1040) for the 2016 and 2017 tax years.  In September 2018, Biebel filed the returns, which fraudulently reported that he had zero total income and zero total tax due for both years.

In 2018, AMI received more than $2.7 million in gross receipts and had a profit of more than $1.2 million.  That year, Biebel transferred funds from an AMI bank account to his personal bank account and another bank account held in the name of Diego Trust LLC, a limited liability company for which Biebel was the sole listed member.  Biebel used more than $750,000 in funds from those accounts to purchase a home in South Carolina and other assets.

Biebel also failed to file individual income tax returns for 2018, 2019, and 2020 tax years.

Between 2016 and 2020, Biebel failed to report more than $2.8 million in business income from AMI, resulting in a tax loss of approximately $900,000.  In addition, he failed to withhold and pay over approximately $300,000 in employment taxes.

Judge Dooley ordered Biebel to pay $1,208,801 in restitution.

On April 30, 2024, Biebel pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return.

Biebel, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on January 7.

This investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSHUA GLAESER, 36, of New Britain, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to possession of child pornography.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in the summer of 2022, a Connecticut State Police detective investigating child exploitation offenses identified an IP address at Glaeser’s New Britain residence that was being used in the distribution of child pornography.  In 2012, Glaeser was convicted in state court of possession of child pornography and was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment, execution suspended after two years, followed by 10 years of probation, which Glaeser was currently serving.

On December 9, 2022, HSI special agents executed a court authorized search warrant at Glaeser’s residence and seized his Chromebook, tablet, smartphone and storage cards.  Analysis of the seized items revealed more 3,000 images and videos of child pornography, including images depicting the sexual abuse of children, including infants and toddlers.  The investigation also revealed that Glaeser used a peer-to-peer file sharing network to distribute child pornography to other users.

At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Glaeser faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  The penalties in this matter are enhanced because of Glaeser’s prior state conviction for possessing child pornography.

Glaeser has been detained since December 9, 2022.

This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Connecticut State Police.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DELROY ANDERSON, also known as “Max,” 57, formerly of Stamford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 13 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for leading a money laundering conspiracy related to his large-scale trafficking of marijuana.  Anderson also must serve the first six months of his supervised release in home detention.

According to court documents and statements made in court, for approximately five years, Anderson conspired with others to launder proceeds from a marijuana trafficking operation by paying for marijuana cultivation, package shipping, electricity, and air travel expenses with the proceeds.  He also deposited the drug trafficking proceeds into multiple bank accounts opened in the name of Maximillion Enterprises Inc., and structured deposits to evade reporting requirements under federal law.  Between 2015 and 2019, Anderson operated marijuana cultivation farms in Santa Rosa, California, and Willits, California, and he employed others to grow, harvest, package, and ship the marijuana for distribution in Connecticut, Virginia, New York, and elsewhere.

In February 2020, Anderson and his co-conspirators, Kelvin Jackson and Stephanie Atkinson, were charged by indictment with various money laundering offenses.  On February 18, 2022, Anderson, who had been released on bond pending trial, was scheduled to appear before Judge Dooley for a guilty plea proceeding.  He failed to appear for that court proceeding and ceased contact with his attorney and the U.S. Probation Office.

On November 8, 2023, the U.S. Marshals Service located and arrested Anderson in Dallas, Texas.  He has been detained since his arrest.  On July 1, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.

Anderson has forfeited his interest in multiple bank accounts associated with the charged conspiracy.

Jackson, of Bristol, Virginia, and Atkinson, of Stamford, previously pleaded guilty to the same charge and await sentencing.

This matter has been investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service, the Stamford Police Department, and the Sonoma County (Calif.) Sheriff’s Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Huang and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.